Sunday, May 31, 2009

sunday bubbles



Saturday, May 30, 2009

princess party

cassidy's best friend from school. she loves her maddie-belle. happy 3rd birthday madison.
(this was cassidy's first invitation birthday party)

camping out

we camped out last night.... in the back yard!
once we got the tent set up it was great (had to remember how the thing went together!)
we used the grill outside for hamburgers and had corn-on-the-cob and baked beans with them. then we used the hot coals for s'mores.
i have not been educating my kids early enough, they had to ask what s'mores were. when i explained them to xander he said "oh right, right. we had those at school." well my dear child, there is a huge difference between s'mores by oven and s'mores by campfire, and once you have campfire, you can never go back!
we climbed into the tent around 9:30, and at xander's request watched a dvd on our little player. x-men was his choice. i shared an air mattress with cassidy. she didn't slow down until close to 11:00. and xander managed to stay awake for the entire movie. but we all slept well in the tent and didn't even wake til 8:00am. it was great.
i'll camp out any time, especially when it is in my own backyard.

Friday, May 29, 2009

she says...

c - "mom what are you doing?"
me - "cleaning the bathroom"
c- "why?"

pretty sad when my two and half year old isn't familiar with the sight of me cleaning the bathrooms! (in my defense i tend to do a lot of the house cleaning when the kids are in bed and i don't have to worry about little tornadoes undoing all my work...however infrequent it may be!)

Thursday, May 28, 2009

148

first day of summer vacation - they LOVE the aquarium and i LOVE having a season pass! we're putting our best "fish" face forward!








Wednesday, May 27, 2009

147

yes, i let her eat candy. and even if i didn't, she'd find it and eat it anyway. this is way beyond "sweet tooth"!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

146

















mom's working nights and dad's in charge of bed time

Thursday, May 21, 2009

141

















we love this game! becoming an end of the school year tradition...

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

140































































is summer here yet? warm enough for the sprinkler...

Monday, May 18, 2009

my little graduate
















in pre-k we're really not supposed to call it "graduation", so instead it is called "end of the year celebration". a chance for the class to show off what they'be talked about or learned during the year. sing a few songs, in this case, dance a few dances, recieve a certificate of completion... well, what ever it is called, xander's was this afternoon, another event on our busy calender....oh no, not at all! this is huge. maybe the biggest thing for him ever! this means that he is officially starting elementary school! (not til august). this is it. the start of a long educational career. he's been well taught (thank you ms. christine and ms. julie!) he's ready...kindergarten here he comes!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

playoff game #4 & #5 - double header

i'm not even sure how to summarize today.

our first game was at 9:25. the boys were there and they were ready!

we played the rangers (a team we had won against in regular season) and we were pretty confident about playing them.

our "wall" was great. the whole team was hitting well and they got the job done. cubs win!

we had two hours before the next game, so we came home, ate lunch, tried to rest....and then headed back to the field for a 4:40 start.

the clouds were moving in and they looked pretty dark. i talked to todd on the phone and he said the forecast had storms marching across georgia as far back as alabama. the weather was not looking promising. coach baillie huddled the team under the concession stand pavillion. i got some pictures of the team there.

our opponent was determined by a game that was played inbetween our first game and this second one, so we didn't know until we got back to the park that it was going to be the yankees again.

the rain started coming down, but we headed up to the dugout and bleachers with our umbrellas. i got xander set up and then cassidy and i sat on a blanket on the bench under the umbrella, but by the time the game got underway it had almost stopped.

the first inning, yankees were up first, it was like watching one of the very first games we ever played, not like the infield we'd come to depend on over the last four games. the yankees got all five of their runs, as our infielders let the balls get by them, over threw each other, and went chasing after the ball...be it the rain, being tired, or the gum they were all chewing....it took them a while to settle down. xander did pretty well, over all for the game the only hits that got by him were ones he actually dove for, twice... but there were several times coach would call to him and tell him not to throw to first, but if he fielded the ball to tag third, run down the runner or freeze the runner at second. but he didn't listen, or didn't remember when he got the ball and he would throw to first, and first wasn't ready or wasn't catching, so the yankees would get extra bases.

our first chance up xander had a lead off hit. and worked his way around the bases to third with the hits from two of his team mates behind him. however, the yankees got one of our players out and then caught a pop fly. xander was on third when that ball was hit, but he forgot (or didn't hear the coach) to tag up before he ran. he hustled home, and continued for the dugout all the while smiling cause he had scored and he thought that all of us at the fence were cheering for him. poor kid...we were screaming at him to go back to third. he was literally at the dugout when he realized what we were saying and turned and ran back. the yankee with the ball was really confused and xander almost had him beat out back to third, but he clued in with just enough time to tag the base. i think xander was a little bewildered so i went to talk to him. but that was three outs with no runs and the score was now 0-5 yankees. this had never happened to us before.

i really wish i had an inning by inning re-cap, or could remember all the plays xander had...he did, however, catch an in-field fly, just a play after the "pitcher" did, that really helped out that inning!...but the amazing thing is they worked their way back, held the yankees on two innings to fewer than their 5 runs, and entered the last inning just 3 runs down from tying and 4 runs from winning!

so after a few heartattacks by several of us mothers, the end of the batting order did it. they won the t-ball playoff championship...and did it outright! they did not lose a game the whole tournament.

way to go cubs! #1


playoff game #3

i've been watching the stat board on the ngbsa website...they weren't updating it fast enough for me. tonight's game depended on the game after ours last night, and i kept checking the website...too slow for me. (then again, they are only 5&6, it is only t-ball, but i am so caught up in it.)the #2 team lost last night (2nd time they lost to the same team, and it is a team that we've already beat. yeah!) the teams that are still in it are all ones we've played against before, and tied or beat.
so tonight we played the yankees. tensions were high, but the cubs pulled it off again.
xander's report to todd when he got home...
"dad, i had another perfect throw tonight just like yesterday."
all the way cubs!
(took a few pictures through the fence, really need that press pass!)

