Softball is dangerous!

Yes, this is my face - no, I don't usually look like I have a beard, its the shadows.


Today was just not my day! In the first inning, I strained an inner thigh muscle, and when I went up to bat I got a hit, and running made it worse. I pulled up lame - they had to get someone to run for me.
I sat the second inning - and then in the third inning is when it happened. Shortstop gunned a ball right to me, and it spun UP at the last second and hit me in the face. Yep right in the chin. I grabbed my face and walked away. I was trying to walk in the dugout, but somehow I ended up by the bleachers. One guy was standing there, and I remember thinking that I hoped blood wasn't pouring out of my mouth. I took my hands away and there was no blood.

Call me stupid, but I picked up my glove and took my place back at 1st base.

When the half inning was over, Hongo came up to me and wanted to see. I have a cut lip, bruised chin, and my gums are bruised. I finished the game (I got one more hit!) and the last play of the game was a grounder to the second base and she BARELY got it to me in time. I stretched for it and I felt the ball hit my glove RIGHT before I felt the runners foot hit the base.

We lost by one. Hongo hurt his arm throwing, so between his arm, my thigh, and my lovely face, we called it a day. We were going to go watch my coach's softball game, and his daughter had asked me to work with her. But i just couldn't do it.

It hurts to talk - I go in spurts where I say a bunch of stuff, but then my mouth HURTS.


I told LegoQueen that I never wanted to hear her complain that she got hit by a ball, LOL!!!!

I could not believe it!

My mom came today - at 8:30 AM!!!! She had told me on the phone that she was LEAVING at 8:30, andI estimated her being here at 9:30. So I didn't bother waking the kids up, I was barely dressed and brushing my teeth when Hongo yells "She's HERE! WTH is she doing here this early?!?!"

Um, Hongo was not happy.

So she basically sat on my couch and waited for us to get the kids up and dressed. Hongo was vacuuming the kitchen and cleaning the counters, trying to ignore her.

Finally we left for the game (at 10:15) and I forgot to pack her a chair of some sort. So she stood around and watched. Then I asked her where we were going for lunch, and she said that she wasn't picky, that she would eat whatever we bought. Uhhhh....okay. I was under the impression that she was here to celebrate DQ's birthday, which may have meant SHE was going to pay for her lunch. At least, If *I* am going to invite myself to someone's house to celebrate, I am bringing something to eat, or taking them out!

So I chose Carl's Jr, and I paid for her meal. Then she came back to our house and the kids ate at the table with her. Right about then LegoQueen had had enough of Grandma and tried to sneak upstairs to watch TV. Oh no....you are going to sit with the rest of this.

I suddenly got "stomach cramping" so that got her to leave. That was around 2pm. I told her I was going to take a nap.
She was already checking out my calendar, and she wants to come back in 2 weeks! I made it very clear she couldn't come and hang out like she did today - we have plans!

This is what bothers me - she thinks that now that my dad is gone, she's going to be coming over all the time to hang out. That simply can't happen. Once softball is over, our Saturdays will still be family days, we just won't be at games. Another thing - I want to SMACK whoever told her that buying a new car was a good idea. She pays $400 dollars a month for a used car, and now she is saying that her hours at work have been cut. She's digging herself a finacial hole. Hongo thinks she is trying to set the stage for losing her job and needing to move in with us. I told him that she already told me about the hour loss and I suggested she find a part-time job to supplement her income if things got bad.

I am so glad that I got this out of the way. I look forward to tomorrow.

Lots to write....

I better get started before the kids finish breakfast, lol.

Well, first off - yesterday DramaQueen went to the dentist. Its a pediatric dentist office, so they have colorful walls and lots of toys to play with. MIL was going to come and watch LQ and HB while I took DQ to the dentist. But I worried myself sick about using the N2O gas that I threw up - literally threw up twice. Once as my MIL was arriving. I came down the stairs and I was crying and Hongo was on the phone telling me I didn't have to go.
We decided that MIL would take us, since I was not in any condition to drive.

DramaQueen did an AWESOME job. She was very quiet, did everything that the dentist told her too, and didn't seem to mind that there were bloodcurdling screams in the hallway from other children. She laid in the chair and watched Toy Story 2 while her procedure went on.

MIL brought us back, and I activated her new phone (which took like an hour almost, because Verizon sucks like that) and then she left. I really should have lay down, but I went and sat in the bath to relax, then I started packing my car for softball practice. Also, I had one of my players being dropped off at my house because her mom had other practices and games to be at. She was due to be at my house an hour before practice started, otherwise I probably would have lay down for sure.

My mom called (and this is where it kind of gets funny) and told me that she had bought DQ a gift for her birthday. But then she also went out and got HB and outfit, and LQ some capris. Um, but its DQ's BIRTHDAY. But I guess my mom doesn't get the whole sibling thing. They all don't get stuff when its the other kid's birthday.
We were talking, and she told me that she didnt know if I knew, but my cousin was pregnancy again. This is the one that is 6 months younger than I and was HORRIBLE during my dad's passing. She felt slighted because I got the (very little) attention because I was his daughter. SHE felt like his daughter, because her dad was a POS and so of course my dad took her under his wing. She did everything for him that I would not do.
So anyway - I didn't offer any congratulations. I don't know why - I guess I didn't think of it? It wasn't because I was upset or anything like that. But what struck me as funny is that she used the pregnancy as an excuse to go out and buy a Suburban. She NEEDED it because her family is growing. Um, I am pretty sure your Honda Accord would accommodate two car seats. Obviously she has to learn the difference between need and want. But again, I found it humorous because my family is always full of stuff to laugh at.
Then my mom told me that my aunt ALSO bought a Suburban. Now this is even funnier. Yes - this woman will NEED a Suburban if she wants her whole family to ride in the same car (right now they take 2 cars everywhere) But this is funnier because she can't AFFORD a Suburban. But she had to get one because my mom just bought a new (but used) car, cousin bought a car, cousin's mom bought a car (her car was totaled in an accident one week after my dad died) so she didn't' want to be left out.

