The Thunder rolls to the beach

Clara’s softball season is over.  We played in the final regular season tournament at Liberty Park.  We lost our first game to Pell City which we weren’t expecting to lose.  We played another game Friday night and won. Then Saturday we started a long day of games.  We were in the middle of a rematch with the Wild Things and the weather went crazy.  It rained so much that they decided to postpone until the next day.   We honestly had an advantage that day because the Wild Thangs pitcher was tired because they had to be at the park the night before until 12:00 and at Liberty Park for an eight o’clock game.  So when we came back on Sunday, we lost.  The pitcher was very rested.  We fell into the losers bracket and lost to Hueytown.  We walked a bunch of folks and we realized this team was instructed to not swing unless there were 2 strikes.  In fact a parent bragged about it to us later.  They knew it was the only way they could win.  Kind of sad way to go,  so because of this we did not qualify for the state tournament.  We were planning to go to the Best of the Rest at the beach and then they cancelled it.  Some of us decided to go anyway.  We are driving back as I type.

Clara was so sad about her season ending so this trip was a fun distraction.  We stayed at the Phoenix which wasn’t as nice as some of the places we have stayed at but it had all we needed.  The first night we went to the Hangout and the girls were in heaven.  The boys had a blast too.  They had this huge sand pile that was about 12 feet high with spotlights on it.  We looked up and all the girls were leading the other kids at the place in the cha slide etc.   When we were driving home Lewis told me his throat hurt, gave him some motrin and hoped he was just thirsty from all the dancing.

The next morn it was a "widdle"sore and when we got out to the car I got our flashlight out for crabbing and looked in there.  It was red and white.  I knew we would need to make a visit to American Family Care.  They were very nice there and after a throat swab and having blood drawn we found out he had strep.  They had to test him for that junk I had a few weeks ago.  We got two balloons which are going back to Birmingham with us.   Went to Tacky Jacks that night and Rob was walking around without me and a table of ladies stopped him and asked if his Momma was Meg.   They were some folks from Canton, one had seen Rob when he was 4 or so but the others just knew he looked just like me.   All our friends couldn’t believe that happened but y’all know it is just a Mississippi thing.

We went back and sat by the pool visiting until late.  Our friend Alan had done an awesome video of the season and we loved seeing that.  Somehow we got out of going to Waterville the next day and enjoyed the whole day at the pool.  Clara and some girls went to the beach, but the beach was kind of sad to me. It didn’t look bad at all or smell but from above you could see the oil and all the people who were trying to keep it as bay.  Also our condo walkway was about 150 yards from the water in thick sand.  The people who worked at Phoenix were so glad we were there and every restaurant we went to made a point of saying thanks for coming down.

We had an intense volleyball game (intense for our most competitive girls) and then went to Adventure Island.  They all rode go carts, which was so funny because  of their competitive streaks.  Then you add in the Dads who most of them get their competitiveness from and you have a lot of spin outs.  One Dad purposely spun out our pitcher.   Lewis and Brian got stuck with a pink car, but he and the head coach (in a purple one)  ran a tight race.

Then we did laser tag and there was some poor bully boy in there with our crew.  He kept hitting them and grabbing their guns.  So they all ganged up on him and got him in a corner and kept shooting him.  He probably learned a valuable lesson that night…… My kids loved finding the Deal or No Deal game (our new obsession on GSN).  Lewis came away with a rubber shark and a rubber cockroach.  He keeps the roach in the shark’s mouth, he was a happy boy.   We ran into a team from Gardendale and starting thinking they looked familiar.  Then we saw mohawk boy and knew they were 10U ball players but we knew Gardendale didn’t make the state.  Mohawk  boy is this kid who hit our players in the stomach during the “good game” thing  after our first game.  Brian spoke to the coach about mohawk boy and mohawk boy was infamous after that.  He would try to  poke our banner with a stick at later tourney and Brian would yell “get outta here” to him.  So we asked the Gardendale folks what they were doing there.  They said they did have a best of the rest but only for 2 teams.  We didn’t know anything about it.  Our coach was told it was canceled due to lack of participation.  We probably wouldn’t have wanted to do it with 2 teams anyway but still.

