Cheekwood

Today, Lawson and Matt went off to enjoy the Titan/Pittsburgh game. While they were at the game, we decided to go to Cheekwood. Brantley decided he didn't want to go. He wanted to stay and watch the game with Pop. When we got back, we found out that Lawson and Matt had told him if he went with the girls to 'Chick'wood, that he would be a sissy. I think he really did want to watch the game though, and he probably enjoyed it more than he would have Cheekwood. I do think he would have liked the trees, but I'm guessing he would have been clamoring to go home the whole time. I had never been to Cheekwood and can't wait to go back when the gardens are in bloom. I bet it's gorgeous. The main house was so pretty and each room had a Christmas tree decorated with a different theme.
The Night Before Christmas

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The Polar Express

The Nutcracker

Why all Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect
The Toy Story
A Christmas Carol

New Favorite Restaurant

Brantley has a new favorite restaurant. Pop and Grandma took us all to Valentino's for Christmas dinner. We sat in the wine cellar section of the restaurant. The ambiance was great, the service wonderful, and the head waiter was very entertaining. He did several card and coin tricks for Brantley. Amazingly, Brantley cleaned his plate. I'll have to add pictures later. It let me add a video but won't let me add pics for some reason.

RIP Hermie (2004 - 2008)

I can't remember if we got Hermie in 2003 or 2004, but we have had him for a long time. Brantley doesn't know yet. Maybe I can get a replacement this week sometime before he notices? I'm not sure what happened. I saw his shell laying empty in the sand in front of the big shell that he liked to hang out in. I was hoping he just finally changed shells, but picked up the big shell and found him laying there. Rest in peace Hermie.

SNOW!!

I can't remember the last time it snowed this early in the year. We weren't even supposed to have any accumulation. When the weathermen say that around here, you should always assume they are going to be wrong! I left a little early from work on Thursday because it had started snowing. I didn't want to get stuck and not be able to get to Brantley. By the time I got to his school, the snow was already sticking to the roads and the ground was nicely covered. When we got home, my car made tracks in the driveway. By the time Lawson got home, those tracks were gone.

Catchin' up...

I've been bad about posting lately. We had a very nice Thanksgiving. We spent Thursday with my family and Saturday with Lawson's family at our house. Lots of food and family. That's what it's all about, right? We did have some excitement Saturday night after most everyone had left. We noticed that there were fire trucks on the next street, so Lawson and Matt had to go check out what was going one. They reported back that there were 7 firetrucks, 3 police cars, and 2 ambulances. With all that commotion, I expected to see the house burned down the next day. We drove by the next day and couldn't tell that anything had happened. The only indication that something had happened was the ServPro truck parked outside the house. I'm guessing it was just a kitchen fire. Hope I get that kind of response if I ever have to call the fire department.

Basketball season has started. I'm letting Brantley play so he can get some exercise during the winter. He's not been wanting to go though. Once he gets there I think he has a good time. He even scored a basket to tie up the game today. They were tied with less than 2 minutes left but ended up losing bringing there record to 1 and 1.

You make a loop de loop and pull....

Having Brantley learn to tie his own shoes has not really been a top priority. Most of the shoes for his age don't have laces or even velcro. They just slip on so there hasn't been a push to tie shoes. I've tried a few times to teach him and got so frustrated that I quit every time. I finally decided that he was going to learn to tie his shoes this weekend and he did. It's one of those things that so simple yet so tough to teach. It finally clicked for him and he can tie a perfect shoelace bow now. The whole thing reminded me of the spongebob episode where he forgets how to tie his shoes. There's a cute song in that episode about tying shoes. Here are the lyrics.

Want to learn how to tie your shoe?
It's a very easy thing to do.
Sit on down and I'll give you the scoop.
What's that?
It's called the loop-dee-loop!
You take a lace in each hand.
You go over and under again.
You make a loop de loop and pull,
And your shoes are looking cool.
You go over and back,
Left to right,
Loop de loop
And you pull em tight.
Like bunny ears
Or a Christmas bow.
Lace em up
And you're ready to go!
You make a loop de loop and pull,
And your shoes are looking cool.
(Instrumental solo)
You make a loop de loop and pull,
And your shoes are looking cool.

School Lunch

Last week I missed the Thanksgiving lunch at school so I told Brantley I would come to have lunch with him on Monday. When I walked in that cafeteria, all the memories came back. I swear it smelled exactly the same as the cafeteria at my elementary school. I did find it interesting that they had plastic utensils and styrofoam trays. I guess they figure those are better that washing all of the real utensils and the hard plastic trays and plates. The lunch wasn't bad though. We had baked chicken nuggets and a wheat roll. I had a baked potato and Brantley had broccoli. I was surprised that Brantley ate everything on his plate. We also had chocolate milk. I love chocolate milk. :)

Movie Review: Madagascar 2

I took Brantley to see the new Madagascar movie last weekend. It looked cute from the previews, but I must say that the first one was better. Half-way through the movie Brantley asked if we could go home. He was tired, but I think even he was bored with the movie. When we got home he said he liked the movie, but I don't know if he really did. I didn't. Final verdict. Save your money and if you must see it, rent it on DVD.

We now return to our regularly schedule programming....

I went back to work today. Yippee. Just in time for all the holiday hustle and bustle. I had hoped that I would have all my Christmas shopping done online while I was on medical leave, but I didn't. I did do some browsing online, but I just couldn't seem to make any decisions. Brantley hasn't decided what he wants for Christmas so I'm not sure what we will be getting him.

