Kaidyn's first T-ball Game

So tonight Kaidyn had her first T-ball game. It was supposed to be Tuesday, but because of weather, it was canceled, so it was tonight. Anyway--I was a little worried that it was going to be long and boring, but it was actually kind of fun and cute to watch. They play 3 innings and everyone bats through and runs all the bases. The practice getting the ball and throwing it to first after every hit. Kaidyn even played first base for one inning, and even though she didn't catch any of the balls that were thrown to her (the few that actually made it all the way to first base) she did a great job of fielding them and throwing them to the coach at the tee. It went by really quickly. Unfortunately, Levi had to work tonight, so I was by myself and I spent most of my time chasing Jett around which upset Jayd because then she couldn't sit on my lap. But Kaidyn had fun and did a pretty good job hitting.

Viva Las Vegas!

Just bought our tickets to Vegas. Neither Levi or I have ever been. We decided it would be a fun trip to take, especially without kids. We are going over our anniversary--it will be 9 years July 15!! Can't wait--I definitely need a vacation.

Does it ever end??

All I hear all day is crying! Jett cries because he fell again and bonked his head. Jayd cries because I asked her to clean her room. Kaidyn cries because Jayd looked at her funny. So much crying. And then there is the fighting which leads to more crying, and the whining, which usually leads to even more crying. Does there come a point when the crying stops?? I think I'd be okay with crying if it was only when necessary, like when hurt or sad, not for every little thing.

2009 All Star Game Ballot

Hey, vote for the Mariners to go to the All Star game. It would be nice to see a bunch of M's on the roster this year. More than just Ichiro. You can vote up to 25 times--and trust me, by July 2 everyone in my family will have voted 25 times--I'm trying to figure a way to get my dogs to vote as well--lol!! If interested, follow this link:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2009/ballot_reg.html

Go Mariners!!

Bummed--

So in my 6 years of teaching, I have never thought twice about leaving my things out in the open from my purse to my daughters DS. Well I will be thinking again now. I had my cell phone taken right off the top of my desk the other day. At first I thought I might have just misplaced it--I've been known to do that. But when I tried to call it to find it, I didn't hear it ringing in my classroom. Okay, sometimes I don't have the best reception in there, if it's on the floor, it might be out of range.
I was able to narrow it down to the class period it might have been taken in, however, because of WASL testing this week, I didn't see that class period until today. I confronted them, and made a plea for my sim card--I don't have a lot of numbers memorized anymore, they're all in my phone. The phone is an old one a friend gave me last year when she got a new one and mine quit working. So the phone isn't worth much, it doesn't text and the battery doesn't last very long on a charge.
Well, what do you know, when I walked into my classroom at the beginning of sixth period, there was my sim card sitting on my desk. I thought I would be happy to see my simcard, but it turned out I was upset and disappointed, because that meant one of my students really had violated my personal space and broke my trust all for a stupid little phone. I have never felt so . . .bummed. I don't know how else to describe it. So now I don't have a cell phone, I'm hesitant to buy a new one because I shouldn't have to, so if your trying to get a hold of me, you may have to call Levi's phone for now. We are getting a landline put in next week, but until then I'm somewhat cut off from the world. I'm hoping whoever took it will realize the error of their ways and return it, otherwise there may be 20 of my students from 3rd period not going on the 7th grade field trip to the Mariners game in a couple of weeks. Then we'll see whose bummed.

Johnson Field--

So I am sure many won't be shocked to hear this, but over the weekend, I had Levi mow a baseball field. We have this square, mostly flat, mostly rock free part of our land that was weeds last year, that was surrounded by fence posts (no fence though). As Levi was mowing the rest of the yard, I pointed it out and said "Why don't you mow that too." So he did and Johnson Field was born. We are currently using rocks as first, third and home, and the post leading to our septic tank is second base, but it works great because we have a fence for home runs and plenty of space to run and only a few holes to watch our for. But it is so awesome. We played a mini game as a family on Sunday and can't wait to have more people over for a bigger game--either that or we need to have more kids--NOT!! I will post pics as soon as I make it to the store to buy batteries! Anyway--we'd like to eventually put up a backstop--how cool would that be, and a true fence to go with the posts and fill in the holes and maybe get some real bases. The Septic Tank post will always be there, but we can definitely work around it. Oh yeah and watch out for the snakes!!

Levi is such a Liar--

So today the weather was sooooooooooo nice, we decided to spend the whole day outside working on the yard. We have a bunch of stuff to take to the dump so we began the day filling up the truck. We have about 6 acres (5.69 to be exact) so there is just mass garbage all over the place from the wind and previous tenants. As I was walking around picking up garbage I didn't really think about what could be under the garbage, until I came to a big cardboard box that had obviously been there for some time, and picked it up and there was a snake underneath. I didn't get a real good look at it since I dropped the box and ran faster than I have since my knee surgery, but that little glimpse of blackish, reddish, scaly skin is and will forever be burned into my brain. I know their good and helpful by eating the mice and stuff and they won't bug you if you leave them alone, but I still do not like snakes. Plus last summer Levi told me there were no snakes on our land, that they didn't like being in the openess--he is such a liar.
Anyway--when I told him what I had seen, he of course had to go check it out--such a boy--but when he got to the box, he was so cautious in picking it up, it was kind of funny. Anyway, by that time, the snake had long since gone. Oh well, it's better that way.

