Little Sluggers

Saturday was Opening Day for Warm Springs Little League. We had debated whether to sign Toby up to play T-ball until last minute. He really needs an extra curricular activity so we decided to give it a try. Jessie has been avoiding organized sports at all costs for years even though we want her to try numerous ones. I know it is the perfectionist in her that doesn't want to lose, mixed with a fierce competitive streak, that has held her back. So the first day of Toby's practice Dave noticed J's friend from school is on a team coached by her Dad. Dave came home, emailed the League and begged, borrowed and bribed (almost :) ) to see if Jess could get on a team just over a week from Opening Day. We found out 20 minutes before the next practice that the Dad of J's friend would like to have her on the team, so that finally sealed the deal for Jessie. She loves it! So does Toby! He told me Saturday night after his first game that he was going to be a baseball player forever.
Dave was willingly snookered into being a coach on both kids teams. Jessie and Toby love practicing with Dad.
Jessie is a natural athlete. Her coach and lots of the Dad coaches thought she had played baseball before. J had a great first game considering she only went to one practice before. She is on a Farm team which uses the pitching machine during the games. First inning Jessie is asked to be the catcher. She was awesome and brave to put on all that gear and get out there to stop the ball every time. She got 3 RBI's and was literally batting a thousand. I was anxious to watch her reaction if she made a mistake because I know how negative that reaction can be sometimes. She almost caught a pop fly but just missed it when it bounced out of her glove. I know she learned a lot and didn't get down on herself which was great to see. She is maturing so fast.
Toby was out there to have some fun! It was completely entertaining watching the little T-ball players. They were all satisfied to hit the ball and pick it up if it came to them. The fielders would pick up the ball, wave it in the air and smile real big like they had just won the game. I'm surprised nobody ran the wrong way. Strategy will come later. I could tell Toby loved the team aspect of the game. He likes being silly with his friends and enjoyed the comraderie of being part of a team. He whacked a couple balls good too, which always helps.

Despite the unexpected, toe-numbing cold, we all had a pretty good day. I figured it was going to be chilly and warm up when the fog burned away like the day before. We were not prepared for how cold it was all day. I had to run home for a few heavier jackets and pants for Sydney since I really wasn't thinking when I put her in a cute sundress. Syd was overwhelmed with all the people and just wanted to be held. She is fighting a bug and didn't feel very good either. She slept through most of J's game nice and warm under a blanket in the stroller. Not surprisingly, Logan whined almost the entire time about wanting treats from the snack shack. All the snacks I brought were apparently inedible. He is in a very whiny stage these days. I'm praying it will pass soon before Dave and I accidentally leave him at Grandma's and go out of town for awhile. :)

Both Toby and Logan have complained of hurting ears the past 24 hours. Mr. Cooper woke us up at 5:something AM crying about his hurting ear. We set him up on the couch with a warm rice bag on his ear and some Tylenol to take the edge off. As Dave was rubbing his ear and talking to him Logan says, "Dad, can we just take this ear off and put it in the garbage and put a new one on?"

When Dave figures out how to do that one he can get me a new, thinner pair of legs and butt while he's at it.

I know, go lace up the running shoes....................

The flood gates have opened!

When Dave left on his mission to Ohio for our church we were not speaking to each other. It was 1996 and I was in my senior year at MSJ High School. I vividly remember walking past him outside our church on his last Sunday here while my friend said goodbye. Lame, I know, but I thought he hated me. You see, I dumped Dave or blew him off more than once while we dated the 18 months previous. It got old (gee, I wonder why) so he pretty much gave up on me. I claim temporary insanity due to the fact that I was wrapped up in drama with another guy. I knew Dave was a great guy, still is by the way, but I was sucked into a bad relationship. Anyway, I still secretly had a huge thing for Dave, so while he was away I was writing him letters. I wrote during English class at Ohlone, on a break from work at House of Fabrics, in the church library on Sunday, or at home while thinking of him. I was too chicken to send him a letter out of the blue. How do you start that one? Hi, remember me? I'm the one who stabbed you through the heart a couple times in high school. Didn't think that would go over very well. I finally got the courage to send him my now huge stack of letters written over several months. He didn't believe they were real. He figured I just wrote a bunch with different pens/markers to make it look like I was writing the entire time. Whatever. I knew the truth and I hoped by opening the line of communication again that he would give me one last chance. I think we've talked about that story enough now that he believes me.

I am reminded of this story because I've done the same thing with my little piece of the blogosphere. I keep starting a post here and there and never finish it. It's either too late to work or I start to fall asleep at the keyboard. At last, for your viewing pleasure, but more for my need to journal, I have posted the last couple weeks worth of stuff. I kept all the posts on the dates they were started so I can print them out that way. Sorry little blog, I will not be a stranger anymore.

