This is from an e-mail my Aunt Sharon sent me this morning. Sometimes it's almost like she has ESP and knows right where I'm at. She oftentimes sends me e-mails that speak to exactly how I'm feeling at the time. Enjoy!
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'
Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or
sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.
I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair
of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:
'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Different Strokes
It's funny how different people can be sometimes. Even in your own family, people can be so different and it can leave you wondering which side of the family you favor. As I've gotten older, I have no doubt my personality favors my paternal side of the family -- very Irish, very short-tempered, opinionated, passionate, impulsive, fiercely protective, demonstrative. I don't apologize for that. It is what it is. I lived with my paternal grandparents until my sweet Granddaddy died and then I stayed with my mom and my grandmother until I left to get married, so I was more influenced by them, I guess.
My maternal side of the family is the total opposite. Most of the women (I say women because literally the only remaining male in the family -- blood male, that is -- is my brother and I can include him in that women group because he is quite the diva) are very close-mouthed, passive, genteel types. They are protective, too, but more protective of privacy than anything, I guess. Not the in-your-face protective I tend to be when threatened.
Not meaning anything negative at all by the comparisons. I love my family. It just strikes me sometimes how different I am from them. You know how sometimes when you're a kid and you just feel like you don't fit in anywhere? That's sorta me in my family, the *different* one. Like maybe the big family secret is that I was adopted and that will explain it all! Nobody really agrees with most things I do and I feel certain my actions have been the subject of several dinnertime discussions over the years.
Most days it doesn't bother me because I like being different, blazing my own trails and not apologizing for going my own way. But then there are days or weeks like this week where I do. Sometimes I wish I was more passive, less offended, more private. But even when I try to be, then people ask me what's wrong. So I just figure I'm just me and I go back to my usual, sorta like putting on my comfortable PJs -- it fits.
When I was a teenager, I always thought my dad was like me that way, where he many times felt like he didn't fit in. He just always seemed to *get* me -- like peas and carrots, Forrest. He used to take me everywhere with him, basketball practices, baseball games, even when my mom and brother didn't go. Sometimes when you're an oddball it's nice having another oddball around, I guess.
I don't really know where this is going, but maybe I'm just feeling kinda disjointed because my current oddball buddy is out of town. Maybe it's because it's ball season and everybody is freaking out on the coaches (as usual). And maybe it's just because it's a week away from vacation and I could use one right about now. You know, like in the movie, What About Bob? when Dr. Leo Marvin writes Bob a prescription for a vacation from his problems? That's the kind of vacay I could use, but maybe with a side of margarita!
On a different note, I want to say that Kelsey B. laid down the most beautiful bunt you have ever seen in her last league game of the season last night. She's doing so well this year in softball and she loves her summer buddies. They are so funny in the dugout chanting their cheers with each other (though by the end of a game, the sound of the cheers can make a person want to curl into the fetal position for about 48 hours!). Kelsey sometimes struggles during the school year to find her fit with her homeschool friends, but in the summertime it's like the puzzle is complete when her softball friends are around. It makes my heart happy.
Well, that's it, folks. Sorry to be a little gloomy today. Sometimes writing it all down helps me make sense of it all. Cya soon!
~Peace
My maternal side of the family is the total opposite. Most of the women (I say women because literally the only remaining male in the family -- blood male, that is -- is my brother and I can include him in that women group because he is quite the diva) are very close-mouthed, passive, genteel types. They are protective, too, but more protective of privacy than anything, I guess. Not the in-your-face protective I tend to be when threatened.
Not meaning anything negative at all by the comparisons. I love my family. It just strikes me sometimes how different I am from them. You know how sometimes when you're a kid and you just feel like you don't fit in anywhere? That's sorta me in my family, the *different* one. Like maybe the big family secret is that I was adopted and that will explain it all! Nobody really agrees with most things I do and I feel certain my actions have been the subject of several dinnertime discussions over the years.
Most days it doesn't bother me because I like being different, blazing my own trails and not apologizing for going my own way. But then there are days or weeks like this week where I do. Sometimes I wish I was more passive, less offended, more private. But even when I try to be, then people ask me what's wrong. So I just figure I'm just me and I go back to my usual, sorta like putting on my comfortable PJs -- it fits.
