D.R.L.L. Opening Day 2010

Today was opening day for Little League! Of course, it goes without saying that baseball season is my favorite season of the whole year! We were at the fields bright and early--7 a.m. where we participated in Opening Ceremonies, followed by each of the boy's games. I only got a few photos before my camera batteries died, but hopefully a few more will trickle in as friends send me shots they got. Tate's game was first, and he did great! It's his first season of coach pitch. Coach Scott (Peloquin) and Coach Kimball (Richins) were so good with the boys, helping them learn the game and cheering them on. Tate hit the ball each time he got up to bat, and even had fun being "catcher" during one inning.

Treyson's game was next. He is in Rookie league this year, which consists of 4 innings of machine pitch followed by two innings of the kids actually pitching. Coach Willy (Nikolaus), Coach Chad (Hester), and Coach Kevin (yes...you guessed it...LEWIS) coached a great game, but they ended up losing by 1 point!! Treyson did great and made a couple of great plays in the field! He hit really well, too!Tanner and Ty's games started within a half hour of each other, so I spent my time walking back and forth between the two. Ty is on the D-Backs with Coach Vern (Shipman), and Tanner is playing Junior's for Coach (Alastair) Ray. Ty played awesome and had a couple of great hits including a really hard hit double. He pitched two innings, and struck out three batters. Tanner's team got killed, but he had an impressive triple that went into the gap between the center and right fielders.
It was a fun day, but I have to remember to lather on the sunscreen next week. I'm fried!!

Parlez-vous français ?

Immediately after getting in the car after school today, Treyson and I had this conversation:

Treyson: Mom! I can't wait to show you 'Gallon Guy'!

Me: Gallon Guy? What's that?

Treyson: You know, cups, pints, quarts? My guy's french.

Me: Oh ya? What makes you think he's french?

Treyson: He has a mustache.

Me: {bursts into hysterical laughter}

Spring Break 2010

It probably shouldn't shock anyone that our Spring Break was spent doing all things baseball. Tanner had practice for the Jr. High team every day...and was happy to get his cast off on the 16th so he could finally start playing!!! His arm is still feeling a bit stiff and sore, but I'm sure it will be back to normal in no time! Tate had practice on Monday and Thursday. Treyson had practice on Wednesday and Saturday, and Ty had practice on Tuesday and Thursday, and a scrimmage on Saturday. The only day we had to really spend any quality time together was Friday...and what did we do???

Well, Kevin took the day off and we drove to Tucson to watch a Diamondback Spring Training Game!!!

Shocking, I know.

We had a lot of fun. The weather was PERFECT, the company was PERFECT, which made for a truly fantastic day!!! The only thing that could have made it better was if we could have convinced the kids that Golden Corral is disgusting and they would hate it. They insisted, and we spent $50 to let them find out for themselves. I guess it's good that they'll never ask to go there again!!! (Except for Tate. I think he ate 5 lbs of steak. He was in meat-a-tarian heaven!!!)

The D-Backs got creamed!!! I think the final score was 25-6 or something like that...I hope that isn't any reflection on how their season is going to be!!!
My favorite catcher...Chris Snyder!!! Oh, how I love my family!!!

Cast Off

Tanner got his cast off today!!! Woo Hoo!!

It's going to take some major scrubbing to get the ground-in dirt off of his hand though... YUCK!

Sympathy

When I was pregnant with my first child I read somewhere that husbands could suffer from Couvade Syndrome. According to Wikipedia, Couvade syndrome, or sympathetic pregnancy, is a condition in which an individual close to an expectant mother, commonly her partner, experiences some of the same symptoms and behavior as the mother near the time of labor. These can include labor pains, postpartum depression, food cravings and restrictions, and weight gain. The labor pain symptom is commonly known as sympathy pain.

I remember thinking how funny and strange this was, and quickly decided that Kevin was gaining weight along with me not because he had this silly syndrome, but because I was craving Taco Bell every single day.

Every.

Day.