Breakin' - courtesy of the Huskey Dawg

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The Queen And King (A story by Brantley)

There once was a king named king neptune. He lived in greece.He was a very mean king. He lived with a queen named queen nepeta.She was very nice way nicer then the king. But the king was very mean to queen nepeta. King neptune was born in 1418 and queen nepeta was born in 1420.There castle was very fancy.There casle had 150 rooms in it.It had a big dungeon.It had a very big army.It had a very big battlefield.It had 1000 big horses.It had 5000 army men.There first war was in 1438.they won the war.There second war was in 1450.They lost the war.There third war was in 1468.They won the war.There four war was in 1478.They won the war.There fifth war was in 1481.Tey won the war.There sixth war was in 1489.They won the war.There seventh war was in 1493.They lost the war.There eighth war was in 1497.They lost the war.There nineth war was in 1501.They won the war.There tenth war was in 1505.They wonthe war.There eleventh war was in 1509.They won the war.There twelveth war was in 1513.They won the war .There thirteenth war was in 1517.They won the war.There fourteenth war was in 1521.They lost the war.But sadly the king and queen died in 1525.The queen was 105 when she died.The king was 107 he died.

The Election

Yesterday was 2 weeks from my surgery so I'm allowed to drive now. Brantley didn't have school yesterday so we got up early to go vote. Lawson had early voted but I didn't get to. My voting location was Brantley's school so it was really close. I remember my mom taking me when I was little so I think it's important to introduce our children to the process. Brantley had already been talking a lot about the election. They had a mock election at his school so he got to vote. We both got 'I voted' stickers. The touchscreens are just not as fun as the old booths used to be. I remember going in and closing the curtain, making your selections and then pulling the lever. Brantley didn't get to experience that but he still thought it was cool. And, it only took about 30 minutes which was about all I could take standing in line.

Happy Halloween!

Well, I'm a couple days late. I didn't really get into the Halloween spirit this year. Brantley still had a good Halloween. He got to go Trick-Or-Treating with Carson and went to a Halloween themed birthday party. This year he went as an alien.

Game 13: Blue Sox Vs. Team 10

Quick post tonight as I must be getting ready for tomorrow. Blue Sox won 8 to 5. Brantley had a couple of really nice hits. He got on base for the first, but got out at first base on the second hit. He also struck out in the middle. But, he didn't cry when he struck out. He did, however, get upset when he got out on first. He said he wasn't out and he said the kid on first called him a name. Last game is Saturday.

Game 12: Blue Sox Vs. Team 11

This is the only team that we play twice this season, and it's the only team where we have had controversy. Tonight was no different from the first game, except that the game ended with a score of 7 to 5 with us winning. They called one of our players out when he wasn't and John Luke had his foot on first base, caught the ball and they called the kid safe. I'm not sure what is up with that team. We actually can't call it a win technically because the game was called due to an injury and the lights went out. One of our boys took a ball to the mouth. He has a busted lip and it chipped a baby tooth. We were worried that it was a permanent tooth but the word came around that it wasn't. Thank goodness. Brantley got 2 outs when he played first base. His batting wasn't up to par tonight though. He got a hit his first at bat but got out at first. He struck out his next two and was extremely upset. Only 2 more games to go.

Game 11: Blue Sox Vs. Team 12

Brantley's second grade musical program was yesterday. I was travelling for work so I will have to rely on a review from dad. He did take a video but I haven't had a chance yet to watch it. As a side note that you all will get a good laugh at, I haven't been feeling well and I actually had to utilize the barf bag on the plane coming back. That was a first for me and so embarrassing.

On to today's game. The game started out a bit shaky for Brant. I thought he was going to lose it with his third at bat after striking out on his second at bat. But, he persevered and hit the ball. He got 2 RBIs with that hit. The game ended up tied at 7 and they didn't play the 6th inning because of time. Had it been spring ball, the 6th inning would have to have been played. Then, after the game the kids had one thing on their mind--cupcakes. It was Carson's birthday and it was their day for snacks so they brought cupcakes. Yum Yum!

Game 10: Blue Sox Vs. Team 5

Thursday was game 9 versus team 8. It was another great win for the Blue Sox with a score of 16 to 7. Brantley hit a triple with the bases loaded for 3 RBIs.

Today's game was a disappointment. The guys are just not morning players. Brantley had his worst game ever. He played catcher first inning and got hit in the knee with the first pitch. Coach pulled him out of the game and Jay took his place at catcher for the first 2 innings. Then, the next 2 were the innings Brantley was actually supposed to sit the bench, so he only took the field for the 5th and 6th innings. He was third base and the ball never came his way. He struck out with each of his three at bats. He said he struck out on purpose the first one so he wouldn't have to run because his knee hurt. It was all down hill after that. The Blue Sox did win the game with a 7 to 3 final score. I blame the bad performance on the school fundraiser. Half the team was at the school carnival last night and I think they were just tired.

Game 8: Blue Sox Vs. Team 9

The Blue Sox move to 6 and 2 with another win today. They won 11 to 7. Brantley played well in the field and had some good hits. Everyone was hitting and fielding well. They even had a couple double plays in the field. I took a couple pictures today. Once I get them in the computer, I'll update this post with them.

Game 7: Blue Sox Vs. Team 2

Brantley had one of his best games fielding tonight, but the Blue Sox lost, 16-11. We were up 5-0 after the first inning. But, we quickly lost our momentum. Brantley struck out his first at bat and played catcher the first 2 innings. Then, he got to play pitcher and he caught his first pop fly! He got another out by throwing the ball to first base and connecting with John Luke. (well, he told me it was John Luke, I wasn't sure) He also played well at Right Center backing up second base. He was hustling out there. He got the MVP award tonight so his picture is on the coach's blog until Saturday. Click here to check it out. Brantley thought it was cool.

Fun with Reading

Brantley loves Dr. Seuss books. One of his favorites is Green Eggs and Ham. I've always tried to to read emphatically to him and he has picked up on this. I'm really proud of how he reads when he reads out loud. Tonight we read together Oh Say Can you Say Dinosaur - which is not an original Seuss work but it follows the same style. It's cool to see Brantley really get into a book. Then, we read Green Eggs and Ham together. I thought it would be fun if I read Sam I Am's part and Brantley read the unnamed character's part. I know you are probably thinking, "Whoopee." It was really a lot of fun and Brantley enjoyed reading it that way. I think it helps him understand the meaning behind what he's reading better. I think he just reads words at this point and doesn't always understand what he's reading. Of course, I could be underestimating him.