When I was a teenager, I always thought my dad was like me that way, where he many times felt like he didn't fit in. He just always seemed to *get* me -- like peas and carrots, Forrest. He used to take me everywhere with him, basketball practices, baseball games, even when my mom and brother didn't go. Sometimes when you're an oddball it's nice having another oddball around, I guess.
I don't really know where this is going, but maybe I'm just feeling kinda disjointed because my current oddball buddy is out of town. Maybe it's because it's ball season and everybody is freaking out on the coaches (as usual). And maybe it's just because it's a week away from vacation and I could use one right about now. You know, like in the movie, What About Bob? when Dr. Leo Marvin writes Bob a prescription for a vacation from his problems? That's the kind of vacay I could use, but maybe with a side of margarita!
On a different note, I want to say that Kelsey B. laid down the most beautiful bunt you have ever seen in her last league game of the season last night. She's doing so well this year in softball and she loves her summer buddies. They are so funny in the dugout chanting their cheers with each other (though by the end of a game, the sound of the cheers can make a person want to curl into the fetal position for about 48 hours!). Kelsey sometimes struggles during the school year to find her fit with her homeschool friends, but in the summertime it's like the puzzle is complete when her softball friends are around. It makes my heart happy.
Well, that's it, folks. Sorry to be a little gloomy today. Sometimes writing it all down helps me make sense of it all. Cya soon!
~Peace
Monday, June 2, 2008
Love Me
Thought I'd put a little video up here for JB. He's on travel for a bit and it's been a rough start to the week for me and I'm missing him. When we were first together, he said this would be *our* song. Sappy, but sweet. We even played it before the ceremony at our wedding. I haven't heard it in a long time, but I woke up with it in my head for some reason. So I thought I'd listen to it for a minute.
So (doing my best Casey Kasem), here you go, Kristi, here's your long distance dedication -- Love Me!
Wish you were here, Jose...
~Peace
So (doing my best Casey Kasem), here you go, Kristi, here's your long distance dedication -- Love Me!
Wish you were here, Jose...
~Peace
Friday, May 30, 2008
Memories
I was reading on the web late last night that Harvey Korman had died at 81. For those of you my age or older, you'll remember him from the Carol Burnett show, one of the favorites in my house. It made me so sad to hear the news because I loved to watch that show when I was growing up.
And since my dad's been gone for nearly 23 years now, there aren't a whole lot of memories I can still grasp with real clarity about the time he was here. But I can remember watching Carol Burnett with him. He used to love one of the Tim Conway skits, the one where he was Mr. Tudball and he had the secretary, Mrs. Wiggins. His impression of Tim Conway saying, "Uh, Mrs. DeWiggins," is crystal clear in my memory bank. It still makes me laugh to think about it today.
Here is a clip of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman from the Carol Burnett Show. I put this up here because I used to love it when they would make each other laugh and Harvey Korman is cracking up in this one. Good times...
~Peace
And since my dad's been gone for nearly 23 years now, there aren't a whole lot of memories I can still grasp with real clarity about the time he was here. But I can remember watching Carol Burnett with him. He used to love one of the Tim Conway skits, the one where he was Mr. Tudball and he had the secretary, Mrs. Wiggins. His impression of Tim Conway saying, "Uh, Mrs. DeWiggins," is crystal clear in my memory bank. It still makes me laugh to think about it today.
Here is a clip of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman from the Carol Burnett Show. I put this up here because I used to love it when they would make each other laugh and Harvey Korman is cracking up in this one. Good times...
~Peace
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Sounds of Summer
Just a little something I'm loving right now. Sounds a little like an oldie, doesn't it?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Video Links
Tap, tap, tappin'!Hey guys!
This one is going to be short and sweet. I've got tons of taxi-driving to do today to Jefferson County, to pick up newly-groomed canines, to West Knoxville for ball practice and then back to Jefferson County tonight. Just wanted to say Sydney B. did great in her dance recital last night. She was all sparkly in hot pink and silver. Not the least bit nervous, she shook what her momma gave her!