And he would get it for me, because he's awesome like that.

Well, fast forward a little bit with me...

My first child is 13. My second, 11.

Both are going through puberty. Fun, right?

NO.

Not fun, because for some reason I'm going through it right along with them.

I'm moody.

Still not convinced?

My voice keeps cracking.

Now? No?

I cannot satisfy my appetite.

I could sleep for HOURS on end.

I'm breaking out like a stinkin' teenager.

Kevin had to go to the store to buy me some zit cream last weekend.

I've never purchased zit cream in my entire life.

So, I've got it...Couvade Syndrome for Puberty.

If you'll excuse me now, I'm going to Wikipedia to add my new entry.

Couvade Syndrome for Puberty, or sympathetic puberty, is a condition in which an individual close to a pubescent teenager, commonly their mother, experiences some of the same symptoms and behavior as the teen during pubescent years. These can include mood swings, voice cracking, food inhalation, and major zit break-outs. Feeling this is commonly called sympathy symptoms.

{and just for clarification--I am NOT pregnant!!!}

Treyson's Westward Expansion Paper

It is very important, when writing a paper (in 2nd grade) to use phrases like, further more, in addition, and last but not least.

Click on the paper to get a better view

SPEC-tacular!!

Yesterday, Tate read every number on every sign between the eye doctor's office and home.

I bet if he could read actual words, he would have read every sign as well.

A whole new world of "seeing" has been opened for him...

Now if I can just keep them on his face!!

Pat Raidy

Today we attended a funeral for our friend, Pat Raidy. He was such a cool guy, and was a great coach and mentor for Tanner during Little League last year. He was diagnosed with brain cancer last fall, and died less than a year later. We will miss him.

The following article was in the Arizona Republic about Pat.
Desert Ridge's Kyle Raidy treasures memories of father
by José E. Garcia - Mar. 11, 2010 07:37 PM
The Arizona Republic .

Senior center fielder Kyle Raidy is at it again, making spectacular plays look routine.
Raidy's late-inning heroics in center field in the 2009 Class 5A Division II title game helped Mesa Desert Ridge capture its first title. In the Scottsdale Quarterback Club tournament semifinals this season, Raidy made another remarkable catch that kept his team in the game and allowed Desert Ridge to win the game and later claim the tournament title.
Raidy took pleasure in sharing the special moments he experienced in the state final last year with his parents, Teri and Pat, and four brothers, including Brandon, Desert Ridge's senior right fielder in 2009.
The Raidy family lost Pat to cancer 11 days ago. Pat died at his home, five minutes before Raidy and Desert Ridge took their home field for the Scottsdale Quarterback Club final.
Pat's friend Scott Vaughan, the father of Desert Ridge catcher Russell Vaughan, told Kyle his father passed away after the tournament's final was over.
Kyle is leaning on his family and teammates as he mourns the loss of his father, who always told Raidy to be the best he can be and have no regrets.
"When it hit me that my father had died (after the tournament final), I walked out to right-center field and sat there," Kyle said. "My teammates came over to me and told me they were there for me."
Said Desert Ridge coach Pat Herrera: "He's one of our quiet leaders. Guys look up to him. That's why this hurt our team so much."
Right-center field has served as a special place for the Raidy family.
That's where Kyle Raidy made "The Catch" in the championship game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. With the score tied at 8 in the top of the seventh inning with two outs and two Phoenix Horizon runners on base, Raidy sprinted to the right-center alley for a fly ball before diving and catching the ball near the end of his glove.
Desert Ridge scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to win 9-8. Pat was recording the game on his camera but turned it off during Kyle's catch because he needed to change batteries.
But it didn't keep Pat from rejoicing what his sons accomplished. A local company recorded the game and gave the Raidys a recording of the game.
"Really . . . truly, it doesn't get any better than that for a parent," Teri said, "to have one son playing in center field and another son in right field on that play.
"Pat knew one of them was going to make the catch."
"I remember the look on his (Pat's) face after the game," Kyle said. "He was so happy."
"My dad got the best hug from me out of everybody I hugged after that championship game," Brandon said. "I ran up to the bleachers and told him I love him. That was a big moment in his life seeing us win that title."
Living with Pat was a blast.
Teri and Pat used to jump on Pat's Harley and go for rides. Kyle looked forward to Sundays during the NFL season because Pat made his favorite tasty treats - guacamole and chicken wings.
Pat loved to have fun, but he also taught his boys - Pat, 21; Brandon, 19; Kyle, 17; C.J, 14; and Ian, 12 - about the significance of an honest day's work. Pat never missed a day of work during an 11-year stretch when he worked for the city of Glendale, Calif., where he received a plaque and a congressional award for rescuing a passenger from a burning vehicle.
When the Raidys moved to Arizona, Pat became an asset to the City of Mesa as a safety and training coordinator, receiving a professional achievement award in Tampa in 2008. About 80 of Mesa's trash trucks were parked during Pat's funeral services.
There was a picture of Pat's sons on each truck.
"He always told the boys never to be late and never make excuses," Teri said. "He made them accountable for their actions, and for that I'm so grateful."
Kyle has kept playing baseball since his father passed away.
On Wednesday, he was practicing with his teammates while his brother Ian was on the field watching. Near the end of the practice, Ian, Kyle and Desert Ridge's players lined up to run sprints.
Those were moments Pat treasured.

