Tiny Titans vs. Red Socks

Our Tiny Titans came to play today! The Red Sox were up to bat first. Our pitcher got two quick outs, but then the wheels feel off a bit, and we allowed them to score 4 runs before obtaining the 3rd and final out. Next, the Tiny Titan's were up-to-bat. We scored 4 runs and were on our way to a 5th and final run of the inning when the Umpire called our batter out because he said that he ran out of the baseline. Although we did not agree with the call, that was the call, so we were on to the 2nd inning tied 4-4.

The Red Sox scored 5 runs at the top of the 3rd inning, and our Tiny Titans came back to tie up the game 9-9. On to the 4th inning. Our pitcher and outfielders did an incredible job at the top of the 4th - holding the Red Sox to one run. It was time for the Tiny Titans to take the lead ... and take the lead they did. The 4th inning ended 11-10. With only 1 minute left in the game, the umpire told our players to take the field. Surprisingly, we were heading into another inning. Our pitcher earned two quick outs before their third batter made it on base. Our outfielders held him to third base until our pitcher threw his third out. And that was it! We won the game 11-10! Way to go Tiny Titans!!!!

My Little Man is Sick

Connor has been battling allergies, like the rest of us, for about a week now. The crazy winds and temperature fluctuations don't help them. So, he has been taking Claritin and hanging in there. Yesterday, he came down to my classroom no less than 4 times to see me. Each time he just wanted to see me, to talk to me. Unfortunately, I had to send him back to class rather quickly each time because I was in the middle of helping to produce a videoconference for the kindergarten students in our district. (I need to blog about that, too!)

Anyway ... Connor fell asleep in the car on the way home from picking up Megan. This is quite unusual. He walked into the house and immediately sat down on the striped couch - which is in the formal living room, just inside the front door. I did not realize it at the time, but he did not move from there for over an hour. I went to the kitchen to go through the mail and then into the laundry room to work on the laundry. When I came back out of the laundry room, I noticed that he was breathing rather heavily. He was sound asleep on the sofa. He looked rather comfortable, so I just let him sleep.

Since he was sleeping so soundly and Megan was entertaining herself, I decided to go for a walk. As I reached the base of the stairs, Connor began to wake up, so I went over to talk to him. As he sat up, I noticed his cheeks were bright red, as he tried to talk, I noticed his labored breathing, and as soon as I touched him, I knew that he had a high fever. 104 degrees in one ear. 102.9 in the other. I immediately grabbed a jacket, told Megan that I was taking Connor to the doctor, and loaded him up in the car.

We arrived at Acute Kids Care within minutes, completed the paperwork, and were on our way to seeing a doctor. After one quick look at Connor's throat, the nurse took a swab and ran the rapid Strep test. Within minutes, the doctor was in the room with the diagnosis. Severe Strep Throat. Antibiotics, Tylenol, Motrin, and no school for at least 24 hours.

Thursday .....
I am happy to report that the Antibiotics are doing a great job, that the mouthwash (lidocaine, malox, and benadryl) is coating his throat and making him feel better, and that his fever is gone. Although I hate it when my children are sick, I enjoy caring for them, snuggling them, and spending some one-on-one time with them when they really need to be cared for. I am happy that my little man is on the mend, but I will miss spending the day with him tomorrow, as we will all be back to work and school first thing in the morning.

Blogging ... Just Over a Year Now

I started blogging just over a year ago ... March 12, 2008, to be exact. I have to say that I really enjoy blogging and reading other people's blogs. I like to look back on past events, reminisce, remember. It feels good to see how much we have accomplished, what has changed, what has stayed the same, what is new, etc. I hope that those of you who read the blog have enjoyed hearing about our events and happenings. Most of you email me when you want to comment on the blog. Please feel free to comment below the blog postings. I enjoy re-reading the comments, as well.

Here's to another year of blogging!

Tiny Titan's Tournament - Game 2

Well, game two did not go quite as well as game one. First of all, it was about 38 degrees outside with 15-30 mph north wind gusts that cut right through you. Connor and I arrived at 3:00pm for our 3:30pm game, only to discover that there was a game in session on our field with 55 minutes of play time remaining. So much for our 3:30pm start time, and it was FREEZING!

