Grandparents...Sandbox, Priceless!

Pete and I have been trying to take advantage more often when we see Gammie and Papa for date night or at a minimum, shopping or afternoon errand running - kid free. We recently went to a picnic for a friend's wedding celebration. We had planned to go as a family. This would have been fine but far less socializing and relaxing. My parents watched the kids for the afternoon and evening. This resulted in watery-sandbox-messy-muddiness...followed by early baths, good supper, playful evening, movie night and books and a successful off to bed.

Grandparents will let you get away with anything...

Yup, Nora's feet strike again. She is standing in, maybe on, the bucket. She is not afraid to get dirty. Neither in Dylan. He was still a little confused as to what sand is for. He repeated tried in out as a new food. He won't eat cooked carrots or broccoli but will eat sand?!?

WOW, I'm so glad I didn't have to clean up this mess, or them for that matter!

Last Game Already...

We finished up the baseball season. Gavin ended up going very well. He was getting hit

nearly every time from a pitched ball. He had a dramatic end to the season, however. The put a kid on the pitcher's mound for fielding even though they don't pitch and I dread it when it is Gavin's turn. He plays with the vest they wear for protection. He messes with the batting helmet. He rarely is even facing the batter without being constantly reminded. He keep warning him of the dangers of fielding especially when you don't pay attention. Well, unfortunately parents were right this time. He was half paying attention and had a ball come at him pretty fast. He did react a little to knock it down but it rolled up his glove, up his arm and up his face. He caught it too. Well, it wasn't a direct hit so he ended up with a bloody nose and a small scuff under his nose. Not bad but it scaried him straight. He got right back in there and was much more aware of his surroundings.

Baseball Celebration

What a crew...it was a real life experience, being parents to a child on a team. The frustrations, concerns, insanity of dragging young ones to the field, all of it. Coaching or the lack there of sometimes, no communication (makes the anal retentive planner NUTS), coach pitching (dude they are three feet tall), parents and the decisions we all make, everything. And this is instructional league.

Gavin's team and league had a really nice picnic to round out the season. They had games, picnic food and treats and awards. It ended up going a little long because the games took awhile: base running relay, longest hit, long throw and accurate throw. Gavin was party of his team's base running relay team and was really fast. Their team did well but didn't place.

[Gavin misplaced his hat, or now after the fact, I should say I misplaced, his hat for the day. He proudly wore his tribe hat although, sadly, the Tribe would have been hard pressed to beat the Crackerjacks this year.]

Gav was really excited to receive his trophy. He is very proud and it is now displayed in his room on his night stand. He wants to play baseball again and soon. We a might consider fall ball. We'll see, maybe something new.
I love that baseball afforded Gavin a new opportunity to meet new kids and make new friends. He new one kid on the team - Carly from preschool/daycare. The age range for instructional league is 5-7 year olds. Most of the boys were 6 or 7. The five year olds were Gavin and the girls. Funny... Either way, I am a litle less worried now that I have seen Gavin thrive in a new setting with new people and kids with the impending start of kindergarten in the fall.

Baseball was a goo thing for our family. Nora was not a big fan in the beginning but made a new friend too. One of the brothers (Micah) to a teammate (Noah) got along wonderfully with Nora. Micah was 7 but he liked Nora and they played with her princess dolls and he of course preferred Mickey Mouse or the wrestlers that Nora began keeping in the bag for him. In the end, Nora proclaimed that she wanted to play baseball and this was the new complaint. I suppose we may consider spring 2010 ball for her since she will be 4+. Maybe...

Dylan is a HUGH baseball fan. We tried to keep him in the stroller as long as possible during the game with either lunch, snack or toys. He usually spent the third (and final inning) inning roaming around, throwing balls, etc. He had a blast. He only says a few words these days at 16 months but two of them are "ball" and "throw". he likes to throw everything - all toys, items, everything. He carried around the you bat and can actually throw a ball pretty far. He may be the baseball star in the bunch.