Gas

Time for a non-Brantley related post. Because of hurricane Ike, our area is suffering a gas shortage. I've never seen anything like it. I went Thursday evening to the Eagles concert with a friend. He needed gas in his car so we drove up through Green Hills. (As a side note, it's a G35 and I have to have one!) I guess he remembers when this happened in the 70s. Every station was empty and his fuel warning said 17 miles remaining. I just knew we would be walking. We must have gone by 15 stations, all empty but finally found one. We had to wait for a while, but finally got a full tank. Because every pump was going, the pumps were extremely slow. I called and told Lawson he needed to go up to the station I saw earlier and get gas, but he didn't listen. He passed up 3 chances on Friday to get gas and got home on fumes. Yesterday, Lawson's tank was empty and I only had half a tank, so we drove my car to baseball and had the gas can in the car in case we saw some gas available. After we got home, Carson's mom called and was in line at a gas station and said Lawson should get there quick before the line got worse. He actually listened this time and went. An hour later she called and said she finally got gas and Lawson was about 4 cars behind her. Sounds like they only had a couple pumps going and it was taking 20 minutes to fill up one vehicle. I'm glad I got gas last Sunday, but now I have a little under a half tank. It should get me to Wednesday or Thursday and hopefully the problem will be resolved by then. The biggest problem is people are hoarding gas. They are taking gas cans a filling them, or getting gas when they still have 3/4 tank. Come on people. You are the reason why this is happening. Everyone panicked last weekend and thought they had to get gas and the stations ran out. If they had just followed their normal need, this would not have been so bad. I got gas last Sunday, but I was almost on E.
All this crisis makes you think about the things you can do differently. Now, I kinda wish I had gotten the Prius instead of the Accord. But, as I have learned recently, a Prius might not be a good choice for me because I'm not in the car very long with my commute, usually only 10 or 15 minutes. It seems that if you don't drive very far, your battery never really gets a full charge and it shortens the life of your battery. Kinda like how you are supposed to let your cell phone battery go all the way down and charge it all the way at one time to extend the life. Hence, my 2 1/2 year old car had to be towed because the battery wouldn't even jump. I'm guessing I wouldn't get the full benefit of a Prius because it would be running on gas most of the time since it wouldn't have time to charge the batteries and it would also hurt the battery life. Oh well, I'm not giving up that short commute any time soon.

Game 6: Blue Sox Vs. Team 1

The team got off to a rocky start this morning. Apparently, we are not a morning team. We didn't even get through our batting order until the third inning. Brantley only had 2 at bats. He hit a nice grounder on the first but didn't get on base fast enough. But, his second hit was a double with 2 RBIs. That got him, and the rest of the team, pumping. It's funny to see how the team acts in the dugout when they get excited. I love seeing the high fives and helmet pats. The Blue Sox won 10 to 7.

Game 5: Blue Sox Vs. Team 6

WOW! That's about all I can say. The game tonight was amazing. All of our guys were on tonight. Brantley hit a triple with a grounder to the fence. It was awesome. He also threw 3 outs. One was from the outfield in. I didn't see it, but Lawson said it was an impressive throw. He had a couple of other really good throws but the connection with the other player didn't happen. The Blue Sox won 17 to 8. I don't think anyone has told the coach any of the scores, but he knows they are doing well. You can tell he's loving it. I really like these coaches because they are always stressing having fun and being good sportsmen. They give a run down after the game and recognize good plays from everyone. And, for encouragement, they announce an MVP instead of giving a game ball. Brantley didn't get the MVP tonight, but he says he's working hard so he can get it. He understands that a break out game for him is different from a break out game for a less experienced player. And, it doesn't hurt when the coach tells him he had the ESPN highlight. I think that's what Brantley said he told him during the before game practice.

Game 4: Blue Sox Vs. Team 7

Another stellar performance by the Blue Sox. I'm sure everyone thinks I'm exaggerating, but Grandma and Pop can back me up. They are there every Saturday to cheer the team on. No strike outs for Brantley in this game. It was kind of a downer though because on two of his hits, a base runner got out and it was the third out. I also felt bad for the other team because their coach was having a bad pitching day. When the assistant coach came out to pitch, they were hitting but our guys were on and got them out at first. It was some impressive baseball. The Blue Sox won 11 to 1. Our assistant coach summed it up in the after game time by saying, "Now, that was baseball!"

Game 3: Blue Sox Vs. Team 10

Brantley had 4 at bats, 2 strike outs and 2 really good hits. Unfortunately, the strike outs happened the first 2 at bats and had his confidence down. All it took was 1 contact with the ball to bring him back, even though it was foul. You can tell in his stance when he's confident and when he's not. He had a really good catch at first base, although the runner got there before the ball. I told him that was still a really good play. The runner was just faster than the ball. By my count, the score was 14 to 12, Blue Sox won.

Game 2: Blue Sox vs. Team 11

We tried again to keep track of the score. I think we decided that we were down by one at the end. However, there was some controversy on a couple of innings, one of which I'm 99% sure they got to have 4 outs instead of 3. So, unofficially, we are still unsure of the score. Oh well. Also, I forgot my camera so no game highlights today. For those that remember James from the Spring, he was on the opposing team. His mom came over and said James had struck out each time and was on the bench crying. He pulled it out in the end and got a hit, thank goodness. That would have been a long ride home if he hadn't got it. Brantley had his first strike out today. And, as I suspected, was on the bench crying. I went over to talk to him and John Luke even gave him a pep talk. John Luke played in the 7/8s this past spring so he's a seasoned player. His mom said he had plenty of strike outs before. Now, I think he should be playing up in the 9/10s. He a little taller than Brantley and weighs 90 pounds (Brantley weighs 52 for a comparison). He can get every bit of his weight behind the bat and can really hit. So, even though I guess we lost, great game Sox!

