My little leaguer

For a long time, Isaac didn't care about balls. He was too busy looking at buses and scrutinizing car lights and pushing tractors around. Many boys are always throwing or catching or kicking, but not this kid. 

Apparently, he is not making up for lost time. He is forever diving after or throwing or shooting one ball or another. Always looking for someone to play catch or horse or toss him pop flys or throw touchdown passes. After a few years of baseball in the front yard or at the park down the street, this is his first spring playing little league and he is loving it. A friend dropped him off after his first day of practice and he proudly patted the dust off of his shirt and told me how he dove after a ball at shortstop.

I have no interest in living vicariously through my kid. I have no illusions that he will buy me a new home and a few cars and a trip around the world with the oodles of money he makes in the Big Leagues. But boy, do I love to watch him play. He is all in all the time. He will never ask to sit on the bench. He will run with unfettered glee the length of the basketball court or down the baseline. He will dive if it's anywhere near him. He will take a coach's suggestion or critique and try harder next time. He will smile the big smile if it goes his way and shrug his shoulders and try harder next time if it doesn't. 

We have three rules for sports and they work pretty well for life, too. Try your hardest. Have fun. Learn something new. Isaac does, each and every day. Love that Beetles Orange boy. In case you ever wonder.

Isaac scoops the grounder

Always in the ready position

And the throw is in time. . . he's out!

driver's licenses and credit cards

The kids and I were enjoying a little lazy lunch of crackers, hummus, assorted cheese, ham, carrots, and red peppers when Isaac informed me that he would be able to drive in about eight years. It was, once again, one of those times when I questioned why we insisted he learn to add. Because, really, do we have to start the countdown to the driver's license in second grade?
I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Huh. Guess you're halfway there." He beamed and he and Audrey started rattling off all of the places they could go. "And you can take Elliot and I to dance class and you won't need a ride to baseball." As though life will be just the same in 8 years as it is this very day, except for the addition of a driver's license. But then Audrey said, "And you can go grocery shopping" and Isaac agreed and I realized there would be pros to this life change as well.
Isaac was on a roll with all of this talk of growing up and said, "How old does a person have to be to get a credit card?" Oh, the things these kids come up with. We talked about being mature enough to handle it, interest, cards with rewards, the importance of paying them off each month, and how the money just keeps adding up and adding up until it's almost impossible to pay the company back if you don't. It was actually a nice little math lesson at the table since I had the bigger kids add up purchases, subtract what I paid in, then add more to the bill for the next month. Elliot was insistent that he understood how they worked because, according to him, "We can always pay our card off because his piggy bank is REALLY full."

funny stuff

"How about we play the game that whoever has crutches gives me a hug?"  we play a few rounds. "This is a good game!"

I'm singing Adele at the top of my lungs while vacuuming and Elliot says, "Is Adele IN our house?"

The kids and I were sitting at the table having lunch when Isaac decisively declared, "The bible doesn't say that God made dinosaurs so either the bible isn't true or there were never dinosaurs."

back where he belongs

For pain and balance reasons, I couldn't carry or hold Elliot while I was standing up. Of course he is a mobile, healthy 3 year old, but the boy likes some mama time. I got the OK to walk around without my brace and I am getting some strength back, so I told Elliot I could hold him again. The look on his face was the look of true love. He ran to me and I picked him up and he put his nose to mine and stared into my eyes with his mouth open in disbelief and his eyes shining with love. He won't fit in my arms forever, but I'll take it as long as I can.

Charlie's biggest fan

Audrey and I are reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" before bed. Tonight we got to the spot where Charlie found the Golden Ticket. She was so excited she was squealing and clapping and her smile was just as big as the sun. Sharing books with kids is just the best.

sweet nothings

There are times our kids are playing together, inventing games or using once forgotten toys in original ways, that I hate to interrupt them. Yes, we have to get started on school. Yes, breakfast may be getting cold. But these moments are too precious and too important and too fleeting to interrupt. So I watch and learn and love. Just in case you ever wonder.

Easter weekend festivities

This weekend always perplexes me. It is spring, yet I crave dark, dreary, and rainy, like spring should take a break as we consider the pain inflicted upon Jesus, as we wrap our brains around the sacrifices made. Or rather, attempt to wrap our brains around it, because it is unfathomable. I celebrate death because it leads to the ultimate miracle, resurrection, even as I am wrestle with life's big questions and push against the sin that made death and resurrection necessary. Yes, it is perplexing indeed.

But, as Jesus-following Christians, it is cause for celebration. Unfortunately, injury and a working husband prevented Isaac and I from going to our favorite Good Friday service at Open Door, but we did attend a daytime kids service at our friend's church, complete with puppet show.

