Take Me Out To The Ball Game

The Modesto Nuts let my kids have batting practice on their field the other day.

(I wonder how Mark McGwire likes that name for his old minor league team... geezzzzzzzzzz)
Colton is convinced it helped him hit his first over the fence home run last week.

And AJ thinks it helped him hit his walk off 3 run RBI last night to win the undefeated team.

And Caden was just happy to be hitting where the PROs practice.

And daddy loved it the most I think...

It's that time of year that we all love.

All 7 teams are in full swing... literally.

So there's not much time for blogging, or cleaning, or home cooked meals.

but... boy, oh boy...

this is one of my favorite seasons so far!

Go DODGERS!

U TUBE FRIIIIIIGHT-

Tonight I got a really frightening phone call...

We try so hard to protect our kids... to do what's best for them... but sometimes; you just don't see the drop offs. (Or worse, you ignore the twinge thinking you're just being "over-the-top")

I certainly didn't see this one coming... because I've always thought myself to be pretty careful with my boys and the Internet. Our boys are NEVER on the Internet without me or their dad in the room. They learned that from their dad. T doesn't even go on facebook without someone else in the room because in 2 clicks... you can wind up somewhere you didn't mean to be.

Last weekend, we let him spend the night with 2 of his best friends at one of their houses for a birthday sleep over. All 3 boys are 12. All 3 considered "bright," and "good kids".

They decided to open a "joint U Tube" account to post their "home made" videos on. What kid doesn't like to see video clip of himself!

BUT... THEN IT TURNED UGLY.

This afternoon (2 nights after the original silly video was originally made with the 3 of them dancing around to music with pants on their hands), one of the boys edited one of the videos to include an audio clip.

In an attempt to "be funny" he made reference to a bomb, in a box, at school.

Now remember... my son doesn't really go to school with the 2 boys anymore (because we left when his 10 year old brother got cut with a pocket knife by another student who tried to stop him from telling the yard duty that she had the knife. And did I mention that we NEVER even got a phone call about him getting hurt because they "agreed to keep it between the principal and the student who brought the knife.")

Not only does my son not even go to that school anymore, but 2 of the boys didn't even have any knowledge that 1 had edited the video and included the audio clip this afternoon.

Fortunately, the mom of the boy who didn't edit the movie saw it tonight and deleted the account, along with all the videos.

But... lucky me! We get to deal with this mess tomorrow because... EVEN THOUGH HE'S NEVER SEEN IT (IT GOT DELETED BEFORE WE KNEW ABOUT IT)... OTHER kids from the school did see it. And his name... and face... was on it!

GEEEEEEZE.

talk about a LIFE LESSON!

March Madness

Caden absolutely LOVES to plant flowers; and since I've been promising we'd "get to it" for several weeks now, I figured today was the day...
He was SOOOOO excited...

and I am too, because it means I get beautiful pots like these.

But all of a sudden-- we had this beautiful rainbow in the sky:

because it started to POUR, right in the middle of our planting frenzy...

But one of the MANY things I love about my better half...

he doesn't let anything get in the way of "his plans". And a "little rain" didn't slow him down a bit. (I'm hoping it doesn't kill my newly planted flowers either, seeings how the poor things are more like drowning...)

While I ran inside to get in my warm bath that he ran for me because I was FREEZING, he stayed in his shorts... in the rain... cleaning up so we could get ready to go out for the night.

And I have to say... I hope my boys turn out JUST like their daddy, because I sure love him!

and my babies too!

4 Corners

Every once in a while... I get to enjoy of monumental mommy moment that will forever be impressed on my forgetful heart.

Today I cried --- and I NEVER cry!

let me back up...

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine myself as a homeschooling mama.

For many reasons-- not the least of which is that I'm a public school teacher!

I've questioned our decision to do it this year... more times than I can count. Some days I just feel like they didn't "get enough"... and I should have been more patient... Yada, Yada.