Game1: Blue Sox at Team 12

Tonight was the season opener. We don't get an official team name in the fall, so the team came up with their own name. This season, we are the Blue Sox. Tonight was an amazing game, full of excitement. I talked to Brantley before the game about striking out. I was worried that he would strike out his first at bat and have a meltdown. I was worried for nothing. He didn't strike out even once. He even hit a double with 3 RBIs. Since fall is for practice, the umps do not keep an official score, but some of the other moms and I had to keep up with it. We won 21 to 12. I think everyone got at least 1 hit during the game. There were also some nice plays out in the field. I took a couple of video clips but I haven't looked at them yet. If I got anything good, I'll post it later.

Update - I did get his double with 3 RBIs on video....

Coco Chanel Freeman

Please welcome the newest member of the family. We dropped her off at the vet yesterday so she could be spayed and also have a microchip implanted. (Hey, I'm not spending all this money on her and have her get lost!) She stayed the night and we picked her up this morning. The vet complimented her on being so well behaved. She even had a bath without any problems and looked so happy when the vet brought her out. They tied the cute bandanna on her. We are supposed to keep her from being too active for the next couple of days. It seemed really hot in the garage so I let her in the basement. We can close the door and keep her pretty confined. So far, I must say that I think she is house trained. She has to take an antibiotic and a pain med for a few days. It's much easier to give her medicine that it is our cat. With the cat, you can shove it half-way down her throat and she's still not going to take it. For the dog, we have these treats that you put the medicine in. She loves them! That was even easier than giving medicine to Brantley. Brantley is getting used to her but he's still not very confident with her. But that didn't stop him from napping with her this afternoon.

Dog Update

The dog is definitely not used to being on a cable. She keeps getting tangled up. Yesterday, she got wrapped around one of my rose bushes that I planted earlier this year and ripped it out of the ground. I went out to replant it - in the rain I might add - and she was all excited and was running around. She ran all around me and the cable caught me behind the ankles and down I went. Not a pretty sight. Today, she was wrapped around the rose bush again. I saw it when I got home and it was still in the ground. But, she was so excited to see me, out it came again. So, I replanted it, once again. I think it will be okay since the ground was so muddy from all the rain recently. I think the root cause of her getting tangled around it is that she likes to drink out of the bird bath. No matter that she has clean water specifically for her, she prefers the bird bath. So, I moved the bird bath in hopes of preserving my rose bush. We'll see what happens.

On another note, it looks like Brantley has decided on Coco Chanel for the dog's name. When we were thinking about Cocoa as a name, Grandma had asked me if were going to spell it like Cocoa or like Coco Chanel. Brantley had already been asking what the dog's middle name was going to be, so when I told him the name Coco Chanel, he liked it. He's been calling her Coco and sometimes Brown Dog. She really doesn't answer to either though. Once the weather gets better, I'll take some more pictures of her.

We have a dog.

Well, I guess it's official. We are keeping the dog. We took her to the vet this morning and she received a clean bill of health. This was a totally different experience from taking the cats to the vet. We quit taking them a long time ago because it was so traumatic for them, and us. They were always inside and healthy so we didn't feel like we had to put them through that. Scrappy had to be muzzled and would cower growling in the corner if she got down. Pudge wasn't as bad, but they would be mad at us for a week after visiting the vet. The dog was so well behaved. We put her on the leash and let her sit in the back of the CRV. I sat in the back seat and held on to her leash to make sure she stayed in the back. She was a little nervous a first. When we got to the vet, she didn't even let Lawson open the gate, she just jumped out of the window. Not exactly what we had in mind, but she was fine. We found a really nice vet. I went online to find a close one. We thought about going back to where we took Scrappy when she died, but I wasn't really impressed with that place. It wasn't bad I guess, just not the best time to have your first visit somewhere. I liked this new place as soon as I walked in. They had a cage inside the office that had a chinchilla in it. And, the vet had a parrot in her office that would say "Hello Joe." She and her assistant were really nice and the dog took right to them. Actually, I don't think this dog would not get along with anyone. She has such a nice temperment. They took blood and a sample with no problem. She sat up on the table and was just as still as should could by while the vet examined her. She got her shots, flea/tick/worm treatments, and even let the vet clean her ears. I told Brantley the dog was better at the doctor than he is. We guessed wrong on her weight. She weighs 46 pounds. The vet thinks she is a British Labrador and doesn't think she is a mix. She said 3 years old max, probably closer to 2. Because she is post-partum, her fur is thinner and coarser than normal. She's also a bit thinner, but her fur and weight should return to normal once she's on a good food for a while. Another thing I liked about this vet was she didn't push the special foods that you can only get from the vet. She suggested Iams Adult dog food and she said no cat food. They love cat food but it can cause renal failure. I didn't know that. So, we'll most likely be taking her next week to get her spayed. They will also implant a chip while she is under for the surgery. With all the money we are going to end up spending, I'm thinking a chip is a good idea. On a side note, the vet did scan her for a chip and didn't find one. She agreed with us that the dog has been well taken care of. I hope that we don't do all of this, get attached to the dog, and her owner show up. Guess I should take the posting down.

On to other matters, we have to decide on a name. She doesn't really answer to anything yet. I guess she will get used to whatever name we choose. Brantley and I both like Cocoa, but Lawson doesn't. Here's what we have so far:

Brown Dog
Brownie
Cocoa (suggested by Carroll and Rosemarie)
Nicey (Brantley's original)

Help us decide. Make some suggestions!

Dog?

Well, a stray dog has claimed us. I've put her picture out trying to find her home, but no one has claimed her, not that I really expected anyone to. She's a really sweet dog, and well behaved. She's not so big that I can't handle her, but she's not small. She loves to play fetch. We've been calling her brown dog - remember yellow dog from Funny Farm? Brantley really seems to like her and he's trying to learn how to handle her. If we keep her, we need a name. Any suggestions?

