B's Birthday Party

Before I had children, experienced moms would tell me about the behavior of boys, including such "joys" as wrestling, burping, fighting, farting, screaming -- You get the picture! With that said, I am not sure what I expected when I invited 7 year old boys over to help Brendan celebrate his birthday this Saturday.

The day actually started with this first realization: a flat tire on our van!

We called Triple A and eventually had to have the van towed to the shop because they could not loosen the spare underneath. Then, I had to have a mom who was dropping her son off stay at the house while I went to get the van during the party! oops-

As the boys arrived, they immediately begin their sports repertoire. They played football, basketball, baseball, a little soccer, and anything other sport they could imagine. All of that made them hungry, so they devoured some pizza and snacks.

At the table is where the fun really began. One of the boys burped loudly; the rest of them started giggling and began their own burping. Trying to be the responsible mom, I cautioned them from burping. What resulted was a symphony of other bodily noises that I would have gladly traded to get the burps back. They were making fart noises executing the instruments of their hands, arms, armpits, and even legs!

I finally surrendered and just laughed, realizing that I had no other choice! The rest of the party was fun- We had brownies and ice cream, threw water balloons, and just had silly fun! Brendan was thrilled and had a great party!

I realized that sometimes you just have to let boys be boys. The crazy things they do just make them who they are, and I wouldn't want to change a thing about my boys.

Marble Watch

I have been asked by a few of you about Brendan's marble incident. Have I seen the marble yet?

(CAUTION: This is not for the faint of heart!)

Daily, since Thursday, I have Brendan tell me when he needs to "go." When he is finished, I have to do things I hate mentioning involving a zip loc bag, some fishing in the potty, and some mild squishing! YUCK! So far my trips have yielded nothing but a queasy stomach!

It was a fairly heavy marble, so it may sink before I begin my quest, so I will just keep watching. . .

Wild Nights by Joyce Carol Oates

This morning I finished another book entitled Wild Nights by Joyce Carol Oates. The concept, where the author delved into the psyche of five famous authors, captivated me immediately.

Oates details stories about Poe, Dickinson, Twain, James, and Hemingway detailing their innermost thoughts and fears leading to their demise. She tackled the daunting task of attempting to imitate the prose of these iconic authors. I did feel that she mostly captured the essence of each author; admittedly, I would imagine how impossible it would be to imitate the genius of Poe!

The book was depressing, however, as it unfolds and delivers a message of how utterly alone most of these authors felt in their lives. The book ends with the suicide of Hemingway; I found his story the most disturbing of all five! I do like her style of using a short story for each author to capture the story.

Quick thoughts:

On a scale of 1 to 5, (1 being "Hated It" - 5 being "Loved It") I would give this a 3+. It was good yet depressing.

Would I recommend it? As an English teacher, I liked reading about the authors, so YES!

Would I read it again? Potentially I would read the stories isolated, but not as a whole.

Until next book. . .

Not yet Tiger Woods

Andrew has always loved to golf. This summer he asked us if he could play in a tournament, so we obliged him and signed him up for a Future PGA tour tournament at Vitense! Yesterday, the big day arrived, and I gathered my three boys and we headed to Madison to watch Andrew play.

When we arrived, one thing was obvious: these kids were serious! They had fancy golf bags, golf gloves -- for both hands sometimes-, golf visors, the proper polo shirt with belted khakis, and a look of steely determination. Not only did they look professional, but they played it as well. We got to the driving range, and the boy who was next to Andrew was driving the ball about 200 yards. (I also think he was about 13 or so.) For those of you non-golfers, hitting 200 yards would be exciting for an adult. Andrew can drive the ball about 125 or so. Andrew's eyes expressed fear, a trepidation of what was to follow. Yet neither of us verbally acknowledged this.

As he began play, I was relieved. While the kids looked awesome, they were also fallible. Tee shots were hitting the woods and dropping, balls were errantly flying everywhere, putts were lipping the cup, etc. However, so were Andrew's. He started with a 6, 7, 6 on Par Three holes. He was bummed.