Yesterday the 3 oldest boys had their end of the year testing. And when my "most challenging" son came out of test within about 25 minutes... I cringed. When my "Genius" child came out, half drugged because of his allergies and said, "I had to just guess on a few mom, I can't even breathe. I just wanted to be DONE." I rolled my eyes and thought, "That's just great - Some teacher I've turned out to be!".

BUT the kicker was having to wait an extra 2 hours, wondering "WHAT IN THE world??? A test that was "supposed to take all of an hour, ended up being more than 3 hours, and when the poor guy came out, he said: Mom... IT WAS SOOOO HARD--


I was worried. BIG TIME!

Worried that I hadn't done enough.

That we hadn't made the right choice in home schooling these boys.

But as it turns out...

I cried today...

Not because my "genius" child made "tremendous growth" ... He's always done that.

Not because my "smart" and "challenging" wonderboy increased his percentile scores more than he's ever done before. He's the kid that learns "inspite of," not "because of" how good his teacher is. He's lucky.

I cried today because my baby boy who has struggle EVERY day of his life in school... and has always been YEARS behind in school (which was why this journey even began)... Not only did he improve from being in the bottom 5 percentile in EVERY category on the STAR test for the last 3 years, even after being retained...

BUT because he scored IN THE 90 - 97 Percentile in EVERY subject--- which means he's ABOVE grade level... and in some areas... more than 2 years ahead!!!

SO YEAH...

I cried today for the first time in... FOREVER... because,

maybe, just maybe...

NO HOMEWORK + NO PARENT PROJECTS = ACADEMIC success after all!

Thanks MOM!!!

BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU>>> It wouldn't have been possible!

I love you!

Spring

I love SPRING...

It means that SUMMER-IS-A-COMING>>

it also means BASEBALL... Baseball... baseball...
And with 7 teams (plus Daddy's Sunday night games= 8)... that's a LOT for me to try and handle.

BUT, I love it... because the boys are sooooo happy to be on a field... any field...

either playing the game, watching the game, or practicing for the game--- they don't care which.

Now---

if only I can get the right kid, to the right field, at the right time, on the right day, in the right uniform (preferably clean....ha)...

It should be great seasons for everyone!!!

AND>>> if I could actually get a little school work in on the side, that would be a good bonus!

(but I have to say... I'm really looking forward to being "in control" over our school schedule and homework etc for the season! What a stress relief for us... not worrying about homework, and getting the little ones in bed after late games... and my personal favorite... NO OPEN HOUSE projects! YIPPEE) --

Swingin' It Single

This season is going to be so much fun... I can tell already!
I love baseball... for the most part!

The new season has officially started... and Tony already drafted his team last week.

AJ should be a lot of fun to watch this year... and we're pretty excited about his team after seeing their first practice yesterday. GO DODGERS>

Colton is fun to watch no matter what sport he's playing...

The part I'm not looking forward to its trying to juggle all 7 teams...



I HATE missing one minute of my kids games, but it's impossible to be on 4 different fields at the same time. So, we'll do our best... and between the world's best auntie and the best grandparent's in the world... my kids will usually be fortunate to have at least someone there to cheer them on.

but most of all,



I'm not looking forward to being virtually "single" for the next few months-- because if Tony is on one field, I'll be at another... and that's the hardest part!

Are You Kidding Me???

I remember worrying about my son starting middle school and all the pressures that go along with living through those middle years. But at the moment, I'm thinking I'd be happy with the worries of zits, girls, and lockers.... instead of GED tests and College.

Today I met with yet "another" 6Th grade teacher to discuss options for my oldest son.

WHY? Because I'm not sold on the ideas that his other teachers have given me for him.

They want me to get him hooked up with all these on-line courses, college prep materials etc.

Yeah, let's just SKIP JR. HI ALL TOGETHER... and while we're at it, we can forget high school too. Who needs dances and sports and proms?

Basically, they don't think I'm "pushing" or "challenging" him enough. And guess what, they're right... if you consider success based on production of work.

