Mother's Day and t-ball

Well, Mother's Day is just a little more than a week away. This photo was taken last year on Mother's Day. I'm not sure I'm going home this year (she lives 3 hours away). So I wish I knew of something special I could do for her rather than just sending her money or a gift card. I've done a mother/daughter scrapbook once, which she loves and keeps on her coffee table. My mind is blank at the moment. If you have any terrific ideas within the next couple of days, let me know.

Well, last night Matthew had another T-ball game. Got there for a game at 6:00....the game wasn't until 7 PM. (Yep....that 40 something brain thing again!) They played two games this week, and Matthew hit the ball 3 out of 4 times at bat without the Tee! Now that's amazing. If you only knew the change that is from last year's t-ball...you still wouldn't believe it. For a child with develepmental delays....he continues to amaze us daily!

Q and A's

I love Q & A's like this. Play along if you like! (Thanks Linda Mac.)

My roommate and I once: Uh...what roommate? I commuted for four years!

Never in my life have I: broken a bone.

High school was: something I would NOT want to do over!

When I am nervous: I sometimes bite my lower lip, avoid eye contact, and get butterflies in my stomach.

My hair is: never going to be the same since my hairdresser of several wonderful years is retiring!

When I was 5: I went to kindergarten and learned my right hand from my left. I don't remember much else from that time, though I know I did well.

By this time next year: my older son will be finishing his first year in middle school (YIKES), and my baby will be finishing 1st grade, hopefully.

I have a hard time understanding: how a man's mind works! :0

You know I like you if: in conversation I talk too much! (cause normally I'm an introvert.)

My ideal breakfast is: waffles or pancakes with strawberries, pecans, and syrup with a cup of coffee (cooled a bit with lite vanilla soy milk and sweetened with 2 packs of Equal).

If you visit my hometown: you can see where James Brown used to live. (There's not too very much to see here....as it's a small unincorporated town,)

If you spend the night at my house: You can have a room, bed, and TV all to yourself. If you bring your whole family, well...you may need to bring an air mattress.

My favorite blonde is: My handsome boy....Jonathan!

The animal I would like to see flying is: Pigs! Haven't you ever been told, "When pigs fly?"

I shouldn't: spend so much time on-line playing Chicktionary! (Oh my gosh what fun!)

Last night I: attended a t-ball game and a baseball game at the same time! Then came home to eat subs from Subway, read with my little boy, worked on sight words with him before putting both kids to bed; then watched the Bachelor before falling asleep with the remote in my hand.

If I could have any car it would be: a nice looking hybrid! Gas prices have me freaking out! :0

my son rocks!

Jonathan's school presented, "Scenes from High School Musical," their fifth grade production Thursday night. It was FANTASTIC! My boy had a two solo parts and a couple of small speaking parts. No one really knew he could sing so well! He did a great job and made us so proud. They performed Friday also for the whole school, and the Augusta Chronicle was there. Maybe he'll be in the paper! :)

Also...just in case I haven't shouted it out to you, I wanted to tell you about something I picked up at Sam's Club that I thought was a real bargain. It is pictured below. Look at all the goodies it comes with in addition to the nice suede-feel tote bag, the 12 x 12 album, paper, tools, stickers, and embellishments! It was only $30. They had it in different colors also. (click on photo for larger view.)

spring

Spring has definitely sprung hasn't it? The pollen is just about to take over here! My older son has been sneezing and stuffy nosed, my little one woke up with a sore throat this morning, and my nose has been clogged for a couple of weeks now! Geez!!!

But I do like a lot of things about spring. I love how everything starts turning green. The birds are building nests, baseball season is in full swing, and there are blooming things everywhere! The kids love it because they are beginning to spend more time outdoors. I love these photos of Matthew. He so wanted to keep this little caterpillar. He called it his "friend." He put it in a box in the garage with grass, leaves, and some water. It was kind of cute actually. He didn't mind letting it crawl on him at all. Me? I wouldn't even hold it. The bottom of a caterpillar gives me the creeps! Well, before the day was done, I had to tell Matthew that his "friend" would die if he didn't set him free. So he did the noble thing and released him into the shrubs where we found him. Hopefully we'll see Matthew's friend again one day as a beautiful butterfly!

Monday "Ketchup"

Okay...I've got some "Ketching" up to do....so here it goes. Friday was a busy but great day. First, I chaperoned a field trip for Matthew's kindergarten class. We went to Gurosik's Berry Plantation. The kids got to see a working bee hive, feed the catfish, and pick strawberries. They also got to drink homemade strawberry slushies and eat a picnic lunch. The kids all had a blast, and if you live in the area, I would highly recommend this as a fun family trip. The third photo is the catfish pond. If you click on the photo, hopefully it will bring up a bigger version and you can see just how many catfish we were feeding! Wowza!

Friday night, I took Jonathan to his baseball game while Ed took Matthew to t-ball. Matthew hit the ball on his first pitch! Way to go Tooey!

Jonathan had two base hits out of three times up to bat, and played an excellent first base! Here are some of the photos I've been promising. Aren't they both so handsome? Oh, and Jonathan's team won 10-5 by the way.



