Cost of new bat ... $25
Cost of new batters helmet ... $12
Cost of new baseball shoes ... $25
Cost of new baseball glove ... $19
Cost of new bag to hold above items ... $20
To watch the excitement of a five year old boy who knows he is going to be playing baseball
PRICELESS
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Take Me Out To The Ballgame...
So we started T-Ball tonight. It has been a nightmare to get to this point. I swear we are jinxed when it comes to team sports for Jack.
We signed Jack up for the t-ball in February, paid our fee and was told they would get in touch with us when practices started. Well time went by and we soon found out that our friends son was on his team with scheduled practices. I have spent two weeks trying to get in contact with somebody, which was very hard because their website had absolutely no way to get in touch with them. Finally I got the phone number of the league commissioner and gave him an earful about not being told that the season started. Well, of course because it is us, they lost our paperwork and had no record at all of us signing up, despite the fact that they cashed our check. Thank goodness I had kept our copy and proved that we did indeed sign up. At this point, the teams had been together and practicing for almost 3 weeks. So finally today I got a phone call from the coach telling me that they had a practice tonight, nothing like short-noticed.
So we showed up at the baseball fields with about a gazillion other teams there (baseball is huge around here by the way) and me trying to find our team not knowing what our team name is or the color or what the coach looks like. I walked all over there asking if they knew where coach Billy was and I got completely vacant stares. I finally found the coach and the right team. I then look around and feel like I am out of my league. It turns out that this is the big league T-Ball for the 5 and 6 year olds. The other kids have the special sports bags all lined up there with their names on them. They each have their own bat, helmet, mitt and full (just like the pros) uniforms. Me? I brought my five-year-old. That is it.
So it looks like I need to go out and buy a gazillion dollars worth of equipment. Jack's first game is on Friday night and he will probably not have his pro uniform by then. But at least Jack seemed to have a good time out there in a borrowed helmet and bat tonight. The coach said that he is not behind and should do fine on the team. People it is T-BALL, not the big-leagues!
So yes we are onto another sport. I just hope that I end this season with a better feeling than I did the soccer season. I sure am not starting it on a good note!
We signed Jack up for the t-ball in February, paid our fee and was told they would get in touch with us when practices started. Well time went by and we soon found out that our friends son was on his team with scheduled practices. I have spent two weeks trying to get in contact with somebody, which was very hard because their website had absolutely no way to get in touch with them. Finally I got the phone number of the league commissioner and gave him an earful about not being told that the season started. Well, of course because it is us, they lost our paperwork and had no record at all of us signing up, despite the fact that they cashed our check. Thank goodness I had kept our copy and proved that we did indeed sign up. At this point, the teams had been together and practicing for almost 3 weeks. So finally today I got a phone call from the coach telling me that they had a practice tonight, nothing like short-noticed.
So we showed up at the baseball fields with about a gazillion other teams there (baseball is huge around here by the way) and me trying to find our team not knowing what our team name is or the color or what the coach looks like. I walked all over there asking if they knew where coach Billy was and I got completely vacant stares. I finally found the coach and the right team. I then look around and feel like I am out of my league. It turns out that this is the big league T-Ball for the 5 and 6 year olds. The other kids have the special sports bags all lined up there with their names on them. They each have their own bat, helmet, mitt and full (just like the pros) uniforms. Me? I brought my five-year-old. That is it.
So it looks like I need to go out and buy a gazillion dollars worth of equipment. Jack's first game is on Friday night and he will probably not have his pro uniform by then. But at least Jack seemed to have a good time out there in a borrowed helmet and bat tonight. The coach said that he is not behind and should do fine on the team. People it is T-BALL, not the big-leagues!
So yes we are onto another sport. I just hope that I end this season with a better feeling than I did the soccer season. I sure am not starting it on a good note!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Storms and No Sleep
Last night was another night of really bad storms. I haven't heard how much rain we got, but it has to be A LOT. The way it sounded on the roof was pretty bad. And the thunder and lightening kept going all night long. I woke up about 12:30 and was pretty much awake until 4:30 when I went back to bed and got another hour and half of sleep. Of course at 6:00 I have to wake kids up for school.