This morning we woke up and dyed Easter eggs. We went the au natural route this year, using blueberries for blue, turmeric for yellow, red cabbage for pink, and the peels of yellow onions for orange. Then we headed out in the misty, rainy weather for a neighborhood Easter egg hunt. Some of the parents hid eggs in our backyards and then the kids started their frantic search. It was so fun to see their excitement. Plus, each kid was responsible for bringing ten eggs, so Isaac, Audrey, and Elliot had a blast getting their eggs ready. It was a fun surprise to see whether they found their own eggs and, if not, what fun or tasty treats they got.

After lunch, Jim took the kids to Hutchinson to make bluebird houses with Mason's boy scouts group. Long car rides don't agree with my leg right now, so I stayed home, ran a few errands, got Easter stuff ready, and organized the house. Audrey was very worried I would get lonely being home alone for so long and, while it was eerily quiet, I handled it just fine. She's sweet to look out for me and told me she wished I had gone with them.

Tomorrow is a quiet day. Church and time at home. Sounds about perfect.

Happy Easter.

Parenting moments you just can't make up

adventures in motherhood:
I sent Audrey up to start her bath while Elliot finished up in the bathroom.

A: "mama, are you coming up soon?
me: "Yes, as soon as I'm done helping Elliot."
A: Oh. Do you know why I"m not in the bath yet? There isn't much water in the tub."
me: "You have to close the drain." (How did I know she hadn't? I'm her mom.)
A: "oooooooohhhhhh."
Then I walked over to wipe Elliot's bottom and he said, "I stuck toilet paper in my bottom on purpose. See?"
Sure enough, his little cheeks were keeping his toilet paper safe. Wow. The silliness is just too much.

introducing sock-a-lot

Today was a lovely, sunny, breezy day in Minnesota, the kind of day made for bare feet running through the cool, greening grass. The kids started out wearing shoes, but it soon became obvious that they needed to go. The only problem is that when it was time to come in, all shoes and socks were accounted for except Mr. Elliot's socks. And this, apparently, was a very big deal since he was wailing about it. Sniffling, crying, wailing.

We came inside and he was still so upset that he couldn't find his socks. We sat down for supper and the crying continued. It was time to pull out all of the stops.

"Hmm. I guess Sock-a-lot took them."
sniffle. sniffle. "Sock-a-lot?"
"Haven't you heard of Sock-a-lot? He's a ghost with. . . well, just guess how many feet he has."
All the kids were hooked and chimed in with different ideas.
"He's a ghost with 18 feet. Can you imagine how hard it would be to keep track of 18 socks? He loves to take his socks off outside, but then he loses them, just like you lose your socks, Elliot. But when he loses them, he travels to different yards around the world waiting for little kids to leave their socks out."
lots of kid laughing.
"So, if you don't want sock-a-lot to get your socks, you need to bring them inside when you take them off. If you don't, he might just take them."
The crying ended and the Sock-a-lot story embellishments began. Thank goodness for that.

vacation revisited-for the record books

This post on our trip to Denver will not contain photographs for reasons that will make themselves clear very shortly.

We woke up to head to the airport on Sunday, March 25. The kids were really excited. Actually, we all were. Audrey and Elliot had window seats while the rest of us filled in the rest of the row, reading, oohing and aahing the sights from above, and coloring. I snapped some pictures of everyone keeping themselves occupied on the plane. Isaac bent over his book, legs folded, looking like an old, content man. Audrey leaning forward in her seat during take-off, arms straight above her head roller coaster style, and beaming as she said, "No hands or back!!!!!" Elliot staring out the window in absolute awe, asking if we were really in the air and if we were really moving fast because it felt slow, then seeing his first view of the snow capped mountains out of his window. I took all of those pictures and more. Then I left the camera on the airplane and, in spite of phone calls and emails, no one has found it. First vacation bummer.

As we were getting packed in the morning and flying, I started to feel kind of bad. I assumed it was because I had a busy saturday and was working on 5 hours of sleep. I planned to take a little nap once we got to mom and Keith's house and be back in business. We landed and I felt weaker and weaker and on the drive to the house I was so out of it I couldn't lift my head or arms to get a drink of water. I slept all afternoon, woke with a fever, then slept all night. It was official. I was sick. Second vacation bummer.

Felt slightly human on Monday and decided I wasn't going to let stomach pain, low grade fever, and fatigue stop me from enjoying the Museum of Nature and Science in Denver. (In retrospect, not the best idea I've ever had.) We thoroughly enjoyed the day with lots of rests. It's a great museum. Jim has a few bad cell phone pictures to show we were actually there, but, for the most part, we'll rely on our memories of the blue tongued skink pooping in its food, the lady screaming obscenities at the elderly gentleman waiting for a parking spot, and the floating scarves in the discovery zone. It was a great day. Upon returning to mom and keith's, my fever got higher and I got weaker. I really hoped a good night sleep would have me ready for a day at Dinosaur Ridge.