The boys watched a bit of the game on our field before heading to the playground to entertain themselves and to move around to stay warm. I tried to hangout by a brick wall to see if it would block the wind a bit, but the brick wall acted more like a wind tunnel than a wind block. I finally gave up and just went to sit in the stands. Of course, the stands are metal bleachers. Can you say, "COLD!" Luckily, I brought the sleeping bag. I zipped it up and climbed in it - pulling it up around my neck and ears. There I sat for almost an hour waiting for our game to begin. Freezing!!!!

Our boys finally took the field sometime after 4:30pm. Our pitching was not as hot as it was the first game, and the other team's pitching was incredible. Our first up-to-bat, their pitcher struck out our first three batters, and the top of inning was over. Their team was up-to-bat. Our boys made some good fielding plays and got a player out at 3rd and another at 1st base, but not before our opponent scored several runs.

In our second up-to-bat, we managed to get one batter on base, but he was called out trying to steal home. So, after two innings, we were scoreless and our opponents had 6 runs, I think. In the third inning, we managed to get two or three batters on base and scored a couple of runs, but their pitcher was strong, and our Tiny Titans could not get the big hits that we needed.

We did not win the game, but our little guys hung in there. The tournament is over, and we start regular season play on Tuesday night. The weather forecast is calling for much milder temperatures, so Tuesday night's game should be much more pleasant than Saturday's. Wish us luck! Go Tiny Titans!!!

Tiny Titan's Baseball 2009

Connor is playing AA Baseball this year. He has been playing baseball since he was 4, sitting out only one fall ball season, I think, but this is his first round of AA Baseball. Our season began this evening with Round 1 of a Pre-Season Tournament. Our 10U Tiny Titan's team faced the 10U Red Sox team, and I am happy to say that we came out ahead! Go Tiny Titans!

We were the "Guests" tonight, so we were up to bat first. Connor batted 8th tonight. He had a huge hit that went under the glove of the outfielder between 2nd and 3rd base and earned him a double! Each inning, the batting team is held to a 5 point run limit. I am happy to announce that we scored 5 runs in Inning #1, and our opponents scored only 1 run (their one run was due to 3 errors on our team's part). Although the boys made 3 quick errors, they redeemed themselves by fielding a ball at 3rd base, quickly sending it to 1st base, and getting batter #4 out! Whew Hoo!!!

On to the 2nd inning ... Connor made another great hit and earned himself a double - after an overthrow to firstbase. Connor and three of his teammates rounded the bases and made it home - earning us 4 runs in the 2nd inning. The Red Sox came back and scored 5 runs in the 2nd inning, and the inning ended 9-6. Our Tiny Titans came back fighting in the top of the 3rd and scored 4 runs!

With only a few minutes of game time remaining (each game is 80 min. long), the Red Sox were back up to bat. When the time ran out, the umpire called the inning and ended the game since the Red Sox had no chance of winning. Our Tiny Titans won their Pre-Season opener 13-6!

We were so proud of Connor and his team! They played hard, stayed focused, made some big hits, and some great plays. Our next game is Thursday evening!

Spring Break 2009

We had a "stay"cation this Spring Break. Instead of going somewhere, we hung out at home for the week. We started the weekend trimming one of the trees in the front yard. We trimmed limbs, hauled branches and limbs to the curb, trimmed bushes, and filled several lawn and leaf bags to the brim.

Monday, I spent the day cleaning some of the kitchen cabinets and organizing the pantry. It was a lot of work, but it felt great to get it all clean and organized. Tuesday I cleaned a few other things around the house and organized the master bedroom a bit. It still needs some work, but it is better than it was before.

Wednesday, we ran errands and purchased gifts for Easter baskets that will be given to area needy children through our local family services organization. Megan chose a basket for a 10-12 year old girl and Connor a basket for a 6-10 year old boy. They chose candy - chocolates and Starbursts, giant lollipops, and chocolate eggs. Megan chose lip gloss, fingernail polish, and a magnetic dry erase locker board for the girl, while Connor chose bouncy balls, a paddle ball game, and silly string for the boy. Both Megan and Connor selected a small stuffed bunny to round out their baskets. We had a great time selecting the Easter treats!