Jim was on duty last night and I called him about 2:00 and he said that he couldn't see anything while driving. Oh and he got hurt last night by some drunk guy who was resisting arrest and elbowed Jim in the ribs so hard that they thought he had broken a rib or two. After going to the ER and getting x-rays, it turned out that he just had a bruised rib. But still quite painful and he is sleeping with some percocet right now.
And another strange thing happened yesterday morning when lightening struck my boss's neighbor's house (right behind him) and burnt the house down. My boss was saying that the flames were 20 feet in the air. I drove by there today and there is nothing left of the house but the bricks. How scary is that? Of course my boss is feeling pretty lucky today. Had it been 100 feet the other way, it would have been his house.
Anyway that is what is happening around here. Lots of bad weather, no sleep, and houses burning down. I am now off to pick Brandi up from school and take her to her therapist for her weekly appointment. Thank goodness a friend just came and picked Jack up so that I don't have to wake up Jim to watch Jack. Life is very busy and complex these days. Phew!
Jim was on duty last night and I called him about 2:00 and he said that he couldn't see anything while driving. Oh and he got hurt last night by some drunk guy who was resisting arrest and elbowed Jim in the ribs so hard that they thought he had broken a rib or two. After going to the ER and getting x-rays, it turned out that he just had a bruised rib. But still quite painful and he is sleeping with some percocet right now.
And another strange thing happened yesterday morning when lightening struck my boss's neighbor's house (right behind him) and burnt the house down. My boss was saying that the flames were 20 feet in the air. I drove by there today and there is nothing left of the house but the bricks. How scary is that? Of course my boss is feeling pretty lucky today. Had it been 100 feet the other way, it would have been his house.
Anyway that is what is happening around here. Lots of bad weather, no sleep, and houses burning down. I am now off to pick Brandi up from school and take her to her therapist for her weekly appointment. Thank goodness a friend just came and picked Jack up so that I don't have to wake up Jim to watch Jack. Life is very busy and complex these days. Phew!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Saturday Stuff
** Brandi is at a youth retreat this weekend at another church. She was quite nervous when I dropped her off last night and wasn't sure if she wanted to spend the night because she didn't know any of the other kids there. We found out about this retreat from a lady who runs a foundation geared to help foster kids on the gulf coast. But she was brave enough to stay and from what I can tell, she is going to have a really good time.
** For the first time in I don't know how long, we have a Saturday that is not jammed packed with stuff to do. I have to run a few errands and tonight I am going to a friend's house for a Twilight movie party, but other than that I don't have to rush off to do something. It feels really nice.
** The weather here has been beautiful. It has been sunny and around 75. Gorgeous.
** Some stupid person on a barge ran into one of the bridges across the Biloxi Bay yesterday and a 60-foot section of the bridge fell into the water, along with a car. Nobody was hurt, but it will make the traffic around here really really bad for the next however many months until it gets fixed. There is now only two ways to get across the bay and that is not good.
** Jim has been working really hard on our front-yard landscaping. It is almost done. We now have a pond with a fountain, palm trees, and pretty plants out front. I will take pics and post them.
** I am very excited because Jack will be in his new school building on Monday. This building was supposed to be finished before the school year started, but that obviously didn't happen until after spring break. It is an absolutely beautiful building and it will be his school until he is in high school.
** For the first time in I don't know how long, we have a Saturday that is not jammed packed with stuff to do. I have to run a few errands and tonight I am going to a friend's house for a Twilight movie party, but other than that I don't have to rush off to do something. It feels really nice.
** The weather here has been beautiful. It has been sunny and around 75. Gorgeous.
** Some stupid person on a barge ran into one of the bridges across the Biloxi Bay yesterday and a 60-foot section of the bridge fell into the water, along with a car. Nobody was hurt, but it will make the traffic around here really really bad for the next however many months until it gets fixed. There is now only two ways to get across the bay and that is not good.