My mom is coming up on Saturday to celebrate DQ's birthday and to see a game. I am sure she'll be full of things to tell me since no one really wants to speak to me. NO ONE has called since my dad died. I have 3 cousins who I have talked to - one that is pregnant and we grew up in the same house, her brother, and one other adult cousin. And I have A LOT of cousins. My little cousins baby shower is on May 26th, but I will probably send a gift and not go.

We had softball practice last night. It was SO much fun!!! We finished at 6, and the girls all wanted to stay for more. I told them that if their parents were here, then they had to go. But if not, they could stay. Well, I had one player with me and LQ, plus my team mom had her girl and another player, and my coach had his daughter and his two sons (another coach of mine) So you know what we did? I tossed slow pitches to the adults (we are all on adult teams) and they all hit to the outfield. The kids shagged balls and practiced their fielding skills. Hongo showed off some sliding catches in the outfield. The girls all had a great time, and I had to chase them off the field at 7.

I talked to my team mom about something that has beenbothering me for a couple of days. Wednesday night I talked to my friend who was my team mom last year. Her daughter moved up and is on a different team. She said they hadn't won any games yet and the parents were getting together to talk and discuss plans of action for the manager. They are not happy with him. And to be honest - he's in a wheelchair. How awful is that to tell a wheelchair bound guy he sucks? Those parents have guts.
So when my friend told me that, it kind of got me thinking. We also have lost a lot of games. I wondered if there was anything going on like that for my team. I told the team mom that I thought I was doing the best I could - short of going out there and playing the game for them. I hold extra practices, I take extra time to work on the things they are weak on, I encourage them as much as I can.
She told me she hadn't heard anything, but she didn't think that was going on. She gave me a lot of encouragment and said her daughter (1st year player) already wants to play again next year. I think that as long as I reach my goal of the girls having a fun year, I will be okay. I never said we would win a lot of games, but I thought for sure that would not have been a problem.

We do have a new gameplan in effect - the girls who try hard and are improving will get the coveted infield spots, and the lethargic attitude stricken ones will get the outfield or the bench. Except for one girl - she'll get centerfield because she likes playing out there. I hate to do that, but a lot of the girls are improving rapidly and they should be rewarded.

ACK! My nose!

Tuesday was a bad day for us.
I went to drop off uniforms for the tball kis to get printed, and the community center is right next to the park.
So we went, and they had cut the grass and were prepping the fields. Well, the blower-guy was cleaning up and so he was blowing all the crap from the ground inthe air, and then it was getting kind of breezy. So we left.
Then we went back out at 4 to the park for Tball practice, and then after that we came home so that LegoQueen could change for her game. Then back out for 3 hours in the wind.

I woke up yesterday and my voice was gone, and I was totally stuffed up. I took a sutafed, but all it did was make my nose run. We had the birthday party and I kept running off to get a Kleenex. I must have washed my hands a million times, because wiping your nose and then preparing food is just gross.
The kids all were sneezing too, and part of me worried they might all be sick. But that fear was alleviated today - they are all running around totally fine. I guess being inside for most of the day is what they needed. I don;t think it was very windy yesterday either - so maybe stuff has settled to the ground. I sure hope so - we have another game tonight and I really wanted to take LQ out to the park this afternoon to try and hit some balls.
But I am feeling better too - I think I should take another something so that my nose dries up. I had the worst sinus pressure yesterday.

We got our new phones yesterday - WAHOO! Hongo already dropped his at the store yesterday. We were buying him a memory card for his phone and he dropped it. I laughed and said "Haha! You dropped yours first!" lol



Off to find some nose meds!

I just wanted to say.....

WE WON!

Yes, it is 11pm almost and I am DEAD tired. But we WON. It was the ugliest win ever, but we will take it.

It happened to be against one of my friend's daughter's team, so while i felt sad for them, I knew that my team needed this soooooo badly.

I almost cried while I was telling my girls how proud I was. They were so happy they couldn't sit still to let me talk.

I told them to enjoy it for tonight, because Wednesday they need to come ready to play again.

Today I told Hongo that I suck as a manager. I love coaching, but the managing takes me away from that. I am a pitching coach. I should have more than one consistent pitcher on my team. LegoQueen bombed today. She was fantastic in warm-ups and when we put her on the field. But once that batter stepped in the box, she fell apart.
So while I was feeling sorry for my lame managing abilities, Hongo said I need to let him and the other coaches do some of the stuff. So today I did - they chalked the field, and Hongo wrote the line-up while I worked with my pitchers.

Good Night!

Happy Birthday, Bean!

Today was DQ's birthday! She turned the big SIX today!

She got up really late this morning, missed her chance for birthday pancakes, and missed her birthday being called on the radio. poor DQ!
But we baked cupcakes and we took them to the park to share with the other kids. DQ ate like 3 of them, I let her indulge. I felt so bad, because we usually at least go out to dinner for the kids' birthdays, but with tonights game that just wasn't possible. She was okay with it, though.

My mom called her, and MIL called her. Usually my dad calls, but obviously he can't now. So the phone didn't ring very much for her. FIL should be calling her tomorrow when he gets off of work. I told MIL he shouldn't try today because we would be home late.

My little DQ LOVES to hear her birthday story. SO I sat her on my lap, and told her the story of her birth.

"Mommy had gone to the dr. and the dr wondered why you hadn't come out. He told Mommy that they would make an appointment to MAKE you come out, because you were getting big and Mommy didn't want to risk being cut open.
SO on your birthday, Mommy and Daddy got up really early and went to the hospital. Your sister stayed at Grandma and Papa's house the night before, and would come to meet you later.
They put Mommy in a room, and let her lay on a bed. They gave me some medicine that would help you to come out.
A few hours later, Mommy was in a lot of pain, and you still weren't coming. So they gave Mommy some medicine to make her feel better until you decided to come. Daddy was hungry, so he called Grandma to tell her that you STILL weren't Coming, and could she please bring him something to eat?
10 minutes later, Mommy felt you coming. She called the nurse, and told her you were coming - NOW. Daddy called Grandma back and said "Forget the burger - just hurry and get here! The baby's coming!"
The dr wasn't there, Daddy was going to catch you! But at the very last moment the dr was ableto get in and help you out.
You didn't cry - Mommy was scared. Then the dr did something to you and you screamed with your perfect little lungs and Mommy felt better. Daddy cut your cord, and then the nurse wrapped you up and let us hold you. Then they unwrapped you to weigh you, and guess how big you were?
8lb 6 oz! All you could do was cry, and eat and sleep and poop!
And now look at you! You are 6! You weigh 43 pounds now! You still do those other things, but now you can walk, and you can talk, and you can read and write. You've come a LONG way!