We hot-rolled her hair before the performance, put on body glitter, mascara and lots of pink lip-gloss. She sat patiently with us during the first half of the show watching her friends and her instructors do performance after performance. Then at intermission, we raced backstage and got her lined up and ready to go. I took my seat and got my camera ready. Her dad was in charge of the video. Since it was his first time working our new hard-drive video camera, please do not judge too harshly if the video is not perfect. I will attest to the fact that the lighting at the facility is HORRIBLE! In two years, I have never had one picture that I didn't have to tweak a bit afterwards -- and that includes pictures from dress rehearsal where the lights are actually on. Everything is just a lovely orange-yellow in there, so bear with us on that.
Anyway, for her efforts, Syd received not one, but TWO bouquets of flowers. Since getting flowers is just about her favorite thing in the world, Sydney was in heaven last night. We finished up the night with some chicken fingers, sweet potato fries and Orange Julius drinks at Wishbones and then headed home. It was a great, great night.
Congratulations, Syd!
Here is a link to Sydney's first dance -- tap:
Tap Recital
Here is the link to her second dance -- jazz:
Jazz
Just a little FYI: The girls seemed to know the jazz routine better than the tap, so make sure to check out the jazz video even if you've already looked at the tap. The booty shakes alone are worth it!
Now that school's out, I should be posting more, so I hope to see you soon!
~Peace
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Pictures
Here are some pictures I promised of the last few months' activities. No video on Vimeo yet, folks. I promise I'm working on it!
Enjoy!
Correction
Thanks to Tracy Lee for correcting me about my Brady Bunch reference in the earlier post. She feels the episode I am thinking of has Cindy on a televized quiz show freezing up every time she looks into the camera. I will defer to her memory on this, as she is the *queen* when it comes to remembering the details of all cheesy '70s TV shows! (As most of you probably already know if you've ever played any kind of pop culture game against her!) At my advanced age, they all run together!!
~Peace
~Peace
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Long Time Gone!
Has it really been almost a MONTH since I've updated? Geez, guys, it's not for lack of activity around here -- That's for sure. I've got oodles of pictures stored up and I'm going to update those later this weekend, but I'm just saying a quick hello before I head out for a softball tourney this weekend. I just thought if I didn't update while I had all this junk in my head it might be another month before I got around to it. So let's get started!
First, Joey's high school baseball season has mercifully ended. He ended up getting in at least an inning a game for most of the remainder of the season. A small victory, but a victory all the same. So summer season has started and life is back to normal. We're gearing up for trips to Mt. Juliet, Kingsport, East Cobb and Charleston with his team this summer. Then we've got our annual Daytona family trip coming up. We're storing up our dough for a trip to the Daytona Beach Kennel Club. "Give me the straight trifecta, 7-1-4, please, ma'am!"
The girls have a week and a half of school left and we're preparing for end of the year luau parties, final report cards and fun day at school. It's hard to believe we're moving to 4th and 2nd grades next year. Little Syd is not so little anymore and Kelsey has grown so much this year she's wearing women's size shoes and junior-sized clothing. Time marches on.
They both did great grade-wise this year, no Bs on either report card. They tested great on their standardized tests (not that I have any love for those things -- I could write a book about the loathing I have for them.), with Kelsey testing at Post-high school in several subjects and Sydney testing at a sixth grade level in a couple of things. Whether that's truly accurate or not, who knows, but I do know that they are learning and progressing tremendously in their studies. I'm glad I'm able to have a hand in that actually. Watching their academic progress has been one of the greatest experiences I've ever had.
In other news, Kelsey had her first pitching outing last month and did pretty well. She got out of the first inning with no runs, walking the first two batters. Batter #1 got thrown out trying to steal second and Batter #2 got called out for leaving the base too early (a little help from Blue, thank you very much). Then she was down in the count 3-0 on Batter #3, but came back and fired 3 right down the middle! Inning over! Woohoo! Now, in the second inning, things didn't run quite as smoothly, but it was exciting nonetheless. Let's see. With control issues, she threw a few behind the batters' backs and hit one in the head. Her dad brought in another pitcher soon after, but all-in-all, for a first time ever outing, she did great. I'm hoping to post some video on Vimeo later in the week, so I'll let you know when I get around to that.