** Jim has been working really hard on our front-yard landscaping. It is almost done. We now have a pond with a fountain, palm trees, and pretty plants out front. I will take pics and post them.
** I am very excited because Jack will be in his new school building on Monday. This building was supposed to be finished before the school year started, but that obviously didn't happen until after spring break. It is an absolutely beautiful building and it will be his school until he is in high school.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
What Does That Say?
I told Jack to go clean up his room (it needs a major overhaul and major throwing out things) when we got home today. He, of course, grumbled about having to do it and asked me if I could help him. I told him that I could not because I was cleaning the rest of the house. His next question to me was "who is coming over?".
Alright what does that say about my cleaning skills or lack thereof? But to be truthful, we have our first home visit from the social worker tomorrow, so there you have it. I guess I do only clean when somebody is coming over. The social worker visit was supposed to be on Tuesday, but got rescheduled for tomorrow. If that were the case, the house would have been cleaned on Tuesday.
Alright what does that say about my cleaning skills or lack thereof? But to be truthful, we have our first home visit from the social worker tomorrow, so there you have it. I guess I do only clean when somebody is coming over. The social worker visit was supposed to be on Tuesday, but got rescheduled for tomorrow. If that were the case, the house would have been cleaned on Tuesday.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Just Shoot Me Now ...
Laura called and asked if she could bring a friend from California with us to Disneyworld when we go in June. I guess her friend's parents is willing to spend the dollars to fly her out here and all the other costs involved in a two week stay with us. I am not totally against the idea seeing as we do get five tickets at $99 plus Jim's free ticket thanks to the new military discount this year and we would be able to get her friend, Alyssa, in at that rate.
However, the whole idea of having THREE TEENAGE GIRLS with us is more than my brain can handle. Then I started to think about our lodging and the ONE bathroom and ONE room we have reserved at the moment. Can you just imagine trying to get ready with THREE TEENAGE GIRLS? As Jim said, he will just go sit in the bar.
So even though I totally love Shades of Green, it is looking like we will have to rent a condo with at least 2 if not 3 bedrooms and, most importantly, 2 bathrooms. I looked into some of the places and for the 6 nights stay, it really isn't much difference in the price, we would just not have the convenience of the transportation to and from the hotel. Because honestly, I just may lose my mind if I have to spend a week with FOUR kids in ONE hotel room. I don't care how nice and convenient it is.
However, the whole idea of having THREE TEENAGE GIRLS with us is more than my brain can handle. Then I started to think about our lodging and the ONE bathroom and ONE room we have reserved at the moment. Can you just imagine trying to get ready with THREE TEENAGE GIRLS? As Jim said, he will just go sit in the bar.
So even though I totally love Shades of Green, it is looking like we will have to rent a condo with at least 2 if not 3 bedrooms and, most importantly, 2 bathrooms. I looked into some of the places and for the 6 nights stay, it really isn't much difference in the price, we would just not have the convenience of the transportation to and from the hotel. Because honestly, I just may lose my mind if I have to spend a week with FOUR kids in ONE hotel room. I don't care how nice and convenient it is.
My List of ADD random thoughts
** Today we have our first foster care home visit, so I have a lot of cleaning that I should do, whether I actually do is another story altogether.
** I really really need to clean out our office. I am really good at stacking things and then when we need to find something, I am going through stacks and stacks of "stuff". I need to create a system where stuff comes into the house like mail, important papers, Brandi papers, Jack's "art" that it all has a place to go and not end up on my counter stacked. It has overflowed onto the dining room table.
** Jim's mother gave us a gorgeous crocheted table cloth that I want to put on the dining room table and make all pretty with the new centerpiece that I got for Christmas (still in bag), but alas I need to declutter the stacks of stuff first.
** I really need to finish our taxes. I do everybody else's but ours and I hate to do ours, especially now that I know we will have to owe.
** I also have to audit the books for church for the last two years. Just another of the things I got volunteered for because they know my previous occupation.
** I have been trying to build my Uppercase Living business and I am thiiiiisssss close to a promotion. I am very excited and I do love the company.