Feeling Blue???

This cheered me up this morning!!!

Something Exciting...

Today, I am thankful for a coach who sees potential in a boy who has his throwing arm in a full cast. I'm thankful, also, for a son who was willing to sit through tryouts, feeling extremely frustrated that his arm is broken, but didn't give up--even though he really wanted to. The cast comes off on the 16th...we'll see what happens!

My Attempt At Sanity...

As baseball season kicks into high gear, so does my anxiety. Trying to be in 4 places at the same time has it's challenges, but I love it and wouldn't want it any other way. I started putting stuff on our March calendar today, because it doesn't seem as overwhelming when it's all laid out, although I don't have Tanner's stuff on it yet...a few things for him are still up in the air...

I like doing it this way because the boys can look at it and know what they've got going on. I color code it because even though Tate can't read, he knows his color is purple and that he has something on the days with purple writing.
With it, there are no surprises, no questions. If the boys ask I refer them to the calendar.

It's a nice attempt, but if I'm being completely honest, I think my sanity was gone a long time ago!!

Pinewood Derby 2010

I believe that life is made up of moments...a moment here and there that shape us into the person we ultimately become. Some moments are filled with dread, some with heart ache, and some with fear. Others are filled with love, emotion, and pride. Saturday was one of those moments for me, involving my sweet, sweet Treyson. This child has a heart of gold, and is one of the most caring people I know. I learn a lot from him, and he's only 8.

Our ward's Pinewood Derby was last Saturday, and as we prepared to go Kevin was apologizing to Trey for running out of time and not getting his car done. Trey was a little sad, but realizing that his dad was truly sorry for not getting the car done, he quickly gave Kevin a hug and said, "It's ok dad. I'll use Ty's car from last year."

Oh. My. Heart.

Considering that he is only 8, this could have been a moment of complete and utter melting down. But not Trey. He was sad for a split second, but moved on. He grabbed up Ty's car (that had been pretty beat up over the past year) and got in the car to go.

It made a few good runs, but wasn't nearly as fast as it was the year prior. He knew he wasn't going to have the "winning car", but enjoyed the day anyway.

The best part of the Derby, though, was when his best friend, Keaton, was racing against him. Instead of being upset that Keaton beat him (and ended up getting second place) he was patting him on the back and on his arm and was as excited for him as Keaton was for himself. It was a precious moment that I'll never forget. I am so proud of the amazing young man Treyson is becoming.

And...he's already planning his car for next year!!!

{trey and the car}

{sister harmon with keaton and trey}
{brother lutes putting the car on the track}
{trey and jason}{trey and keaton}