At this time, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Andrew's superlative raucous coaches in the background. If you have ever been a spectator in golf, you know that any time a player is hitting the ball, the spectators need to be silent. Tell that to my 7 year old and 3 year old who were noisily rummaging through my backpack for treats and kicking the gravel on the path. At one point Evan actually was rolling down the fairway laughing to himself all the way. Here is Evan being a coach on the side of the green-- where he wasn't even allowed to be!

Ultimately, Andrew turned everything around and began posting 4's and 5's. As this happened his confidence bolstered. You could visibly see the spring in his step return and the slight smile he has appear on lips. If you have the highest score on a hole, you get to tee off first. Andrew was able to do that a few times at the end, and he was so visibly proud!

His tournament culminated on the final hole of play. He earned his first Birdie! (If you don't golf, a birdie is one shot under par.) Essentially, he got the ball in the hole in two shots! He was thrilled. Here is his follow through on that awesome drive.

He ended the tournament by posting a 46 overall score. That put him in the middle of the pack of golfers, but I don't think he cared much. He spent a morning doing what he loved, and he proved to himself that he can play with kids older than him. (His division was 11 and under. Only he and one other boy were 8 years old. The rest were older!) I am a proud mom today~

Thoughts about Brendan on His Birthday Today

Since even before Brendan was born, he has caused me much worry. In utero, doctors diagnosed a kidney disorder. When he was three, Brendan was hospitalized for asthma in the ICU. When B was four years old, he had surgery on his kidney. (He also developed a fixation on death at this time! Scary!) When he was five, Brendan completely flubbed his kindergarten screening, making me question my decision to send him. And yesterday, he swallows a marble!

Yet for all this worry, Brendan has given my life so much fun and laughter. I can't believe that 7 years ago today he was brought into my life. In some ways I am startled that he is seven already! However, in most ways I can't remember my life without my Brendan. Here are some of my thoughts about Brendan over the years that illustrate how uniquely "Brendan" he is.

As a baby, Brendan always demonstrated a strong potential to be a bass singer. He had, and still has, a fairly deep and sonorous voice for a young kid. Watching old home movies makes me laugh as I listen to how deep his voice sounded even as a baby.

When Brendan went to preschool at age three, his teacher's name was Mrs. Domachowski. I remember him leaving preschool everyday, and we would get to the outside door, and he would realize he didn't say bye to her. He would raise his hand in a wave without looking back, and he would yell, "Bye Domachowski!" It made both her and I smile!

Brendan has such a silly side. He loves being the center of attention -- when he is in the right mood to be. Having fun for him is just a way of life. I remember one time we had the whole family over to our home for a dinner. Someone was talking about Grandma Dilley, and Brendan, who was about three, said, "She's still alive?!" We laughed and told him she was in the next room. He walked out there and looked at her in disbelief!

Brendan is quite a golfer. He just had a lesson last week, and the instructor was commenting on his natural ability to swing a club! Actually, Brendan loves all types of sports: basketball, golf, soccer, football, baseball, and anything else that resembles a sport.

Brendan has enriched our family with his optimism and silliness. He has a tender heart that I will do my best to protect until that is out of my control. I love his lingering desire to be with mom. I know that at some point he won't need to cuddle with his mother, but I cherish the moments that we do still share together. I love him with my whole heart. Brendan would respond with a sheepish grin if I told him that, and that response would be simply Brendan.

He swallowed what?

Today we were driving to swimming lessons when I heard words I never wanted to hear: "Mom, I think I swallowed something I shouldn't have." What??

To set the scene, Brendan always has something in his month. The oral fixation of a baby never seemed to go away for him. Even at his baseball tournament last weekend, I could see him chewing on his glove between plays.