** Jack is done with soccer finally. He got his medal and was very proud of it. He also scored a goal on the last game and I missed it because I was talking to our neighbors at the time. But he doesn't need to know that, according to him, I saw it and it was the biggest and best goal ever.
** Brandi is doing really well. I found out that she has the best GPA of all the kids in foster care in the entire county. She also is going to be pre-enrolled at Southern Miss and will get her entire college education paid for by the state. I think she is realizing what an opportunity she has and is talking about getting her nursing degree. We are very proud of her and has become part of the family.
** Jack's spring break is this week and I am trying to come up with some things to do this week that will be fun for us.
** Jim is late coming home again. Police work doesn't end at shift time.
** I really really need to clean out our office. I am really good at stacking things and then when we need to find something, I am going through stacks and stacks of "stuff". I need to create a system where stuff comes into the house like mail, important papers, Brandi papers, Jack's "art" that it all has a place to go and not end up on my counter stacked. It has overflowed onto the dining room table.
** Jim's mother gave us a gorgeous crocheted table cloth that I want to put on the dining room table and make all pretty with the new centerpiece that I got for Christmas (still in bag), but alas I need to declutter the stacks of stuff first.
** I really need to finish our taxes. I do everybody else's but ours and I hate to do ours, especially now that I know we will have to owe.
** I also have to audit the books for church for the last two years. Just another of the things I got volunteered for because they know my previous occupation.
** I have been trying to build my Uppercase Living business and I am thiiiiisssss close to a promotion. I am very excited and I do love the company.
** Jack is done with soccer finally. He got his medal and was very proud of it. He also scored a goal on the last game and I missed it because I was talking to our neighbors at the time. But he doesn't need to know that, according to him, I saw it and it was the biggest and best goal ever.
** Brandi is doing really well. I found out that she has the best GPA of all the kids in foster care in the entire county. She also is going to be pre-enrolled at Southern Miss and will get her entire college education paid for by the state. I think she is realizing what an opportunity she has and is talking about getting her nursing degree. We are very proud of her and has become part of the family.
** Jack's spring break is this week and I am trying to come up with some things to do this week that will be fun for us.
** Jim is late coming home again. Police work doesn't end at shift time.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Soccer and My Thoughts
So today is the last day of the soccer season. It has been a long three months of playing soccer every Saturday morning. There were some REALLY cold days (38 degrees) and we were out on those soccer fields. Burr.
Truthfully, I am hoping that the weather forecast is right today and it really does rain because I am so done with the whole soccer thing. I have a bad taste about the whole thing. Jack was put on this team with this coach who's son is like a little soccer dyamo. Yes he is good, but I can tell the Dad really works him with a lot of practice. There are 6 players on Jack's team and only three play at one time, so the coach is supposed to rotate the players in and out during the game. Well this coach never rotated his own son out of the game and he usually played his three best players 90% of the time. Since Jack is not one of the best players (the kid got my athletic ability) he sits on the bench moping because he's not in playing. Last week, I finally had enough and said something out loud to Brandi about how the coach's son never gets benched and the coach must have heard that because he actually benched his son ... for 2 minutes. But it was to the kid's screaming fit for having to sit out.
Anyway, I am pretty sure we will not be doing soccer next year. I mean it was for 4 and 5 year olds and I had a mother come up to me and tell me that Jack needed to get in a lot more practice to be effective on the team and maybe I should sign him up for a workshop! They don't even keep score at this age! Yes I am fed up. I just wanted Jack to get out and get some exercise and have fun and it turned into this competitve cut-throat thing at four years old!
We are starting T-ball in two weeks. I have a better feeling about this sport and I think Jack will enjoy it a lot better. Just pray for rain today and we won't have to go to the last game!
I Know It Is Two Weeks Later ...
but here are a few pictures of Jack's birthday party. It was quite a success. We had close to 20 kids and their parents in our church's fellowship hall. We even had a pirate show put on by our good friend Brandt. It was fun.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Happy Birthday Baby Boy ... Five Years Old!