Nope. I woke up feeling pretty crummy and definitely not up for hiking. But more than that, Elliot woke up puking. The patented Elliot puking that I know and loathe. Jim took Audrey and Isaac hiking and dinosaur exploring while Elliot and I hung out at the house of illness. Poor boy was out of it all morning. He laid on me in various states of puking and out-of-it-ness. He had a few 2+ hour naps, said he was hungry a few times, went to sit up, puked again, and decided he wasn't so hungry after all. Then at 2:30 he woke up from his latest nap, said he was hungry, slid off the side of the bed, ran into the kitchen, ate for 1 1/2 hours, and played for the rest of the afternoon. Crazy! But, third vacation bummer, nonetheless.

Wednesday dawned bright and blue, as days are known to do in sunny, gorgeous Denver. On the docket for that day was hiking at Red Rocks. I'd been looking forward to this as the pictures looked amazing. Since Elliot and I were feeling better, we could all go, including mom and Keith. Knowing how I like to take pictures and knowing I, once again, lost our camera, Keith was kind enough to let us use his. We had a spectacular day. I was still weak so Jim carried Elliot in the hiking backpack, but Isaac and Audrey were hiking machines. They loved the hiking and the views and I was so impressed with their stamina. Also, we had two cars and two walkie talkies so lots of fun was had on the car ride, too. The amphitheatre was stunning and we all had a blast. We met up with my cousin at Matthews/Winters park and watching the kids frolic along the stream, creating fun with sticks and stones and dirt, was a highlight of the trip. We walked along the stream to the "fairy houses" and just enjoyed ourselves. And then, since it was my vacation, I apparently felt the need to rain on the parade. I somehow left the camera at the park meaning no visible proof of the beauty and fun we experienced. No pictures of Isaac and Audrey grabbing hands to hike up the rocks or Elliot leaning over Jim's shoulder in the backpack. No family picture at the top of Red Rocks. Nothing. Fourth vacation bummer and second bummer involving a camera. 

Thursday was skiing day. Jim, Isaac, Audrey, and I were heading to Copper Mountain while Elliot, nana, and babu went to the zoo. It was amazing. Ski school was ridiculously expensive so Jim decided to teach Audrey. We all warmed up on the littlest bunny hill, then Isaac and I ventured off to the greens. As Isaac said, "This is so amazing I can't describe it with words." The sights, the freedom, the fun. We bought a skiing leash for Audrey so Jim could lead her down the mountain and she was really getting the hang of it. We decided to try a different route for our last run of the day. It was a warm day and things were refreezing a bit so we were ready to call it a day. I got going too fast in one spot and did a wide turn to slow myself down. I slowed down and looked back to check on Isaac who was skiing between Jim and me. As I turned back, I fell, my first fall of the day. My left ski fell off, but the tip of my right ski got stuck in the snow so my leg was lodged in one position as the rest of me continued forward. When I felt the pop and tears in my knee and felt it explode with pain, I knew it was bad. I was brought down on a sled and taken to Copper Mtn's clinic where the doctor took xrays and did a physical exam indicating a torn ACL. That's when I started bawling. Fifth vacation bummer.

We made it home, elevated and iced my leg, and I tried to begin to wrap my mind around what this meant. I kept my google searching to a minimum because I very strongly opposed all of the information I read. I went to bed exhausted that night, but my mind would not let me rest. It was busy running all sorts of worst case scenarios. After tossing (but not turning) for an hour I decided to just get up and write, send some emails, and get my thoughts out. While checking email, I got a notification that my credit card had been used at a Macy's store in CA. Stolen credit card information? Let's add that to the list. Sixth vacation bummer.

Friday was our last official day of vacation since we flew out early on Saturday. It was girls day/boys day. The girls went for breakfast, shopping for Audrey's easter outfit, a pitstop at a sports medicine doc who confirmed the torn ACL, mani/pedi, and lunch. The boys played Madden on playstation, toured Coors Field, and enjoyed lunch at Keith's home away from home, A Taste of Philly. We successfully steered clear of all disasters, got a good night's sleep, and made it home on Saturday.

It was a fantastic vacation filled with lots of memories, lots of fun, and more than our fair share of bummers. So, I either got all of my disasters out of the way with that trip or I'm doomed as a vacationer and can never leave again. Overall, we had a blast and can't wait to go back and do it again.