As we drove the mere two blocks to swimming tonight, he found a marble/ ball in the car and had it in his mouth. All of the sudden I hear him scream so loud. I turned around and he screamed again and then told me he had swallowed something. I know he was scared to admit what it was, but he soon told me it was a marble. I asked him what color the marble was because we have those Magnetix, and he said Silver. Now, I am worried a little.

He keeps apologizing for swallowing it, and you could see that he was scared. Otherwise, he wasn't having any pain, so as a true mom of three boys I send him off to swimming lessons.

After swimming, I am starting to feel worried. What if it was a Magnetix? What is it will cause a blockage? Panic. . .Panic. . . So, I call the doctor. After a series of questions, the doctor assures me that the situation seems to be under control, seeing the B is not under distress, and he only swallowed one round object! The doctor gave me warning signs to look for, and we were back in action and off to a baseball game.

As of now, he is sleeping soundly and seems to be fine. The doctor assures me to watch the potty for evidence of my marble later this week. Keep B in your thoughts and prayers while we wait, and help us ensure that he is fine. (I truly think he is a-ok at this point!)

Stay posted for tomorrow morning's posting because tomorrow is B's birthday, and I was going to write a little about him! These things just seem to happen to Brendan.

The Chaos of Wednesday

When I wake up in the morning, I immediately begin reviewing our day's schedule. This morning as I woke up, I begrudgingly realized that it is Wednesday!

I hate Wednesdays!

Wednesdays are the busiest day of the week at our house. We run from one activity to another with just a little bit of down time in the afternoon. Let me give you a taste of my day!

6:00 - I usually wake up and exercise. Today I was too sleepy from staying up to watch 27 Dresses last night!
6:30- Evan and Brendan wake up.
7:00 Andrew gets up.
7:30- Breakfast
9:00 Andrew and Brendan have basketball camp for an hour.
9:30- During Andrew and Brendan's basketball camp, Evan has swimming lessons. Luckily, they are in the same building.
10:00- Andrew and Brendan have story time at the local library.
11:00- We usually go bowling with the boys' blue cards at the local alley. (I will talk about the blue cards sometime soon!)
12:00- Lunch and then we rest for a little while.
4:00 Andrew and Brendan have swimming lessons.
5:15: Dinner!
6:00 We leave for Andrew and Brendan's baseball game in Windsor.
8:00- We get home, boys get showered, we read books, and bed!!!!
9:00- I collapse!

My only solace from Wednesday is that tomorrow is Thursday, and we only have three commitments on Thursday. I will admit that the upside to being so busy is that the boys do not have time to argue as much. Gotta love that! Enjoy your Wednesday!

Evan and his bike

As a kid I always liked riding my bike. I had one of those purple bikes with a banana seat and a flower basket on the front. I loved my bike! Tif and I would ride to Magdych's driveway and ride around their basketball court and back.



Evan also likes riding his bike. The problem is that his bike riding drives his mother crazy! Let me explain.





Doesn't he look sweet on his bike? This was a great toy that a friend lent me for Evan to begin learning how to bike on. He has been riding it for a year and is fairly speedy on the bike.

However, two times a day for these first two weeks of summer, all three boys and I get on our bikes to ride the 2-3 blocks to the high school for swimming lessons. Evan's bike is similar to a big wheel, so as we start riding up slight inclines, the treadless tires start to just spin and he doesn't get enough traction to properly move. Consequently, he will look back at his faithful mother who always brings up the rear and says, "I can't do it!"

Picture this: I drive up next to him on my bike, and I grab the big blue handle on the back of his bike. Then, while balancing the HUGE bag of swim clothes, goggles, and books on my back, I push him with the blue handle and continue steering my bike. Iam leaning over to the side of my bike at this point; I do believe the bag helps me not just tip over. He loves this and giggles as he gets going fast. This scenario is a recipe for disaster. So far, we have managed this arrangement unhurt. I am not sure that can continue.

On the way home, we repeat the same situation. However, on the way home we get to go down a nice sized hill. I hoped this would be my respite from the balance-push act I attempt. That is not the case. As Evan approaches the hill, he actually slows to turtle-like speeds because he is afraid of getting hurt. Yesterday, I actually got off of my bike at this point and just walked with my bike, and I was still beating him home! Even funnier, Evan saw me off my bike, and he asked me why I was walking. I explained that it is too hard for mommy to ride her bike so slow, so Evan got off his bike too and walked his bike for a little while!

So, you may ask an important question here: Why do I bother? Shouldn't we just walk? At times I would agree. Yet there are moments when we are all riding our bikes and just having fun together. Evan will pedal and laugh at how fast he is going. He feels independent and free. I just can't take that away from him. Therefore, I will continue my balancing act and pray for safe travel!

Off to our first trip of the day!

11 years and counting!

Girls wait their whole lives for their wedding day. We love the white dress, pretty flowers, bridesmaids, family gathering, big party--- all of it! Yet, the day flies by so fast that you barely remember all the details that you painstakingly planned. (Admittedly, my mom planned most of my wedding- thanks Mom!) Saturday Chris and I celebrated 11 years of being married. I thought it would be fun to try and remember some of those details that made our wedding day unforgettable.

* The day started off with all of the bridesmaids waking up from a sleepover in mom and dad's living room. We slowly got ready and went to get our hair done that morning.

* When we arrived at the church, mom finally told me that there had been a problem with my dress. The under skirt was showing when they hung it up the night before, and she had a seamstress to come and fix it without me knowing!

* I remember standing back off the aisle at church waiting for Gram to play the march to walk down the aisle. The person who was supposed to cue her didn't cue her, so I had to stand at the back of the church for almost a minute waiting. It felt like eternity!

* Tif sang one of my favorite songs during the ceremony- It was beautiful!

* Chris looked so handsome. And, true to his promise to my mom, he did not wear a boutonniere during the ceremony. Ironically, he wore it during pictures!

* We took pictures at the Thompson house. We even got a few pictures with Bud Light cans between our legs because no one would part with their beer. The girls just help them behind their bouquets!

* The party bus was the demise of my good college friend Heidi. We drank nearly a bottle of Yager, tons of beer, and at least 3 bottles of Boone's Farm wine that we stopped on the way to the reception and drank. Heidi only lasted 30 minutes or so at the reception before she was down for the night! My cousin Trish filled in for her!

* We had between 50-70 college friends and high school friends at the reception, so it got a little rowdy. (In a great way!)

* My friend Jess' husband and ?? (I can't remember who else) took napkins and wore them as bandannas.

* Sweaty girl aka Amy Alton. Need I say more?

* The air conditioning was broken, so it was hot in there! (Hence the reason for the last two memories)

* I recently watched part of the wedding video, and I was sad/ happy to see who attending the wedding. Chris' grandma was there who passed away later that same summer. Grandpa Titus, Papa, and Grandpa Compan were all on the video as well as Auntie Great. Tears came to my eyes as I saw them all and realized how much I miss them!

There are so many things I do remember about my wedding. Most of all, I remember it as a happy day. Chris and I wanted our wedding to be fun, and we wanted to celebrate the day together. We did just that! It is the love we still feel for each other that we celebrated this weekend!

Do you have any memories to add?

A Night in Spring Green

The book"The Five People you Meet in Heaven" presents a concept that upon a person's death, he or she will meet five people who were impacted by their existence. Then, the person will ultimately live in their own personal "heaven" defined by what they love. Well, this weekend I went to a place that I could imagine as my personal heaven!

That place is American Player's Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin. It is an outdoor amphitheater-like setting where plays are performed daily.

At APT, you are able to arrive early and picnic at this awesome little picnic area in the woods. (I did this last year with my friend Corina and our husbands- We had a great time!) Then, you take a picturesque walk through the woods to arrive at the theater you see above.

So, the other night a group of fellow Waunakee English teachers and myself went to see Shakespeare's play Henry IV at APT. We started the evening with a great picnic at Melissa's house with delectable tacos and a superb dessert by Elycia. Then, we took off for the play.

As were were watching Henry IV, I noticed many times how amazing it is to watch a show in that venue as nature plays a strong role in the play as well. You could listen to an absolute cacophony of noises from players not associated with the play. The birds were twittering while Prince Hal was being a crook, then the crickets were chirping as Falstaff was delivering another memorable soliloquy. After the intermission a war scene was beginning, and right on cue Mother Nature issued strong winds that were perfectly timed with the mood of the play. Finally, at the end of the play Falstaff issues a warning/ comment to the newly crowned King Henry that is eerie, and a fine mist of rain began just for that moment. Spooky!

Yet, I also got the chills at one point as I realized that about 400 years ago this play was written and performed, and that people had watched the play in similar venues for that length of time. How cool!

Finally, as we left the theater at 11:30 Pm -- it was a 3 and a half hour long play! -- we chatted outside and expressed that as English teachers we were doing exactly what our students thought we did in the summer: talking about books, going to Shakespeare plays, and discussing the merits of the play. Yes, stereotypes do exist for a reason.

Spring Green is a sort of magical venue. I love going there and do view it as a little piece of heaven on earth. If my own heaven is anything like that one day, I will love to go there! (in about 60 years or so!)

2001: A Space Odyssey

Another one bites the dust! Another science fiction book checked off my summer reading list.

2001: A Space Odyssey was another student recommendation. This book was short and an extremely quick read. At first the book seemed somewhat confusing. The first 8 chapters or so were divided into three sections that did not seem to relate. However, with any fun read the chapters and concepts all intersect eventually in a captivating way.

Space travel is the main topic of this book. The main character Bowman, his partner Poole, and the computer Hal are on a shuttle taking them to the outskirts of Jupiter looking for signs of intelligent life in the solar system. He, of course, finds more than he could imagine. The books seems to be setting up a sequel nicely (which actually does exist, 2010: A space Odyssey.) However, the author Clarke indicates that when he wrote the book, he felt that he had tied up the storyline completely so that there would be no need for a sequel. I like the concept that people could actually see the planets so that "space" would not seem like such an unknown. . .

Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read. I am ready to foray out of the confines of science-fiction for my next book, but I would also recommend this read if you are looking for something quick and fun.

My Favorite Time of Day

Let's face it. My days are never peaceful. I have three boys who are constantly on the move. I chauffeur, entertain, supervise, referee, soothe, and much more. Some parts of my day I love more than others. Bedtime offers my favorite time of day.

Now, I don't love bedtime for the reasons you may think. Yes, putting everyone to bed gives the first moment of peace all day. And yes, for once no one is arguing. But that is not what I love about it. Frankly, it is not even the angelic manner in which they look as they have fallen asleep although, admittedly, I love watching them sleep even still!

What I love the most is our nightly ritual of reading books together.

No matter what has occurred throughout the day, bedtime is the one time that we snuggle close and share a common bond of finding out something new in a story. For many years I have these same fond memories of when my mom read to me and my sister, Tif. Now I find myself reading some of the same stories to my little boys that mom read to us. (Ramona, James and the Giant Peach, Ralph and the Motorcycle, The Littles, etc) I even find them saying the same things we said to mom. "Plllleeaassse read one more chapter before you turn off the light." "What is going to happen next? Keep going!" I love that!

I have been reading to the boys before bedtime since they were little babies. When they were old enough to understand, they were able to pick two of their favorite stories for me to read at night. Once Andrew and Brendan were old enough, we began reading chapter books to them nightly. We read about 20 minutes or so an evening.

Last night we were finishing the Dahl novel James and the Giant Peach for the second time. It was Brendan's book pick for the week. I love listening to them laugh at how outrageous the centipede is and giggle at the earthworm's grumpiness. They were scared of the scary Cloud-men who were attacking the peach and were glad to see James' mean aunts punished for being so cruel. They were intrigued at how the book would end and thrilled when all the peach's travellers ended up safe. We shared those emotions together and for one time in the day, we were all completely happy.

