Signs Your Daughter is as Softball Player

I was helping Eliza Claire clean up in her room this weekend.  We were cleaning out her closet, getting rid of all her shoes that were too small.  She came to a pair outgrown cleats.  She asked if she could keep them.  She said they had lots of special memories.  They were the cleats from her last year of 8U All Stars and first season of 10U fall ball.  I agreed that she could keep them.

Eliza Claire started to put them back in her closet.  I asked her to hand them too me.  I thought about putting them on her bookcase but then I had a better idea. I tied the laces together and hung them over the rod where a quilt hangs in her room.  She thought that was an awesome place for them.  I remarked that we really should clean them off.  She was emphatic that we were  not going to do that.  

Ready for Softball

Eliza Claire got her uniform today. She immediately wanted to try it on. Her first game is Tuesday. Her team is the dolphins.

I don't know if you can see her socks. They have waves and "dolphins" on them. Given their colors and team name were decided before looking for socks, I thought these were a great choice.



Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Basketball

I've gotten really lazy about taking sports pictures. Here is Eliza Claire playing basketball.






And here is Ruby entertaining herself while Eliza Claire plays basketball.






Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

My Poor Husband

Michael is watching the Aggie game with me. My most recent comment was about how Stoops' sweatshirt makes him look like a random fan that wondered down to the sidelines and grabbed a headset. He doesn't look like a coach at all.

My comment prior to that was about not liking the helmet shields. I understand their purpose but if they are going to wear them they need to be antireflective so I can still actually see the players' faces instead of just the glare of the lights.

I've also complained about all the celebrating and showboating after any halfway decent play. It bugs the crap out of me. This is a team sport, not a "look how great I am sport." Granted this is as much a player coaching issue as a TV issue. If the stations didn't show it they wouldn't do it.

Now I have also commented on how well OU's offensive line is doing at protecting their quarterback and on the need for quicker and better tackling.

And it is only half time. I wonder what else I'll find to comment on before the game is over.

Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Sewing

I got the crazy idea to personalize everyone's softball or baseball bag this season.  We've been playing baseball for seven years now.  I don't know why this season I felt the need for personalization.  It's not like we were losing bags left and right or anything.  In fact Ruby and Eliza Claire both got hand me down bags and the big kids got new bags.  Maybe that is what led to the idea.  I don't know. 

Ruby's bag

Charlotte's bag

Regardless, I got the idea to personalize each of the bags.  Off to Hobby Lobby I went.  I found stick/iron on lettering I liked for everyone.  Only problem was I knew I couldn't actually iron it on the fabrics I had as I knew it would melt.  Not to mention the fact that I like ironing about as much as I like sewing.  I'm horrible at ironing and never iron something without giving myself at least one awful, leaves a scar, burn.

 I was hoping that the stickiness would really be enough to hold it.  It wasn't.  So today I got out the trusty old mending box to sew the stupid things on.

Three stitches in to my first letter I had jabbed a needle all the way to the bone of my thumb and broken a needle!  That is when I remembered why I gave up sewing.  It's not that I don't know how to sew it is just that I don't do it enough to be good and proficient at it.  I grew up in a family with a mother and grandmother who were both great seamstresses.  My mother is currently shaking her head and disagreeing with my assessment of her talent, but she is underestimating herself.  I've never had to do my own sewing.  I don't enjoy it - I think because I always injure myself, or don't have what I need to do a job, or just don't do it frequently enough to have a good routine and work space.

I did not give up today.  I finished Ruby and Eliza Claire's bag.  And watch an episode of season one of Downton Abbey in the process.  I do have to admit that I kept thinking it would have made more sense to take them and have them embroidered but I guess there is some satisfaction in actually completing a project.  I guess...

I have not attached Rehm and Charlotte's lettering, yet.  I'm thinking I will take a Facebook friend's advice and give the old hot glue gun a try.  I can guarantee it will be much quicker.  And, burns are much better than puncture wounds. 



Here are some pictures from one of the treasures from my sewing box.  Yes, I'm sewing with needles from 1965.  Don't be jealous ladies, I also found a spool of thread that had a wooden spool - I'm sure it was even older than the needles.












I didn't make pictures of everyone's bags.  The twins will both be getting their monogram on their bags as I know they will be keeping the bags until the bags are trash.  The big kids are both getting their last initial with stars on either side.  That way when they outgrow the bags they can still be passed down to the little girls without anyone complaining about using a bag with someone else's name on it.  Yeah, I'm cheap and everything gets passed down.  God was even nice enough to give me two lefties and two righties so gloves and all get passed down.

Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

I confess, I've resorted to bribing my children

I try very hard not to bribe my children.  I believe that in most cases there are more effective ways to get them to behave/preform in the desired manner.  Part of me would like to say I'm rewarding them, not bribing them.  Maybe that is true.  At this point, I'm willing to call it bribing and willing to own it.

