Category Archives: baseball

March 7, 2010 · 6:59 PM

Baseball and Barbeques

Yesterday was Everett’s opening day. It was also produce basket day, which meant that we got two lovely containers of fresh blueberries, which meant that I was compelled to make muffins for breakfast… which meant that we dawdled, were late, and had to rush to get Everett there in time to line up with his team. Despite the self-imposed craziness, we made it in time, and Everett got to join his coaches and teammates for the introductions on the field.

After the opening ceremonies, there was a carnival, complete with a bouncy house, little carnival games and food. Tegan was tired and unhappy:

So we took her and the big boys home to snack and rest, while Everett stayed to enjoy the carnival with friends. When we returned for his game a little while later, she was rejuvenated and happy to play on the playground next to his field, and Everett was thrilled to play his first official game of the season. He hit two live pitches, made a couple of great plays out on the field, and kept his little Everett grin all the while.

After the game, we headed right back out to meet up with friends at Hogs N Heat, an outdoor barbeque at a great little cafe (known for its insanely delicious pies). There was music, dancing, karaoke, and campy little Western shows… complete with sheriffs, gun fights, and “ladies of the night.” Fun. It was great to just sit, relax, and laugh for the evening. The kids ran around – and around and around – and just generally enjoyed the night. Of course after they chowed down on some pulled meat, and got their faces painted…

The night ended with us watching the kids laughing as they threw and played keep-away with someone’s football, wrestled (playfully) on the ground, and eventually beaned each other with a plastic water bottle.

They were sufficiently worn out by the time we made our way back out to the car, and were happy, tired, and thankful for a lazy and rainy – oh so very rainy – last day of the weekend.

Krispy Kreme and other adventures

Yes, I think it’s ironic that I’m posting about a donut shop the same day I start a blog about nutrition, but nevertheless that’s where we went on Thursday. We joined a big group of homeschoolers for a tour and sample, and it was pretty neat to see the inner workings of their production.

A couple interesting facts about Krispy Kreme:

1. Their donut machine (which we were under strict orders NOT to take pictures of) costs more than our house.

2. You need to be able to lift 50 pounds to work there

3. Employees get three free donuts a day. Yikes, I’m thinking about nutrition again….

The boys really enjoyed the tour. Tegan did not, but she did appreciate the donut at the end.

Krispy Kreme was one of three field trips we have scheduled for this month. Next week we’re going on a tour of a crime lab, and the following week we’re touring the Phoenix recycling center. Cool.

T-Ball and gymnastics are both in full swing now. Everett is still the easiest one to spot in both sports, as he’s the one with the big grin on his face, waving to his parents every time he gets the chance.

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October 23, 2009 · 2:20 PM

Everett in Uniform

I love it when we go someplace like Walmart, and see someone walking out with an exciting purchase: a dad with a big-screen TV, a toddler with a lollipop, a girl with a new bike. There’s just something about the look on their faces… a look of giddy, childlike, unadulterated joy.

The thing that I love about watching Everett play baseball is that he has that same exact look on his face the entire game. I can’t help but smile when I see it.

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October 1, 2009 · 8:09 AM

Tee Ball

I saw a Dr Phil episode once, where the guests were talking about their overscheduled kids. Kids they were dragging – literally – kicking and screaming, to ballet and karate, music lessons and soccer. The poor kids were miserable, the parents were miserable, and yet they somehow continued, thinking it was good and/or even important in some way for them to be involved in many activities. They were forced to go to activities they hated, and were too burnt out and exhausted to enjoy even the activities they would have otherwise liked. I promised myself that I would never do that, that when my kids wanted to try an activity or two that it would be of their own volition; that they were welcome to pick and choose; that if they tried something that wasn’t a good fit that they could discontinue it.

He has only had 2 practices (though to hear him tell it, he wishes he had practice every day!) but Everett so far ADORES tee ball, and hasn’t had a moment’s hesitation about his decision.

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August 30, 2009 · 12:30 PM

Birthdays and Baseball

Paxton turned 9 on Friday. One would think that after four kids and 12 years of birthdays, that it wouldn’t catch me so off guard each time. With the speed with which time is passing, it seems like I should fully expect to be waking up tomorrow to find them all grown and married with families of their own. Well he’s not quite grown and he’s not quite married, but Paxton – like the others – is definitely growing up!

We celebrated for two days (three if you include the fact that he’s now playing his new Wii game) On Friday I bought him the computer game, Spore, that he’s been waiting months for. His choice for his birthday dinner was shrimp scampi, and even I enjoyed it, sans the shrimp. How I had three boys who are so enamored with seafood is beyond me! 🙂

Yesterday, we had Mom, Dad, Sandi and Mitch and the kids, and Paxton’s friend over for cake and ice cream, followed by a Diamondbacks game. We took the train in, which made it even more of an event. We ate (and ate and ate and ate), we cheered, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to watch the Diamondbacks WIN this time! 2 home runs, a couple of triples, an all-around exciting game. A very cool game to go to for a birthday celebration.

