Busy Day!

Em wasn't so sure the day would go well. She did her hair and wanted to show James. I had to tell her James was in town. She grunted her disappointment. Then I gave her a bagel and she asked for one for Smidge. Had to admit that he, too, was not home. More grunting, accompanied by the furrowing of brows. When we finally got to the fact that John was also MIA, she lost it and stood in the living room crying, "Em a want her boys!" She finally accepted that it was just us three this morning, and curled up to eat her bagel all alone on the couch. I couldn't resist snapping a picture. This is Em, of the Wild Hair Clan.

Her prospects improved considerably when I told her we could go into town "to find the boys" and have a picnic. That was a great pick-me-up! And so, we cleaned up a bit and headed into town. The picnic was a blast. Me-Wa and Me-Tae were there. The weather was perfect. The other kids there were delightful. Just couldn't ask for a nicer day for an outing.

Smidge was walking ten feet tall, since he got to spend the day hanging with the guys. I think this helped him not feel quite so small today, and that was really good stuff!

And the wee bairn even emerged from his cocoon for a bit, to enjoy the sunshine and the lovin's.

Smidge's game was tonight. He had a wonderful time, and his team won. I'll blog about that in a separate post, since there are pictures to go with it, and Blogger limits the number of images per post.

For now, though, it's time for bed. I've got three guys to pack off to camp for the weekend, and a whole lot of cleaning to do in the meantime!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

What a Wild Ride!

A day begun with a SNAFU can end with... a very tired woman and five exhausted-but-happy children. Not a bad trade off, really.

In obvservance of "Take Your Child to Work Day", James and John got up early and went to work with Zorak. Turns out it's actually tomorrow. So, they got in a little practice run. And I got a call to come into town and get them at lunch. Oops.

Since we were going to be in town, anyway, I hated to just come right back home. I thought about all the field trips we don't take because it's such a trek into town. Then I remembered we have a membership to the Space and Rocket Center. It took me most of the drive up, but I finally put two and two together and came up with an idea. We had luch at the Miso House (the boys' second-favorite eatery in Huntsville), where we ate dongatsu and gyoza and sushi rolls until we thought we would explode, and then we headed off to play.

You can't tell it from John's expression, but we spent enough time walking through the museum so that nobody would be likely to explode on this ride. I did, however, stand far, far away while the ride ran. They are half mine, after all, and I never did fare well on rides like this. They, however, had a blast.

We stayed for about four hours, saw the Saturn V on display, enjoyed a presentation on propulsion systems and fuels, toured the moon, and ate sno-cones. (It said Shave Ice, but I know if I just said we ate Shave Ice, somebody who has been to Hawaii would pop up to say it's *nothing* like what you get in Hawaii. It was, however, far better than the sno-cones at the ball park, and hit the spot perfectly in the afternoon heat. The boys deemed them good enough, in fact, that Smidge suggested we swing by the Center for these before baseball games instead of getting the sno-cones at the snack shack. What's an extra 70 miles here and there, right?) Then we high-tailed it out of there just in time to beat the rush-hour traffic. What a fantastic day!

And James wanted me to post this picture. He put JT to sleep all on his own, and was so proud. He said, "I think I just have a way with babies, Mom."

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

From the Bleachers

I do love my second born. Honestly, I do. So why are there so seldom pictures of him here lately? Well, you see, he's seven, and a natural-born comic (or, he fancies that he is). Loosely translated, this means he is incapable of allowing the click of the shutter to pass without widening his eyes, flaring his nostrils, sticking his head waaaaay out in front of his body, and baring his teeth in a Dracula-like stance. He's a handsome young man, but Adonis, himself, wouldn't pass for photogenic with such a pose. And so, I am left to take pictures of him when he isn't looking... those turn out nicely.


... if a bit solemn. Which is ironic, considering my reason for sneaking up behind him to snap photographs in the first place.

And then there is Smidge, who is now Quite Serious, since he is now a Ball Player. So, we must pose. We must contemplate. We must get right up there in Mom's face to make sure she can see just how Very Serious we are...


(Ah, those eyes. I get absolutely lost in those magical, twinkling eyes.)

But don't let his solemnity fool you. It's not all tough practice and serious hardball around here...


