Don't look directly into the light.

Punk #1
Punk #2

I love the way the sunlight hits my punks heads and shows the rugged boyish side of them. But if you look close to the pictures, you'll see it. They have this way about them, this way of getting what they want and it all comes from their eyes. It doesn't matter who you are, sometimes you just can't beat it. Sometimes you just have to give in and say, Uncle. Punk #1 flashes his brownish green eyes at you and grins and the sparkle comes out and grabs you and you have no choice, really, it's happened to me and I've witnessed it happening to others, including the dog. Punk #2 just has this determination about him, he gives up at nothing and when he flashes his green eyes at you and the total determination comes out, it's hopeless. Just throw in the towel you're done.

The secret is, don't make direct eye contact, problem is they know this secret too, so be very careful.

Baseball, First Game

Turns out baseball can be very exciting and our boys can no longer be left to roam freely in stores, as they stole 14 runs. They won 14-1 and it sure wasn't because they got that many hits, in fact I think only one child got a hit, the rest walked to first and then stole the rest.

It was so much fun to see them stealing those bases as we yelled no no stop stop, go go!

Who knew?

Hi Mom!

In T-Ball and Coach Pitch Baseball it's very hard not to nod off, or read a good book, even if you just look up here and there you still won't miss anything. Boring doesn't even begin to describe it. So when my oldest punk said he wanted to play baseball this year, I immediately yawned, until I realized he was serious. Oh boy not another four months of that.

But I signed him up for Little League, the minors, sent him out to practice and "we" realized that they play real baseball and it's kind of exciting. So we purchase him new sliding shorts, since they have to slide in the minors, new practice pants and new game pants. He's grown so much in the last year his others were up to his knees and no they weren't suppose to be. A new helmet, glove, one for the little punk so he can play catch too, and a new bat. It was so cheap to let him play baseball this year, I think I'll sign him up for hockey and Lacrosse too. I mean what else could we need. Oh yeah, a new bag too. Can't forget we have to carry all that to the field.

Next we set out and practice and practice and finally the first game comes, we can't arrive anymore two minutes before the game starts and run onto the field ready to play, we have to arrive 45 minutes early, warm up, set up on the field, practice some, then come off the field, practice some more, then they start the game. Moms in the stands, Dad's in the dugout, little brother punks running around the playground, playing with all his other little brother punk friends, eating hot dogs, candy, popcorn, it's just like a major league game. The boys go up to bat, serious, this is big business now, a few practice swings, ready, almost, let me just check out where my mom is, he's just needs a little reassurance. Mom says, "Let's go Buddy!"

Others yell out his name, okay, now he's ready, wait for it, wait for it, swing at it, wait for it, swing at it, wait for it, swing at it, darn, I can't have fifty more tries until I hit, you mean I really struck out. He starts to head for the dug out, one more reassuring glance to mom, mom smiles, it's okay baby, clearing throat, I mean you'll get em next time Buddy. All dads in the dugout glare at us as we talk to our babies, "no talking to the kids as they play."

As the sun goes down and the lights come on, each player that comes up, checks for that mom in the stand. Some wave, some just look like the deer in the headlights. But we're all there, cheering for them win or lose. "You can do it, Baby," I mean, "You can do it big boy." Dad says, "we said no talking to the boys when they play." Okay, but when they look at us with those scared excited little looks, we're going to tell them "it's okay Baby, we're here for you."

So Dads, take your butts back to the dugout, they're only eight and they don't pay our mortgage yet.

Just...Need... to... Rest....

Monday: Work, baseball, dinner, showers, read, to bed for all.
Tuesday: Work, Sean's Soccer, Evan's Soccer, dinner, showers, read, to bed for all.
Wednesday: Work, Baseball, Choir, RA's, dinner, showers, read, to bed for all.
Thursday: Work, Homework for the week, read, play Very important, dinner, to bed for all.
Friday: Work, Evan's Soccer, Sean's Soccer, Baseball, dinner, to bed for all.
Saturday: Sean's Soccer game, Evan's Soccer game, Baseball game
Sunday: Church, Evan's Soccer game.

Monday: Get up if possible to do it all over again, except this week add Baseball opening ceremonies to Monday night, and Baseball games on Tuesday nights.

I also have to do laundry sometime, because all their practice clothes have to be washed in between practices, then they also have to have school clothes and Mr. Big Sean has to have work clothes. The bathrooms have to be cleaned, the house has to be picked up, floors vacuumed, dogs need tending too. Etc, Etc, Etc..... And I've only lost 5 pounds. This all ends in June and boy I can't wait til Summer gets here and I can take my Saturdays to the beach or in the boat and relax.