Sydney had her spring musical May 1 at the co-op. I usually dread the spring musical simply because it's the typical, boring, school program. It's hot in the auditorium, crowded and you can't hear anything for all the babies fussing and crying all around the room. Kel missed out on this production because she had a softball game. (As is custom, I let her decide which event she preferred to attend, and she (BIG SHOCKER) chose to play ball.) Anyhoo, Syd had two songs in this production, one with the 1st and 2nd grade classes and one during the big finale with the entire school on stage. It was such a great little show this year! It was very upbeat and the music was contemporary Christian, so the kids danced and did sign language and it was beautiful. It was a very simplistic performance with minimal set design. The kids were dressed in khaki bottoms and spring colors on top, so it looked like a bunch of Easter eggs up on stage!
I have to say it was very enjoyable and Syd also came out of her shell this year and actually did the hand motions. For those of you in attendance last year, you will remember it was a little like the episode of the Brady Bunch where they went on the TV show as the group, "The Silver Platters", to perform a song and one of them froze up -- Was it Jan? (If you know the answer to this one, please leave it in the comment section below!) Anyway, Syd was kinda like that last year, but this year she was loosey-goosey and really enjoyed herself. I'm hoping to upload that on Vimeo this week, too.
We also took a quick trip to Pigeon Forge for our annual cabin vacation. It was tons of fun (even though it was Rod Run weekend and driving on the main drag was IMPOSSIBLE!). The cabin had a hot tub, two video game machines, foosball, air hockey, pinball, a jukebox and a pool table. So the kids -- Dad included -- had a ball! We visited the Gatlinburg Aquarium on Friday and then we invited the fam up on Saturday for a cookout. The girls got in the hot tub with their cousins after we ate burgers and horsed around for about an hour. Then after the family was leaving, we were stalked by a peacock for the remainder of our trip. It was beautiful, but kinda creepy, too. Evidently it was mating season for the little guy and he spent most of Saturday night squawking right outside the cabin -- Joe was thrilled, let me tell 'ya! Then on Sunday morning as we were getting up and getting ready to come home, Mr. Peacock was sitting perched on our front porch! AAAHHH! Anybody who knows me knows how much I fear birds, so it was not a big treat for me. Neither was the big pile of hmmm, how can I put this delicately, bird stuff he left on the front porch! I've got pics of all the festivities and I will upload those to the blog later this week.
Well, kids, I think that's all for now -- I know you're thanking the Good Lord that the babbling is ending! Kel's got three games today and it's time to get ponytails pulled up, Under Armour donned and cleats laced. If any of you have a 9 year old, you know this is not a quick process. So I gotta run. I hope everybody is healthy, allergy-free and in a good place. I'm hoping once school is out I'll be more attentive to the blog. There are lots of things coming up!
Finally, tomorrow is Mother's Day. I don't have a whole lot to say about that except I am thankful I still have a mother, two grandmothers, a mother-in-law and two sweet aunts (not to mention many friends) who are still around to share this experience with me. We will gather tomorrow at Mom's house as we always do, having sub sandwiches and chips and cookies and we will laugh and poke fun and enjoy the day. While I always say my idea of the perfect Mom's Day is laying in my comfy PJs all day watching movies and napping, I have to say I am so fortunate to still have so many mothers (this phrase is open to interpretation!!) to spend my day with tomorrow. Being a mom has been the greatest challenge of my life, but also the greatest privilege. I never regret for a single moment making the choice to be one. I am richer for having done so. So for all the moms reading this, Happy, Happy Mother's Day!
~Peace
First, Joey's high school baseball season has mercifully ended. He ended up getting in at least an inning a game for most of the remainder of the season. A small victory, but a victory all the same. So summer season has started and life is back to normal. We're gearing up for trips to Mt. Juliet, Kingsport, East Cobb and Charleston with his team this summer. Then we've got our annual Daytona family trip coming up. We're storing up our dough for a trip to the Daytona Beach Kennel Club. "Give me the straight trifecta, 7-1-4, please, ma'am!"
