Jack had his first baseball game of the season Saturday. It was on the "big" field where there are adult softball and (for all I know) baseball games; I guess the idea is to give the "Rookie" ball kids, which is what Jack plays, a chance to play on a real field (practices and the rest of his games are at a small field at his elementary school). This one had baselines, manicured grass, dugout-like areas, and an announcer calling out each player's name and number. Pretty cool. As we walked onto the field one of the kids was like, "We play HERE? Wow!" I was saying it too, to myself.
The game before ours ran late, so for 20 minutes the kids ran around and tossed baseballs in the air. There really wasn't enough room to have a practice and it was kind of chaotic with people walking around and wanting to get hotdogs and so forth. But it finally started, and it was great. The announcer (sounded like about an 8-year-old girl) called the names, the kids hit the pitches and ran to first, the fielding was generally poor. It's funny how kids field the ball the right way in practice but have no idea how to get the glove down in an actual game. It's different. I gather that's why in Little League I swung the bat fine in practice and didn't take it off my shoulder in a game the entire season.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun and we even got Jack's bat back, which somebody else had brought home after his first practice. Afterward Jack posed for a picture and he and Kate got to eat ring pops. Forgot to mention, Kate was apparently in great spirits watching the game; on several occasions I heard her calling through the fence. "HI....DADDY.....Hi.....DADDDY....."
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Took Jack out on his bike today. He started up on his own each time, not needing my hand on the seat or his back to get him started. A big step for him. He's still not totally there yet -- easily starting up immediately -- but he gradually gets going and then can cruise along in complete control. Uses the hand brake to stop like a pro, too, which is a big improvement from a few weeks ago, when he was still using his face, knees, and the neighbors' lawns.
At dinner we talked about our favorite parts of the day. Jack said immediately, "Riding my bike!" That made me glad, since I can't see his face when he's riding (I'm running along behind) and wasn't sure if he was smiling happily with the wind in his hair or with teeth clenched in abject terror. I'm guessing it was the former.
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Jack has been calling us Mom and Dad lately. I'm not ready for it.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Sick Katie
Sunday morning Kate got into bed with us, too early as per usual, and I noticed her feet were burning up. Turned out she had a high fever, which meant a day of staying home. It was lower by evening, but still enough that we planned to keep her home.
Monday afternoon she was still under the weather so I took her to the doctor. They checked her ears nose and throat and couldn't find anything specific; "just viral" was the guess. So we went home again. But a day later, her fever was up again and she was wailing that her ear was hurting her. So I called to leave a message for her doctor (long story short: give me an antibiotics prescription!), who called me back and nixed phoning in the antibiotics but said I could bring her in again. Super. So off we went at 6:30 in the evening, Kate already in her pajamas, to get the last open slot of the day with her doctor...who looked in Kate's ear and said, You were right. She has an ear infection.
Kate's kind of funny at the doctor. At first she basically stood very close to me, almost hiding behind me, in the room. But then she sat happily on the exam table, drawing pictures with crayons. "What's THAT? And what's THAT?" She giggled when her ears were checked (the first time) and did a big "AH" when the doctor checked her throat. Going back the next day, it was a little different. She had been wailing for the past hour so her eyes were puffy and her face was red. She was in pajamas and teary so she looked like she'd just woken up. And she wanted no part of being there, but just sort of woodenly went through the motions of opening her mouth and gazing at the wall while the doctor checked her ear. It was almost like she was thinking, What am I doing back here? I was here YESTERDAY, and I TOLD you I was sick.
I picked up the medicine and was home with it before Kate went to bed. She looked at it doubtfully, especially since it wasn't "pink medicine." I'll never forget giving Kate an antibiotic once -- a year ago, I think -- and having her spit the entire thing out down the front of her shirt as I started in disbelief. So you could say I'm wary of giving her new medicine. I smelled it and says, it smells like banana...no. I think, pineapple? Yummy. She took it doubtfully, but it stayed in. "Pineapple," she said, cheerfully.
Today she was home sick, again, but the medicine seemed to be doing its job. We went to the library (she took out two Ladybug Girl books) and the post office, and she felt pretty good. And I knew she was better because at home, when I gave her a sandwich and chips for lunch, she sang.
Kate's kind of funny at the doctor. At first she basically stood very close to me, almost hiding behind me, in the room. But then she sat happily on the exam table, drawing pictures with crayons. "What's THAT? And what's THAT?" She giggled when her ears were checked (the first time) and did a big "AH" when the doctor checked her throat. Going back the next day, it was a little different. She had been wailing for the past hour so her eyes were puffy and her face was red. She was in pajamas and teary so she looked like she'd just woken up. And she wanted no part of being there, but just sort of woodenly went through the motions of opening her mouth and gazing at the wall while the doctor checked her ear. It was almost like she was thinking, What am I doing back here? I was here YESTERDAY, and I TOLD you I was sick.
I picked up the medicine and was home with it before Kate went to bed. She looked at it doubtfully, especially since it wasn't "pink medicine." I'll never forget giving Kate an antibiotic once -- a year ago, I think -- and having her spit the entire thing out down the front of her shirt as I started in disbelief. So you could say I'm wary of giving her new medicine. I smelled it and says, it smells like banana...no. I think, pineapple? Yummy. She took it doubtfully, but it stayed in. "Pineapple," she said, cheerfully.
Today she was home sick, again, but the medicine seemed to be doing its job. We went to the library (she took out two Ladybug Girl books) and the post office, and she felt pretty good. And I knew she was better because at home, when I gave her a sandwich and chips for lunch, she sang.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Great Wolf
Putting Jack to bed tonight, after our vacation to Great Wolf Lodge and Water Park, I mentioned that maybe he should do a journal entry or draw a picture of one of his favorite things from the weekend. And Jack said, "A journal entry; I like writing more than drawing." Which was mildly surprising, but OK. And I started to think, if Jack were writing this blog tonight, it might go something like this.
We ate breakfast and got into the car to go to Great Wolf Lodge. I was going to miss playing Wii, but the water slides looked pretty cool in the pictures Daddy showed me. Plus we ate lunch at McDonald's! They had a big play area there where me and Kate ran around. Daddy joked that we would just skip the waterpark and stay overnight at McDonald's. Silly Daddy.
Arrived at Great Wolf Lodge. Busy. Wooden animal carvings everywhere. They had this game called MagiQuest. You got your wand in a store, then ran around the lodge waving it at paintings and treasure chests of gold. It was awesome. Kate and I waved our wands and collected gold and ran around for about an hour before Mommy and Daddy reminded us there were a bunch of water slides.
We all got in our bathing suits and went into the water park. It was like being in an indoor baseball stadium or something. I was so excited I ran off on my own and scared my parents, who were still trying to find some place to put our towels down, half to death. After that, we started out in this little wading area with small slides. I thought Kate would be scared, but she went down a couple of decent-sized slides all by herself, throwing her arms up as she went and laughing happily as she splashed into the water at the bottom of the slide. "I did it!" she yelled to us, proudly. My sister is only 4. Later, Daddy told us that he and Kate went to a pretty high slide which he thought he could do with Kate, but found out at the top they had to go separately. He thought about walking down the stairs, but instead asked Kate if she wanted to do it, and she, her little mouth tight, nodded. And she went down on her own, and though I know she was really scared, liked it so much she wanted to do it again. And smiled proudly.
Daddy and I went up a long staircase to do a pretty big slide. We carried up a two-person raft to zip down on. As we put it in the water, I wasn't sure I wanted to do it. "Uh," I said "I'm not sure...." Daddy said, Jack, I'm right here with you, it will be fine. And then there were people behind us and we had to go. First I yelled, then I yelled some more. Then I laughed and laughed, and as we crashed into the water at the bottom, the first thing I said was, "That was GREAT. Let's go again."
There was a big wave pool, which was like being at the ocean, except the water was even warmer. I kept swimming out, letting the waves bring me back in, and swimming out again. Laughing and laughing. Floating on inner tubes, getting capsized, crashing into the water again and again. And going back for more. There was another pool where Daddy and I played basketball, and another where we just floated downstream while buckets of water dumped on our heads every so often. It almost looked like Daddy tried to get hit by the water because he knew it'd be funny for us, but probably not. It was funny.
At night, there was storytime, where we all wore pajamas and gathered in the lobby and somebody dressed as Violet the Wolf and another girl read bedtime stories. Incredibly, I worked my way through about 200 kids to get into the front row. Daddy and Mommy were way in the back with Kate up on their shoulders. Kate had her stuffed Violet the Wolf doll with her, and badly wanted to show the big Violet her toy that looked like her. When she couldn't get close, she cried. A lot. She was a little overtired from staying up late, waking up early, and not napping for a few days. (I wasn't at all tired, although in pictures on the last day my eyes were about 3/4 of the way shut.)
Before storytime one night, there was a lady making balloon animals. I made it up to the front while Daddy waited. When she asked me what I wanted, I asked for a dragon. She said she couldn't make that. I told her to ask somebody else. When it was my turn again, I told her, "I'm still thinking." Daddy seemed to groan. I ended up stepping out of line without getting an animal. Jack, what's up? Daddy asked. "I've moved on," I said.