I can not believe I am writing your 5th birthday post. How is it that it has been five years since you and I met? We sure have been through a lot in the last five years, but I can say that you have changed my life in so many positive ways. You have taught me to be a better person through mothering you and I have to say that I am so incredibly lucky and blessed to be your mother.
Let's see what you have been up to in the last year. The first thing that pops into my head is your vocabulary has exploded in the last year. Oh my goodness you can come up with some zingers and make everybody around laugh so hard. I am not sure what level of vocabulary a typical five-year-old has, but I am positive that you more than exceed it. One time we were in the van and following Aunt Ann in her car. She proceeds to run a red light right in front of us and of course Daddy, the cop, has to call her and tell her that she did a no no. But you had to proclaim to everybody that you were "so Humiliated". You are very expressive and will use words like "adorable" "beautiful" and "attractive". It seems like everyday I am asking you where you heard this word or that word.
Speaking of words, you have started to read this year. You are constantly asking me how words are spelled. I really hope that you have a love of reading like I do when you grow up. But right now, I understand it is a frustration for you and we can only spend about 15 minutes reading your beginning reader books. I am so proud of you.
I would have to say right now that your forte is talking. I swear child that you could talk to a wall and have a conversation. You love to talk. There are some days that I pick you up from school and you barely take a breath talking and asking me questions. And your questions are very insightful for your age. Your topics range from death, God and Jesus, to the planets and how things grow on Earth. All very weighty subjects for a five-year-old and your poor mother trying to answer the questions!
You are very aware of your age and how long you have been around. You are constantly comparing to when you were a "three-year-older". You also want to be a "big kid" so incredibly fast. When I take you to school, you will look up to the high school kids with such awe and reverence like they are gods. And you are constantly asking me when you can go to big kid school. You are growing up way too fast, can you just slow down a bit?
You will start kindergarten this fall and start going to school all day long, an extra 3 hours per day. You are so ready for this big leap, however I am not so sure I am ready for it. I really do love our afternoons together. You are my buddy helping me run errands or going to lunch just the two of us. I am going to miss those three hours with my Jackaroo come fall. But I know that the school years is a time when you need to establish yourself independent of me and your Dad. But I am still going to be the room Mom and go to all your little parties while you still want me there. Because I know there will come a time when you will not want Mom showing up at school with cookies and cupcakes. I also know there will be a time when you will not rush to give me a big hug when I come pick you up and tell me that you love me right there in front of all your friends. So I am soaking it up all I can right now.
I have to say that you have one of the most tender hearts of anybody I know. You are truly a sweet and giving boy who shows love and compassion so incredibly easily. You are so giving and sharing that you will share the last of your cookies with anybody who asks. Your family is very important to you, including all of your grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. It is so much fun to sit and watch you at family gatherings as you make your rounds from one family member to the next doling out your brand of Jackaroo love. You are also one of the most loved kids in the world as you gather up all the hugs and kisses you can get.
Here I am going on and on about how wonderful you are and you are probably wondering about the bad side of Jack. Well to be honest, there is a very very small "bad" side. I can not remember the last time your father nor I had to spank you. Yes we have to get on you to clean up your toys and eat your vegetables, but for 98% of the time you are a joy to be around. You constantly amaze me at how wonderful you really are. When we took Brandi in a few weeks ago, I was afraid that you would be jealous and show it in many ways. But you accepted her as a new sister and show her such complete and true love that has me stunned. Even when our focus is on Brandi and her issues, you do not try to compete for our attention. It is as though you understand that Brandi needs us and you are not threatened by her. You understand that you have Mom and Dad's unconditional love and now Brandi needs that same love. Again, you are wise beyond your years.
And that brings me to your faith. I know they say that everyone needs to have the faith of a child, and in your case, it is the truth. I love to listen to you pray at the dinner table and at night before bed. It has taken me 40 years to get to the level of faith that you possess in your short five years.
As always, I will always be there for you Baby Boy. I can not wait to see what the future holds for you. I look forward to watching you grow into a young man that I know I will be proud of. This is a big birthday for you. You are no longer a baby and you have all of your school years ahead of you and all that entails.
