Baseball Party

End of sesaon baseball party and cook out at the Petrea's. Thanks Brooke and Jeremy for letting us all invade your backyard before the storm came. The boys had fun!

Super Saturday

The buddies first baseball game was today. They did great!
They both got hits, and G scored a run.
Despite the strong winds we had it was allot of fun today. Ready for game two Monday night.

Let's go Green Machine!

Last Game

Well, baseball is over.  At least the town league is.  We are still deciding if we are going to play in the county tournament or not.  
Our league tournament is double elimination.  Here are the boys after knocking the number one team out of the race for first place.  They are acting subdued, because they are waiting to shake hands and say, "good game".
Here is Levi practicing for shortstop during the last practice.  It was three hours long.  He is ignoring the presence of his mom and a camera.
The last game was played Thursday night, it lasted two hours and twenty minutes.  A NORMAL game lasts one and a half hours.  Oh, and did I mention it rained the entire game, so I was unable to get those last few shots I was wanting.  
After the normal time was up, the score was five to five.  So we played another inning.  Still tied.  Two more innings, we scored one run.  The parents were screaming, because we thought whomever scored first was the winner.  Nope, the other team gets to bat again...to be fair.  They scored one run.  STILL TIED....in the rain.  Two boys on our team get hurt pretty badly, because the bats are wet and when they snip the ball, it hits them.  Another inning.  Umpire gets hit in the throat.  Everyone takes a knee for ten minutes while he catches his breath.  Resume inning with the other team batting, they have two outs and a man on third.  Boy bats way out in left field, Levi throws the ball home.  Catcher tags the runner, but the umpire calls him safe.  GAME OVER.  It really was a great game, all the boys played well, and Levi got three hits and two runs.  So we can't complain.  

Busy Week

I will give everyone a few highlights from our busy week.  First things first, I GOT A DIGITAL CAMERA FOR MOTHERS DAY!!!!  They gave it to me on Monday, so I could get some baseball pictures at the game last week.  I am still figuring this thing out so bear with me.  Here is G, with some of the flowers we planted around the house.  We got these at Charlie's...not to be confused with George's (we went there also, lol).
L got a money tree for his birthday from my mom and dad.  (and my mom says she isn't creative)  He LOVED it!!!  If you are trying to find something for a tween boy, this is it.  (my sis-in-law, Brandy, made me aware that I am the parent of a tween....yes, I wept, lol)
The hubs hauled MANY round bales to the hay barn.  If you know anyone who needs hay, give them our number.  We have "boo-coos" of it this year.  My brother reminded me that had we had THIS MUCH HAY last year, we could be lying on a white beach somewhere right now....oh well.  People were buying it and having it trucked in from other states because of the drought.
Here is W, we can never get too much W.  It is kind-of like the cowbell skit from SNL.  I NEED more W!  This is his best Arab impression.
Finally, some baseball.  L is running from first to second base.  Like I said, I am still figuring this thing out.  I will try at some better pics at the Tuesday night game.  Bethany?  Tuesday night.  This is your reminder.  ;)  Much more to come.  Stay tuned for more pics of the week-end.

Three Words

Three words to describe the game last night......KA-BRRRRRRR  &

WE WON!  Yep, we had the 7:30 game yesterday, and let me tell you, when that sun went down it was cold and damp.  It was colder last night than it was when we went snow skiing.  On the positive side, after playing the first inning like the bad news bears, our boys made a few runs.  The team morale was given a massive boost.  They got their act together and actually came back and won.  I LOVE watching L when the bases are loaded.  I can't even describe the adrenaline rush, and the worry, lol.   Wooohoooo!!!

Sides notes:  No, I did NOT partake of the goodies at the concession stand.  90 boys tried out for the middle school baseball team this year.  15 were chosen.  Tell me we don't need another middle school out here!