That ain't no hummingbird...

I figured out what it is. It's a female downy woodpecker.

School year off to a great start....

Today was the first full day of school. I opened the front part of Brantley's back pack and it was wet. Why would it be wet? Nothing else was in the front part. Then I opened the back part and pulled out his daily folder, his brand new planner to keep track of his assignments, and a water bottle that wasn't completely closed. His project folder was ruined, but that's okay because I can get a new one - it's just a manila folder. His planner was soaked on the bottom. The planner was given to him at school. I went online and it seems I can't order one or get one anywhere. I emailed his teacher hoping the school has an extra we can buy. Then, I spent 45 minutes with a hair dryer drying the pages. Now, the pages are are crinkled at the bottom and won't lay flat. That's what happens when books get wet I told Brantley. He's devastated. He took it to his room and piled as many things as he could think on top of it to try to flatten it. Hopefully, he has learned his lesson (and we can get a new one!).

Vacation

I can't believe I have not posted in a month! July was pretty busy for us. But, summer is now over...school starts back tomorrow. We spent last week in Florida. It was hot and crowded everywhere! We went to the beach a couple times, Busch Gardens twice, and we went to Lowery Park Zoo. We also spent a lot of time in the pool at my aunt's condo. Lawson and Brantley got to go to a Rays game which was pretty cool.

I think Brantley's favorite part was getting wet at Busch gardens. Unfortunately, Brantley is 47 and a half inches tall (with shoes ;)). Had he been 48 inches, he could have gotten on a lot more rides. He did get to ride his first roller coaster, which I recorded with the video camera. Lawson is in charge of the videos, so I'll have to get him to post it. It was the scorpion, which I believe was the first roller coaster I ever rode. And, there were a couple rides that you could stand out side and get wet.

The thing I like about Busch Gardens is that it's also a zoo. We took the train around the Serengeti and this Rhino was so close to us, I thought he was going to charge us. They stopped the train so the Rhinos could move; they have the right of way. There was also a baby rhino that was just a couple months old.

Brantley is a total fish and loves the water. We swam a lot in the pool, and we did get in the ocean some. Here is my little surfer boy. (Click here to see the rest of our vacation photos.)

Happy Birthday Brantley!

Someone's moving in...

Since I don't have any hummingbirds coming to visit the feeders, I decided to put up a bird house. I thought it was too late for anyone to move it this year, but check it out. This happened within a week of putting it up.

Time sure flies

We spent last weekend in Chicago and I'm just now posting about it. It was a big baseball weekend for Brantley. On Friday, he got to go to the cross town classic. For those that don't know, that would be the Cubs Vs. the Sox. It was at US Cellular Field which was nice since he has already been to Wrigley. Unfortunately, the Cubs lost. On Sunday, the boys went to see the Schaumburg Flyers. I guess that team is a couple steps below minor league. Brantley still enjoyed it and came home with an autographed ball. Who signed it? Who knows!

Thursday was Aunt Rosemarie's birthday, so we also got to celebrate her birthday with her and her family. She has a big Italian family and it's fun getting to know them. Rosemarie wanted to have a cornhole tournament, but the weather didn't cooperate so we were stuck inside.

The other highlight of the weekend was the Wii. Brantley had so much fun playing the sports games. He became a pro bowler in no time. Uncle Matt hasn't even achieved that status yet!

I didn't take many pictures, but here is one of the birthday girl with Matt, her mom, dad, and brother and a couple of the boys playing cornhole before the weather turned off bad.

More about Discipline

Last week, I threatened Brantley that if he did not start behaving, I would put him on the list of kids that had to stay back and didn't get to go on the field trip. He didn't believe me that there was such a list, so when I dropped him off, I showed it to him. There are various reasons why kids would be on the list, but Brantley's reason is punishment! The girl at the desk was wondering what I was doing so I explained. I told him sometimes I just don't know what else to take away and not getting to go on a field trip would be good motivation. Of course like everyone else, she was surprised to hear that Brantley even has a behavior problem. At least I feel pretty sure that he behaves for everyone else.

So, this morning after I asked him three times to get up and get dressed, and Lawson went back there to try to get him dressed and he still didn't, I pulled the card. He wouldn't cooperate, wouldn't get dressed, threw a fit about brushing his teeth and putting on suntan lotion. I gave him so many chances and warned him that he would not go swimming. Finally, I had to do it. I told Lawson to put Brantley on the list when he dropped him off. Brantley started crying and was so upset. I left for work because I was already running late. Lawson called me after he dropped Brant off and wasn't happy about having to be the bad guy. He said Brantley went back and sat down and cried.

I felt really bad when I got to work. I kept thinking about calling and telling them he could go swimming, but I didn't. About 11 I got a call. They were confused because Brantley had on his swim trunks and had his towel. The girl that called was the one that I had talked to last week and she said she figured that was what happened. I told her he could go. It had ruined his morning and I felt like he had to have learned his lesson.

He didn't say anything about it when I picked him up. When Lawson asked him about it, he lied and said he didn't go swimming. What was he thinking!! First off, even if I didn't already know, his towel was wet and a dead give away which I pointed out to him. We had to have a long talk about it. Hopefully, he understands. If not, no field trip Thursday. We'll see what happens

Dad's Weekend Update - Father's Day

Well, it was a great father's day. First, Brant wakes we up an hour early - I had wanted to sleep in just a tad... But, an hour later I had a great breakfast and strong latte to get me going!!! Both were made by the best wife ever!!

It was a very relaxing morning and early afternoon as we watched Benchwarmers a few times. I have really grown to love that movie, as has Brant.

We took Mom and Dad to La Paz for lunch. We had some cheese dip and poppers for an appetizer. Brant had some corn doggies and I had the Burrito Gordo with steak and I am still full. Everyone else had some type of quesadilla. We then went back to my parents house and watched some of the US Open.

The real fun happened around 5:00 when we did our shopping at WalMart. I did manage to pick up some Hot Tomales for my evening enjoyment.

The day flew by, but it was very enjoyable. I can't say the same about next weekend... see below... Maybe Brant, dad and I can at least make it to a Sounds game next weekend.

I had planned to begin my research paper this weekend, but that didn't happen. Oh well, I have till the 23rd... That's lots of time :(

Home Run Champ

You didn't think I could leave it at that did you? Saturday was a very exciting day. Brantley was very nervous and worried about not hitting the ball. I tried to tell him just to go out and have fun because no matter what happened, I was proud of him. He puts so much pressure on himself. Don't know where he got that. The running and throwing competitions were uneventful. For the hitting competition, the other team got to his first. They got 5 pitches and the ball was marked where it landed. Before our team got up to hit, Brantley's coach asked me to get 5 balls out of his bag. He wanted the ones that were softer, they feel kinda spongy. Brantley was up first. He hit it long and had the long ball. There were a couple on our team that I thought had a chance of getting one farther than Brantley, but none did. Then, they called Brantley back up. I didn't notice that they made the coach use 5 other balls and Brantley was the only one that hit with the spongy ones. Brian wanted to use those because he thought the kids could hit them farther, but he was supposed to use the harder one. Since Brantley had the long ball, he had to hit again. I was so nervous for him. But, before that, I had told him he had the long ball and I think he relaxed a bit. He got up and was just as comfortable as could be, and he hit it even further! At that point, he had won the competition on his field, but he still had to compete against the winners from the other three fields. I couldn't believe how many people were there watching. All of Brantley's team mates, even the ones who were not on his Cubs team, were excited for him. I was so excited and nervous for him and also proud of him for getting up in front of all those people. But, you should have seen him. By now he was thinking no one could beat him and was very confident. You could see it in the way he held the bat. He was so determined. This time they got 5 swings instead of 5 pitches. I think this is much better because some times the pitches are not good and they don't have a chance. Jett was up first. I have to preface this part by saying that Lawson got on to me about my last post because of how I talked about Jett. I really wasn't trying to be mean, I was only trying to convince myself that Brantley had a chance against this kid. Jett had a couple decent hits (and he hit Kurt who was pitching to him). His long ball was in the outfield just short of the fence. Brantley got up and was so confident. He fouled a couple and had a couple of strikes, but he didn't let it get to him. Then, on his fifth swing, he hit it. It landed in the outfield, just short of the fence. I had kept quiet up to this point, but after that I screamed! I didn't care if he had won or not because it was an awesome hit. Then, I saw Kurt remove Jett's marker. Brantley's ball went further. There was some confusion at the end I think because Brantley's jersey says Brant and Kurt (since Brantley went by Brantley went Kurt coached him) was referring to him as Brantley and they thought it was the other kid Frankie that had won. But, the confusion was put to rest and Brantley won. He was so proud of himself. Out of 90+ kids, he hit the long ball. I had to be a little cocky about it and I told Lawson, "I bet Kurt wishes he had picked Brantley for the tryout team now." I took a few pictures. I didn't take many because I didn't want to make Brantley nervous. I have one before the big hit, on getting ready to accept his trophy, him accepting his trophy, Brantley in the dugout after the ceremony, and last is a picture of Brantley with his new buddy James.

Dad's Weekend Update - May 31st

Being lazy, but like they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Spring 2008 Home Run Champ... Brant Freeman!!

Wish Brantley Luck!

Brantley is playing in an All-Star tournament tomorrow. I hope it's fun. He had practice twice this week with his team and we practiced tonight with Carson. The other night, he fouled one out over the dugout. Tonight, he fouled one out past third base. It was a nice hit, but foul no less. His best hit tonight landed in the grass about 6 feet(maybe less) from the fence. The competition in the morning includes a running, homerun, and throwing competitions. I was worried about the homerun competition since I know that Jett is competing, but then Brant's coach told me they get 5 pitches, they mark them where they land, and that's it. If Jett hits anything like he did when we played his team, he won't get one off. So, Brantley does have a chance. After those competitions, we'll be playing a game. Supposedly they are not keeping score, but what's the point of an All-Star game if you don't keep score?

This is Classic!

Brantley spent the day with his friend Carson since there was no school. I'm not sure what they did today, but this is what happened about 6:00.

If you listen closely, you can hear Brantley say "Okay, I'll start the movie."

Baseball is over...

Another season is over. The kids all had a great time and some improved a lot. I feel bad now because Brantley got up to bat and he was trying so hard to hit the ball out of the park, he fouled it back 5 or 6 times (kinda like Jett from a couple games ago). And, I feel bad for saying the parents were not very involved. They gave me a gift card to O'Charley's and a gift card to Cold Stone Creamery in appreciation. And the coach gave me a gift card to Chili's. All in all, it was a very fun season. A couple of the boys were trying at times, but for the most part they were all great. Oh, and the trophy's were the cutest I've seen.