Charlotte and Rehm enjoy playing sports but they are not motivated to do their best.  They don't love playing sports they just sorta, kinda like it.  Both of them always want to play a sport, I'm not forcing them to play.  But they just don't try very hard.

I really noticed this with Charlotte's hitting this season.  She was not hitting nearly as well as she had in the Spring season.  She would get up to bat and just kind of wave the bat at the ball, but with no real expectation of hitting it nor any real desire to hit it.  It drove me crazy!

She wants a digital camera and is currently saving money to buy one.  I told her that for any fair hit she got in a game I would give her a dollar toward the cost of the camera.  She has gotten at least one hit in every game since then!  Now when she gets up to bat, she actually looks like she cares and tries much harder.  It is working.

Of course Rehm heard about this deal and wanted in on it.  So we are now paying him a dollar per hit toward the 3DS he is saving up for.  He actually has to get on base to get payment.

Since starting this it has cost us $8.  I figure we have about 10 more games in the season so it should cost at most $20 more.  Given the amount of time and energy we are already spending on them playing sports I think it is worth it for now.  I have warned them that over time what they get rewarded for will change.

I wrote the above post prior to last weekend's tournament.  I have now spent more that $8 and have added a new layer to the bribe.  Each child can now earn additional funds(no more than $2 extra) each game, at parent discretion, for such things as sportsmanship, encouraging team mates and hustling. Since instituting this Rehm is definitely moving much faster on and off the field.  The slow paced meander both of my children are prone to drives me absolutely batty. 

Jenn

PS. all pictures in this post were taken through the fence and from considerable distance so please excuse the quality.

Dance Class

I am currently taking a Mommy and Me dance class with Ruby and Eliza Claire.  Yeah, I'm not really sure what I was thinking when I signed us up for this class.  Well, actually, I do.  It was the only dance or gymnastics class at the YMCA that would work with their school schedule and they loved their first dance class so I wanted them to be able to continue.  But I really, really wanted them to take a class that did not include me!Luckily the class is only six weeks long and we are halfway through - though we did miss one class because the girls were sick last week, bummer!

The girls love the idea of me taking the class with them. The reality is a bit different though.  When actually in the class Eliza Claire is usually somewhere half a room away from me, dancing her heart out, completely oblivious that I am there; and Ruby is in a puddle on the floor mad because I won't hold her for the entire class!  I am busy trying not to completely embarrass myself and set a good example of participating for the girls.  Did I mention the class takes place in a room with several large windows facing the main walkway inside the Y?  Oh and when you are well past 30, haven't taken a dance class since you were in elementary school, and have no natural sense of rhythm preschool dance class is, well, um, hard!   Between being on tip toe for the majority of the hour and trying to have "ballerina" posture I leave the class very sore.

To answer the questions I know you are dying to ask:  The class is only ballet.  I don't have to wear a leotard (thank God!) or ballet shoes. I don't know if there will be a demonstration at the end or not but if there is you will not be invited and no pictures will be taken.  And, yes, on the whole I'm very glad I moved waaayyyy out of my comfort zone and did this with my girls.  I only hope that one day the appreciate the physical sacrifice and loss of dignity I have suffered for them.

Jenn

First Dance Class

Ruby and Eliza Claire are taking a six week ballet class at the YMCA.  Their first class was yesterday.  They both had a great time and are looking forward to going back next week. 

The rest of the photos were taken through the window making for some strange reflections. 

Observations of Six Year Old Softball

Coach Lisa giving Charlotte a few pointers

Contact!

Go ball, go!

Facing the outfield!

Playing in the dirt

Are we done yet?

Really, are we done?

Yum.  This glove is tasty.  Think I want a steak when the game is over

Pretending to look for a fly ball.

Pretending to catch

Running for the ball.  It had been thrown to her but it was overthrown and she missed it

Still running.

Trying to tag the runner out

Doesn't she look scary?  The runner seems to think so.

So how you doing? 

Charlotte is really enjoying this softball season.  She does great for the first half of the game and then she is done!  Especially with the 7:15 games.

Did you know that if you go to Target and spend $20 on sand toys your three year olds become the most popular kids to play with at the ball field and they don't bother you for an entire game?

Overall it is a good season so far.
Jenn

Basketball Fix

Getting our Freebirds fix before the game

Yep, even Cookie Monster was at the game. Apparently there was some obscure basketball related reason, all I know is the girls thought it was awesome that he was there.

So it isn't the Dean Dome and it isn't the Tarheels, but it is college basketball and tickets are a bit more readily available and affordable. We had a great family day hanging out watching the Aggies play.