Thursday, May 14, 2009

playoff game #2

they did it. wow cubs, that was amazing.
sorry no pictures though, todd was busy tonight and didn't make it until the fourth inning. and i don't have a "press pass" like he does ....okay, just a joke. but i am not a good enough photographer to catch THE moments, like when xander hit a solid double, or when he cleanly scooped up a ground ball to third base, took his one hop and threw it directly to the first baseman. it was amazing. another one of those moments that left us reeling...holy cow! did he really just do that?
one of the other parents commented that there wasn't an inning that xander didn't touch the ball. good or bad? good! i asked the coaches, cause i didn't want him "stealing" the ball away from another player. "are you kidding?" they asked. they love that he is so aggressive and wouldn't dream of discouraging that!
it's been a crazy day. it took a lot of juggling scheduling, rides, work, car seats - but we did it, and xander did it. wowzers... we'll be back at the field tomorrow night. cubs vs. brewers


letter to xander

xander's pre-k teacher requested each of the parents write a letter to their child, telling them why they were special or why they were loved... i took the challenge on at 11:00pm the night before she wanted it, and decided to scrapbook a little page (picture to be added later when i get it back). i sat at my computer at 1:00am crying as i typed - true story. i love my little boy and don't think words can even begin to express it, but i gave it a try anyway....

I tried to put into words how much I love you

and what I love about you…

I am charmed by your smile, enchanted with your laugh, and mesmerized by your blue eyes.

I am astounded by the amount of knowledge in that

head of yours, how quickly you learn,

and how curious you are.

I find it incredible that you know all your letters and sounds and that you are learning to read

and find it funny that you spell Cassidy’s name

when you talk about her.

I love listening to you sing as loud as you can to High School Musical, Backyardigans and Wicked.

I laugh out loud at your crazy dance moves,

but can tell that you actually have rhythm and will be a great dancer like your dad.

I have had fun playing games with you, like Connect 4, Wii bowling and Uno and chuckle at your attempts to be “strategic”.

I am excited that you enjoy things I do,

like reading, watching musicals and creating.

I am amazed watching you play baseball, marveling at how quickly you have picked up on everything you have been taught (still can’t believe that unassisted triple play!)

and hope that I can watch you play for a long time.

I am grateful for your faith.

I love seeing you being so sweet to your little sister, love watching you protect her and love trying to convince you that she will be your best friend for life!

And I am humbled at your love for me and your family.

I keep asking, but you don’t seem to be listening –

please stop growing!

But if nothing else, I want you to always remember…

you are everything to me!

love, mom

(Dad and Cassidy feel the same way I do!)


Tuesday, May 12, 2009

a "melt your heart" moment

i came home today from my first "day" at archiver's. (really i watched training videos and read manuals for two hours, but still...)
i got to the door and xander came running outside wearing an apron, giggling and then he ran back in. caught up in his excitement i turned to todd. he said that they had something planned for me and he took my armload full of stuff at the door.
a little man in an orange apron with a white towel folded over his arm greeted me. "welcome to the little restaurant", and with a little coaching from the sidelines he sat me at the table. "i will be your waiter tonight." "the menu tonight is hot dogs, macaroni & cheese, beans {what kind of beans dad?}, steakhouse beans, and fruit." "what condiments would you like on your hot dog?" "will that be all" "enjoy your meal".
i could not help but grin and feel like a giddy school girl. it was so cute, although that doesn't begin to describe how totally and utterly adorable he was, reciting his lines with such seriousness and manners. he was the perfect gentleman....the perfect waiter, taking care of his "patient".
(while i was eating he called todd into the office where he was waiting, "chef, let me know when the patient is finished")
the whole thing was one of those moments when you think your heart will melt cause it is so stinkin' sweet!



Saturday, May 9, 2009

playoff game #1

end of the spring season playoffs may prove to make for a crazy week, playing almost every day ....but it is baseball, and we all love baseball. especially when we win, right? of course not, cause then we'd be poor sports. but the game today, our first one and we won! it ended after three innings. our team got ahead by 10 runs, and there wasn't a way for the other team to catch up, so they called it good.
and it was good. xander is lead off batter and playing third base. he let nothing past him! he tagged a runner out at third (bowled the poor kid to the ground!) and ran a few back to second.
it was a long day, with a "fun" practice and team party first, but as always, very enjoyable.
good luck on thursday cubs!

Friday, May 8, 2009

muffins for moms

it is almost mother's day, and schools around georgia (possibly the country) are hosting the special event....muffins for moms.
xander's teacher does it every year, and all the students make gifts, answer questionnaires and draw a portrait for their mom.
at 8:30 i left my class to do their thing while i got to sit in the dining room at tablecloth covered tables and cute, thoughtful gifts sitting in front of me, listening to xander and his class sing
"oh i wish i had a little red box,
to put my mommy in.
i'd take her out and *kiss, kiss, kiss, (noises)
and put her back again"
it is incredible to be his mom. i am privileged and in awe that he is mine.
love you xander bug!
(silly me, just another event recently that i did not get a picture of. and i call my self a scrapbooker!)

Thursday, May 7, 2009

he's registered

sugar hill elementary....here he comes!
my soon to be kindergartner.

his idea to point at the school. my idea to pose him under the sign.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Saturday, May 2, 2009

xander & facebook

"mom, is facebook a book?"

x -"mom, you are the best mom!"
s - "thanks xander, that makes me feel special!"
x - "go write that on facebook."