Sooooo close!

We ALMOST won today. We played the very best team in our division. The first inning they scored NOTHING and we scored 6.
We lost by one, but we gained SO much more than that from this game. My girls are confident and proud of themselves. Every one of them (except one) had a HUGE smile on her face. The one that wasn't smiling is mad at me. Its okay, I am irritated with her. I need advice on how to handle this, but I won't post this on such a public place. Let's just say that I have never met a player who didn't like me ( i accept they don't all LOVE me) and she is trying to push my buttons. I'm, trying hard to be an adult, but there's that immature part that wants to sit her butt down and name every one of her faults so that her ego deflates. Dare I say we could have won if she had paid attention? No, I don't - there were a lot of what-ifs that I could go over and over for hours about.

I recieved a wonderful comment from the umpire - she said we were one of the NICEST teams she had ever umpired for, and that she hoped we won the rest of our games. That feels SO good- I always try to remember that if I am nice to people, then good things will come of it. I strive for excellence, but not at the expense of courtesy and kindsness.
Which leads me to the flip side. The umpire was NOT happy with the other manager. She bullied the unpire the whole game. In the second inning when my girls were up, I had to go near the plate for clarification on a call, and the other manager had just screamed at the umpire. I patted the umpire on the back and said "Okay, you are correct on this call, but don't let her bully you like that"
As I was leaving, another manager from a different league was there and she asked if we won. I told her that we lost by one. She was impressed! We lost to her team last Tuesday, lol. She asked if the other manager was a b*tch to me too. I sighed, because that puts me in a bad place. I was diplomatic. I told her that she wasn't one of those, but I coached against her last year, and I realize that she and I have very different coaching styles. I am familiar with how she is with her girls, and I simply cannot be that way with mine. That woman makes her players cry. With as much trouble as I have with that one girl on my team - I would rather hold my tongue, bite it till it bleeds, than to send her home crying.
This isn't the first time someone has expressed to me that type of opinion regarding that manager, and I have the feeling it won't be the last. Yikes.
She made my manager cringe last year - he hated dealing with her.

Not enough french fries....

You know, when you buy the $1 fries at McDonalds they certainly don't give you many!

Its been a terrible day. I got the appt all set up for DramaQueen, and I figured I would leave 15 minutes before the appt time so we would have plenty of time.

I went out to my car, turned it on, and "LOW TIRE PRESSURE" was blinking back at me. Ugh - I had noticed one of my tires was a little low yesterday and I forgot to put air in it when I got home. I got out of the car, looked, and ......the tire was FLAT! So flat, that I feared it might not be ablet o be repaired.
I got out my pump and while it was filling, I called Hongo. I got on my hands and knees and looked for a nail or something. I found it. A piece of metal jammed in the tread.

*sigh*

If I could *just* get it to fill with air, I would go to the dentist and then to Sears Auto at the mall.

We made it to the appt - albeit we were late. I am SO frustrated with this dentist office - I swear after DQ has her cavity filled by the pediatric dentist next week - we are out of that place. They took x-rays, I SHOWED them the tooth and the bruising. The dentist comes in, looks in DQ's mouth and says "Looks like she broke it off." She completely missed the BLOODY tooth next to it!!!!!! The broken one is from a previous fall, and its getting repaired next week with the cavity.
I pointed it out, and she said "oh - you're right, that one does have bruising" Grrrrr.

Then, she asked how it happened. And you know, I didn't really like the questions she was asking, and the way she was looking at the dental assistant when I answered. I think they thought I popped DQ in the mouth! What saved me, I think, was when Hairy Boy piped up and said his head still hurt from where DQ's teeth hit it.
I admit, I spank my children when they are really bad, but I would NEVER, EVER hit them in the face. I don't even like spanking them all that much.

We got to go home, we were told that DQ's roots are still really long, and there are no adult teeth in sight. Which means she better hang on to this tooth, because another one isn't coming for a while. I remember taking LegoQueen to the dentist once and the xrays showed 4 adults teeth neatly lined up above her top baby teeth. The baby teeth had no roots, but were in there tight, lol.

Anyway, after that we drove slowly to Sears to get the tire fixed and be price gouged. $22 dollars to fix the tire - OMG! But it was at the mall, and with 3 kids in tow I wasn't going to care. I had a moron lady help me (which makes me sad, because she gives us females who have worked in a "man's department" a bad name) She asked if I bought the tires there. I told her "no, these are stock tires" She got snotty and said " But did you buy them HERE?" and I told her "NO- they came with the vehicle! Factory tires!" and added a "DUH" in my head.

Can you just see my face now?

The mall has a nice play area - they hid it in the food court because they know I never go in there. The kids had fun - even Hairy Boy, despite a 2 year old child hitting him in the head with his hands and then his Thomas the Tank Engine trains. HB didn't even cry, I guess it didn't hurt too much. After that incident, we left and ate McDonald's food. Not enough fries.

Now we are home. I am going to doze on the couch while the kids play Mario Party. I am tired and cranky and I really want to be in a positive mood with my kids this afternoon and for tonight's practice. Stress is not good for the body and soul.

Quick update.....

tonight DQ and HB collided. DQ has a swollen lip and it looks like the impact went and moved a couple teeth to the side.

Do you all think I should take her in to the dentist tomorrow? I am worried about damage to the adult tooth. DQ hasn't lost any baby teeth yet, but when she smiles, you can totally see how crooked they are now.

Email or post a comment plz. I'll post a pic tomorrow.

They make me smile....

the roses from my garden, I mean.

