On the softball field

People often ask how (or why) we can spend all of our free time each summer running the kids from field to field, covered in dirt with sun-kissed skin and sweaty clothes.  

We usually chuckle at the question; we truly couldn’t imagine life any other way. This has been a part of the girls’ lives for as long as they can remember, and they love every second of it. (And Lincoln is just starting his adventures on the field) 

The sense of community, the friendships, this is their home away from home. And frankly, ours too. We look forward to the weekends just as much as they do. Gathering with the other families before, or in between games: Bloody Mary bars, “safety meetings”, Fitness Plus, we have created so many memories with each team. 

I recently read that if your family doesn’t look forward to the weekends, you haven’t found the right team. 

I’m thankful beyond words for both girls finding their right teams. 

It is behind those backstops that Ryan and I are making just as many memories as the girls in front of the backstop. And we are very aware that at some point, it will come to a screeching halt. So for now, we are going to soak in all it has to offer us. 
Giant Freeze pops included :) 

So while we laugh about horrible chalk lines (foul, fair, foul, fair), inquire about who has the best chair, or decide who packed the best cooler "dude, your mom hooked you up!", there is no where on earth we would rather spend each weekend. 

These girls and their coaches make some amazing teams and we are grateful for their dedication and drive to help them improve not only as a player, but as a human. 

Because we know it's not always about softball skill, it's about the life skills. Learning to be a great member of a team, learning how to work through difficulty and picking each other up when feeling down.

It's about greeting the umpire behind you during warm-ups, introducing yourself and not being shy to politely ask why a pitch was called a ball and not a strike. 

It's about taking control of your infield and hollering out plays, not being afraid to let the crowd hear you.   

Win or lose, at the end of the day, it's about feeling like you belong. 

Our home away from home. 

On those dirt fields, with sun-kissed cheeks and sweaty clothes. 

 

Outdoor fun

We've been spending a LOT of time outside this winter: sledding, skating, you name it, we're doing it. And by "we", I mean ALL of us! I'm not one to love winter weather, but I'm embracing it because it's about the only way we can see other humans :) I'm even sporting a battery operated heated vest to keep me warm! 

Lincoln is a pro going down the big hill near our home. He loves going off the jumps that the big kids have created!

Everyone (and their brother) has been frequenting the frozen Centennial Lakes for some skating. It's big enough to keep our distance although the ice can be a bit a bit rocky sometimes. Lincoln loves to dodge people (aka: cut them off!) while he and Ryan are playing tag, weaving in/out racing up and down the ice. 

Regan convinced her softball teammates to trek down to the local sledding hill and join in some sledding and ice skating outdoor fun. Thankfully we didn't have to call Coach to report any significant injuries! Her bubble is incredibly small these days. And if she is spending 6 days/week with these girls, might as well get together outside for some fun! 

My little dare devil wants so badly to be successful in snowboarding the hill. I wish he'd try a smaller bunny-hill to start out. He's doing quite well! Might have to take him to the ski hill next! 

 If we're going to continue spending all this time outside, I may have to also invest in battery-powered socks and gloves! 

Two months in: COVID19

Well, its been almost two months since we have sheltered in place and stayed home. The last time the kids were inside the walls of their school was Friday, March 13th. 

It's now May 9th.

We've cleaned and sorted, organized and discarded. 

We've played and discovered, walked and biked.

Oh, and watched a lot of screens: because, well, we're bored. 

Regan got so bored she asked if she could clean the grill. 

Here's some soap, water and rags-go for it. 

The girls have had their moments, but we're watching them bond a little more everyday. And sometimes, while on a walk, they purposely walk ahead or behind so we don't hear their top secret conversations. 

Lincoln still hates online learning. His teacher sent me a note to let me know that distant learning just isn't designed for kinders. And I whole-heartedly agree. He needs his friends. He's spent 6 years interacting with playmates/school buddies. And now we're asking him to learn from a tablet. 

The other day he laid upside down, half off the couch, kicking me with his flailing legs as he tried to get comfy. And did his homework in this position. 

Whatever. 

It got done before 8pm so I called it a win. 

We taught Regan how to ride Ryan's scooter in a nearby empty parking lot. She was hesitant at the start, and by the end was going "full-rottle" (as Lincoln would say) and giggling as she cruised past us. 

You can guess what she wants next year on her 15th birthday. 

Without our weekends filled with sports and tournaments, we have checked off the boxes on so many house projects. Last weekend, Ryan put on his brave pants for me and climbed on the roof to paint the shutters above the garage. 

Side note: he doesn't know how to paint. And really has never painted anything in our home.

 I was thankful not to climb on the roof and happy he made it down safely. 

Meanwhile, the kids and I got busy pulling back rock, adding dirt and pushing the rock back in place around the house. It was labor intensive and I was happy for their eager help. 

Sidney and I painted the entire main floor (thankful for curbside pick up at Sherwin Williams so I could easily order paint without going into the store). She painted her name on the wall; we made Ryan move his work station for the afternoon and he loved us for it (can you tell?!). For the record, this work from home is not easy for us!  