There was a "Story Adventure" thing where you got your picture taken in a variety of poses and they put you in a book with Wiley or Violet the wolf. Daddy talked about how Kate did huge smiles and threw her arms up into the air to show excitement and all that. Sometimes she can be shy so it was pretty impressive.
I've got to say the thing I'll remember most about the trip was actually NOT the water slides, even though I went around and around and jumped in and out of the water again and again. The thing I liked most was the MagiQuest game. At one point I had to open a chest on one side of the hotel, then get to the other side in 30 seconds to open another one. Daddy laughed that there was a sign that said, NO RUNNING. I completed a whole bunch of quests and at the end there was a video that told me I'd earned Master Magi. Mommy said I beamed with pride. As I said to Daddy, "I can't believe I can do all this with just a wand and a computer! And I made MASTER MAGI!!!!"
At the end, I did an adventure, where I had to fight a dragon. I tried to kill him twice but couldn't. Very hard. Next time!
I don't know if that's exactly what Jack would have written. But I think something like that is about right. I took a picture of him after he completed one of his wand quests. This is about typical of his smile, part happiness, part awe, part accomplishment, for most of the vacation.
We ate breakfast and got into the car to go to Great Wolf Lodge. I was going to miss playing Wii, but the water slides looked pretty cool in the pictures Daddy showed me. Plus we ate lunch at McDonald's! They had a big play area there where me and Kate ran around. Daddy joked that we would just skip the waterpark and stay overnight at McDonald's. Silly Daddy.
Arrived at Great Wolf Lodge. Busy. Wooden animal carvings everywhere. They had this game called MagiQuest. You got your wand in a store, then ran around the lodge waving it at paintings and treasure chests of gold. It was awesome. Kate and I waved our wands and collected gold and ran around for about an hour before Mommy and Daddy reminded us there were a bunch of water slides.
We all got in our bathing suits and went into the water park. It was like being in an indoor baseball stadium or something. I was so excited I ran off on my own and scared my parents, who were still trying to find some place to put our towels down, half to death. After that, we started out in this little wading area with small slides. I thought Kate would be scared, but she went down a couple of decent-sized slides all by herself, throwing her arms up as she went and laughing happily as she splashed into the water at the bottom of the slide. "I did it!" she yelled to us, proudly. My sister is only 4. Later, Daddy told us that he and Kate went to a pretty high slide which he thought he could do with Kate, but found out at the top they had to go separately. He thought about walking down the stairs, but instead asked Kate if she wanted to do it, and she, her little mouth tight, nodded. And she went down on her own, and though I know she was really scared, liked it so much she wanted to do it again. And smiled proudly.
Daddy and I went up a long staircase to do a pretty big slide. We carried up a two-person raft to zip down on. As we put it in the water, I wasn't sure I wanted to do it. "Uh," I said "I'm not sure...." Daddy said, Jack, I'm right here with you, it will be fine. And then there were people behind us and we had to go. First I yelled, then I yelled some more. Then I laughed and laughed, and as we crashed into the water at the bottom, the first thing I said was, "That was GREAT. Let's go again."
There was a big wave pool, which was like being at the ocean, except the water was even warmer. I kept swimming out, letting the waves bring me back in, and swimming out again. Laughing and laughing. Floating on inner tubes, getting capsized, crashing into the water again and again. And going back for more. There was another pool where Daddy and I played basketball, and another where we just floated downstream while buckets of water dumped on our heads every so often. It almost looked like Daddy tried to get hit by the water because he knew it'd be funny for us, but probably not. It was funny.
At night, there was storytime, where we all wore pajamas and gathered in the lobby and somebody dressed as Violet the Wolf and another girl read bedtime stories. Incredibly, I worked my way through about 200 kids to get into the front row. Daddy and Mommy were way in the back with Kate up on their shoulders. Kate had her stuffed Violet the Wolf doll with her, and badly wanted to show the big Violet her toy that looked like her. When she couldn't get close, she cried. A lot. She was a little overtired from staying up late, waking up early, and not napping for a few days. (I wasn't at all tired, although in pictures on the last day my eyes were about 3/4 of the way shut.)
Before storytime one night, there was a lady making balloon animals. I made it up to the front while Daddy waited. When she asked me what I wanted, I asked for a dragon. She said she couldn't make that. I told her to ask somebody else. When it was my turn again, I told her, "I'm still thinking." Daddy seemed to groan. I ended up stepping out of line without getting an animal. Jack, what's up? Daddy asked. "I've moved on," I said.
There was a "Story Adventure" thing where you got your picture taken in a variety of poses and they put you in a book with Wiley or Violet the wolf. Daddy talked about how Kate did huge smiles and threw her arms up into the air to show excitement and all that. Sometimes she can be shy so it was pretty impressive.