I cut about 6 of them yesterday and put them on a vase in my kitchen (which just needs to be grouted, btw). Today when I got up they were all open and smelling wonderful. It ALMOST made me forget that I had to drive down the hill today (something I was dreading)
Today DramaQueen had a dr appt. I could have SWORN that we were there for vaccines, but I was told she got them last year, just not the physical. I demanded proof, and they presented it. Ah, that will teach me to constantly forget that little vaccine book they give you at the hospital.
Well, at least one of us (them) was keeping track.
They have all kind of neat stuff now. A thermomter that they rub on your forehead to take the temp, a little wand that they stick in your ear to beep and it tracks hearing, and then a little camera that they point at your eye and it checks your vision. No more charts! And no more telling me my child is deaf because they won't raise their hand when they hear a beep.
I came prepared to wait - I brought my knitting. I have started a legwarmer for DramaQueen, becuase the socks for HB need mentoring, lol. So I sat and knitting in the room while my kids played poker (There is something wrong here, *I* don't know how to play poker, yet my kids do) and took turns staring out the giant window.
The dr came in and we started. First was the vaccines, which I spoke of earlier. We straightened that out. Then she asked about speech. I toldher I pulled DQ from speech at the public school and gave details on what I was not pleased with. Dr agreed, but asked if I would attempt to take DQ somewhere else. Not unless I see that she isn't making progress (which she is). I Told Dr that DQ is learning to read and has no trouble pronouncing words, and can repeat when she is corrected.
Next subject was the million dollar question...."How is she doing in kindergarten?"

*sigh*

She always forgets that I homeschool, so I usually say "We homeschool" and we move on. Not today. Today Dr wanted to play 20 questions. Part of her was showing genuine concern for the kids, another part was her curiosity, and another part was the nosy person in her that was trying to find fault.

Are you going to homeschool all of them?
Yes. That is my intent.
How long do you intend to do it for?
Until they reach college is my goal.

They were THOSE kinds of questions - the ones that every homeskooler gets - even right down to the "When do they interact with other children?"

Mine don't - we keep them in the closet most of the time and our neighbors don;t even know we have children.....

When she was done, she smiled huge and said "I'm convinced!" I don't know what that means - I don't have to justify my decisions, nor feel like I need her approval. I love Dr - I've brought my children to her for 11 years. We've disagreed over numerous things, but she has always backed off when I have been adamant about something. She has always respected that I am the parent, and I make the decisions. She lets it slide when I "forget" to take my children in for lead poisoning testing, and when I postpone a vaccination.
Maybe it means that I actually educated someone on a subject that was unfamilair to them. YOu never know!
But we got a green light to go home, and I remembered to get a new prescription for DQ's allergy meds.
A trip down the hill is never complete unless I stop and "people watch" for a while. It cracks me up to see how "posh" and stuck up people act in my hometown. Puleeeeze....do you even remember when there were grapevines as far as the eye could see, and the "barrio" was anything below Arrow Hwy? Of course not! The dr's office building is brand new, and there are fancy cars in the parking lot. Some mobile car wash guy asked if I wanted a car wash while I was in the dr office. Uh, no thanks - I live up the hill where the wind blows the tumbleweeds around and my car will just get filthy again.
Would you guess, I almost got lost? Too many apt buildings going up!

We had our game today, I won't even repeat it. But I will give a hint: double digits to 0 was the official score (but in our defense, we DID score 1) It was a bad game all around. We have practice tomorrow. Enough said. The girls were upset, but after the game I stressed to them that the reason they lost this game was 50% due to playing a really great team, and 50% to their own fault. Not paying attention (one gal is lucky her head is still in one piece), not throwing, not catching easy throws. It was BAD.
I told them that each one of them has something unique and special to bring to this team, but they all need to BRING IT. Two girls can't win the game, this is a team effort. The coaches and I can only do so much - we can't play for them. We can teach, encourage, and guide, but the rest is up to them. They have to want it. I told them that we will forget this game, and take only lessons with us as we prepare for our next. Our schedule is too grueling to dwell on this loss. We must move forward.
When I told the parents we were having practice tomorrow, they all nodded in agreement. They are tired of seeing us lose too, I guess.

Just tell me that's enough....

If you are sitting with me and I start talking about softball, just tell me to shut it and feel free to pick a different topic.

However, this is my blog and you can simply choose a different page to go to, lol.


Today was Hongo's first game with the adults. He looked SO cute in his jogging pants and his hat. We got there and there were two guys prepping the field. It was sprinkling, and it was cold. I made LegoQueen play catch with me.
As people began to arrive, I was feeling more unsure that we should have come. We didn't know anyone. But then we recognized a couple of parents that we know from my girls' softball team. I went over to say hi andmake small talk - turns out they were on the team that Hongo was looking to get on. They introduced him to the manager, and they went off to talk a bit.
Hongo got a subbing spot on the team....and then his friend showed up. No more room. I felt terrible, and Hongo did too! I thought he might be thinking of giving up the spot.
Our friend was bummed (did I mention he's one of my coaches?) and I gently encouraged him (okay, I pushed him) to go see if another team needed some extra guys. Well, sure enough a team did, and J and his son both were able to get on a team. I am SO happy for them! I just know that we will have a team altogether eventually - just right now they all got their foot in the door, so to speak.

The game was pretty fun. I warmed up with Mr SA's wife, and that is where I got the manager checking out my throwing and catching. I subbed in a few innings, and by the end of the game I was invited to play on the team.

That issue is still up in the air - I want to think about it more. But FLYLady always touts that Sunday should be a "renew your spirit" day and I truly think that is what I was feeling today. It was exhilarating to be out there playing once again, instead of managing from the dugout. It wasn't quite like reliving my "glory days" but something different that I can't explain. It just felt good.

So then it was off to the birthday party.

Today was all about new experiences, I think. Hongo and I met a lot of new people on the softball team, mixed in with some people we were already familiar with.
The birthday party was the same - people I was comfortable with, and new people to meet. The birthday girl looked so cute, and you can tell she is a Daddy's girl. I think I expended most of my "getting friendly with new people" energy, so I mainly stuck with my homeschooling friends. But I did meet my friend's family, who are all really nice.
The kids had a great time, and were mad that we had to leave. But I really needed to finish the tiling of the kitchen while Hongo has time off. Our week is going to be busy, and I fear we won't have much time.