First Game.......Finally

L's first baseball game was scheduled for last Saturday, with pictures before the game.  It was rained out and rescheduled for Monday.  Monday night the "make-up" game was rained out, and rescheduled for Wednesday night.  Yesterday rolled around, and finally the sun was shining.  Believe me that I am in NO WAY complaining about all of the rain, esp. after the drought we had last year.  It has rained more in the past four days then it rained all summer in our state.  Anyway, back to baseball.  It never occured to me that the middle school parking lot was THE ONLY PARKING AREA for five baseball fields.  For heavens sake, won't someone build a school in our county with some place for parents to park!!!!!  Okay, okay, I'm done ranting.  I dropped L off at the gate and searched for a space for the next ten minutes.  A few brave souls had even parked in between the buses.  Ha, not me.  Not in the suburban.  Right now my brother is probably remembering the time I "knicked" a tree coming home from some friends very, narrow driveway.  He was three years younger than me and could have done it, easily.  Okay, okay, the game.  The boys all looked so cute in their uniforms.  Orange shirts, hats, socks, and white pants.  The white pants are the reason (and only reason) that I had to drive back into town Wednesday.  They aren't getting pictures made until Sunday evening.  White pants...almost eleven year old boy....not afraid of getting the big break to slide.  Well, you get the idea.  The game went pretty smoothly.  I met some more people that the husband went to school with.  There was a concession stand selling hotdogs and corndogs and allot of junk food.  Thank goodness, because at 5:30 we had not had time to eat supper because L had some MAJOR homework this week.  It was a miracle that we got to the field by 5:32.  The game started at 6.  I had to take W and G, and the husband was working on the planter and kept S with him at the shop.  The boys had plenty of other boys to run around with.  It looked like the lost colony of boys around there.  In fact, if you drove by, you may wonder if our town had any girls, lol.  There are six teams in the 9 and 10 boys age group, and thank the lord we are only playing our own people.  That means all of the games are in our town, and no driving around like basketball.  W got to play with some old buddies that he hasn't seen in a while.  With seven classes per grade, odds are slim to none that you will get the same kids in your class next year.  They don't even all go on field trips on the same day.  So how was L?  Pretty darn great, if I do say so.  He batted two times, there was allot of "getting walked" going around because the kids are pitching at this age.  Also allot of getting to take a base because the pitcher hit someone.  He played outfield last night, and helped make a double play by catching a hit and throwing it to second base.  If I can learn the umpires gestures, I will know allot more.  We have to sit behind the fence around the outfield and you can't hear a blooming thing back there, lol.  Oh, and the hotdog I had with white slaw and chili?  Yeah, it made me sick around two last night.  I SHOULD have known better, but I was so hungry!

Sunny

Yesterday the buddies and I went to the Y.  I had some difficulties hanging in at Boot-Camp.  Doing it inside was allot harder than doing it outside.  I would love to know how many calories we burned during the workout.  Oh, and sit-ups on the big ball.......painful.  We did 60, okay, I didn't do all of them.  Maybe 50, I was in pain people.  After the Y, we went over to Sam's.  Now I know that the interstate is the fastest way there, but I was moving extremely slowly.  My reflexes were no where near up to par for merging onto 70 mile per hour traffic.  We took the long way, and went through town.  Shopping alone, with two four year olds is a workout in and of itself.  I ended up pulling two buggy's out to the car, and that wasn't even a months trip.  I have started going every two or three weeks, and getting the stuff myself.  The buddies LOVE to help me unload, and as I was watching them run back and forth, I was wishing that I had HALF of their energy.  After lunch, they played in the sandbox and I mowed the yard.  They were so good, that I got the whole thing finished, and half of the shop yard.  But around four, the bad attitudes started from no naps, and I was regretting the choice to let them play after lunch.  By the time L went to baseball practice at 7:30, it was into overload.  G threw a huge fit at the field, saying he wanted to stay and watch.  Then he started dragging his body all the way back to the middle school parking lot, while yelling that I never let him do anything.  He followed that up, with refusing to get into the car.  GOOD TIMES!  Let's just say that the bath, snack, and teeth brushing couldn't have happened faster when we returned back home.  They didn't even talk after we closed their door.  Normally they chit-chat for about 20 minutes, but last night I think they fell right asleep.  

Anyone seen the high for today?  75 degrees people, get outside!