Saturday and Sunday was scrapbooking and church and the usual business. Well, things crank right back up today. Between the two boys, we've got 4 games this week. But ya know what? I wouldn't change a thing! I LOVE this time of year!

on being 40 something

What is it that happens to you after you turn 40? I mean, really. I had always had perfect eyesight, and now....I can't see with my glasses and I can't see without them (must get new prescription), at least the small print on things like medicine bottles and expiration dates on coupons. And there are days when I think I'm getting senile. Take yesterday for example. I spoke with both my mom and grandmother on the phone. Both asked if I had anywhere to go. I happily said, "No...I finally get a day to stay home." At 2:30, I picked up my kids from school. Jonathan said, "Moma, Why didn't you take Matthew to therapy?" I said, "Oh my gosh! I completely forgot! I must be losing my mind!" You see, this is a WEEKLY thing I do. I pick him up from school EVERY Wednesday to go to OT and speech at the medical college. I even had it on my calendar, for heaven's sake. Okay, and then my wonderfully loving husband reminds me that in less than 4 months, I'll be 44! YIKES! What will I be like at 60 if I'm around then? LOL! Have a little chuckle at my expense! Go ahead!

tales from t-ball

My little boy had his first t-ball game of the season last night. Remember, in T-ball, they usually pitch them the ball 3-4 times, and if they can't hit it, they put the Tee up for them. Well, on the 4th pitch....Matthew HIT the ball! Yeah Matthew!! We were so proud. During the second inning, he got to stand at third base and play. He did really well and seemed to have fun.
Well, tonight we finally get a night off from ball games, and I'm looking forward to a day at home. When I have time to download some photos, I'll let you see how handsome Matthew looks in his Diamondbacks uniform!

victory and failure

Woo Hoo! My boy's team won their first game. They beat Williston 13-6! Way to go White Sox! Jonathan played first base, but the other team didn't hit the ball much, so he saw little action there. He batted three times--walked the first time up, struck out the second, and got hit with the ball the third time (and so got on base). He scored two runs. They did a pretty good job! Tonight, Matthew has his first T-ball game. We have a total of 5 games this week! :0

I just talked to my mom on the phone, and she told me she and dad went to Capri's restaurant for their anniversary last night. I think it was their 45th! What a failure I am as a daughter! I usually send a card or at least call, and I completely forgot it was their day! I'll have to think of something nice to do later.

Today would have been my grandmother Bethel's birthday. (Funny I could remember that!) She died 3 years ago, just 2 days prior to Ed's dad. I think she would have been 86 or 87 today had she lived. I miss her.

Well, that's about all I've got today. Hope you all have a blessed day! :)

normal

While you're reading this, turn up the volume on your computer! I LOVE this song (Dancing in the Moonlight) on my playlist. I found it while doing a search on Switchfoot. It's a remake of a song I used to listen to years ago! LOVE IT!

Something else that I love is this quote I found on another blog. "The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well." ~Joe Anci

How true! Sometimes we wander through life hoping we're "normal." I have even prayed for my 5 year old who has some developmental delays with speech problems and social "imperfections" to be normal. But what is that exactly?

I think a better thing to hope for would be that we would be the people that God wants us to be and that we would treat others who aren't like us with respect. What are your thoughts on this?

who knew?

Well, I'm glad I started this blog....if for no other reason than to record the hilarious things my 5 year old says. Yesterday afternoon, we were visiting my grandmother. We were talking about the fact that there is a registered sex offender living in a house with his mother right behind my granny's house. The kids, having finished lunch, wanted to go outside and play. When we told them they couldn't go out without one of us watching them, my 11 year old asked, "Why not?" That's when Matthew spoke up and said, "Because there's a sexy fender back there!"
Who knew fenders could be sexy? LOL!

full week ahead

Just thought I'd post once more before the morning. We are going to my parents' house tomorrow (a three hour drive) for a day or two. We'll be back before the weekend because Ed wants to work Friday. Then the weekend will be for enjoyment! Next week will be hectic. Get this! On Monday, Jonathan has a baseball game in a town 30 minutes away. On Tuesday, Matthew has a home game. On Wednesday, Matthew gets out of school early for OT and speech therapy. On Thursday, Jonathan has a home game. On Friday, Matthew has a home game at 6 PM and Jonathan has a game 30 minutes away at....yep-you guessed it! The same time...6 PM!!!!! I really don't want to miss Jonathan's game, so Matthew may just have to miss T-ball on Friday. Can''t do everything! Right? Yep...you do sense a little guilt. I know Matthew's t-ball is just as important as baseball for Jonathan, but Matthew's absense won't be as critical as Jonathan's would be. And I just can't miss Jonathan's games! Oh...who am I kidding? I may just break down and take Matthew to his t-ball game. We'll see, and I'll let you know next week what I decided! :)

