End of Baseball and Dance

This week marked the end of Kaleb's first season of baseball and Jasmine's 9th year of dance.

He is still scared of the ball. He didn't get a hit all season. He got walked a few times so got to steal bases and score points. But at this last game he swung at anything even the ball that hit the ground three feet in front of the white line. Maybe it will all come together next year.

They all got baseballs to get each other's signatures.

They were first place in the league but I think all the teams provided participation trophies anyway.

Ready for the recital.

With dance friends

With her hip hop teacher.

There's a program with all the class pictures, plus you can purchase a whole page, half page or quarter page to dedicate to your dancer.

There were 56 dances!! So it was over three hours long.

We have lots of plans for this three day weekend, but they all depend on having good weather. Here's hoping!

I'm seeing on facebook that a lot of people are out of school for the summer already. We started around August 18 and end June 5. What about the rest of you?

A Busy Week...and This Week Holds Even More

Last week was a crazy busy week and this week will be even more so.

Mother's Day. Rick took me to Chili's in the evening, and by then it was almost empty.

Kaleb had games last week, and next week is the end of baseball. The final game is this coming Thursday and it's awards day too. His team is tied for first place. He is still afraid of the ball. I want him to try another season. Adam is going to try and make time to work with him this summer.

I realized there is a walking path around the pond at the baseball park. It's not where our teams usually play, so I didn't know this.

We have had a lot of shoe drama the past few weeks. I have one child who intentionally destroys shoes. Thankfully the teacher caught on to this and doesn't think we are just being negligent about shoes. Five pairs in one school year.  While we were talking about shoes, I traced feet to check sizes. Kaleb has the smallest foot. Jasmine has the next to smallest foot. Kayla, who is four years younger, has a larger foot than Jasmine. Jasmine's feet are actually two different sizes. That is because on her right foot, the large toe lays sideways against her foot due to missing toes. So she always has one shoe that fits and one that is too big.  My foot is the largest one on the paper. 

Jessica had an exciting announcement for us!!

I got to give her the first baby gifts. (I was ready for the announcement!)

The twins turned 10 on Friday. Kaleb got to pick donuts at Krispy Kreme.

Unfortunately, the day was a little marred by an incident on Thursday. Most of you know that Kayla has had nine disciplinary referrals for aggressiveness toward younger/weaker kids and multiple detentions suspensions. She missed Battle of the Books last Monday due to In school suspension for assaulting another child.

We talked a lot about kindness, how to deal with it when you feel like being unkind (walking away, redirecting your anger--although these have all been unprovoked for the most part--talking to an adult about feelings etc) and I felt like she was listening. Wednesday night I rebeaded her hair and used the time to reminded her that Friday that was both her birthday and field day. The very next morning she injured a first grade child in the bus and got two days out of school suspension before the school day even started. I think field day may have been canceled so she might get that anyway, but she didn't get to take her birthday treats. And she will not get a chance to redo that.

She and Kaleb had already planned separate celebrations and hers had to be changed. We made a big deal of her birthday, but at home, not a girls' night out as planned.

We had pizza, a cake for just for Kayla and gifts. Then we watched movies at home.

Look at Kaleb's face. He couldn't believe they got Kindles. Loaded with 23 appropriate books and parental controls in place.

The kindles were a hit.

Blowing out the candles.

Poor Max was missing for two days and then came home with the side of his facing looking like there was a golf ball in it. He had a bad abscess.

The tube is stitched to his ear. They had to put him under, drain the abscess and put in a tube.  He was born July 7, 1999, and we've had him since 6 weeks old. I had originally posted a picture of the underneath of his chin, but then realized it was a little hard on the stomach seeing it if he's not your baby.

Jasmine hand fed him tuna.

 Jessica and I went to the mall and rode wild animals!

And I bought her first maternity outfit even though she won't need it for a while.

Saturday morning we had a 5K

We all finished. I hate doing a 5K in the sun on a track. Prefer my park! We had signed up ahead and ordered shirts. Everyone else signed up that morning. Instead of sitting our shirts (preordered!) aside, they gave shirts out first come, first serve. So Kayla ended up with an adult M. Next year we'll send one person ahead way early to get our shirts!

Kaleb's party was Saturday afternoon

Then Jasmine and I went to a high school production of "Into the Woods" that was really good, but really, really long.