Someday I know that the boys will outgrow this nightly ritual, and I will have to find a new way to connect with them on a daily basis. I hope to savor this time for as long as I can. Moments like bedtime remind me how much I love being a mom.

Ten Dollars of Fun?

Unfortunately, in today's world $10 does not always buy what it used to. So, that is why I was somewhat skeptical when Chris told me there was a $10 ice cream social at a golf center near by. He said that you were able to use the various facilities there for $10 during a 5 hour period. It sounded like a rip-off to me!

However, at about 11:00 of that morning I had heard enough complaints at my house about who was hurting whom, who was getting more food than whom, and who was just being mean! So, I decided the $10 was worth a try.

I loaded up the kids and headed to Vitense Golfland to be there at the beginning of the social at 12:00. What follows is a detailed list of what we did between 12-5.

1. We played a super fun outdoor putt-putt course. As always, we are in a race to be the fastest and best, so we did that in record time!

2. Each boy got a small bucket of golf balls, and they went and hit on the driving range.

3. We went to the putting greens, and the boys got chipping and putting tips from a golf pro at the course.

4. They jumped in this apparatus called Hi-Ball, which is essentially an enclosed trampoline where you can play basketball with a partner.

5. We played 9 holes on the Par 3 golf course there. This was great fun! I was so impressed with the boys' ability. Even Evan played almost all nine holes. On the last hole he just sat in the shade and told me he was done. Andrew had a par on the final hole with an awesome ten foot par putt.

6. Andrew and Brendan each had two climbs on a rock wall. It was great fun to see them climb. They were brave enough to go up about 10 feet. If you know my boys, that may as well been Mount Everest because they typically are not that brave!

7. Andrew and Brendan each had a bucket of water balloons to launch at each other in Water Wars. They tended to get themselves more wet than each other, but they had a good time doing it! Evan and I went back later to take on A and B one last time.

8. Andrew and Brendan hit baseballs in the batting cages. I called Chris then (because we were close to his work and it was 4:15 by this time) and he came over and hit balls, too!

9. We had an ice cream snack. For the first time, we tried those Dippin' Dots, Ice Cream of the Future. I have seen them advertised since I was younger, yet I had never tried them. They were decent, but they don't replace the decadence of Wisconsin custard.

10. The boys all drove remote control boats around Vitense's indoor putt-putt course.

11. Each boy had 10 game tokens at the indoor arcade, which won us a blow-up Spiderman, Bottlecap candy, and a handful of Tootsie Rolls.

Exhausted and exhilarated, we used every piece of equipment there. We left having had a wonderful time and gotten fresh sunburns! ( I completely forgot sunscreen, and most of those activities were outside!)

So, was the $10 worth it? Of course! I wish this was more often!

What is the best thing you have ever spent $10 on?

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Let me preface today's blog with a quick note. I am hoping that next school year I will be able to create a blog -- I think it will be in conjunction with our school library-- where I can blog about books that I have read. Essentially, I would like to offer a mini-book review about what I read, while still allowing a forum for students to react and share as well as post their own reviews. We'll see. . . With that said, I am trying out the review format here!

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a book recommended to me by a unique student who doesn't usually recommend books to me. Intrigued, I dove right in!

The story launches with these men hunting a mammoth creature of the sea, thinking it was some kind of giant whale. Soon, through a series of wild circumstances some of these men fall off of their boat and end up on the creature, which they quickly learn is a submarine powered by electricity. The submarine has glass panels where they can view sea life, it has the ability to "launch" men into the ocean to view plant life while wearing dive suits, and it can replenish its air supply daily. While all of this does not sound shocking, it is vital to note that this book was written in the 1880's. WOW!!