Hot Tub or Jungle Gym??

Well the hot tub finally thawed so we could get it cleaned out. It froze over the winter before we could drain it. Not sure if the thermostat went out, the heater went out, or if it just couldn't keep up with the ice cold north wind blowing directly on it. Needless to say it was 500 gallons of frozen solid ice for about 3 months. I'm not sure what damage, if any, was done, but we're going to take it apart tomorrow and see if any pipes are cracked. I know the seals and skirting need replacing, hopefully it's that simple and we can have it up and running soon. Mean while, the kids thought it would be fun to play in it. Here they are posing, and running around playing tag. Probably a little dangerous--but no more than jumping on the trampoline.

Mariners Home Opener--

Today was the BEST DAY EVER!--Well one of them anyway. I took a personal day today, and Levi and I left the kids behind and headed west to Seattle for the Mariners first game of the season at Safeco against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (something like that). We were a little nervous this morning when it started snowing huge flakes around 9 am. But the trip over turned out to be uneventful--other than it was soooo quite. We actually got to have an adult conversation and didn't have to worry about being interrupted. It was so great.
We stopped in Ellensburg for lunch at McDonalds. The line for the drive-thru was long, so we decided to go inside. I volunteered to run in while Levi waited in the truck, I got his order and started to ask if there was anything else he wanted when all of the sudden he said, "I'll just go in with you." It had never occured to us that we could both go in. We were so used to one of us waiting in the truck with the kids. We both laughed and went inside to order.
It was pretty chilly when we got to the stadium, and they ended up closing the roof. At the start of opening ceremonies the announcer came over the loud speaker and said that the opening day of baseball was meant to be played on green grass under blue skies and they began opening the roof, and there was sunshine and blue skies. It was so amazing, I had to go buy a hat because the sun was so bright, and our seats were facing the sun.
It ended up being a really good game. Griffey got a hit, Silva actually pitched a pretty good game, the bullpen didn't blow the game and there were some good catches in the outfield. The Mariners struck first, scoring a run in the first inning. The Angels answered a couple of innings later. Then the M's got another run and once again the Angels answered. At the end of nine innings, it was tied 2-2, so we were headed into extra innings. The Angels were unable to score a run in their half but the Mariners did much better getting a runner on, and then the next batter bunted the ball just to move the runner along, but thanks to an Angel error on the throw to first, the runner was able to score. YEAH--the Mariners won 3-2!!! Levi and I bolted to try and beat a majority of traffic--we were successful in that, however, once we were in line to get out of the parking garage we had to wait for all of the pedestrians streaming out of the stadium and crossing the street. We finally made it on the way home.
We stopped in North Bend for a bite to eat and Levi asked if we should stop for gas. We had about a half tank, so I figured we'd be fine and I told him not to worry about it. A few miles away from our turn, the gas light came on and dinged at us. With about 18 miles to go, our distance to empty on the little doohicky on the truck said we had 24 miles. So I figured, we're gonna make it, no problem. Well that 24 miles quickly turned into 18, than 16, than 14 . . . and was going lower faster than the miles we were actually traveling. Levi and I just crossed our fingers and prayed the rest of the way home that we would make it and . . . we did--thank the Lord!!!

Easter Sunday

I think once you have kids most holidays are destined to be multi-day affairs. This morning the kids woke up to find that the Easter bunny made a visit--Kaidyn woke me up to let me know this at 4:30 am--I told her to go back to bed and we would worry about it at a more decent hour. Less than two hours later Levi got home from work so I couldn't make the kids wait any longer. They found their baskets then hit the back yard to find eggs. Then it was time to get ready to go to my Aunts in Wenatchee. We met at the church for breakfast, then another Easter egg hunt for the kids. Then we went to church. Jett made it for about 20 minutes, but then I had to take him to the nursery to do his screaming there.Next we went to my Aunt's house where we had a delicious ham dinner and another Easter egg hunt. The Easter bunny there hid money in the eggs too, so the kids were quite excited.


Then my cousin Kylie and my brother's fiancee Cheryl took the girls for a boat ride in the lake by their house, it sounds like Jayd was a little nervous being out in the boat, but Kaidyn had a blast. The battery died, so Kylie had to row them back in the rain. It looks like Jayd tried to help. Overall it was a great Easter. The kids ended up with more candy than they did at Halloween. I may have to take some of it to school just to get rid of it all without all of us gaining 100 pounds.

Happy Easter!

Easter Saturday

Today the kids had the first Easter Egg hunt of the weekend this afternoon at Lyons Park.