The girls have a week and a half of school left and we're preparing for end of the year luau parties, final report cards and fun day at school. It's hard to believe we're moving to 4th and 2nd grades next year. Little Syd is not so little anymore and Kelsey has grown so much this year she's wearing women's size shoes and junior-sized clothing. Time marches on.
They both did great grade-wise this year, no Bs on either report card. They tested great on their standardized tests (not that I have any love for those things -- I could write a book about the loathing I have for them.), with Kelsey testing at Post-high school in several subjects and Sydney testing at a sixth grade level in a couple of things. Whether that's truly accurate or not, who knows, but I do know that they are learning and progressing tremendously in their studies. I'm glad I'm able to have a hand in that actually. Watching their academic progress has been one of the greatest experiences I've ever had.
In other news, Kelsey had her first pitching outing last month and did pretty well. She got out of the first inning with no runs, walking the first two batters. Batter #1 got thrown out trying to steal second and Batter #2 got called out for leaving the base too early (a little help from Blue, thank you very much). Then she was down in the count 3-0 on Batter #3, but came back and fired 3 right down the middle! Inning over! Woohoo! Now, in the second inning, things didn't run quite as smoothly, but it was exciting nonetheless. Let's see. With control issues, she threw a few behind the batters' backs and hit one in the head. Her dad brought in another pitcher soon after, but all-in-all, for a first time ever outing, she did great. I'm hoping to post some video on Vimeo later in the week, so I'll let you know when I get around to that.
Sydney had her spring musical May 1 at the co-op. I usually dread the spring musical simply because it's the typical, boring, school program. It's hot in the auditorium, crowded and you can't hear anything for all the babies fussing and crying all around the room. Kel missed out on this production because she had a softball game. (As is custom, I let her decide which event she preferred to attend, and she (BIG SHOCKER) chose to play ball.) Anyhoo, Syd had two songs in this production, one with the 1st and 2nd grade classes and one during the big finale with the entire school on stage. It was such a great little show this year! It was very upbeat and the music was contemporary Christian, so the kids danced and did sign language and it was beautiful. It was a very simplistic performance with minimal set design. The kids were dressed in khaki bottoms and spring colors on top, so it looked like a bunch of Easter eggs up on stage!
I have to say it was very enjoyable and Syd also came out of her shell this year and actually did the hand motions. For those of you in attendance last year, you will remember it was a little like the episode of the Brady Bunch where they went on the TV show as the group, "The Silver Platters", to perform a song and one of them froze up -- Was it Jan? (If you know the answer to this one, please leave it in the comment section below!) Anyway, Syd was kinda like that last year, but this year she was loosey-goosey and really enjoyed herself. I'm hoping to upload that on Vimeo this week, too.
We also took a quick trip to Pigeon Forge for our annual cabin vacation. It was tons of fun (even though it was Rod Run weekend and driving on the main drag was IMPOSSIBLE!). The cabin had a hot tub, two video game machines, foosball, air hockey, pinball, a jukebox and a pool table. So the kids -- Dad included -- had a ball! We visited the Gatlinburg Aquarium on Friday and then we invited the fam up on Saturday for a cookout. The girls got in the hot tub with their cousins after we ate burgers and horsed around for about an hour. Then after the family was leaving, we were stalked by a peacock for the remainder of our trip. It was beautiful, but kinda creepy, too. Evidently it was mating season for the little guy and he spent most of Saturday night squawking right outside the cabin -- Joe was thrilled, let me tell 'ya! Then on Sunday morning as we were getting up and getting ready to come home, Mr. Peacock was sitting perched on our front porch! AAAHHH! Anybody who knows me knows how much I fear birds, so it was not a big treat for me. Neither was the big pile of hmmm, how can I put this delicately, bird stuff he left on the front porch! I've got pics of all the festivities and I will upload those to the blog later this week.