I've got to say the thing I'll remember most about the trip was actually NOT the water slides, even though I went around and around and jumped in and out of the water again and again. The thing I liked most was the MagiQuest game. At one point I had to open a chest on one side of the hotel, then get to the other side in 30 seconds to open another one. Daddy laughed that there was a sign that said, NO RUNNING. I completed a whole bunch of quests and at the end there was a video that told me I'd earned Master Magi. Mommy said I beamed with pride. As I said to Daddy, "I can't believe I can do all this with just a wand and a computer! And I made MASTER MAGI!!!!"
At the end, I did an adventure, where I had to fight a dragon. I tried to kill him twice but couldn't. Very hard. Next time!
I don't know if that's exactly what Jack would have written. But I think something like that is about right. I took a picture of him after he completed one of his wand quests. This is about typical of his smile, part happiness, part awe, part accomplishment, for most of the vacation.
Thursday, April 05, 2012
Baseball
It was Opening Day for the Red Sox, and Jack, to his credit, put on his red Kevin Youkilis Red Sox T-shirt and his Red Sox hat. As far as I know he's about the only non-Yankee fan in his class. In the afternoon I asked him if he got any grief about it. He said no. Any comments? He said, "Yes -- Mrs. Murphy." (Assistant teacher.) I said, really? He said she said to him, "'You're a Red Sox fan?' And I said, Yes, my parents got married in Boston." And I said, Jack, good for you.
After school we watched the Red Sox lose their opener, but at least they tied it up with two outs in the ninth, so they showed some heart.
When the game was over, wanting to kill an hour before baseball practice but not do anything too strenuous, we went on a Secret Spy Mission. Jack got out his spy folder, which is a manila folder he's drawn pictures and written a bunch of code words in, and gave us secret code names; he was Eagle and I was Tiger. I think. Then we skulked about the house and the yard pretending to kill and eat bears and find treasure and such. Jack drew a picture of the "Egyptian Bear," which hibernates in the summer, and which made good eatin' after we cooked him up on our invisible stove. Jack asked me if I wanted the tail or a foot, neither of which sounded too appetizing, so I asked for a leg. It was a little gamey. Then we found treasure and drew a picture of that, too.
Then it was off to baseball practice. There are 10 other kids and almost all of them are Yankee fans who wear Yankee hats and their favorite player is Derek Jeter. But other than that, they all seem like pretty good kids. Some can't throw and some can't catch and some can't hit, but they were all pretty game and all of them seemed better at the end of practice than at the start. We finished with a drill where each kid got three throws from behind the pitcher's mound to a bucket at home plate, with closest throw winning. A couple of kids hit it and a couple who couldn't throw 20 feet at the beginning of practice were close, and practice ended with every kid having a smile on his face, which was pretty awesome.
In the car on the way home, since it was 7:30 and Jack hadn't had dinner yet, I asked Jack if he was really hungry. And he said, "No, I don't feel hungry when I'm having fun." Then we got home, he had two hotdogs and a bunch of chips and a yogurt and some red pepper and a piece of Easter candy and showered and went to bed. So it was a good day.
After school we watched the Red Sox lose their opener, but at least they tied it up with two outs in the ninth, so they showed some heart.
When the game was over, wanting to kill an hour before baseball practice but not do anything too strenuous, we went on a Secret Spy Mission. Jack got out his spy folder, which is a manila folder he's drawn pictures and written a bunch of code words in, and gave us secret code names; he was Eagle and I was Tiger. I think. Then we skulked about the house and the yard pretending to kill and eat bears and find treasure and such. Jack drew a picture of the "Egyptian Bear," which hibernates in the summer, and which made good eatin' after we cooked him up on our invisible stove. Jack asked me if I wanted the tail or a foot, neither of which sounded too appetizing, so I asked for a leg. It was a little gamey. Then we found treasure and drew a picture of that, too.
Then it was off to baseball practice. There are 10 other kids and almost all of them are Yankee fans who wear Yankee hats and their favorite player is Derek Jeter. But other than that, they all seem like pretty good kids. Some can't throw and some can't catch and some can't hit, but they were all pretty game and all of them seemed better at the end of practice than at the start. We finished with a drill where each kid got three throws from behind the pitcher's mound to a bucket at home plate, with closest throw winning. A couple of kids hit it and a couple who couldn't throw 20 feet at the beginning of practice were close, and practice ended with every kid having a smile on his face, which was pretty awesome.
In the car on the way home, since it was 7:30 and Jack hadn't had dinner yet, I asked Jack if he was really hungry. And he said, "No, I don't feel hungry when I'm having fun." Then we got home, he had two hotdogs and a bunch of chips and a yogurt and some red pepper and a piece of Easter candy and showered and went to bed. So it was a good day.
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