Evan Little League, Team Grasshoppers

Evan is doing Rookie level little league fall baseball this year.  His team is the Grasshoppers.  There was only a couple practices and now it is just games Tuesday and Saturdays.  He has been doing great and enjoys it like always.  Dennis is working late most of this week, so it was just me and the 4 kids at his Tuesday game.  But, I finally managed to remember to bring the good camera and get some pictures…

Today was also the start of play groups for Logan and Leah.  I joined a local Moms Club to meet other moms and find fun things to do with the little ones.  On tuesdays we will have play groups with Logans age kids at someone's house or a park and Wednesday it is the same for Leah's age.  The kids had a lot of fun today doing that.

Colin's First Season of Tackle Football….

This year Colin has been doing tackle football.  Tackle football takes kids sports to a whole other level. People always ask me how I get everything done with multiple kids in sports.  Well, up until this year it was fairly easy.  Colin and Evan would each have 1 1 hr practice and then 1 1 hr game and that was it for the week.  Well, actually it was a bit more then that because Evan also did Tae Kwan Do during the week, but, regardless, the sports haven't been too demanding.

Well, this year Colin wanted to try tackle football.  Evan also wanted to try it, but because he has now had 2 concussions (1 this summer put him in the hospital overnight because of a skull fracture), we decided he has to wait at least a year, if not longer.  Anyway, tackle football had practices 5 days a week for 2 hours a day through August.  And this is for 3rd and 4th graders!  Now that school has started it, it is "only" 3 90 minute practices a week plus the almost 2 hr game (and 1 hr practice before game).  Colin wasn't so sure about football at first.  It was A LOT of conditioning.  These kids were running hills, doing plank workouts, pushups and other drills non stop.  He is started to like it more now that they are playing games, but I am not sure if he is as passionate about it as soccer.  The jury is still out.

Another, difference with Football has been that you stay on the same team from 3rd to 4th grade, so some of the kids have already been on the team.  That put Colin at a disadvantage as far as what position he was going to do and game play time.  Which brings up another difference…they don't rotate positions hardly at all.  They had their mind on who was going to be QB and RB before the season started and they have continued to be those positions.  Other sports we have done have been all about fair playing time and rotating the kids at just about every position.  So, again, this sport is completely different.  Colin has enjoyed playing mostly defense.  He has spent time at LB, safety, and Defensive Tackle, but he also has done a little TE and CB.  He usually doesn't start, but because of a couple kids out this week, he did get to start on defense.

This year he plays on the Hornets.  Today, he won his 4th game to be the only undefeated team in the league…they are off to a great start of the season!

This was also my birthday weekend.  We hadn't planned on doing anything special, but my Mom called Dennis about a week ago and asked if we wanted her to watch the kids so we could go out.  Never one to turn down some help, we said yes.  We had a great sushi dinner and saw a movie and Dennis got me a really nice bag for fall.  I was also excited to get a sewing basket with supplies and a gift card to get some sewing lessons from my Mom in Law and Robert.  I have been wanting to learn to sew, so I was pretty excited about that!

Tonight, we went out for dinner for my Mom's 65th birthday.  She requested for her birthday we go for an adults only dinner with her children and son in laws, and we had a great time at a nice italian restaurant, while my cousin Vicki babysat for us.  It was such a fun weekend!!!  Oh and we also celebrated Miranda's birthday with her at a sewing place.  Colin, Evan and I went and had fun learning how to sew little bags.

I didn't post pics of Evan's game because Dennis and I had to split up and he went to Evan's while I went to Colin's.  That is how it has been every game, because their games overlap.  I will post some of Evan after his Tuesday game.

Cuttting Myself Some Slack.

