Schtuff

1.  It's Spring Break for most of the world this week, except for us.  Well, kinda.  My fancy planning calendar that I spent way too much time making out at the beginning of the year says that we are working through this week, because our Spring Break will come 'round Easter.  The fact that we've only had a full school day once this week seems to be speaking to the fact that it is, in fact, Spring Break for us, too.  For the record, though, it is super hard to keep myself the kids motivated when everyone and their 2nd cousin asks how our Spring Break is going and the response that I have to continually hear is, "We don't have Spring Break.  Our mom makes us work."  Nice.

2.  My red-headed pool of sunshine turned NINE this week.  Crazily impossible.  I have found myself saying those way overused words, "It happens so fast," way too often this week.  Really?  Nine?  Say it ain't so, Joe.

3.  While still under total delusion of only have one baby, I made a decision and a pact that I would ALWAYS make my kids' birthday cakes.  No expectations.  Totally kicking myself for my attitude of resolve on the matter now.  For his big 9th birthday, Sawyer requested an interesting creation.  His criteria: (a) had to be orange  (b) had to be baseball   (c) had to have the pirate skull & crossbones  (d)  Had to be chocolate.   Mmmkay... 

This is what I came up with.
Notice that nowhere on his list is Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Hmmm....Oh well.
Somehow I managed to convince him that pirates think dinosaurs are way cool......

4.  We are up to our ears in baseball.  I'm not going to complain, because this is definitely my favorite time of year, but I will say that we are just plain B.U.S.Y.  Between all 3 boys, we have 4 different baseball teams.  Two regular league teams, and two traveling tournament teams.  Needless to say, we are at a ballfield 7 days a week.  And if we just so happen to squeeze in a day without a practice or a game, that day is spent hashing over plays at the dinner table, hitting in the batting cage, or washing a uniform of somekind.  Definitely tiring, but good times.

5.  I declared today a NO ELECTRONICS day, and, can I just tell you, that I am loving it.  Instead of fighting over whose turn it is for this DS game or for that iPod charger, the boys have dragged out every lego and action figure that we own.  They've constructed a huge city in the living room and are playing some intense game of super heroes meets combat war zone meets Star Wars.  I LOVE IT.  Maybe their DSs and iPods should mysteriously disappear for awhile.....

6.  I made a uber-long list of projects that really need to be completed around the house.  Closets that need to be cleaned out, moldings that need to be painted, drawers and cabinets that need to be purged and organized.  I probably should tackle that list on my now impromptu Spring Break, but I really just don't want to.  Instead I think I'll just go read a book in the sun.  Sounds equally urgent.

7.  I went to the dentist yesterday.  'Nuff said.

8.  My Lenten fast is going really really well.  I've made it 16 days now and feel better than I have in ages.  I even resisted a piece of the orange chocolate T-Rex pirate baseball cake this weekend.  Although I will tell you that right now there is a jar of ranch dip and a package of open taterchips sitting next to me on my bar, and I'm about to lose my religion over it.  The children love to play this little torture game with me....

9.  I still haven't done our taxes.  I probably should get on that, huh?

10.  American Idol is making me swoon.  So much good talent in one tiny space.  My favorites are cutie-pie screecher James, quirky white-teeth Paul, Southern Belle sweetie Lauren, and ornery-as-all-get-out Casey.  Actually at this point, I'm just rootin' for the ones that I want to get kicked off, because after they're gone, it'll all be cake for me.  Love this season...

Alrighty.....time to do laundry cozy up with my book in the sunshine....

If you need me, I'm the one with the stupid sun-drunk grin on my face.

Let's Play BBAAAALLLLLLL!!!!

Little League Baseball in the South is a crazy little thing.

It's splendidly wonderful and thoroughly competitive and ridiculously political.  And you either choose to ride the crazy ride, or you choose to not.  Because there isn't much middle ground in baseball.  You're either whole-hog, or you go home.  There's no "playing for fun" or "everyone wins" when a certain level of baseball is reached.  It's all about the intensity of the game.  The thrill of winning.  The extreme talent possessed in tiny bodies.

What?  You don't get it?  You don't understand how we could subject our babies to such craziness and pressure?

Believe me.  There are nights that I wonder why we do it.  But then...when experiences happen like what we experienced this summer...then it all makes sense. 