I'm not sold on that idea that I need to push him any more because I'm not sure he's ready for that. Not just because he's not interested in becoming the next boy genius (and he's not), but because life if more than just acquiring knowledge.

Ironically (because I'm a teacher), academics aren't a big priority around here. It's more about teaching them to love God, know God, love family, and love sports. * not always in that order.

At our consultation today, we were encouraged to have him take the GED test within the next few week, and begin classes at the JC this summer to see how well he'd enjoy taking classes there in the Fall.

He's already passed the high school exit exam as an 11 year old. Yeah, the one they give to 18 year old seniors before they graduate. His lowest score in any sub category was a 94... so I'm thinking the GED wouldn't be too hard for him.

But, WHOOOOO.... ARE YOU KIDDING ME? G.E.D? COLLEGE??

They want me to have my kid skip 7th grade, 8th grade, as well as his Frosh to Senior year of high school... just like that???

Again, ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME???

He just turned 12 for Pete sake ... like, yesterday- literally!!!

He's a baby. He has no business being with kids that much older than him! He's mature in some ways, but life experience counts... and he just doesn't have much of that. He's a VERY young 12 year old in a LOT of ways... and I LOVE that about him. I love that he'll do whatever we ask him to do, he'll go where ever we ask him to go, he'll BE whatever we ask him to be. No questions asked... he just does it! Usually with a happy heart because he trusts use implicitly!

What a treasure that is! What a responsibility that is!

Oh, that I don't let him down.

There are a million questions racing through my mind. What about sports? What about friends his age? What about trying to get him to appreciate this God-given gift (which HE SO DOESN'T see as a gift)?

I wish he'd have come with instructions.

A recipe I could follow.

Directions I could read, understand and abide by.

After the meeting today... I felt like I'm really letting him down as his mother. I HATE THAT FEELING!!!

As I prayerfully consider what's best for him, I don't feel any closer to knowing what that looks like, or sounds like, or feels like. I'm painfully aware that what I'm doing now is probably not enough... but REALLY...

And as much as Jr. high and high school wasn't all of my fondest of memories... I can't imagine just "robbing" him of the experience all together.

My hubby thinks we have to at least consider it because that's the advice we've been given by so many different professionals, and friends who know him.

I...

I just don't know.

THOUGHTS ANYONE???

My baby turned 12 today....

12!!!

I love this kid-- my miracle baby!

Facebook Debate

If you haven't tried facebook... it really is A MUST.


I fought it for a while... but now I totally love it because I'm so much better at keeping up with friends this way. It's been great to hook up with friends from the past... and it's even replaced my overcrowded email inbox in a lot of ways (LOVE THAT) because instead of emails... friends just send messages on f.b.


Here's the funny thing-- Tony and I "share" a page (and you wouldn't believe all the grief we get over that). Well, it's MY page... but he's kind of taken over... which is pretty much how we roll on most things around here. After 18 years of that... you start to just go with it.


If nothing else... facebook highlights our differences... and has given us many a laughs over the confusion of who's page people are writing on. Last week his best friend thought Tony posted a message about taking a bath (as if)... and sarcastically said something about joining "me" in the tub. AHHHH.... talk about funny!


Tony loves people... lots, and LOTS of people. Even annoying people... not me.


Tony loves to be in front of a crowd, usually making them laugh... I'll do just about ANYTHING to go unnoticed.


Tony doesn't mind having his picture taken... I do WHATEVER I can not to be in one.

(THUS... our profile pix usually has him, and or the boys instead of me on it. )
Either way... if you get your own page, or you share one with your hubby... it's kinda fun to see what people are up to that you haven't talked to in 20 years.

Happy Birthday To Me...

Today is my birthday... and oh HOW I USED to love birthdays.

Yep... past tense!

We had to cancel our suite in Monterey because of baseball tryouts and 3 basketball games... but I'm over it. Really... because by the time your as old as I am, you really do want to just skip it.

Sorta... mmmmh.