So with that project now under our belts, the focus is now the backyard, I think. But until that can be finished, I think I will try to finish other little touches around the house. Like painting the crown molding. And finishing the hallway painting. And painting the kids' rooms. Paint paint paint. LOL.

Until then, I look forward to being very busy with softball regardless if I play or not, and with kid stuff. DramaQueen has a dr appt Tuesday, and then her b-day is on Thursday. Practice Monday night and Friday night. Games on Tueday, Thursday and 2 on Saturday. ParkDay on Thursday.

Hey- what should we do Wednesday? LOL!

Opening Day

Today was Opening Day! The kids were so excited! Well, Hairy Boy wasn't so excited -he didn't want to wear his uniform. But he got over it quickly and we went to the park.

The ceremony was awful. Poorly planned, and I never knew Mrs. Davies was such a PITA. All the kids on the team were really good for me, one cried for his mama, and one had to go to the restroom a few minutes before we were set to be called up. But for the most part they were good.

I have a special needs child on my team. He belongs to the rude lady I spoke of a few days ago. I saw her today - man, is she a peach. *rolling eyes* Her son is very sweet, just needs some firm discipline. His uncle thinks I am wonderful, and we are on the same page as far as expectations for this child. He made it clear that I will see him (uncle) more often than I will see Mom. That is great!

The game was fun - the kids and I stretched, and we ran. Fielding was pretty darn good, and the batting was even better. Today's lineup ran from number 1 to 12 order and so Hairy Boy was last. He loved running the bases, but he is so slow that the other team would leave the field before he was done.

All the excitement of the day took its toll, and I came home and took a nap. When I woke up, the kids were crashed out on the couch, lol. I made dinner, and just before I served it, the phone rang. It was Mr SA's wife, calling about the adult softball team. I need a nickname for her - she is really nice, not fitting to be known as Mrs Super A$$.

Anyhow, she called to let me know that there was a game tomorrow. Not very details followed to satify my questions. I hung up and Hongo and I discussed it. He made it clear he only wanted to play if his friend plays. I know it sounds kind of childish, but one must really understand what kind of person he is. So I called Mrs SA back and we talked. I asked if I should call my other coach and see if he wanted to play as well. She said sure.

So I really think Hongo is going to do this. We went out and bought him some cleats, jogging pants, and I found some pants for DramaQueen, who seems to enjoy putting holes in the knees of her jeans.

Tomorrow the kids and I will accompany Hongo to his game and from there we will go to a birthday party. DramaQueen is excited about the gift she picked out for the birthday girl.

I will update this entry with some pictures.

A Day Off.....

Today ended up being a good day.

I was sad (and so were the kids) when park day was cancelled. The wind was howling and it was cold. What wierd weather we have sometimes!
At one I got the call that LegoQueen's game was cancelled. Wow, you mean nothing to do all day and all evening? What will we do with ourselves??
Rest, relax, and have fun.

Uniforms came in for HB and DQ's team, so we went to the community center to pick them up. The wind had calmed down immensly - go figure, the games were already cancelled.
The kids had to go visit the display of the cheer team pictures that I took, telling the woman at the desk that was their mommy's camera that took those pictures. I hope to get another section put up of the T-Ball pictures to promote the community sports. But that is for another day, and another journal entry.

We got the uniforms home, and DQ wanted to try hers on right away. HB wasn't so thrilled - we are having problems with him being unable to decide if he wants to play. Either way is fine, whatever he wants. I'm his coach and won't be mad if he wants to sit all game long. We'll see what happens on Saturday. That is, if I can even get him to put on the darn uniform. *sigh* I'd at least like to get some pictures of him in it so I can have a button made to hang on my bag.

So today I took it easy and recharged my batteries. The kids played video games and we played tickle games and I also chased the two little ones around the house because I was "it". LOL.

Today was an enlightening day for me. I realize that the more effort I put out for something, the bigger return I will receive. Duh. I've always known that, but I somhow have a problem applying it consistantly in my life. There is something that I really want, but I haven't put much effort into it.
In another vein, I've been putting lots of effort into eating right and exercising. Today I stepped on the scale and I am pleased to announce that I have overcome my plateau and I am back on the losing side once again.
I guess I need to step back and re-evaluate how to spread out my time and energy more efficiently.

I can't wait for the weekend. Opening Day Saturday (all day) and Sunday we have a birthday party. Next week is going to be VERY busy.

I officially missed.....

knitting night! :(

At 7 pm I was barely sitting down to dinner with my family. Now its just past 8 and I am already in my PJ's.

Its just as well, I already snapped at someone today, and I have that "I don't give a dang" attitude.

I called one of my T-Ball parents today (we had contact number issues with this family) and when they answered, I asked for the parent. I was very polite and this person on the other end told me to hold on. Then she abruptly said (in a rude way) "WHO is THIS?" It caught me a little off guard, so I said "My name is Kim and I am *name deleted*'s T-Ball coach. She said "oh" and then clicked over to hang up with whoever she was talking to. I expected someone different to come back on, but it was her again. She said, "Hi" so I asked if I was speaking with Tina. She answered very rudely, and so I tried to brush it off and I introduced myself, told her that I was calling to let her know that Friday we would have practice at X time at X place. She said "I don't like your attitude." and I snapped. I told her that if she didn't like it then she had the choice of having her son not play. I don't care. I have kids waiting to get on the team. I told her I didnt' care for her attitude either.
Then, just like a switch, she said she'd be at practice and how would she find me? I told her that i thought we were on field yellow. God I hope I'm wrong and she goes searching for me and can't find me and gives up. God I hope.

There's always gotta be one bad parent that makes me want to slap myself and ask why am I doing this.

On a softball note, I had my pitchers out for practice today. It was a really good outing and I thinksome of them gained a little confidence. It was COLD, though - Coach Kim is going to have to remember to layer up for tomorrow's game.

Being with those kids keeps me volunteering. They are awesome, and I totally forgot about the nasty ghetto b*tch on the T-Ball team.

I am ready for bednow - at 8:30, lol. My cold sore is scabbed over and dry. It doesn't hurt anymore. I'm so glad this thing is on its way out.

Funky

Well, our team lost again yesterday. They were doing SO well in warm-ups. I could FEEL that they were ready to swing their bats.

Well, swinging their bats was the only thing they did well. But we lost the game due to bad pitching. OUR bad pitching. Lego Queen didn't do AS bad as the other two, but all three girls just walked them around the bases. Once or twice a strike was thrown, and it was hit so the bases cleared.
The girls were so sad. I feel terrible for them. They just want (and need) to win one.

So after teh game I didn't say much (we got started late, it was COLD, and everyone wanted to go home) I ordered all 4 pitchers to the park for a workout. This can't go on anymore. The parents are frustrated, the kids are sad, and even though I talk to the girls after every game and tell them I am SO proud of them, their confidence is severely shaken. And our pitching is our weakest point.

So this evening I will be busy. I am picking one girl up from daycare, and after we are done, I am dropping off another two home. Oh, but Hongo called this morning and insisted that I pick him up at home first and he would drive us to drop off the girls.

I don't think I'm going to make it to knitting. Hongo says I should go, but I just know I'll be tired, and I'm not a very fun person to be around when its my cycle time. To be blunt, I am a bloated old cow. And since I can't be the bloated old cow with the pitchers (gotta fake it) I certainly don't want to save it up for my friends. Otherwise I might not have any friends afterwards, lol.


ON another note, my MIL was here yesterday. And she brought Hongo's nephew. All I will say about him is that I am glad he's not mine. Actually, if he WERE mine, he wouldn't act like that. But I understand he is having a hard time dealing with his parents divorce, so I tried to make the atmosphere as loving and caring as possible. HIs mother hates me, so he's always really wary of me when he arrives. But by the time he left, he was all hugs and smiles with me. That should sit well with her, lol.
They stayed for a really long time, and so we barely had time to get out the door for the game.

Oh, and something else. As if our family was not busy enough already.....last night Hongo was asked if he would be interested in playing on a Men's softball team. He didn't consult me, he told her yes (It was Mr SA's wife who asked) He told me after the game, then asked if I was okay with that. I looked at him (I was SO tired) and I said "Yes. I would hope that you would do something like this."
This is what he has talked about doing for 6 years. Yeah, yeah - join a team and get out there and play. He LOVES baseball. And I would always encourage him to do it. But something always held him back. He doesn't have any friends except for me. He's not the type to "go out with the guys" because he could be doing things with his wife and kids, even if we are at home arguing over who is going to make the popcorn, lol.
The last time he was asked to be on a team, he told them no, because practices were too far away during the week, and he didn't have the time or the money. LIAR! But I know why he didn't do it, and I'll keep his secret.
Hongo would make a great addition to any team. He can do it all, and is a natural born baseball player. It makes commnoners like me (who had to WORK for everything) just sick with envy, lol. He is an asset to my coaching staff, and he'll be an asset as a player.
Fingers crossed that he goes through with it - I'd happily give up my Sundays to see my man happy. It has potential to happen because 1) its local and 2) my other coach was invited to play as well. If Hongo knows someone on the team that he is friendly with, he will be more comfortable.

Soooooo cute!

Can I just say one more time that my T-Ball kids are sooooooo CUTE! OMG I could play with these kids all day! I even made a new little friend today. She wrapped her arms around my leg and told me I was the "funnest teacher EVER"
TO be honest, I was kind of dreading taking on a new team. I wondered what I got myself into, and wondered if I could handle a bunch of 6/7 year olds. But I am glad I did it, and one of the parents asked if I would take on their 5 year old son too. I said yes, but that it was up to the director. She said no, and the parents were disappointed. I told them their son was welcome to practice with our team.
I don't know what the problem is with the city league. In my Little League, kids move teams alot, especially in my division. You order a new shirt and hat...DONE. But the city league won't do that. How hard is it to order a few more shirts? I had to threaten not to manage in order for Hairy Boy (who is 4) to be put on MY team. The rules state that a parent can move UP a child, but when a lot of us asked, we were told no.
I don't know, that is probably why I am not in charge of anything. I'd take all the kids who asked to be on my team, lol. Maybe it stems from the fact that I've lost 4 girls this year, and only 3 were replaced, leaving me with 10 players. I am going to juuuuust make it tomorrow and Thursday with enough girls. I'll have 9. I hope no one else is unable to make it.

I know I keep saying this, but we are ALMOST done with the tile. One more piece has to go up on the backsplash, the rest of it is ready to be grouted. I can't grout tomorrow, because MIL is coming and bringing Hongo's nephew. We are celebrating Easter. I can't grout, because I need the counters to put the candy and food on. So I am hoping for Wednesday. I can make dinner and serve it upstairs, and MAYBE, just MAYBE I will be able to go to knitting night. Hongo said we would see. LOL I feel like one of the kids...."if you do all your chores, and behave, THEN you can go."

Except I have keys, and my kids don't.

So today was my lucky day....I think all the planets aligned just for me. I met up with the person I was hoping to turn some paperwork in to, I saw my favorite umpire in the parking lot, his daughter is playing city league too so we will see each other this Saturday at Opening Day, my T-ball practice was awesome, my tile is almost finished, my fishtank is clean, and the house is ready for the family to come over tomorrow. Oh, and the instructions on making a heel flap clicked for me too, so if I CAN go to knitting night on Wednesday, my friend K will have an easier time trying to teach me :D

I'm riding a wave, because this morning really stunk. I woke up feeling so sick, and I have this cold sore that I am trying to get rid of. I am so anal about keeping it clean to avoid passing it on to my family. No kisses (which just about kills me - I can't smooch my Hairy Boy and DramaQueen) and my hands are so dry from washing them so often.

I hope I can ride my wave a little longer :D

Happy Anniversary!

Happy anniversary to Hongo and I. 12 years. Thank you, Thank you.

Sometimes I wonder how we got this far without me killing him. Or him killing me. That just shows we work well together.