The games are fun to watch, and we're proud of the great kids on all the teams, but the action in the bleachers is where the real fun begins most of the time. I think there's more activity there than on the field. So, while one child and his teammates are out there learning to pay attention, work together, and hone new skills on the field, the siblings are busy doing new things in their own realm, too. Sometimes they're learning to be encouraging, or to learn by watching. But there's more to it than that...

Whether it's the pack of two-year-olds who are content to do laps around the trash cans (do you remember the caucus race from Alice in Wonderland -- Backward, forward, outward, inward/ Bottom to the top/ Never a beginning,/ There can never be a stop -- I sing that in my head everytime they get started)...

or the herd of four-year-olds running back and forth, looking for a little more independence, more room to roam, more autonomy without sacrificing the security of being able to pop back in for a hug and a snuggle every now and then...

or the older kids comparing anecdotes and jokes, critiquing the game, heading off to the water fountain or the snack shack on their own...

it's fun to watch them stretch their little metaphorical wings just a little bit more each year, and to see them get aloft and enjoy the flight.

They'll stretch their wings fully one day, and soar off, and not return to stay... that day will come all too soon for us, although just at the right time for them. I hope I don't miss any opportunity to watch these little practice flights, though, in the meantime.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

I need a massage therapist.

Wonder if there are any studying at the University who need to rent a room in exchange for taking on a family clientele?

Three piers, poured and curing. Plus one of the gaping holes up where the ledger board fits against the house. We're making progress. WooHoo!

The boys did Latin, reading, piano and math... we're back in the saddle, again! Technically, we're covering history and reading together as we study legends from the Middle Ages, so that's sort of a double-bonus.

Another day of practices and games. Long day, but thankfully, all at the same park. Yay.

Ran over a screw at some point today. I'm not sure when or where, but the leaking air made a spectacular noise that the boys noticed when we piled out of the car after the game tonight. Thankfully, they thought to say something about it!

Zorak to the rescue - he not only ran to the store to buy a tire plug, but he helped get the littles down before he left. The tire is now healed. Mmm, my hero!

And today's thought:

I am really thankful some things aren't any bigger than they are...

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Paparazzi

Or, more accurately, "paparazzo", since it's just me, stalking the poor little guy. Considering he's immobile, I think he's tolerating the whole thing quite well. He goes from unsuspecting, to irritated (the pre-flash green light on the camera seems to get to him), to resigned and then... hey, what's that over there? (aka - ignoring me) in no time at all! What a pro!

And yes, I do snug up the straps on the seat. With the weather as wonky as it is lately, however, I never know how many layers he'll have on when we leave the house, so I loosen the straps and then adjust them after he's in. Much easier than trying to loosen straps around an irate newborn who has been stuffed into too-tight straps, believe me. This way, it's only the green light from the camera flash that makes him furrow his little, invisible brows.

Kiss those babies!

~Dy

Good news and Bad news

The good news is that, after two and a half years, we finally figured out where the leach lines are for the septic system!

More good news is that we've got three holes dug for the footers and piers, and are ready to pour concrete.

The bad news is...

that the leach lines are...

right where the piers go.

Gah.

I'll go kiss my babies as soon as I've washed my hands. *shudder*
~Dy

Not so Smooth, but Not too Bad.

While Smidge lamented my executive decision that he shall wear sweats to practice, I sat down and wrote this:

It is 3:56. Smidge has practice at four. His uniform isn't dry yet. It's not even passably damp, you know, where you *could* make him wear it and just tell him not to complain or pick at the damp crotch. Nope. It's. Wet. Because I, in all my excitement over not having to be in Falkville tonight, forgot to actually turn ON the dryer on our way out the door.

And here, I thought we were doing so well. Hmpf.
Smidge's practice was fun to watch (it's like a miniature version of some zany, madcap film or newsreel from the 1930's, where all the action is choppy and the people seem to be hurrying everywhere).