We ordered long boards for the girls which has proven to be super fun for them to learn and bring along on our walks. I managed to impress Ryan will my long board abilities as I zipped through the empty parking lot as well. I've had some good teachers. 

Ryan can barely stay on it while sitting, so when he races the kids, they have to all sit. HA! 

My mom bought Regan this bownet for her last birthday, and it might have been the best gift ever. Little did we know at the time just how much use we would be getting from it. We are constantly backing the cars out of the garage so she can hit into it doing tee-work. And after taking a hit directly to the face (I covered up but still took a hit), we now take it across the street regularly and hide behind it for hitting practice. 

This line drive whizzed directly past Ryan as he jumped behind the net. 

This isolation has not been easy on the kids. They miss their friends dearly, they see them on social media hanging out with other people, but ours know we need to take this seriously.

So when they ask us to do things like an impromptu fire in the back yard, we are quick to agree.

I continue to be so proud of them for holding strong and hanging in there. 

One of Lincoln's optional assignments this week was to head to the pond next to his school and explore. He needed a break one night after I finished work so I took him on a date night bike ride and we rode to the school. 

It was so peaceful and gorgeous. I had never been back there, and had no idea it was so big. 

We explored all sorts of things, but the best was seeing TEN turtles sunning themselves on a log. His teacher's video had told us we would see 'something' if we were very quite. I seriously thought those turtles were fake, they were so still! 

Lincoln decided to run up close and prove they were real, 8 of the 10 jumped right into the pond. He is such a boy :) 

Zoom in close and you can see some of the turtles on the logs behind him before he scared them away. 

Might as well take this opportunity and teach her how to drive a vehicle too! She (and the other two kiddos) have a bigger appreciation for how mom and dad drive now. 

The most memorable part was when she tried to park between the lines and was so eager to get out and see how she had done that she forgot to put it into park before getting out. YIKES! 

Needless to say, we need some more lessons :) 

We will get through this, I'm confident. We're holding onto hope that soon we will be able to loosen the reigns a little, see family and friends, and start to define a new normal. 

Until then, we will continue to explore and enjoy our time together. 

Happy 14th Birthday Regan!

Fourteen years ago, this little girl made her debut. She arrived 4 weeks early, unable to feed normally so we used a dropper, but with a set of lungs to let us know she was ready for the world. 

And she hasn’t stopped talking since! 

 

I was blessed to be a mom for the very first time, and in the blink of an eye, now 14 years have gone by. 

 

 

 

It’s so very hard to believe. So slow, yet oh so quick. There really is some truth to the saying “the days are long but the years are short”. 

 

 

Our adorable, chubby cheeked girl is growing up right before our eyes. 

She has an immense love for animals (particularly llamas and dogs), a giant heart that cries crocodile tears of sadness and an uncanny ability to talk and talk and talk. :) She is athletic and adores sports:, long distance running (no sprints!), dance and her absolute favorite is softball. 

 

 

Beyond everything, she is social. Every single school conference since kindergarten, we are reminded that she loves to talk. I cringe because since the 5th grade, she learned how to be social, while getting her work done at the same time. It’s a fantastic life long skill, but one that most of her classmates have still not yet mastered, and as such, can be distracting to them. She easily makes friends, always trying to help the new kids. She floats around, having all sorts of groups of friends. Her coaches and teachers clue us in that these traits (though challenging at times), make her a true leader. And those comments make me proud :) 

 

 

 

 

 

Her most recent realization has been that she will graduate high school in just 4 short more years. While this life event is so very exciting, she cried those crocodile tears when she did the math and discovered Lincoln would still be in elementary school. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her math was off, and he would actually be younger than she calculated. Her fear is he will forget her, she’ll become a stranger that shows up on holidays....(we are a tad dramatic over here!).  But I secretly cried right along with her. If 14 years went this fast, imagine how quickly the next four will go. So my advice to her, keep making memories, don't hide behind those screens, and your siblings will always remember their fun big sister!

 

I’m hanging on to every moment over here. Clinging to this sweet girl who drives me batty with her eye rolls and general lackadaisical attitude. This sweet girl I love so fiercely! 

Happy 14th birthday baby girl!

 

Happy 6th Birthday Lincoln

The day after we returned home from Hawaii, Lincoln turned 6 years old. Talk about an understanding manager, letting me take a 2 hour lunch break on my first day back after vacation :)

But I was encouraged long ago to take advantages of these moments....because I know I'm going to miss this time.

So I grabbed him Subway and met Ryan for lunch at school. Lincoln man was over the moon to have his parents show up at lunch!

For the record, he has asked us to pack up all of our stuff and move to Hawaii; he misses it as much as we do.

 



 

He opened presents and was pretty excited for these gifts from Uncles Ben and Jon.

 

 

And then it was a few more days until his big party day: his first friend birthday party! What a fun experience for this group of boys to run around and get out their energy at Pump It Up.

 

 

Lincoln Ryan, we love you to pieces. You are my favorite snuggle bug and the best caboose to our family. You have an impressive ability to meet new friends, find adventure wherever we go and are always moving! You teach me so much about life and remind me every day to slow down and take in these moments.

Happy 6th Birthday!