I feel sad for people who always grumble about their spouses. And I don't mean the little stuff - I mean people who are genuinely unhappy with their significant other and always have to find somthing negative. We know a few people who are like that. Sure, I complain because my husband snores like someone is stealing his air....or that he is so anti social that we don't ever get invited anywhere....but what it all boils down to is that I really like him for who he is. He makes me happy, and I would like to think I make him happy too. And because we are happy, he'll put up with my crap and I'll put up with his :D

But celebrating your anniversary on Easter Sunday is difficult. The last time our anniversary fell on Easter, we bought a car and went to my dad's house. I was pregnant with Drama Queen, and I was able to meet my cousin's new husband. He wasn;t a lawyer at the time, just a kid making his way through college.
SO back to today....we decided to go out to eat to celebrate. I knew where Hongo wanted to go (to all my friends, just know that *I* did not want to go there, but I love this man) so we went to Olive Garden.
Our Olive Garden sucks, and today was no different. Today we got our food so fast that we were unable to enjoy our soup and bread. And the server started clearing our places WELL before we were finished. We took her hint, though and left quickly.

I also jumped right back into my knitting. After seeing the size of my last failed project, I removed 12 stitches from this new one. So now I will be lucky if this thing fits Hairy Boy. Dangit! But I'll get it - I know I will. Still having trouble with the backwards stitches, but I got myself an interesting and step by step tutorial and I hope to get some help on Thursday. Until then, I'll just continue making the thing longer and longer to pass the time. Watch - Hairy Boy is going to have full leg socks *snort*

Oh, and here is my latest "What were my kids thinking" episode:
We had been watching a baseball game in the loft, passing time until it was time to go eat at the restaurant. H Boy came into the loft with a large red mark on his face - directly under his eye, in his cheek area. Hongo said "What happened to your face? Did you fall?" and H Boy said "No, *DramaQueen* was sucking on my face."

OMG, WHAT??? So my son had this gigantic hickey on his face, given to him by his sister. And apparently he didn't mind that she was sucking on his face. Drama Queen said she was "eating him" and Hongo sent her to her room.

So after the initial shock, and we are able to calm down, I went to her room to ask her why she did it.

Her blue eyes welled up with HUGE tears, and she said, "Because I am SO hungry."
Oh goodness, I tried to keep from busting a gut right then and there. I told her that is she was so hungry, we have snacks. Really. And we are going out to eat really soon, did she think she could manage not trying to eat...ME, for example?

I guess I am raising a cannibal. Now no one will want to come to our house for fear of being eaten. Thankfully she didn't do this to one of her friends when they were here last Friday!

I put it down....

*sigh*

My knitting in the round experiment.....the elbow warmer that had the high hopes of becoming a legwarmer, or if all the planets were aligned correctly - a sock....has been bound off and forever laid to rest.
I'm sorry - but it was hideous. I tried in vain to save it- I tried to rename all of its flaws into "designs", but it just wasn't meant to be. I finally came to the relization that it wasn't going to work when I noticed that it was crooked because I started the knit row before I was done with the ribbing.
I could have stuck with it and pressed on...but then I thought "What kind of mother would I have to be to force my child to wear something so full of blindingly obvious mistakes?"
A bad one. Poor child - going outside with crooked leg warmers (because I just know I can't purposely screw up the other one, its a spontaneous gift I have) being ridiculed by her peers whose mothers knit beautiful leg warmers (I'm joking about that last part - her peers are really nice and I doubt they are checking out her knitted stuff).

So I feel better now...I've let it go, and I'll keep the "whatever the heck it is" to show to my friends and we'll all have a good giggle about it.

Just call me moron....

I KNEW that i should have asked my knitting questions when I had not ONE, but TWO knitting ladies in my house. But no, I forgot, and so yesterday when I went to knit DramaQueen's leg warmer, I made a lovely......"design" we shall call it. Thankfully I only did it for four rows, so when I do the other one I know that I have to make that "design" on purpose.
For now, I am destined to knit backwards, with my stockinette stich facing inward. *sigh*

Keeping the peace....

LOTS of frustration this week.

With Granny breaking her hip (actually it was her femur, but its so high up on it that it is considered the hip) there has beena lot of confusion and frustration about this weekend's plans. It is our 12th anniversary, and with everything that happened with my dad's death, Hongo saw it as a perfect opportunity for us to get away and just feel normal again.
Well, with this latest development with Granny, we aren't going. My MIL has to be down the hill to care for Granny until her sister arrives back from Idaho to switch off.

I understand that this was not planned - I really do. But Hongo is right - something ALWAYS happens. We always plan something and either we don't go, or we have to come home early because of them.
We were also going to celebrate Easter with the ILS before we left. But Hongo desn't want them here now, and MIL wants to come, and so I find myself in the middle trying to find a compromise. Hongo doesn't mind telling them they aren't welcome, but I know that this is not their fault! So I think Hongo is being a pouty brat, and I think the ILS have screwed themselves becuase of their past shortcomings.

I've also been really busy this week with coaching and meetings, and my regular stuff on top of that, but we took some time out to visit the park and hang out. I'm glad we did. We weren't going to, since we don't usually celebrate Easter, but I figured it would be fun. And it really was.
The weather was really nice, except for the occasional breeze that kind of stirredup the pollens. Drama Queen was stuffed up by the time we left.

Today I have some friends coming over, and that will be nice too. A small group of 6, possibly 8 kids. Then I don't know what we are doing this weekend. SanDiego sure sounds nice, but I am not sure if Hongo is up for that. We'll see.

Update to "Is it dumb?

Last night i lost my connection, so this didn't post

Well, I got the call today. Hairy Boy is on my team. I just have to go in tomorrow and sign a waiver allowing him to move up.

Last week I made a promise that I would spend more time coaching LegoQueen one on one. I usually only practice with her erratically and that might be why she doesn't seem to improve. Well, I finally got off my lazy azz and we went inthe back yard.

It was great! We threw, I tossed some grounders and showed her the best way to field them. We tried some pop flies (we need some work, lol) and then I had her pitch. She was doing okay, but her form wasn't fluid. I told her to step it up and throw faster and harder. That did it. She threw 5 strikes in a row, and her pitching is more consistant. I didn't want her to over-do it, so we switched to batting. I taught her how to bunt. She is pretty good at it.