James' team got absolutely spanked by the other team. Wow, they're good. Their pitcher is amazing. I found myself cringing everytime he pitched - if you ever duck involuntarily when you drive through a parking garage, you know the sensation. Next time we play them, I think I'll sit farther back. Our guys just couldn't seem to get their hands on the ball. We love the coaches on James' team. No matter how poorly the kids performed, the coaches were encouraging. No matter how many times the kids missed a hit or a catch, the coaches had something positive to say to help the boys. But, let one of our kids throw a fit (the catcher last night was so frustrated with himself, and he did lose it at one point), and the coaches come down hard and fast to shut it down. "You can't play with an attitude like that. Get it together." We thought he'd pull the kid from the game, but no. Even then, the coaches understood the child's frustration and after they set him straight, they showed him a lot of grace. Every parent in the bleachers just beamed.

James blew me away last night. The ball headed straight for him, right behind third base, and James not only saw it, but ran up under it. For a child who is terrified of getting hit with the ball, that was *huge*. The sun was in his eyes, and he didn't catch it - it went right between his glove and his head - but he got up there, glove extended, and gave it a go. Two months ago, there's no way he'd have attempted that. I was so proud of him.

AND, (trumpets sound!) Zorak came home early! He showed up at the game, to the total and utter delight of Smidge and EmBaby. And myself. :-) He took the big boys to Scouts and I brought the three littles home, where there was much crying and peeing on things and talking incessantly. It was good. Chaotic, but good.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Yay!

James' game is a home game. Smidge's practice is at the same field. It's supposed to be 75 today, and already it's beautiful out.

I am so thankful. :-)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Work-In-Progress Wednesday

We did not work on the basement today. No, today, I took a deep breath, exhaled, repeated those two steps until I nearly hyperventilated and then, in my best non-squeaky, didn't-need-this-before-coffee voice, reminded the children that *knowing* the right thing to do, and *doing* it are not the same thing. However, they do need to go hand-in-hand at some point before we unleash you (the children) on an unsuspecting world. *sigh* So, we worked in the house, where I could keep them close and help them work on little things. You know, the usual - Impulse control. Paying attention to where you're walking. Impulse control. Ability to focus on the task at hand. And, a little more impulse control, just to liven things up a bit.

We accomplished so much! They always amaze me with their *ability* to work. They're always willing to work, but without that constant adult presence, they, um... forget. It's not intentional, and it's not malicious. They just forget. Which, to be truthful, doesn't feel horribly encouraging at eight in the morning. However, it is. Their hearts are good. It's just their brains that need a little fine tuning. And when I think ahead to the teen years, I'd rather have to deal with a good-hearted space-cadet than a machinating evil genius.

Today, we cleared off the two bookshelves (cleared, sorted, sifted, and purged!), the tea cart (find a home for this stuff or throw it out), and the corner hutch (where all the dishes, glasses and china live) in the living and dining areas. We cleaned them all, and then swapped the two rooms into mirror images. The green dining room is now, experimentally, the living room, and the itty-bitty living corner (not quite a room, really) is now the dining area. Corner. Whatever. I'll shoot for pictures in the morning, when the light is better. It was dark before we thought to take pictures today. It needs more tidy work but, so far, we love it.

We did laundry. We rode bikes. We played jump rope. The boys read their current selections. I started Moby Dick. Again. I enjoy it every time I start it, but I don't know what happens. Oh, yes, I do. I forget where I put the book and can't ever find it until we clean off bookshelves again. I need a Clapper to attach to whichever book I'm currently reading. Wouldn't that be handy?

The boys did such a fantastic job all day that I got a wild hair and introduced them to the Netflix Watch Now thing this afternoon. Heh. That was cool. We fixed snacks and watched The Prince and The Pauper. While we watched, I decided to be truly productive and FINALLY sewed up two of the couch cushion covers. Mostly sewed up. I can't get the recycled zippers to cooperate, so the closures are going to have to be Velcro. However, that is 2/3 of the cushion job, done! And now that the couch is against a wall, that buys me a little more time to do the body. (Planned procrastination... is that horribly wrong, or does it have a certain ring to it?)

Tomorrow is Gauntlet Day. I think James has a game way south of here and Smidge has his first game. In town. At the same time. ARGH. No clue how I'm going to pull that one off. Obviously, Smidge can't be left. However, if you read the opening few paragraphs to this post, I'm not exactly chomping at the bit right now to turn James loose with an unsuspecting adult. *sigh* I miss Zorak. (Though not just for the tag-team taxi work. Honest.)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy