Intro to T-Ball and Softball

 The kids started t-ball and softball a few weeks ago.  The triplets played through the community center...it was just 6 sessions and they had it set up in stations, so they would do each of the 5 stations every night they were there (hitting, running the bases, fielding, throwing, etc).  I think they liked it, but it was sort of long (almost 2 hrs) and they I don't think they could concentrate on it for too long.  

They sure were filthy after their first session.  When I was giving Jimmy a bath, I asked him what his favorite part of t-ball was....did you like hitting the ball, throwing the ball, catching the ball, etc.  He said with a big smile,  "Playing in the dirt!"  haha!  I could have figured that out on my own, I guess.  

As the sessions went on though, not sure how much Jimmy liked it.  Jenna and Cassie seemed to like it a lot though.  They were having a free league after the 6 sessions ended, but we were so busy the 3 weeks, so we thought we will wait until next year.  It was just a little too hectic and I honestly don't think the kids would go through a whole game.  At the last practice, they wanted to end it and our coach said, I have two more batters...Cassie and Jimmy.  So, Cassie hit the ball off the tee....then they asked for Jimmy....wondering where he was at?  I pointed over to the other field where Jimmy sat, throwing dirt in his hair :)  That's my JIMMY!

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting patiently for practice for the triplets to be over 

They looked so cute sitting there :)

 As for Allison, she is playing softball for the first time this year.  Jim checked a box that he could help out with coaching on the sign-up sheet...well, I'm guessing he is the only one that checked it b/c a lady called him and wanted him to go to a meeting that night.  Jim was pretty shocked...then he had to go to two more training classes.  But, he is Allison's coach and he LOVES it, and so does Alli!  She is doing really well.  The only bummer part about it is there are 17 girls on the team, and most of them show up to all of the games, so they usually only get one (MAYBE 2 chances to bat), which they love.  But all the girls on the team are doing pretty good---way better than I expected to see them play this little :)

You can see the ball coming in at the top right of the picture....

Nice hit!  I wasn't fast enough to catch the ball, but she did smack it

Easter 2012

Easter was a lot of fun this year....totally crept up on  us, like every year! I never made it to the mall to get a bunny picture, but this one at the egg hunt turned out so much cuter anyway :)

The kids got so many eggs---it really is a very nice egg hunt!

We met up with Matt, Mike, Danny, & Chris :)

Well, this was the only picture I have of coloring eggs b/c my camera battery went dead.

Easter morning, we went to church.  The kids were really good and looked so cute in their new outfits.  Then we went to Mom's house for brunch and for the Easter Egg Hunt.  Mom always puts good candy and money in the eggs, so they love to collect all of their loot :)


 

 

 
 



 
We had to leave Mom's house pretty early b/c Alli was starting to break out in hives from the dog.  The kids played with some of their new toys from the Easter Bunny - bubbles, sidewalk chalk, etc.  Then I took them to the park for a little bit to play.  It was a nice relaxing day :)

Here I was just playing around with the camera....Alli was either in her room or fell asleep.

Jim went to the Kentucky Derby this weekend.  I've been trying to make the kids have a good time without missing him too much.  It's been very hectic with school for all of them, May Crowning at Sacred Heart for the triplets, dance, softball, and getting the fence washed and stained.  Oh, and how can I forget..the hose that drains from the A/C got knocked away from the drain, so the basement carpet was soaked!  So that took a lot of clean up, and setting up fans to dry it out, etc.  Now I still have to steam clean it b/c it stained the carpet.  Lots of running around and although we always run around, I don't always have to take all of them with me.  Ann helped me out a bit by going to the gym with me and getting dinner last night.  Then today when I had to go to Home Depot for more stain, she drove with me so she could sit in the car with the kids.  Anyway, its been very hectic this morning/afternoon, but since we've been home, I'm just folding laundry and the kids played with the neighbors for the last 4 hrs.  Oh, and they didn't nap....so today has just not been great.

Alli just made my night...the neighbors were leaving to get Taco Bell and she said, "Well, my mom is the greatest b/c she took us to get sno cones last night!"  I'm glad something so small as getting sno cones made her think I was the best Mom in the world.  Love that kid!  I think she wants Dad to be gone more often....we had Bread Co yesterday, sno cones, today we had Burger King and pizza.