Happy Birthday Baby Boy
Let's see what you have been up to in the last year. The first thing that pops into my head is your vocabulary has exploded in the last year. Oh my goodness you can come up with some zingers and make everybody around laugh so hard. I am not sure what level of vocabulary a typical five-year-old has, but I am positive that you more than exceed it. One time we were in the van and following Aunt Ann in her car. She proceeds to run a red light right in front of us and of course Daddy, the cop, has to call her and tell her that she did a no no. But you had to proclaim to everybody that you were "so Humiliated". You are very expressive and will use words like "adorable" "beautiful" and "attractive". It seems like everyday I am asking you where you heard this word or that word.
Speaking of words, you have started to read this year. You are constantly asking me how words are spelled. I really hope that you have a love of reading like I do when you grow up. But right now, I understand it is a frustration for you and we can only spend about 15 minutes reading your beginning reader books. I am so proud of you.
I would have to say right now that your forte is talking. I swear child that you could talk to a wall and have a conversation. You love to talk. There are some days that I pick you up from school and you barely take a breath talking and asking me questions. And your questions are very insightful for your age. Your topics range from death, God and Jesus, to the planets and how things grow on Earth. All very weighty subjects for a five-year-old and your poor mother trying to answer the questions!
You are very aware of your age and how long you have been around. You are constantly comparing to when you were a "three-year-older". You also want to be a "big kid" so incredibly fast. When I take you to school, you will look up to the high school kids with such awe and reverence like they are gods. And you are constantly asking me when you can go to big kid school. You are growing up way too fast, can you just slow down a bit?
You will start kindergarten this fall and start going to school all day long, an extra 3 hours per day. You are so ready for this big leap, however I am not so sure I am ready for it. I really do love our afternoons together. You are my buddy helping me run errands or going to lunch just the two of us. I am going to miss those three hours with my Jackaroo come fall. But I know that the school years is a time when you need to establish yourself independent of me and your Dad. But I am still going to be the room Mom and go to all your little parties while you still want me there. Because I know there will come a time when you will not want Mom showing up at school with cookies and cupcakes. I also know there will be a time when you will not rush to give me a big hug when I come pick you up and tell me that you love me right there in front of all your friends. So I am soaking it up all I can right now.
I have to say that you have one of the most tender hearts of anybody I know. You are truly a sweet and giving boy who shows love and compassion so incredibly easily. You are so giving and sharing that you will share the last of your cookies with anybody who asks. Your family is very important to you, including all of your grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. It is so much fun to sit and watch you at family gatherings as you make your rounds from one family member to the next doling out your brand of Jackaroo love. You are also one of the most loved kids in the world as you gather up all the hugs and kisses you can get.
Here I am going on and on about how wonderful you are and you are probably wondering about the bad side of Jack. Well to be honest, there is a very very small "bad" side. I can not remember the last time your father nor I had to spank you. Yes we have to get on you to clean up your toys and eat your vegetables, but for 98% of the time you are a joy to be around. You constantly amaze me at how wonderful you really are. When we took Brandi in a few weeks ago, I was afraid that you would be jealous and show it in many ways. But you accepted her as a new sister and show her such complete and true love that has me stunned. Even when our focus is on Brandi and her issues, you do not try to compete for our attention. It is as though you understand that Brandi needs us and you are not threatened by her. You understand that you have Mom and Dad's unconditional love and now Brandi needs that same love. Again, you are wise beyond your years.
And that brings me to your faith. I know they say that everyone needs to have the faith of a child, and in your case, it is the truth. I love to listen to you pray at the dinner table and at night before bed. It has taken me 40 years to get to the level of faith that you possess in your short five years.
As always, I will always be there for you Baby Boy. I can not wait to see what the future holds for you. I look forward to watching you grow into a young man that I know I will be proud of. This is a big birthday for you. You are no longer a baby and you have all of your school years ahead of you and all that entails.
Happy Birthday Baby Boy
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