Good Friday! 10-April

Today was Storri's 12th birthday! While we didn't get to celebrate with her on HER day...she got a new iron and $10 for a pair of new shorts. Seems the girl thought she could iron MESH, ATHLETIC shorts! Left a big hole in the shorts and some nice, stinky, burnt mesh on the iron. She now knows how to read clothing labels regarding what can and can't be ironed. WE LOVE YOU BLONDIE!!!

Kids both had friends over this evening as Mike and I worked in the yard. One day soon it will be looking nice and green.

Rich Field Trip! 9-April

Today was Rich's 5th grade field trip to the Cook's Planetarium in Corsicana. He claims it was boring...but sure seemed excited talking about the movies they watched!

WIN!

Kiley's softball team got their 1st win!!! She batted in the number 1 spot on the lineup and got to hit 3 times. She had great hits all 3 times! Scoring only once, she still did a great job offensively! Now, defensively...I'm not sure she had much action. Or maybe she just didn't take much action.

Way to go Kiley!!! Mom and Dad are very proud of our baby girl.

Today was Math TAKS for Rich! He claims it was easier than he thought it would be. Time will tell!

Had A Cold One....and I don't mean an adult beverage 'one'

Monday brought on another baseball game. And Kiley was supposed to have practice...but I made the decision she would miss softball practice since it was so cold so she could go run around and stay warm at the baseball fields. Oh, and I could watch Rich's game. And honestly they both had to be different places at 6.
BUT before I report about the game...I should report on the kids' day at school. Rich...boring and MORE review for math TAKS Tuesday. He also had his last day of after school tutoring (hopefully!!!!). Kiley had to 'sign the book' for either not following directions or playing around. Her reply..."I had a partner!". Yes, she is taking Spencer down with her! I asked her if it was the 1st time he had to sign the book and she said, "No! Trust me he has signed the book more times than me." Now, Kiley and Spencer are two of the smartest kids in the class (I think...since they were in the same reading group...just the 2 of them reading 2nd grade level material at the beginning of 1st grade...must be the awesome Kindergarten teacher they both had!). Kiley likes to have a good time and it seems Spencer is easily led. Poor kid!
Now on to the game! Very boring. They were ahead by 4 runs for awhile. We got 1 here and there and then 4 runs in an inning putting us up. Top of the 6th inning came (we were visitors) and their team was out of decent pitchers. So we ended up with 17 runs in 1 inning. Most of those walked or stole home on passed balls from bad pitches. And most of them came with 2 outs already in the inning. The other team was so beat down. They finally put in another kid to pitch and got the 3rd out to get us to bottom of the 6th. Fortunately for us they were at the bottom of their line up and it was 3 up, 3 down, go home winners!!! And all that came AFTER the other team's coach wanted silence during pitches in the game! NO CHATTER? WHAT THE HECK??? AREN'T WE AT A BASEBALL GAME???

OK...today is Tuesday.........MATH TAKS!!!! We are praying for you Rich!!!! GOOD LUCK!

We'll see what exciting happnes in Kiley's softball game tonight. She might be benched for missing practice. I am just hoping to stay on both feet all night...hmmm...did I blog about that for Saturday????

Much better Saturday!

Kiley played a great game Saturday. While her team didn't win, she enjoyed playing 2nd base. She made 2 plays at 2nd!!! Before the game, Coach Alisha asked her if she wanted to play in the infield. She told her no because she didn't want to have to catch the ball. The 1st play she made was snatchig a ball hit right to her and running the girl going from 1st to 2nd down and out of the baseline. OUT!!! Second play the ball was rolling towards 2nd and Kiley actually moved to the ball and once had it in her glove stumbled over 2nd base before the runner tagged it. OUT #2!!!! Her first at bat she had a great hit and ended up scoring a few hits later. Her next 2 at bats were strikeouts. When she hits, she does a good job...

Rich's team beat the Nationals 15-4!!! His 1st at bat he was hit by a pitch. His 2nd at bat was an infield single. He scored both times. No plays were made in the field by him. Yawn...our pitcher just kept striking them out! Not a bad problem.

We ended up being at the ball fields (or back and forth!) from 10 Saturday morning until about 5 Saturday evening. My nice little sunburn reflects the amount of time we were out in it.

finaLLy ! ! !

Both kids got their first games under their belts...or in Kiley's case 'drawstring'! Neither came out on the winning side of the score. Hence,the emphasis on the L L in finally in the title.

Rich struck out both at bats. I left for Kiley's game in the bottom of the 4th. I wasn't there for the painful 11-1 loss! Throws weren't being made and the boys took some really great pitches and let them go right by! Crazy things. Hopefully they get that all behind them and come ready to play on Saturday and ready to PLAY THEIR BEST (aka - WIN!!!!). They are a better team than 11-1 and need to show the others to build their confidence back up! Rich has to have a new bat as his old one was inspected by the umps and has several cracks in it. He thinks it is COOL, but wants a bat IDENTICAL to what he already has. We'll see what we find bat shopping tonight.

Kiley's game is always much more relaxed. Their score was 11-5. Those 5 runs were very proud, earned runs!!!! They really started hitting towards the end. Kiley had a great hit her first at bat. Unfortunately it was hit right to first baseman. Her 2nd at bat she struck out. BUMMER! She played Center Center field. We had 5 playing oufield, but she got the center. I'm not sure any balls came her way or if she made HER way to any balls. Either way she had fun and was bummed they lost, but was glad everyone was going to have matching hair ties that her mom made!

Are we EVER going to get to play ball????

FIRST! Tuesday night was the MIDDLE SCHOOL ORIENTATION for INCOMING 6th graders!!! All 3 of us (thanks to Erin...we were minus Kiley!) came out feeling great about next year. The principal is so UPBEAT and it seems the kids really respond to him. AND one of my former high school teachers is a counselor there. She won't be Rich's counselor as she has kids with last names L-Z. Mrs. 'G' has been with the district since 1976! I think she knows what she is talking about! She even taught and coached my cousin Kay. Back to the orientation, I only teared up twice. I can't believe 6th grade is just around the corner. We may have to take some 'extra steps' to get there, but God willing, he'll be there! He has chosen his electives to be Pre-Athletics (to satisfy his PE for the year) then Health, Art, and Music. Should TAKS scores not be satisfactory for math, he may end up instead in an extra math class all year. I'm fine with that, but will be bummed for him for missing out on health. He is really looking forward to that.

We are hoping TONIGHT is the night both kids get to play their 1st games of the season. We did get a little rain last night, but hopefully not enough to cancel. They are ready to play. Well, Kiley is ready to wear her cute purple socks (which no one will be able to see tonight as we are making her wear PANTS!), of course.

Kiley is on her 1st grade Field Trip to the Science Museum. A classmate's dad works there (he is a paleontologist...AND he is Italian!!) so the kids are ready to go she 'O's dad at work. They will be seeing Coral Reef at the theater there. Kiley is CONVINCED she is going to get sick watching the movie because her teacher mentioned she can't watch them because they make her sick. I'm a little freaked out about the bus ride to and from DOWNTOWN DALLAS!!!! I've not received any calls, so I am assuming they made it safely. I did remind her (for my own nerves) that she should remember what they learned about bus evacuations and IF something happens to stay calm and start praying. Rich's comment was..."you better just worry about getting off the bus!"