At least next year they will play on the same soccer team and if Evan decides to play baseball they can be on the same baseball team. No more of this separate teams.

We're mommicked, but they are enjoying it and well, yeah, so am I!

The Little Punk

Today, my little blonde punk got List 13 completed and I'm not sure who was more proud, him or me! He's worked really hard to complete this list to help with his reading. He got on a mission about the eighth week of school where he started passing these lists and then it became a game for him in which he played all the others kids in the school to see who could complete all 13 lists first. No one else was playing but him, at least no one else knew they were playing except him. But today March 20th he completed them and he completed them FIRST!!! Whew, what a relief.

Also because he studied all these lists he's jumped two levels in his reading in the last month. But shhh, don't tell him this.

Punkenese

My two punks think that every time Dad and I speak we have to be talking to them. Nosy Punk #1 is especially into every ones business. He even gets in trouble at school for listening to the teacher too much. Nosy Punk #2 has his days, all in your business one day, the next he could care less. Dad and I's response to this nosiness is speaking in Punkenese. Codes they can't understand. The spelling went out the window a long time ago, when the Punks learned to read. Dangit. Anyway, we speak in code sort of half spelling, half sentences, half grunts, half nods, half smiles, and half everything, they just don't get it. Ha! That shows those punks.

Of course they go off and decipher it all day, then come back and say were you talking about such and such and half the time they are right. Geez.

Big Brother, Little Brother

Big Brother: "why does he have to follow me around and bother me?"

Little Brother: "I just follow him around because he's my big brother and I want too, but I promise I never ever bother him."

True Sportmanship

Sean plowed a kid down during the game. the kid goes down after being kneed in the stomach and when he gets up, My baby goes off the field to the sideline, up to the kid and tells him "He's sorry" and shakes his hand. I was so proud of his behavior, I could feel the tears welling. Dad commentates to me that he's saying, "no hard feelings buddy, but I'm going to do it again, if you get in my way again." Men, just bigger boys!

And to add insult to injury, my moment didn't last long, when I told him I was proud of him for showing good sportsmanship, My sweet baby says, "My coach told me too"

Oh well, maybe it will sink in!

Belle-A-Boot, My Girl

What a joy it is to have a girl in the house full of boys. She's four legged, but she's still my little girl. She's a German Shorthaired Pointer and full of life.

She's a large dog now, but still loves to curl up in my lap as often as she can. She's also a big talker, so she fits in real good with the wide open boys. Sometimes when I'm correcting them, she'll add her two cents, not sure if she tells me to stop talking to her boys that way or agreeing with me. I always tell the boys she's on my side. Though I think we all know the truth. Oh well. My Life with the BOYS!

Belle, is normally a good girl, very protective of her boys, follows her mama where ever she goes, sleeps most of the time, but let her outside and she will run in circles in the back yard, literally. I think that's her decompression time. Running around and around. Then she'll come back in, look at me like I'm the crazy one and go lay on her bed. Wonder what she's thinking.

Reading, FINALLY

They can read and they can read good too!! Yip Yip Hooray!!!

Sean is a totally independent reader and is constantly bringing books home that are 4th and 5th grade level readers. He's really into snakes, yuk, sharks, hippos, alligators, bugs, lizards, carnivores, nocturnal, etc, etc, oh and sometimes rarely, he'll bring home a nice book about a dog.

Evan is reading above his first grade level and ALL he brings home are books about dogs, dogs, and occasionally a dog book. You didn't think he would bring anything else home. He's got one list left on his Sight Words, List 13 which is actually one of only four challenge list. He was the first in his group to finish the first 9 lists and will soon be the first to all complete all 13 out of the whole first grade. We're so proud of him. He's been his usual stubborn self getting him to learn them. A feat within itself. But he's done it and we're so proud.

Crazy Sad!

It's getting warmer, the days are longer and the schedule keeps piling up. Fortunately, the laundry is not that bad this week. Sean is playing travel soccer this spring and his first four games were at home, yeah! However, Evan had not started his games yet, so all was well on Saturdays. Now, Evan's first game is this Saturday, Sean's first travel game is this saturday and well yes, you guessed it, same time. One is at the home field and the other is one hour away. I hate missing anything my children do. I love to watch both my boys play. Evan the aggressor who loves to slide tackle, even though it's totally against the rules. Sean the big foot kicks the ball from one end of the field to the other. Each has their own style, each plays so differently that it's so amazing from my point of view, the mother's pride view. I hate that I have to miss anything they do. I know it's just a soccer game and well, I still have at least a thousand more to go, but just missing one I don't like! Oh well, I'll just put on my big girl panties and Deal!