Well, kids, I think that's all for now -- I know you're thanking the Good Lord that the babbling is ending! Kel's got three games today and it's time to get ponytails pulled up, Under Armour donned and cleats laced. If any of you have a 9 year old, you know this is not a quick process. So I gotta run. I hope everybody is healthy, allergy-free and in a good place. I'm hoping once school is out I'll be more attentive to the blog. There are lots of things coming up!
Finally, tomorrow is Mother's Day. I don't have a whole lot to say about that except I am thankful I still have a mother, two grandmothers, a mother-in-law and two sweet aunts (not to mention many friends) who are still around to share this experience with me. We will gather tomorrow at Mom's house as we always do, having sub sandwiches and chips and cookies and we will laugh and poke fun and enjoy the day. While I always say my idea of the perfect Mom's Day is laying in my comfy PJs all day watching movies and napping, I have to say I am so fortunate to still have so many mothers (this phrase is open to interpretation!!) to spend my day with tomorrow. Being a mom has been the greatest challenge of my life, but also the greatest privilege. I never regret for a single moment making the choice to be one. I am richer for having done so. So for all the moms reading this, Happy, Happy Mother's Day!
~Peace
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Updates
Hard to believe it has been over two weeks since I have been here, but it has. So what's new? Well, Sydney had Round 2 with the stomach virus one week after Kelsey battled through Round 1, causing her to miss the last day of SATs at school (the standardized tests most of you are familiar with). Sydney was sicker, though, and her tiredness and lack of appetite lasted much of that weekend. We, again, had to cancel our little cabin vacation in Pigeon Forge for the second time. Let me tell ya', people, the folks at Cabin Fever Vacations really were understanding about the whole ordeal we were experiencing. Usually you can't get ANY kind of refund if you bail on your reservation -- I mean no exchanges, no refunds, no loss of deposit, no nuttin' -- but after explaining AGAIN that we had pukeheads at our house for the second weekend in a row, they allowed us to transfer our reservation to this weekend. So, fingers and toes crossed, we are all going to get a little R & R this weekend.
Last weekend, Kelsey played in her first kid-pitch tournament of the season (The two prior were called due to inclement weather). Her little team did so much better than I expected (and most who had seen them play before expected, I dare say). They came in second place in a little 5-team tourney at Willow Creek. Next week she will start league play and then we'll be on an every other weekend schedule of tournaments, so ball season has officially begun at the Birchfield house!
Yesterday I accompanied Sydney on a field trip to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. That is such a cool place, even if you're not a basketball fanatic. They have talking exhibits, collegiate jerseys in every color and all kinds of basketball artifacts from many, many different decades. The kids, being only 7 and 8, couldn't really appreciate many of the exhibits, but they thoroughly enjoyed shooting hoops on the interactive courts. It was cold and rainy yesterday, so it was a really good day for an indoor field trip.
That's it for the catch-up, I think. If something else of note has happened in the last couple of weeks and I haven't mentioned it, well, we'll chalk that up to being on puke patrol too long or just the normal sleep deprivation I exhibit on a daily basis. I hopefully will have pictures and lots of interesting stories to relate after we get back from Pigeon Forge this weekend!
~Peace
Last weekend, Kelsey played in her first kid-pitch tournament of the season (The two prior were called due to inclement weather). Her little team did so much better than I expected (and most who had seen them play before expected, I dare say). They came in second place in a little 5-team tourney at Willow Creek. Next week she will start league play and then we'll be on an every other weekend schedule of tournaments, so ball season has officially begun at the Birchfield house!
Yesterday I accompanied Sydney on a field trip to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. That is such a cool place, even if you're not a basketball fanatic. They have talking exhibits, collegiate jerseys in every color and all kinds of basketball artifacts from many, many different decades. The kids, being only 7 and 8, couldn't really appreciate many of the exhibits, but they thoroughly enjoyed shooting hoops on the interactive courts. It was cold and rainy yesterday, so it was a really good day for an indoor field trip.
That's it for the catch-up, I think. If something else of note has happened in the last couple of weeks and I haven't mentioned it, well, we'll chalk that up to being on puke patrol too long or just the normal sleep deprivation I exhibit on a daily basis. I hopefully will have pictures and lots of interesting stories to relate after we get back from Pigeon Forge this weekend!
~Peace
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