See this little guy?

He's why we do it. 

Because he loves the game.  And he's good.  Really good.  And we're proud.  Really proud.

Sawyer was honored to be chosen for the 7 & 8 Year Old Rookie League All-Star team for our League.  (If you don't know baseball....it's a big deal.) 

All-Stars is a special team hand-picked out of the bigger league teams that brings the best players together to compete for the State title.  It is a huge commitment and requires daily practices for two weeks before the District Tournament and daily practices for the two weeks before the State Tournament.  What that equals out to is.....Baseball. Every Day. Every. Single. Day.

We headed out-of-town to the District Tournament the 2nd weekend in June and spent 4 days straight playing baseball and bonding as a team.  We, along with several other team members and their families, chose to stay over in a hotel which is the.very.best.way. to bond with each other.  Late nights talking and laughing and swimming in the hotel pool turns baseball players and fans into family. 

The tournament was intense, but we were able to not only win the District Championship title, but our team was able to pull out the entire thing as Undefeated Champs!! 

To say that we were proud of our boys is the understatement of the year.

As excited as we were it was time to look forward to the State Tournament.  One little hiccup was that Kirk and I had planned our trip to Mexico around tournament schedules, but had not really considered practice schedules.  We were left with a major dilemma.  Send Sawyer on to my parents' with his brothers and have him miss a crucial week of practice before the huge tourney, or leave him in town to practice baseball.  One of the hardest decisions of my life.  Last thing I wanted to do was separate the boys with Kirk and I out of the country, but commitments to teams and baseball are a HUGE deal for our family.  Lots of people didn't understand or agree with our choice, but we felt like we were making the best one for the situation and the circumstances.  Kirk and I are so grateful to the families that took Sawyer in that week for the sake of baseball!!  I'm telling you....that baseball family really is family!

As soon as Kirk and I landed, we were off and running with baseball again.  It was time for the State Tourney, and we traded our swimsuits and beach clothes for uniforms and team tee shirts. 

Luckily, our town was hosting the State Tourney, so we were at least able to sleep in our own beds and wash our clothes in our own washing machines.  Such a blessing that was!!

The State Tournament was held over the 4th of July weekend, and it was maddening.  I've never had blood pressure problems in my life, but I'm pretty sure they developed that weekend!  Stressful and exhausting doesn't even begin to explain the emotional roller coaster that that level of baseball will take you on.  INSANE.

Again, our team rocked it!  We continued our winning streak straight through the tournament bracket.  Amazing record for a group of hard-working 7 and 8 year olds!  We entered into the Championship game for the State title as undefeated champs.  The ONLY team in the entire tournament that had never lost a game. 

Now...I'm still bitter about the ending of this story.  I'm not a sore loser...I'm really not.  I just want to know that the other team won fairly and squarely.  And I honestly feel like our boys were robbed of a title that was rightfully theirs.  I'm not sure things were played fairly or ethically, and I think our boys were given the short stick.

The Championship game was extended to two games, and we came up with losses for both games.  But I cannot tell you a group of parents, coaches, and fans that were more proud of a group of kids.  The boys played the very best that they could with the hand that they were dealt, and they handled themselves with maturity and amazing sportsmanship.  So.Proud.

So, we ended up Runners Up in State.  Not too shabby of a title, I don't suppose. 

Would we do it again?

Absolutely.  Because it's what we do.

It's who Sawyer is right now.  And it's worth ever second.

Why We Do What We Do.....

I totally get that some people don't get us.

I really really do.

People don't understand the need for a batting cage.  And the hundreds of dollars spent on equipment.  And the endless hours that are sacrificed at a ballpark.  They don't understand how we can call concession stand nachos "dinner."  And the inconveniences in schedules.  And the sacrifices made on almost every level.

I think to get IT, you have to get BASEBALL.

Or maybe you just have to have one of these:

And then you, too, will turn your life upside-down.  Because the joy in those eyes....it's just worth it.

~~~~~~~~

Sawyer's All-Star team is in the throws of District Tournament.  We're fighting our way to the Championship game, so that we can head to the State Tournament as champions. 

So far.....Undefeated!!! 

But at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter if we win or lose.  It's the love of the game.

And for that...we'll do it all over again.  A million times over.