So, I just posted the last 4 or so posts that have been sitting on my computer for 9 months!  I never posted them because I had intended to fill in the gaps between them with other posts.  Unfortunately, life happened and I had to put the blog aside to focus on my family.  The perfectionist side of me wants to go back and post pictures and talk about what we have been up to, but I am so behind at this point that the thought of that is too overwhelming.  So, I plan on cutting myself some slack and at some point posting one post full of pictures of some of the highlights of the last 9 months and calling it a day.  Hopefully, I never get that behind again.
My mom has said if she was having kids in todays day, she never would have had 5 kids.  The truth is lives today are busy.  Football is 5 days a week at 9 years old!  Baseball is multiple days a week, then there is Religious Education and tons of homework.   We are officially in survival mode. We are just trying to get through the day without forgetting anything major, making sure our kids are dressed and fed and in bed at a decent hour.  I know that we have offended some people by not calling enough, but besides the fact that Dennis and I hate talking on the phone (we rarely talk even to each other), we have been so stressed out and busy.  All our energy and time at this point has to go to our kids, because at the end of the day they are our priority and we want to be sure that we are spending enough time with them.  Dennis doesn't usually get home until almost 7, then he is eating dinner and meeting us at whatever sport we have, then we are rushing home to get the kids to bed.  By 8 or 8:30 we are exhausted and the last thing we want to do is pick up the phone.
This last year has been especially stressful.  Moving and finding a new job are on the top of lists of stressful life events and Dennis had to experience both, while still raising 4 kids.  He didn't know if he was going to be getting a new job or not for a few months.  Our lives were in limbo not knowing if we were still going to be in Indiana or not and if we were moving, then when that would happen.  Then he moved back to VA, and I was left with all 4 kids trying to juggle homework and packing and activities on my own.  Meanwhile, he was juggling the stress of a brand new job and trying to find a house. His job, while he enjoys it so much more is stressful, and his career is demanding. Then we moved and we have been busy with unpacking and decorating and getting kids into sports and schools and looking for preschools.  We are both exhausted and still have a mile long to do list.
So, if the dishes don't get done every night, if my wood floors still haven't been cleaned (yes I really need a maid, but can't rationalize the cost), if we haven't talked to friends or family in months, if the front of our house still needs landscaping, oh well.  We are cutting ourselves some slack and we hope others will too.  Our kids are happy and that is what is most important.
And we fully realize that our lives are only going to get busier so we are trying to embrace the crazy.  Hopefully, we will also get a few moments as a couple to actually talk to each other each day.  And hopefully if anyone is feeling like we aren't calling enough, they will understand how much we have going on and won't be offended.   Pick up the phone and call us instead or better yet, invite yourselves over!
And in case I sound very negative, I don't mean to be.  I am enjoying every moment of being a parent.  It is crazy but I love going to all their practices and I don't want to miss a single thing.  It is the busiest, but the best days of our lives.

The Stomach Bug Hits Us!

Well, I will admit it.  I have been patting myself on the back because I have been reading for months on Facebook about people getting the stomach flu or some other illness and my family has been completely healthy.  I can't even remember the last time one of my kids were sick.  Well, this week we made up for it.  Logan went to a birthday party at Monkey Joe's (bounce house) last weekend and that night he threw up!  He then had a fever for a couple days.  Just as he was getting better Colin came down with it.  When Colin gets sick he always gets really really sick.  Sure enough he threw up several times that night and then had a pretty high fever the next day and missed 2 days of school.  Leah and Dennis then came down with it, but not too bad at all.

Then, Friday night it hit me pretty hard.  I was sick all night and pretty miserable the next day.  Dennis got to take care of all four kids all by himself all day and they gave him a run for his money.  Being cooped up all winter is really starting to get to them.  I can't wait until the weather warms up and they can play outside.  It's way easier to be a parent when it is nice outside!

Anyway, today I am feeling better.  I took the boys to church class and then Dennis took the three boys to a lego exhibit while I stayed home with Leah, so she could nap.

We are praying that Evan stays healthy and that we have a healthy week.

Colin is 9 Years Old!!!

Colin is 9 years old today!  At 9 years old Colin is a great kid.  He is doing good in school.  His report card has been really great.  He especially excels in Math, it comes very easy to him.  He is doing great reading and has been getting some pretty big books at the library to read.  He is great about coming home and getting right to homework.  He can be absent minded sometimes and needs reminders to put things in his back pack or remember to bring his lunch bag home.  But, he is super intelligent and does great in school.

Colin continues to love sports.  He likes soccer and football especially.  He will be doing soccer this spring, but wants to try tackle football in the fall.  Today, he started his first day of a soccer training camp at an indoor facility.  It is for 9-11 year olds, so he is the youngest there and they are definitely really good athletes there.  I think it will be good for him to learn some different foot skills and play along kids that are really good.

Colin is a great big brother.  He has been known to change diapers without being asked and make his brothers breakfast.  He continues to love cooking and has been making himself eggs many mornings.  He is a helpful kid.

Colin is growing more and more mature everyday.  It is really fun to watch him grow.  He continues to be all boy though and is very active.  He loves to tackle (even though he isn't supposed to), play hide in seek or any other physical game.  He also loves playing video games.

Today was a bit crazy.  After school we had to quickly get homework done and then I had to take all the kids with me to Colin's soccer.  Then we had to get home, eat dinner (Colin wanted sausage, pepperoni and pineapple pizza), have ice cream cake, open presents from us and family and then get everyone bathed and to bed.  It was definitely very rushed.  I think Tuesdays are going to be a bit crazy around here for a while!  Colin enjoyed his gifts though!

Skyping with Grandpa McLaughlin

Leah's 1 Year Pictures.

Today I finally got around to getting Leah's 1 year photos done.  I had to keep postponing it due to snow and the kids being home from school.  Dennis ended up working from home so I could take Leah without any other kids (since the kids were home from school again).  Leah did not do well during the pics.  She was crying a lot so they aren't the best pics, but we got through it.  Here is the outfit she wore...


When I got back, the boys and I did some baking.  Colin wanted to try out a cookie recipe in his new cookbook...

We have been playing board games a lot the last couple weeks.  We love the game Ticket to Ride!

Snow Days.

We spent most of the rest of winter break in our house.  We had a big snow and the kids had fun playing in the snow!

The snow was followed by some crazy low temperatures all week which caused some school closing and delays.  We had a lot of lazy days at home inside since it was too dangerous for the kids to play outside.