Brantley at Work

Yesterday was the big "Grand Opening" of our new headquarters at my work. We moved in about a month ago and it's still not finished inside, but they had the "Grand Opening" anyway. Since the company just laid off a lot of people, we won't be having the normal summer company picnic that they usually spend a lot of money on. They just combined that with this event so family could come visit the new building. They did have a couple of large inflatables and a rock climbing wall for kids and big kids to play on. We also had a visit from the Chick-fil-A cow. Wow. I can hardly contain myself. We did have hamburgers and hot dogs, but being health conscious, no chips. We also had grilled chicken and turkey burgers with salad and fruit as sides. They did have some cookies and I think I saw a slushie station for the kids. It was supposed to last until 8, but about 5:30 my friend said they were starting to clean up the food so we better get over there to eat. Brantley was playing with his friend Ben and his little brother Chase. Did I mention that his mom now works where I do? She started there about a month after I did. Small world. Anyways, the boys didn't want to go eat, but we made them take a break from playing so we could get something. Brantley was going to split a burger with me, but decided after I got it that he wanted it all to himself, so I just got a piece of chicken and salad. The burger must not have been all that good because Brantley ended up only eating half of it. Of course, that could have been because he wanted to go play. Lawson didn't get off work until 6 so there wasn't any food by the time he got there. Prior to hooking up with Ben and his mom, I had taken Brantley up to the fifth floor. When I told him about visiting my building, he asked how many floors it was. I told him 5. Then he asked what floor I was on. When I told him the top floor, he thought that was cool. Our building has lots of security features and we have 24 hour security guards. They had a guard posted on each floor for the event. As we were walking to my cube, Brantley exclaimed, "Everyone has a white board. This is awesome!" He was so excited about the white boards. I had no idea. That's all he wanted to do when we got to my cube. He drew a couple pictures, erased them, and decided to give me a math lesson. Then, all he wanted to do was math. My co-workers kept asking him to draw a pictures and they thought it was funny that all Brant wanted to do was math. Then, he grabbed one of my notebooks and started looking at a contract. My manager said, "I think all he wants to do is work!" I haven't decorated my cube much yet. We are allowed to do whatever we inside the cube, except no plants and no pets. I haven't really gotten settled because I'm not sure how long I am going to stay here. I've been considering looking around. It's been a year now and I'm not feeling like this company is a good fit for me. Who knows though.

Quotable Quotes

I was so riled up last night that I forgot about the quotable quote. After I took Brant out and got him in the dugout, I asked, "Did it mainly just scare you?" To which Brantley exclaimed, "NO, it just HIT me!" He was not a happy camper.

Ranting and Raving

Alright, if you don't want to hear me ranting and raving like a lunatic, stop reading now. If you enjoy listening to a good rant every now and then, read on!

Baseball is almost over. Only two more games after tonight's debacle. Tonight we played Jett's team. Jett is the kid at the tryouts who hit it out of the field 4 times. Brantley is very impressed by this kid. I was interested in seeing the kid play. So, when he was at bat, I paid attention. And I counted. Seven, yes seven!, foul balls. Three no contact. Any other kid would have been on the T. I'm all for playing the game and having the kids follow the rules. I think we have done them an injustice by not following the rules and teaching the outs and what not. But, I have a problem with coaches that want to play the rules but make exceptions for their "Star" player. Of course, the eleventh pitch was hit and went out of the field. I say, put him on the T. Make him learn to hit the ball, not just to try to hit it out. You can't get on base if all you hit is fouls. Of course, Lawson said it would have been dangerous to put him on the T, and he's right. Brantley had some good bats. Two grounders out to the fence and one dud that landed in front of the coach. But, I must say Brantley's attitude was better. He didn't let it bother him and he still ran hard to the base.

It was a rough game. A couple of kids got hurt in the outfield. The second inning catcher got nailed by a ball to his bicep. After that happened, I shouldn't have sent a catcher out for the third inning. But, Brantley was up to be catcher and he wanted to do it. I warned him that he needed to move back when Jett got up to hit. He did, but it wasn't enough. Jett fouled it right into Brantley's chest. Not sure how it really happened, but coach said the other coach pitched it and Jett tipped it but it went back. Even though he had the gear on, it knocked the wind out of Brantley and I pulled him out. There was only one batter left I think.

In the beginning I called the game a debacle, but it really wasn't. Our kids were getting out after out. I don't think the other team ever had the bases loaded. I know Brantley got a couple outs. James caught a pop fly that was pretty awesome. There was some other great teamwork going on that got some great outs. They all played really hard and they loved it!

Dad's Weekend Update - May 10-11th

Apologies for not doing this past two weekends. Though, I am not sure if many would notice :). Anyway, this will be short and sweet. I am back in school and taking two classes this summer. Last Monday we met until 11:00 pm and as usual I waited till the last minute to do my homework and believe me there was a lot. Also, we are meeting twice this week. I know, pour me a wine-e-kin...

Well, Brant continues to improve everyday in baseball. He is hitting the ball quite a bit further most every at bat - all the way to the grass in the outfield. Though, when he doesn't quite get that "good" hit he pouts and doesn't pay attention in the field. But, we are working on that.

Speaking of baseball, maybe one day I will go on a rant about some of the opposing coaches, but I'll save that for another day.

I, of course, didn't have my video camera at Brant's last weeknight game... And, of course, he put three deep that game:) But, this is an excellent hit none the less.

To close, I posted some pictures of the breakfast I made this morning for Mother's Day. It was first attempt at waffles... the later ones turned out alot better :) For my mom, we took her [and Dad] to Mello Mushroom for her b-day and Mother's Day...

Ummm, I wonder what Matt did for Mom? :)

Crazy Bluebirds

I was sitting on the couch and heard the familiar thumping on the window, but it wasn't coming from the sun porch. Those crazy bluebirds were at the front door!

Heartbroken

Well, Brantley did not make the team. He did do really well, but they only picked 12 kids out of over 30 that tried out. They were only calling those that made the team, but because the coach knows Brantley, we got a courtesy call. He said that Brantley scored better than most of the kids that tried out, but there were 12 that scored better. Lawson and I both took that to mean Brantley was #13 (I know...probably not). I didn't tell Brantley that he didn't make it. I decided to let him listen to the message instead. The way the coach started the message, Brantley thought he made the team. When coach said he didn't make it, his heart sank. He put his head down while he listened to the rest of the message and he started crying. I don't think he even listened to the part of the message saying how well he did and to keep working at it. He's over it now, though. He really just wants to start playing real games (keeping score, outs) and he will get to do that in the 7/8s, I think. I'm actually kinda relieved. Those tournaments would have been really tough and I don't think he's ready for that yet.