I don’t know if it was the game, the excitement, or the jumbo sized Icees, but all the kids (minus Tegan, who was passed out cold in Mike’s arms) were in super high gear as we made our way home. They raced each other on the sidewalk, jumped up and down on the curb, and played and laughed their way through the train ride back to the station. It was a good night. And it was a giddy and exhausted 9 year old who happily went to bed at 10, and slept for twelve hours straight.

Happy Birthday Pak!

The Great American Pasttime

Last Sunday brought us to a Diamondbacks game. It was the third game that Mike and I had gone to (the second for the kids) and it was the third time we watched them lose. Just like the first two times, winning would have been nice, but it put no damper on our spirits. The sound of the bat cracking against the ball, the crowd cheering, the food, the smells… it was a good day. Besides, I like rooting for the underdog.

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May 17, 2009 · 11:37 AM

Happy Saturdays

A baseball game, the final game of the season. Another strong showing by our favorite player. A visit from Mom and Dad

A pizza party with coach, players, and families at Peter Pipers

An afternoon of swimming (first of the season!) and visiting at my sister’s. A ride in her new Prius

A day around people who love my kids and who let me be me

I needed that

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March 30, 2009 · 12:17 PM

Homeruns and MVP

Though she’s walking (walking!) in this picture, I have a one-year-old who, as of late, requires being in my arms for 98% of the day, and within touching vicinity the other 2%. Which is fine… admittedly tiring, but fine. If that’s what she needs then I’m happy to give it to her. It just means that things like blogging (and oh, say, peeing) are currently taking a backseat.

Thankfully, I can share some of the excitement of this past weekend in pictures alone.

Second time up at bat:

Coming into home after his amazing HOME RUN! That’s his coach waiting for his high-five

The game ball he won for not only the home run, but also an incredible stop, taking a line drive off the chin, and shaking off an injured finger to finish out the game:

Proud boy.

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Filed under baseball, Paxton, Tegan

March 11, 2009 · 2:32 PM

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack

Last night was Paxton’s first game of the season. He was so excited to be playing again, and got two huge hits – one a pop fly out to center field, and the other a foul ball that may or may not have hit one of the other parent’s cars. We were all disappointed that Mike had to miss the game, as he was stuck in a meeting that ran late.

Paxton has a new coach this season, one who is much tougher than his first, and so highly invested in helping the boys really learn how to play the game. He’s admitted that the practices have been harder (lots more running this time!) but he is enjoying it more than ever. His dreams of becoming a video-game designer have, for the time-being at least, been cleanly replaced by those of becoming a professional ball player. This is the face of a boy who loves baseball.

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October 7, 2008 · 6:52 AM

Church and Baseball

Paxton has been playing baseball for a month now, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him more excited about something. He loves everything about it – loves the game, loves the practices, loves getting into his gear. He’s happy. They’ve had one game so far, and he played both second and third base. He was proud of his successes, undeterred by his mistakes, and can’t wait for the next game. It was a big adjustment for the family for him to start the sport, since it meant saying goodbye to family dinners three nights a week, more juggling with Spencer and scouts, and an overall busier week. But I think we’d all have to admit it’s been well worth it.

In other news…

We’ve been going to a new church for a month now. I realize that going to church for four Sundays in a row is not remarkable, but it’s remarkable for *us*. I honestly can’t remember the last time we were going to church regularly as a family. I know it wasn’t in Everett’s lifetime, possibly not in Paxton’s either. Yeah, it’s been a long time. It’s always difficult to make a long story short – or at least readable – because it is a long story. We left the church we’d been attending because we were burnt out with intolerance, judgement, and hypocrisy. A lot of people view leaving a church as “falling away’, and I’m sure at times it is. But we left church to FIND God, not walk away from Him. Our faith was strengthened over the last several years. It was a process, and like everything else in life, a journey. That journey eventually led us to Phoenix. While we tried various churches over the last few years, we never found the “one”, and the timing was never right. So we waited. And then a month ago, we tried Christ’s Church of the Valley.

Mike and I loved it from the first day we visited. But since this was to be a family decision, our feelings were just a small part of the equation. The kids had to love it too. And love it they did! They can’t wait to go back every week. *I* can’t wait to go back either, and despite having grown up going to church (or maybe because of it), I don’t think I’ve felt that way about a church ever. I think people should be excited to go to church. I think they should go because they want to, not because it’s what they think they’re supposed to do. After our last negative experiences with church, I always said I’d only go back when 1) it was the right church and 2) it was for the right reasons. It only took 34 years.

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