We met Stephanie, Colton, & Carson for lunch at La Hacienda. We enjoyed a nice lunch together before heading to our house so the kids could play. Stephanie and I spent some time together while the kids rode bikes and ripsticks and jumped on the trampoline.

Blake took Thursday and Friday off of work so that we could all spend some time together. And spend time together we did. We did not relax around the pool or watch movies. Instead, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we trimmed trees and bushes, stacked and relocated limbs and branches, cleaned flower beds, spread two yards of dirt, and put down a pallet of sod in the front yard.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Needless to say, we were exhausted on Sunday. We wrapped up the weekend with baseball practice, YoungLife letter night, and Life Group. It was a great week, but I think that I need to go back to work to get some rest!

Fireproof Your Marriage: He Said, She Said

As I mentioned before, we are participating in the Fireproof Your Marriage study with our Life Group. We meet every two weeks, so it is going to take us a bit to go through the study, but I like having two weeks to focus on each lesson. The first week was titled, "He Said, She Said," and we talked about the difference in the needs of men and women. Men need respect from their wives and women need love from their husbands. We went through some examples and chose the ones that made us feel the most respected and loved and then shared our feelings with each other.

It was nice to discuss this around the group and to hear different perspectives. Although Blake does not always communicate his feelings one-on-one with me, I heard him say several things during the group discussion that meant a lot to me. Our homework for week one involved some individual questions and then some couple discussion questions. First, we were encouraged to answer some questions as individuals. My questions related to Love, while Blake's related to respect. After we both answered our own questions, we shared our thoughts and feelings with each other. I knew that "everything" to Blake relates back to money. It does not matter what it is, Blake relates to it, looks at it, and bases his interpretation on its value or cost. I, on the other hand, don't look at the amount, but the value first. By value, I do not mean cost. I mean, how does it benefit us, how much enjoyment will be get out of it, how much do we like it, etc. Yes, the cost is important because if it is too much we can't get it, do it, etc. But, to Blake, the cost is really all that matters most of the time. That being said ... I learned that when I spend money, I sometimes show him disrespect. So, now, I am looking at it a different way and really trying to show him respect by spending wisely and not as often.

Love and connecting emotionally is most important to me. During the lessons we listed ways that our spouse could show love or respect to us that week. I listed things like ...

• Before you turn in for the night, help me to pick up the house, to get the kid's lunches made, and to prepare the family for the following day.
• Do something to help around the house without me asking you to do it.
• Volunteering to take one or both kids to school so that things are not so crazy in the mornings.
• Being "involved" with the daily, routine things around the house that I typically have to do on my own.

During our discussion, I reminded him of a comment that he had made the previous week. Blake was out of town for 3 days. During those three days, I stayed up until 1:00 and 2:00am each night working on a video. My days consisted of ... waking up, getting ready, going to work, getting food for the kids, coming home, and working on the video until I could not stay awake any longer. I did not pick-up anything around the house, do any dishes or laundry, or anything other than what was absolutely necessary. So, after 3 days, the house was a disaster. Blake came home from his trip, and the first thing he said was, "What happened here? It looks like something exploded!" My reply ... I normally pick up/clean up after everyone every day. I have not done that for the past three days.

Since our discussion and study for week one, we have both been working hard to show love and respect to each other. Blake is doing an awesome job! I feel like he is really a part of this household. He is helping around the house with dishes, laundry, picking up things, etc. It is awesome! My stress level has gone way down, and I don't feel irritated toward him or the kids because everyone is pitching in and helping out. I don't feel like I am trying to do everything alone anymore!

Even though the kids were a bit resistent to doing extra things and to being held to doing and finishing some extra household chores/duties, they have been much happier and more pleasant. Megan, who is typically negative and pessimistic, sent me a txt message yesterday telling me that she was having a wonderful day and that she was happy. That is HUGE!

I am LOVING the Fireproof Your Marriage couples study, and I look forward to gaining more insight and to walking through this study with Blake more and more each day.