I need to get some more stuff at Home Depot, so Mom is going to come over for a few to watch the kids.

Can't wait for Jim to get back.  Hope he is having a good time!  So now its my turn for a girls weekend--who's up for one??  Any suggestions??

Bed Time Routines

I wanted to jot these down, because as much as they annoy me every night b/c it takes sooooo long to get Jenna, Jimmy, and Cassie in bed, their little routines are really sweet and sometimes even a little funny--just not at the time :)

Alli is so easy...she doesn't take a nap, and she is always at school or playing and having fun, she gets tired and tells us usually between 8-9 that she is tired and she wants to go to sleep. That is, if she doesn't fall asleep watching tv before we realize we haven't seen her in a while. But, we say our prayers...here is the one she made up and always says -- God is great, God is good, when we are up, and when we are sleeping. -- Then we pray for whatever special requests we have for others, ourselves, and give thanks for all the good stuff that happened that day. We give her a kiss and hug and we don't see her until the morning.

I wish the triplets were that easy!!! Besides getting them into their pajamas, making them go potty, putting a diaper on Cassie (just in case), and getting them into their room....here is the rest of it -

Jimmy - he is the easiest of the three. Once I get him into bed, we just tell him we love him, give him kiss and hug and he's good.

Jimmy doesn't usually sing and when he does, he starts adding in the pees and poopies and poopheads, etc.


Cassie - her stomach (or her legs, or her head, or her shoulders, or her hand, etc, etc, etc) ALWAYS hurts as soon as she gets into bed. More recently, she also always needs a tissue b/c her nose is running. She gives me a kiss and a hug and then she has to sing me a song. It's either "You Are My Sunshine", "Tomorrow" (from Annie), a song from the Doodlebops, usually "Ukelele" , or "Miss Lucy had a Baby" - the last song, she likes to sing really, really slow!

This was Cassie about 2 weeks ago.



Jenna - she has to have the corner of her 'feet blankie' from St. John's up to her nose so she can either smell it or breathe through it or do whatever she does. She has been doing that since she was a baby. Even though I'm not sure exactly what she's doing, she looks so cute doing it. When she was a baby, she would use anything she can find, sometimes the sleeve of her shirt. So, then we have to put the blanket over her, but it has to be PERFECTLY lined up on her, with no creases, no folds. One time she was even yelling at me b/c she saw a bump underneath the blanket. I was like, "Jenna---those are your feet under the blanket!" Then its time for kisses and hugs. It goes like this -

Jenna - "First I give you a kiss" - (so, I have to sit there and let her kiss me, and Heaven forbid I accidentally pucker my lips because then I have to start all over).

"Now I give you a hug"

"Now you give me a kiss" (so she lays there like dead weight)

"Now you give me a hug" I give her a hug. "My head was a little turned for that hug, but that's okay" and she cracks up laughing.

"Now we both give kisses"

"Now we both give hugs"

Then...."I will sing you a fast song - Miss Lucy is fast. No, no its not. I'll sing "Sunshine" She proceeds with the song and I tell them Good Night, I love you, Stay in Bed or we'll turn the TV off. Turn off the light and shut the door.

Jenna - about 2 weeks ago.


Cassie and Jenna (Jimmy sometimes, but he's pretty good) get out of bed and start playing with toys about 2 seconds after we walk out of the room. TV is usually off after about 5 mins. At least one of them is out of bed to tell us that "someone is waking them up and they can't sleep"....not like they were sleeping in 2 mins anyway! Or maybe their belly hurts, etc. Or, "Mommy, I don't want you to leave when I'm sleeping."

I think I'm just going to start saying a prayer with them and tell them we can't do the other stuff anymore! It's a chore just to put them to bed :)

Night at the Races - Mom's 71st Birthday

We always love to go to the Night at the Races out in Wentzville every year. Always so much fun. This year, we were big fat losers!!! We even took to betting on rock/paper/scissors b/c we couldn't win any races! Not even on the side bets! Jim, by the way, was not good at the R/P/S game...but I was :)

We also celebrate my Mom's birthday at that time b/c its always right around it. I put in all of these pictures b/c I think our family is so funny how they all jump into pictures (NOTE--It's not ONLY ME :)