It was actually more of a dash than a hunt, when the horn blew signaling the start, all the kids bolted towards the eggs that were scattered on the grass. Jayd was insistent of staying with her sister, so she was in the 1st-2nd grade section and didn't stand a chance. I saw her get an egg, but it must have fell out of her basket somewhere along the way, because it wasn't there at the end. Kaidyn ended up with only one egg and then a nice little boy gave each of the girls one of his eggs because he ended up with a lot. Jett also ended up with only one egg thanks to a generous child because he was more interested in the other kids. The kids enjoyed it just the same, and the highlight was getting their picture taken with the Easter bunny.

We just finished coloring the eggs. Hint: an upset toddler, tongs and several cups of coloring dye do not mix. Jett enjoyed putting the eggs in the cups and pulling them out, but when I took the egg and dye from him after he was trying to drink it, he grabbed a nearby set of tongs and threw them. Of course he knocked over several of the cups of dye which spilled all over the island (not a big deal because the wood is very dark), and the floor (kind of a big deal because the floor is very light--oh yeah and new!!) . Oh well, after cleaning up the floors, there is only a faint shade of reddish pink visible, and you can't really see the yellow and fortunately, the blue only spilled on the island.

Kaidyn Sports

Kaidyn had her first soccer game last Tuesday. It's really cute watching the kids play soccer at this age because they play 4-on-4 and they all huddle around the ball kicking away and they get so excited when they score, even if it's in the wrong goal. There is a lot of (accidental) tripping and pushing, it resembles rugby at times, but they get right back up and into it. This is Kaidyn's 2nd year playing soccer and we've noticed a big improvement from last year. Kaidyn really hustle's after the ball, and the kids attempt to pass it to each other.

She has a blast playing and Jayd cheers from the sideline while Jett plays with the extra soccer balls laying around.

Wednesday night Kaidyn also had her first tee-ball practice, a sport Levi and I are much more familiar with. Kaidyn is one of only two girls on her team, but she didn't seem to care. She enjoyed playing anyway. So as it stands right now, Kaidyn has both soccer practice and tee ball practice on Mondays (5 and 5:30) , soccer games on Tuesdays, and tee-ball practice again on Wednesdays. I don't know when the tee-ball games will be, but I'm it'll be even crazier when that begins. Oh well, at least we only have one now, I can't imagine what it'll be like when all three kids are busy like this :)

18 Months--

I just realized today is Jett's half-birthday. He is officially a year and a half old. I can't believe it was 18 months ago that he was born. Man that was a crazy night. Levi was at work when I called him to tell him I was in labor and needed to go to the hospital NOW!! The lady at the check-in desk was a little confused and thought I was an inmate being brought in because Levi was still in his uniform. 2 hours later, just 8 minutes after midnight on the 5th of October our little Jett was born. He's not so little anymore and he is all boy. Today as we were playing outside he kept wanting to dig in the rocks and throw them and play in the dog water. I was trying to take pictures of him, but he would hardly sit still and he wouldn't look at me or smile. The girls were more than happy to smile and pose for the camera.

Jayd in the Gator Kaidyn poses for a picture

Jett drives Jayd around

Baseball, Barbeque and Beer

Life doesn't get any better than this. Today was GORGEOUS!! and we were able to spend the whole day outside working and playing and finishing projects. We got the doors to the shed finished, the yard cardboard and dog doo doo free, played a little soccer, and cleaned up the barbeque. Then we threw on a couple of steaks opened a couple of beers and turned on the baseball game--Braves v. Phillies. The perfect ending to the perfect day.

Spring Break is coming to an end--

So tomorrow is the last day of spring break. The week went by so fast--but I really feel like we got a lot done. I'm almost done with the lesson plans and grading I brought home with me. Levi and I made doors for our shed today--and with only one little fight--very impressive. We just have minor communication issues once in a while--I know what I'm talking about and he doesn't. Otherwise we did a pretty nice job. I got the rest of the trim put up in the dining room. The garage is cleaned out and we now have room to use the saws. Tomorrow we are going to get the garbage out of the yard--since there were no doors on the shed, the dogs drug out all the cardboard boxes and tore them up. Hence the building of doors today.
Today also marks the last spring training game for the Mariners. Their first regular season game is Monday at 4--can't wait. Then their first home game is Tuesday, April 14. Levi and I will be there--soooooooo excited. Hopefully they have a better season than last year, although if you think about it, they really can't do any worse. They've lost a lot of preseason games, but they have a lot of options, and I am quite excited for the return of Griffey.
Anyway--even though we really didn't go anywhere, I think it has been a great spring break. I could use another week, but I can't complain, and there are only 48 days left of school once we return. So the sooner we get back to school, the sooner summer vacation will be here. YEAH!!

"Baseball"

So today we made our monthly Costco trip to Wenatchee. I was wearing my Mariners necklace that has little blue-green baseball looking beads. I was holding Jett and he kept grabbing my necklace and saying "buh buh". I just removed his had from my necklace--since it's stretchy and I didn't want him to break it. Then he did it again. It was after the second time that I realized he was trying to say "baseball". So of course after that I let him play with my necklace all he wanted and he kept saying "buh buh". It was so cute and I am so proud.