Dad's Weekend Update, April 19th-20th

Well here goes. Brant played injured this morning [seems some kid like using his back as a place to put his knee last night], but that didn't stop him from playing well [would I tell you if he didn't play well?] and receiving his first game ball this year. He did get a tad upset that someone had the nerve to catch one of his hits in the air. Unfortunately my video camera batteries were not fully charged this morning so there is no video from this game, but there will be video for future games.

[4/20] I was thinking about posting a video a not so bright bird who, every morning, attempts to fly through one of the sunroom windows. But, decided to instead briefly speak about Brant's tryout this afternoon. He decided he wanted to tryout for a competitive baseball league this summer. We weren't going to do it, but he talked us into it. Really, he did! It would be a big change from what he and us are use to - keeping score, outs, rules, etc...

Anyway, 33 kids were at the tryout and they are only selecting 12 to play. I am hoping for the best. Though, it really will be a busy month if [when :0)]he makes it.. Vacation will have to be rescheduled, as will his b-day party. They play one game on Friday night and three on Saturday and Sunday! He practiced as well as I have ever seen and in my unbiased opinion he was one of the Top 15!!!

Keep your fingers crossed!!

Till next week.

Edit - decided to add the video. Enjoy!

Shake Shake Shake

I woke up at 4:38 this morning, shaking. Half asleep, I thought It must be me that was shaking. I was very confused, but then I heard the window rattling among other things. It was some pretty significant shaking, but I thought I must be crazy. I wasn't going to say anything, but I asked Lawson in the kitchen if he was up at 4:30. He wasn't. Then, I said it. "I think there was an earthquake this morning." To this he told me I was crazy. Then, not 5 minutes later they were talking about it on the news. Thank goodness. I really thought I was loosing it.

Brantley says we can't have earthquakes here because we are don't have any canyons near us. I think that is what he said, I'll have to ask him again.

Introducing....

OK. I have been meaning to contribute to Brant's blog and have decided now is as good a time as any. I plan on a having a Dad's Weekend Update starting this weekend. For the first few weeks it will more than likely consist of baseball, but has the summer progresses I am sure we will have many other adventures to tell. Stay tuned and bear with me as I begin my blogging experience...

Need a Math Lesson?

Remeber when you learned to add 2 digit numbers and you learned the rule 'carry the one'? Well, apparently, it's no longer called that. It is now called regrouping. Because you have to 'regroup' 10 ones and move them to the tens place.

Baseball

It's that time of year again. We finally had our first game tonight. As usual, the real first game and opening ceremony were cancelled due to the weather. I haven't heard anything about them rescheduling opening day, which I am glad about. With the number of kids they have this year, I can't imagine what a zoo it would have been. I was running the dugout, but I did try to take some pictures while Brant was in the outfield. He played first base during the first inning. I think I made him nervous taking pictures, so I quit. He had some decent hits, but definitely out of practice. He also got 2 outs and caught a ball. I'm not sure if the ball he caught was hit or thrown to him, I just saw the catch. He did look disappointed that he didn't get a game ball and I forgot to talk to him about that after the game. Last year he understood, but I think he has forgotten.

The coach doesn't seem to be taking charge very much, so I have stepped up and tried to be the team mom. Up until tonight, there hasn't been a lot of parent involvement. Tonight, the assistant coach didn't show up, but a couple of dads were helping out. I guess I'll be running the dugout this season. At least it seems like we have a good group of kids. One kid gets very sidetracked, but at least he doesn't have an attitude problem like the problem kid in the fall. Another kid didn't show up for any of the practices and showed up tonight for the first time.

On another note, Brantley's coach recommended him for a tryout 5/6 team. He only recommended one other kid from the team. When I heard that the coach was Brantley's first coach, I didn't have a good feeling about it. But, I emailed him anyway to get the information. He's going to pick 12 kids for the team. They have four 3-day tournaments in June and July. He only wants kids that can be there for all practices and all games. Since we have a vacation planned in June, Brantley would miss the first 2 tournaments. I'm not sure how I feel about him trying out for a team at this age anyway. I've always said I just want him to have fun and enjoy the game and that just makes it too serious. I guess we have to start thinking about things like this. Baseball is going to start to interfere more and more with other plans. The good thing about this league is they all get on a team, but they do have separate tryout teams starting at 9/10. I'm not sure if they do a 7/8 tryout team or not.

Brantley Speaks (with a lisp)

Well today I pulled my tooth out.In the tub.It was exciting.Then I played a joke on my dad.The joke was a cool joke.Dad lets pull my tooth out.

by brant

Earth Hour

Did you participate? We turned off everything in the house. We tried to read by candlelight, but that just wasn't working, so we had to get out the flashlights. I tried to explain to Brantley why we were doing this, but I don't think he got it. He didn't really want to read so he played with my DS. We are thinking about making this a weekly thing, except we will turn off everything except for a reading light. It's nice to turn off the TV and computer and listen to the quiet. We all need to read more anyway.

Check out Detroit during Earth Hour:

Two Capable Men

Back in August, Lawson purchased a basketball goal to put up. He had to get the really nice one that has to go in concrete in the ground. I figured it would sit in the garage for a couple of years. Well, last weekend we put the base in concrete in the ground. The list of things you need to put up the goal included two capable men. First off, it should say two capable people, not men. Secondly, without one smart female, they would still be out there putting it up. I took pictures to prove they actually did do some work. And, we have already been out there playing.

Oh yeah....a Quotable Quote

Babe Ruth has a big part in The Sandlot. Brantley asked, "Was Babe Ruth really the best baseball player ever?" He also said, "Maybe I will knock him down to second." That's the way to think!

Movie of the moment

Brantley tend to watch a movie, like it, and then proceed to watch it every day for a month. The movie of the moment is The Sandlot. It's actually a really good movie. Even though it came out in 1993, this is the first I had seen it. It's about a group of kids who play baseball every day in a sandlot. A new kid moves to town who is a real dork, and they take him in and teach him the game. My only complaint is that the kids do use some bad language during the movie, but Brantley knows he is not supposed to say those words.