Batting Practice

Took the oldest boy to batting practice in Georgeville last night.  The regular fields weren't dry enough to play on, so the coach called all of the boys in our little area to see if they wanted to meet at the fire department for a little extra batting practice instead.  He had an absolute blast!  There were only 7 boys there, so they each got allot of one-on-one time with batting.  The good thing about baseball is, when you are standing around, you are throwing the ball back and forth.  He came home claiming that he could throw the ball farther than any of the other kids there, and was excited about his batting skills also.  They scheduled another practice for tonight, but it starts 30 minutes before basketball practice, so I don't know if he will make that one or not.  I tried to talk W into staying last night, because there were 2 other little brothers there practicing with the team.  He said he was waiting to do it with Granddaddy first.  So.....Dad?  The boys are ready to hit some balls with you at the park, ASAP!  Lol.  The school sent home a note for L, saying that he had to dress up for the Colonial Days Fair.  I had to sign it saying that I understood that he had to dress in the attire of the times, and that it is part of a grade for the third nine weeks.  They didn't even TRY to say "use what you have" on this one.  So, it will be back to Salvation Army for us again!  He states he has to wear a white shirt, a brown or dark colored vest, and some baseball pants.  If he thinks he is wearing those new, white, baseball pants to school, he is sorely mistaken!  

An Arm and A Leg

Last night I took the boy to Dick's for the previous listed items needed for baseball.  As soon as I entered the store, I KNEW that I was out of my league.  My sister-in-law had told me that they offer deals for multiple items. So, when the friendly teenage helper roamed toward me, I asked him about it.  I was told that was only for soccer.  Then, he asked me if I had gotten some coupons from the coach.  When I told him no, he said "don't move" and quickly returned with a page of coupons that ended up saving me a few bucks.  He helped us pick out a glove, and got some goop that you put on the glove, and then bake it in the oven to soften it up.  Then L saw the coaches son.  Hallelujah, that meant the coach was nearby.  He graciously helped us chose the right bat. Who knew it was so complicated now?  It has to be a certain length and weight appropriate for the child using it.  We got the pants, white for the games and gray for practice.  Then we tried on batting helmets, and apparently my son has a big head.  He can just barely squeeze into the unisex-one-size-fits-all youth helmet, but the adult one was too large.  We got some cleats, easiest part of the whole ordeal.  There were other items that I hadn't realized that he needed.  One was a cup.  I am PRETTY sure that falls into the category that requires the father, but I did my best.  They are made into boxer briefs now, and the thing makes him look like a dancer at the strip club, but what-ever.  Then there were the batting gloves, baseballs, and bat bag.  Thanks to my brother for mentioning it, because it is allot of stuff to carry back and forth three times a week.  When we left I felt like I had spent the farm in one hours time.  All I can say is, the kid better love baseball.  Oh, and now W thinks he might like to play.

The Week in Sports

Monday: Find out the L needs a glove, cleats, his own batting helmet, his own bat, and we also have to buy the baseball pants.  What the heck was that ninety dollars for the other day?

Tuesday: W has basketball practice at 6.

Wednesday: L has baseball practice at 7:30.

Thursday: L has basketball practice at 6:30.

Friday:  So far this is clear, I won't hold my breath, lol.

Saturday: L has baseball practice in town at 9:30.  W has a basketball game the next town over at 10.  L has a basketball game at 1 at home.

What have I gotten myself into?  Imagine what it would be like if all FOUR of my boys were playing!

Home-run

Yesterday W had a basketball game at 11, we left the gym and ran home for a quick lunch.  L had a game at 2.  I actually got to watch that one because W and S wanted to stay at the shop with the husband.  So I only had one buddy.  The game was quite good, and the boys ended up beating another hometown team.  One that is a little too big for it's britches, so the victory was even sweeter.  On the way to the game, L, was talking about baseball.  I could tell he really wanted to play, but he wouldn't give me a straight answer of yeah or nay.  After his game I asked one of his coaches if it was too late to sign up for baseball, and if we could be on HIS team.  He said if we went STRAIGHT to McAllister Field right then and looked for Mr. So-and-so, MAYBE we could squeak in.  Also, there was a new rule this year and nobody could ask to be on a specific team.  Apparently last year there were two stacked teams, and the rest just got killed all season long.  We went to the baseball field immediately, in search of this all-knowing guru.  Sure enough, he was dragging the ball field and came over to talk to me.  He told me all of the teams had 13 boys on them already, and they really only liked to have 12 on each team.  I guess my face looked sad, because then he said, "Hold on and let me check the lists".  I waited while he looked.  "What do you know, there is ONE spot left!  That is why old men never trust their own memory.  It is Clint Miller's team if you want it." "We'll take it!"  I had to drive around to his office inside of Town Hall to finalize the paperwork.  In the car I told L what had just happened and he said with a huge grin, "Mom....it was meant to be!"  So I guess we are going shopping for a glove and cleats later, lol.