Project 365

I like to call myself a scrapbooker. The amount of supplies gathering dust in my bedroom tells a different story. Except for an occasional card or school project, I haven't used the paper, glue, stickers, etc. I have collected in over a year. I'm really missing that small part of my life because a.) me and my family love looking back through the books that I have completed and b.) it's a hobby I enjoy.

A few months ago, I took advantage of a free photo book offer from Snapfish. I put together a quick book of my favorite art work from the kids along with pictures of them. They LOVE seeing themselves in a real book, and it is a great way to have all those cool art projects in one place and not have to keep the real ones. So completing that book has relit the fire within. I am pumped and ready to document some memories dangit!

I am excited to share the answer to my dilemna. It's called Project 365 designed by Becky Higgins, who is a long-time scrapbook designer. Basically, you take a picture every day for the year and journal whatever you feel is important for that day. Anything.

I know what you're thinking. That seems like too much work to remember to take a picture every day. It may be hard for some, but I'm a girl who has the camera out by the computer or on the piano all the time. Since I sit at the computer at least once a day to check email, I try to take that time to jot down my journaling for the day before, or that day if I'm on top of things. I go through photos every couple days. I love the way it has changed my perspective. I am more aware of little milestones the kids reach, the things I enjoy, fun moments or conversations I share with people. I do miss days taking a photo, but I just go back and take a picture of something that represents what I want to say or remember for the day. I've noticed the kids getting involved in too. They ask me to take pictures of things or let them take pictures. It's become a fun project.

I have yet to do so, but I will buy some of these.Just google 12x12 sheet protectors, 4x6, and a page of places to buy them comes up. They might be at a local office supply store, but I haven't checked yet.

There was an entire kit for sale designed by Becky Higgins but it is long gone. I would have bought one if I had known about it when they went on sale. The $40 was well worth it for what you have at the end of the year. She has offered a free download of some of the items from the kit since it was grossly under-produced. I downloaded the freebies here and use them in photoshop to type out journaling.

Here's one week I did all digital in Photoshop. I will probably just print out lots of journaling cards and write on them instead of typing. I need that hands on stuff and I like to see my handwriting change through the years. Embrace your handwriting right? It's a part of you after all.
This week was kinda travel-logey (yep, it's a word now). I have done other weeks of spotlighting each member of our family, writing down funny things the kids say, etc. It really is a fun way to scrapbook without the time-consuming parts of scrapbooking. I love it!!

How do you cope??

I've been such a bad blogger. I've started three different posts in the last few weeks and haven't finished any of them. One would think that being cooped up in the house with all this rain would give me time to keep updated.......

Speaking of all the rain- I'm thankful for it. I do love the rain. I don't love how stir crazy it makes the kids. I have major cabin fever. What do you do when the rain, or snow, keeps everyone cooped up inside?

I have been forced to stare at my blah rooms and decided to spruce them up with some color. Paint is cheap, especially when you score some bearable colors at the $5 section at Home Depot. It has been just the pick-me-up I needed and the kids love the change too. Dave? He is kinda indifferent to those kind of things, which is fine.

I painted the kids room a straight-out-of-the-can dark blue. Definitely out of the box for me. The kids love to show everyone who comes over their "new" room.

My brother Tom replaced our kitchen countertops and sink last week, finally. The old countertops were crumbling away under the Formica, the sink was scary, and the cold water was down to a trickle. I won't even mention the scary things Tom found in the wall. He worked on the kitchen while I mixed up a paint color I could live with from a garish gallon of teal ($5!) some brown (you guessed it, another 5 bucks) and ivory. I don't know why I waited so long to just paint the walls. I am loving the color. Thank you Sami for watching my kids while I worked with Tom. I really appreciate it. We were in a state of chaos for about 3 days but the end result is worth it. The kids had a hard time leaving Uncle Tom alone so he could work. They love playing, teasing and jumping all over him. Most of all they love him to throw them around and wrestle. Even little Syd lights up when Tom comes in the house now. She would toddle over to him and dance around or smile then turn away so he could chase her. We also had a heck of a time keeping them out of all the fun tools that covered every inch of the kitchen/dining area. Thankfully, no children were hurt in the making of this quick renovation. I want to get some before and after shots up soon just for fun.

I am done with take-out for awhile. I couldn't cook for a couple days, so we (begrudgingly) ate lots of In & Out and chinese for dinner. The kids loved the In & Out part. Since it was the last week of February, I had decided on Sunday to play a little game with myself and not spend any money all week. Then we got the word that the kitchen could be done this week and that shot my plan out the window. We ended up spending a lot of money. :)