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.

Times...4

I miss bloggy world.

I miss my clean house. (If there ever was a thing? Probably not, but it makes me feel better to think that if I had time to do better... I would)

I miss my hubby and kids...NOT IN A UNIFORM of one kind or another.

I miss.... the "cool", "calm" me that I imagine myself to be.

But it's that time again...

Between work, school, guitar and piano lessons... and batting lessons -- there really, really is NO time left.

so... I'm calling in a sub some time this week so I can catch up on sleep, and maybe even give myself a chance to read up all the blogs that I miss reading!

AND... He Scores.

This is THE most wonderful teenage boy we know!

15 years ago, we fell in love with him... and we couldn't love him anymore if he was our own!

(wow, that was a long time ago... and even then, you can see it written all over his sweet little face, that Josh wanted Tony to hold him)

Tony would spend hours, just holding him and praying that he would become the man God created him to become. (He said he was praying, looks like he was just sleeping to me)

Tony has gotten to teach him lots of things, but mostly... Josh has helped us.

Last night was the "Father vs. Son" basketball game at the high school.

Josh asked Uncle Tony to play with him.
My nephew has NEVER, in 15 years years... seen or talked with his dad; even though we all live in the same town. Last night at the game; for just a moment, my heart went out for them both, not just my nephew. For Josh, it's hard to miss something you've never had. But for a quick moment last night, I felt sad for his dad too. He's missing out on knowing such a fine young man! I felt almost guilty that Tony gets to have these special moments with his nephew instead of his dad.

And while my hubby is NOT a basketball player (which is like saying the Grand Canyon is "just" nice), Tony went and played in the father-son game with Josh because he loves him more than anything. And while J probably wasn't too big on Tony's granny shot from the free throw line (seriously) in front of all his buddies...even though HE MADE IT... he was still happy they could play together.

So, while T's not "really" his dad, he loves to act like he is because that is an honor. It is a privilege to be with Josh, and he will continue to shoot for being the man that Josh will count on when he needs him.

And sometimes you shoot and miss.

And sometimes you foul.

And sometimes...

sometimes HE SCORES.

What a game!

I'm hoping by the time our boys ask him to play in stuff like this, he realizes he's supposed to let them WIN!

Of course, since he can hardly walk today, I'm thinking that might actually happen.

Seizures

Caden hasn't been taken to the hospital in months for any seizures...

But hearing how John Travolta's son died yesterday... it FREAKED me out!

It made me realize AGAIN, just how blessed I am to have 4 healthy boys; and that every moment together is gift. Oh that I would cherish them, and appreciate all that I've been blessed with!

Prayers to the Travolta family! May they find the comfort that only God can give them.

Really?

Really... it's that time again. Basketball and Baseball seasons are ready to roll, so this week we paid for:

3 day Baseball Camp.....$150

3 Basketball team sign ups.... $280

6 Baseball team sign ups... $785

(yes, I only have 4 boys; but 2 of them play on 2 teams... because SOMEONE doesn't now how to tell DADDY no-- but I'm going to work on that for next season!)

3 Pair of Basketball shoes... $430

4 Pairs of new cleats... $ (only) 225

REALLY... they need new shoes again? I just bought shoes... can't they just share? Nope, their sizes range from 12 men (not bad for an 11 year old... to a mere mens 6 for my 7 year old) .

Ahhhh... let the good times begin! And may my boys rememeber this when they go to put my in an old folks home in 50 years!!!

Happy New Year

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions... but I'm a firm believer that if "you aim for nothing, you'll get nothing" so I've decided to blog some goals in hopes that I'll stay focused on reaching them.

Garth Brooks has a song: Live Like You Were Dying... (LOVE that guy!)

I want to live with no regrets.

I want to love more.
I want to listen more.
I want to be more patient with my kids and Tony.
I want to be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, teacher... and more importantly, the Proverbs 31 Woman I believe I was created to be.

And yes... I want to lose the weight that I've gained this year (What New Year's list is complete without that one??)

As I reflect on this past year, I'm humbled and amazed at how blessed I have been as a wife and mother. In spite of me, for whatever reason, God has chosen to bless my life with more than I deserve. I hope I never take for granted all that I have... and pray that in 2009, I will continue to grow into the woman I need to be... as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and teacher.

May He Be Glorified In Me!
amen