moma's babies

Yesterday, Jonathan had a doctor's appointment for a 6 month check of his back. He has scoliosis, and now that he's entering adolescence, the period when his body goes through the most changes, his pediatrician wants to check him more often. He told us that Jonathan's case is moderate but that there has been no change. He did tell us though that Jonathan has a "sway back." He said he'd bet that when Jonathan reaches adulthood that he'll probably have lower back problems. I hope and pray that he's wrong.
During the same visit, I thought I would ask him about Matthew. Previously, when we were at Matthew's allergist's office, she examined him and talked with us about this "swollen place" that looked like a small goose egg on his forehead, just above his left eyebrow. On that particular day, it was so swollen that she could see it clear across the room. She did not know what it was, and since it is something that he's had since he was a baby, and since it seems to come and go, she said he'd probably need a CT to diagnose it. So at Jonathan's appointment, I brought this to the pediatrician's attention, and he told me it was a Dermoid cyst. After speaking with him about it and coming home to research it on-line, I was a little upset. It's not an emergency situation, but since they usually grow, it will at some point probably have to be removed. Anyway....I realized that this was the third birth defect we had found. When he was a few months old, we found a lump on his back. An orthopedist told us this vertebrae had not fully formed. Upon examination, they found he was missing a rib also. So the doctor sent him for a variety of tests, an echo cardiogram, a renal ultrasound, etc....because these defects often occur in threes. Well, yesterday we found number 3. Poor little guy! I woke up thinking about the challenges he has faced in his almost 6 years. I also thought of the challenges Jonathan may yet face. I wouldn't call myself a worrier, but you know you want the best for your kids. While discussing this with my own mom, she said, "Welcome to motherhood!" There's always something you'll be "concerned" about. I guess she's right. My prayer is that God will keep his hand on their lives from now on. They're both my babies!

simple

I was just thinking about the message from church yesterday. The series has been dubbed "Simple," yet it is so profound at its core. There were so many truths I had heard before, but said in a way that made me wish everyone could hear it. You can hear it, by the way, right here.

I know there are many who think that since God is a loving God, that if you are a good enough person, you will go to Heaven when you die. And we often look at other people as our standard, when in fact perfection is God's standard, and let me tell you....no one I know is perfect. But we do that, you know? We look at a person and think, "Well, I may not be as good as him, but I know I am better than that other guy. I may not be a Billy Graham, but I know I am better than _____ (fill in the blank)." Our faith is not based on how our conscience feels at the moment. Being a good person does not put us in right standing with God. And I would think most of us want to be in right standing with Him. To be in right standing with God, we have to trust that Jesus paid the price we could not pay for our sin and then turn from that way of life. Yes, being good and nice and all matters, but it's not what gets us to Heaven.
Romans 3:21-26 says (and I love it in the New Century Version),
" 21 But God has a way to make people right with him without the law, and he has now shown us that way which the law and the prophets told us about.22 God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people are the same: 23 Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard, 24 and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ. 25 God sent him to die in our place to take away our sins. We receive forgiveness through faith in the blood of Jesus' death. This showed that God always does what is right and fair, as in the past when he was patient and did not punish people for their sins. 26 And God gave Jesus to show today that he does what is right. God did this so he could judge rightly and so he could make right any person who has faith in Jesus."

Okay, so not my typical blog entry, but I felt the need to post it nevertheless. I'm glad God provided a way "apart from the law," because the problem was that no one could keep it, during old testament days or present day. We're all flawed! Thank God for his indescribable gift! : )

Thursday ramblings

Today, my hubby and I are going on a real date (not to our son's school to watch a movie about puberty). He's taking me to lunch at Olive Garden, which is one of my all time favorite places to eat. We have to steal time when we can, and usually it's when the kids are at school, and he's off occasionally on Fridays. He actually took the day off today to finish our income taxes (yes...someone prcrastinated this year LOL! ). So we'll be celebrating getting that done!

Last night was supposed to be Jonathan's first baseball game. He looked so handsome in his uniform. He plays for the White Sox. Matthew had practice at 5 pm and Jonathan was supposed to be at his game in another town around 5:45. So Ed got off early so he could get Jonathan to his game, while I was at practice with Matthew. I took Matthew only to discover that his practice was cancelled. They were going to give out T-ball game schedules, but they weren't ready yet. While there, Ed called on my cell phone to let me know that Jonathan's game was cancelled due to the field being flooded. Yep....we had a bucket-load of rain yesterday morning! So no practice and no game! I was disappointed. I had really looked forward to snapping photos of Jonathan in his element. We think he's playing first base. He's pretty good, and we're happy he enjoys it so much. Now his first game is scheduled for 2 weeks away.

Both boys brought home report cards yesterday. We were very pleased! Jonathan had all A's except a B in reading. Matthew has improved dramaticallly in some areas; for example, in number recognition, an area where he's really struggled, he went from 36% all the way to 84% in one nine-week period. So awesome! This coming week, we hope to enjoy a well-deserved spring break.

be still

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture along with one of my favorite photos I've ever taken. The photo was taken this past autumn standing in the street right outside our house. Beautiful, huh? I'm in a contemplative mood this morning, and I felt like a quiet post. Be still and enjoy it.