After dinner, she went back out and started throwing again. After my workout, I saw that she was pitching to Hairy Boy and he was hitting the ball really well! She asked if I would come back out, so I did and she threw to me some more. We had to stop, though - Hairy kept getting in the way, and I feared he would get hit. I tossed some balls to him, and he was hitting pretty well. I even hit him a good number of times, but he is such a trooper, and i didn't throw that hard. Drama Queen got in on the fun, and all three kids took turns batting.

Gosh, it was so fun to get out there and play with my kids physically. Its different than board or card games. I felt so good that I ended up making chicken stock from the leftover dinner chicken, and i baked some peanut butter cookies. I bet Hongo just wants to strangle me for keeping the house hot, lol. But I cleaned everything that I used, so there isn't a huge mess in the kitchen.

Is it dumb?

I've been sitting at my desk during lunch, trying to sort through my email box, deleting old emails and stuff I never took the time to read. A lot of it was easy - old FlyLady reminders, corrospondence from services that I inquired about , etc.

But I came upon a batch of emails that I just couldn't push the delete button on. One was from a mom that LegoQueen had her first sleepover at. I had expressed concern over my child not sleeping well, or not being comfortable (despite her being in the house directly behind me, lol) The email stated that LegoQueen was doing fine, and was SUCH a joy to have over.
Another email came from when I was arranging LegoQueen's first visit to LegoClub. There were two parts - the first was from the hosting mother, giving me the lowdown on what LC was all about, and the next was from her, canceling the event because no one else could make it. Its funny - in the email it says that things have tapered off so there was plenty of room. Now I think about LC and how HUGE it is right now. Its funny how cycles go.
I've got another one from my cousin....sending me pictures of my dad for his funeral....and a whole bunch more from friends expressing their condolences.

There are others that I haven't mentioned, but the circumstances are the same. All of them have to do with small (or sometimes major) changes in our lives that make such an impact, and I find it really hard to just let them go.

One time, I opened a box that belonged to Hongo. We had been carrying this box around with us forever, and I finally decided to open it and find out what the heck was in there. I found old bank statements, a tax return, some pictures, and.... a collection of every single love letter I had ever given him. And boy.... were there a LOT! I must have wriiten him pretty much every school day, lol!
And while I was in awe that he had actually kept them, I was sad - because I didn't keep any of his. I was always afraid my mom would read them. Not that there was anything in there that would get me in trouble, she was just a very snoopy kind of person and I didn't want her to have the satisfaction of reading a coversation between Hongo and I.

So I guess, I really feel like deleting these emails are like throwing away those letters. Of course, I DO occasionally delete emails from Hongo. The ones where he is being freakish and will email me and write "hi" in it. Or if he's sitting next to me at his computer, I will get one of his "stalker" emails that say "What are you wearing" I have no trouble deleting those, lol.

*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**~

So enough of that. Yesterday we lost our game. But the girls had a really great time and the manager of the other team told me his girls had fun too. Looking forward to our next game, next Tuesday.
I also am trying to get Hairy Boy on my team for T-Ball. When I signed him up, I asked for them to be on the same team, but due to age difference, they put DramaQueen on the 6/7 division and Hairy in the 4/5. I manage DramaQueen's team now, and I read the paperwork where it says a 4/5 can move UP with parental consent, but 6/7 cannot move down.
Looking at the scedule, I can see that I only have one day where I am supposed to be in 2 places at the same time. Hongo and I wil have to split up that day.

You April Fool!

Ah, its Sunday. It was great to stay home and relax after a long Saturday.
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Hah - if you thought my Sunday was actually peaceful - then April Fool on you!

What would Opening Day be without a little chaos?

LegoQueen and I got up early and drove over to the park. The plan was that we would be there first, and Hongo and the little ones would arrive with the ILs (who told us Friday they were coming)
8:45 came round, and no Hongo. The team was already out on the field, I had a parent watching them while i waited on a blanket for the family. Finally I called Hongo and asked WTH they were, and of course, my ILs are gonna be late. Someone broke into a building, so FIL had to go down there. Its always work first with him. They would not be arriving until later. He and the kids were going to walk.
9:10 rolls around - no Hongo. How long does it take to walk from our house to the park? 11 minutes. I know - I've timed it.
By the time they got there, I had 5 minutes to spare. I raced out on the field and Opening Day ceremonies began.
ILs did not arrive until 11 - just as we finished taking our pictures. I got a new girl that is going to be on my team, so I had her get in the team picture. If I can get 2 more, I will simply take a new picture and make copies for the parents to replace them.
There were lots of hugging going on at the park. Ex Players, their parents, one of the girls who got lifted from my team came and gave me a HUGE hug. I told her congrats and that she definitly deserved to move up and I was very proud of her. She said I gave her confidence and that is the main reason she felt able to move up. How sweet! I also hugged the pres and his wife. Such awesome people in this league, I tell ya!

So we also had our game. We got slaughtered. Afterwards, I told the girls that they really needed to put this experience behind them and look forward to the next game. I did a lot of yelling at the game. Enough to make my throat sore. One of the things I forgot to remind my girls about is that I yell so they can hear me, not because I am yelling AT them, if that makes any sense. I was trying to give direction, and unfortunatly my "direction" voice and my "disclipline" voice are exactly the same, lol.

We came home and went back out to HD to pick up blocks for the planter in the backyard. After unloading all of it, the ILs went home and Hongo and I began working on the tile project. It has stretched to the countertops, and coming along nicely.

Today was more tile work, and I am almost done putting in tile up to the stove. I think I have 9 more to go, and then Hongo will cut the remaining tiles. I hope to be a groutin' by Wednesday. We stopped working at 4, and I made dinner and started cleaning up the HUGE mess in the kitchen. I am cleaning as I go for the most part, but ripping off the old countertop made such a gigantic mess. I have to clean in spurts so I don't get overwhelmed. We can't do the last section until after Wednesday, because our trash cans are pretty full right now. They need to be emptied.

Tomorrow I don't see me journaling unless something totally great happens. We have library day, those 9 tile squares to do, and cleanup to do during the day. When Hongo get home, I have to leave for a meeting for DramaQueens team, then I have to race back and be at the field for our night game.

Oh and Granny broke her hip last night, and had surgery today. We are on-call help for the rest of the week, and I see our anniversary get-away being canceled. :(