The men soon meet Captain Nemo (I just couldn't get the Disney picture out of my mind after that!) who is this great stoic villain working to exact revenge on society. This sci-fi book introduces the reader to places like the South Pole, the city of Atlantis, and a plethora of famous shipwrecks.

I will confess that I skimmed many sections. I felt as if I were drowning in pages about species of plants and animals that used the scientific genus names. I stopped reading those after the first two times. Science has never been my forte!

Ultimately, I felt that the end of the book was abrupt. You follow these characters through an epic journey and it ends with only a page explanation. I wanted more. I wanted to hear exactly what happened to our protagonists as well as our antagonists. Captain Nemo serves as an awesome villain who kept me captivated and left me with more questions than answers. Maybe that is the sign of a good book. . .

Would I recommend the book? Yes! It is on the list of classics and proclaims itself as a science fiction book much ahead of its time!

Tournament

The word "tournament" inherently carries feelings of competition, sweat, toil that ultimately lead to a victor and a loser. Knowing these ideas, I should have been prepared for the tournament that I experienced last weekend. However, I didn't think these concepts would apply to an 8 year old Coach Pitch Baseball Tournament.

About a month ago, Andrew was invited to play on a All-Star Baseball team that travels to various local tournaments. My first reaction was one of excitement and pride for Andrew. As we began going to practices, my next reaction was " these kids are good!" The boys he played with were routinely catching fly boys, picking off a runner on second, and trying to turn a double-play. WOW!

So, I was somewhat nervous going into the tournament last weekend. Again, as we arrived, I was flabbergasted by just how good 8 year olds can be at baseball. From all the teams, kids were hitting the ball in the outfield, turning double plays, trying to stop the run from scoring at home, etc. I was so very proud of everything the boys did.

Yet, with any youth sports I found myself most concerned with the behavior of the adults. One of the coaches on Andrew's team was a "yeller." He was yelling and berating the kids for not knowing where to throw the ball at a moment's notice. He had Andrew near tears as well as a few other kids. I also had an encounter with a mother and father who were discussing Andrew's 2 second indecisiveness in the outfield by using expletives about his throwing the ball. I did not use my best restraint at hearing this; instead, I turned around and scolded them as I would any high school kid swearing in the hallway. I was instantly rebuked and told by the parent to "drop it!" Yikes! What are we teaching these kids??

After I calmed myself down, I did actually enjoy the rest of the tournament. The boys played three games. You could see them playing better each game. (Here is my moment to boast: Andrew played right field and fielded a ball and threw a kid out at first. He also played pitcher in the third inning and was responsible for two outs. He reacted with a Tiger Woods-esque fist pump to end that inning!)

Ultimately, I left the tournament with a new idea of the word. Should a tournament be about blood, sweat, and toil? The kids were having fun and learning. That was what we should focus on at 8. I asked an adult at one point who had won and did the winner get some kind of trophy? His response was "There are no winners today. This is just for fun." Maybe he should have reminded some of the others there that day.

I'm not a writer

Let's get this straight from the beginning.

I'm not a writer.

So, what is motivating me to begin a blog, featuring myself as the main writer? Here are my thoughts:

1. My sister Tiffany began a blog this year about her daily life. I love reading it on a daily basis and seeing the daily occurrences in her family. (I especially love reading about my adorable little nephew!)

2. I am considering adding blogging to the Effective Writing class that I teach at school. I always feel that in order to instruct a skill, I should attempt and understand that skill better. Today's students will better utilize the skill of blogging. I thought thematic blogging would be fun for them to try.

3. I haven't written in a long -- very long--- time. I think that sometime after my junior year in college where I had 7 English classes all year, I began boycotting official writing. My ideas and hands were weary. I would love to give it another try!

Do those reasons qualify me for my own blog? I don't think so, but I'll try my best to offer something entertaining. Our life with three boys is rarely boring, so I imagine that there will be much fodder in my life to comprise a daily post.

So, let's sit back and enjoy the ride!!