Ty David and four others from Job Corps were sent to Washington and Jefferson National Forest in VA to help with a fire, but it was out by time they got there. So they did some routine cleaning and made $17 an hour for it. He's disappointed he didn't get to fight the fire, but glad for the pay. Hopefully the group will get to actually help with one next time. He has a chance to get more fire training, but is not sure if he wants to delay coming home in order to do it. I think it should because the chance might not come along again, but it has to be his choice.

Jasmine and I continued our adventure yesterday, plus she had dress rehearsal for her recital which is Friday.

This week's schedule:
today-Haitian Flag Day

Tuesday- Jasmine's final middle school concert and awards reception
Wednesday-full dance dress rehearsal
Thursday-last baseball game and awards
Friday-recital
Saturday-not sure yet
Sunday--adventuring with Jasmine, moms over for Liz Curtis Higgs DVD hopefully
Monday-jet skiing for the first time this season if the weather is good. Right now we are forcasted for rain.
Lots of appointments for all three children--one eye, two ADHD, one physical, three dental, one urology (me), two vet (Max)
Last day of school-June 5

This Crazy Life

Jasmine traveled to Orlando with her middle school band for competition at Universal Studios. It's not a competition against other bands, but each band is judged and receives a number--1=excellent, 2=superior, 3=good and so on. Her band got a 2.

4:45 a.m.

5:30 a.m. at the school

Cleft bear is going too!! 

6:16 a.m. The bus pulls out with the band members on the top and the choir members on the bottom, instruments and luggage in the back. This bus was huge!!

They competed on Friday afternoon shortly after they arrived. As you can see from the above pictures, the band members had on their band uniform pants and shoes so just had to pull on their white tux shirts, ties and cummerbunds.

They went to City Walk Friday evening and then spent most of  Saturday at Universal. They arrived home just before midnight. It's a 6-7 hour drive.

Jeff and the other guys have been in Korea since January and will be back stateside soon. 

 They are celebrating their last month in Korea.

Jessica comes over for breakfast and to work on our book once a week or so. She has a new job waitressing at a place right on the beach, but it's quite a drive out there. She's wearing her uniform. Surprised they can wear shorts, but it is summer in FL.

Adam will be going on his two weeks reserve duty to California this summer.

Tyler will be aging out of Job Corps in July. He has summer break, then goes back for just a couple of weeks. He is doing computer tech stuff but does not like it and doesn't want to get a job in that career field. He'd rather do manual labor. Computer skills aren't a bad thing to have though.

We have about four weeks of school left, and things are getting really crazy. Kaleb has just a few more baseball games, and his team is tied for first place. He is still scared of the ball and  has never gotten a hit. I hope he does. I think it'll do a lot for his confidence.

Kaleb has a paper bag book report due Friday. We've done them before, but not this detailed. Each side has several things that have to go on it--character descriptions which have to be justified by proof from the book, setting, conflict and resolution, book outline and so on. He has two sides done so far. At least this time I know about the project!

He is still level one in gymnastics. I think he only needs two or three more stars.

Kayla has field day Friday, which is also the twins' birthday. Saturday is the Armed Forces Family run, Kaleb's party and one of the schools is doing "Into the Woods."  It's the school Jasmine will be at next year. Some of the grades are going to see a special performance, but if she doesn't get to see it, we'll try to go. 

The week after that has dress rehearsals and the dance recital for Jasmine, plus her last concert of middle school and a reception and awards. Kaleb is coming up on his annual eye exam with a dr who is only in town one day every three months! Both twins have dental appointments and so does Jasmine. Kaleb and Jasmine have adhd follow ups and Jasmine has a physical!

School is out June 5, but then life gets even crazier!

Afraid of the Ball

This is Kaleb's first year of baseball, and he's on the 9-10's team which is kid pitch.

He stands far back from the plate and runs backwards out of the box when the ball is thrown. It is an automatic strike. So the first time up to bat, he struck out.

If you look close, you can see the anxiety even though he's trying to hide it for the photo.

The second time up to bat the pitcher either threw it a foot over his head or it hit the ground three feet in front of him. So he stayed in the box and walked to first.

Running to second 

He is quite fast. In fact he ran from second to home on a hit with an overthrow. I didn't have the camera ready because I thought he was only going to get one base, but he went all the way in.

All smiles now that the game is over. He has about six more games. I'm hoping he'll try again next year. He is a runner, he's not just sure he's cut out for baseball.