I am enjoying this summer so much.  Looking forward to making many more fun memories.

Thunder's encounter with the Wild Thangs

This week I was sick, I had mycoplasm and I felt like I had mono for four days.  I was one of the people in charge of Science at Bible School too.  So after two painful shots and a bunch of prescriptions I told my buddies I wouldn't make it.  I made it back on Wednesday, but no makeup and I look like death warmed over.  Thank goodness we were watching a cool movie in the dark so no one could see me too well.  Some of my preschoolers saw me and I swear they didn't recognized me.

We started Clara's softball tourney on Thursday night.  We won our first game and the second one we lost.  It was their first loss ( they won the tourney last week).  We went on to win two more on Friday night.  Saturday we had one at 9:00 and got to go home and rest until 3:00.  We had a hard win at 3:00 and then we faced another team immediately afterwards for the semi finals.  We played a team, I kid you not, named Wild Thangs.  Their colors were pepto pink and black.  They had their nicknames on their jerseys like Rix Bits, Rooster, Cookie, Tic Tac, and Lil Tay Tot.  They didn't have their shirts tucked in and they had a nice variety of black pants.  Spandex in the mix.  Imagine a large daddy with the same sized shirt as the girls stomping around barking orders.

It was hot as snot out there, and I was just sitting in the stands.  We have our own music system and mix masters, Rob and Ben. We have been exposing our kids to some awesome 80's tunes.  We had a horrible umpire, but more about that later.  This game Clara was catching.  We have a very consistent pitcher and she is great.  The umpire was crazy inconsistent,  which is not really that common.  Sometimes you don't agree with what the umpire chooses to like as far as pitches, but normally a pitcher can adjust.  We had no clue what he liked.  Except for he liked their pitcher.  She is a 10 or 11 and I think taller than me  (5'5).  She had this annoying habit of literally slinging the ball in there even if the girls weren't ready.  Our girls started holding up their hand to let the ump know they weren't ready, as soon as the girls started dropping their hands she would sling it in there.    Everytime she was up to bat she would steal the signals from the coach giving them to the catcher.  She just stared at the coach blatantly.  We were ahead most of the game and had several lost opportunities to get further ahead.  I am watching Clara bat and all of a sudden she is screaming on the ground.  She had hit her in the leg.  She had a hard time even walking off the field.  This was probably around the 3rd or 4th inning, and Clara was the first player she hit.  I was mad but thought it happens.  Clara actually has been hit several times but never in her leg. Clara was crying because she was hurt, mad, dirty and frantic she would have to come out of the game.  Clara limped out on the field to play catcher again.  She did fine but her movement was definitely limited.

I was icing her up in the dugout when their pitcher hit our pitcher in the leg.  Clara was livid and she hoped up to check on her friend.  Clara created a new signal for our pitcher, hit the batter, thank goodness the pitcher told Clara that might not be a great idea.  Then she proceeded to hit one of our best hitters, and our 3rd baseman.  Needless to say the hot day got hotter.  Then we settled down and Clara was moved to 2nd base because she could not run to get past balls.

The pitching coach changed all the signals, the pink pitcher stole them, and it was especially sweet when she struck out.    Sometime after this the umpire turned around and yelled at us, "Would you shut up and sit down, you have been complaining the whole game!!"  Are you kidding me?  I have seen some heated interchanges between umps and fans but never this.  Usually the ump would address the coach only and then he would proceed to warn the fans.  Then someone yelled he was being unprofessional, he screamed again "You need to just shut up, and sit down."  He was really young and showed it.  We tied it up and then went into extra innings.  We were visitors and batted first needless to say Clara struck out looking because she was traumatized by her last at bat.

We lost by one.  It was sad.  After the game I looked up in the stands and one of the older brothers had tears in his eyes.  So precious.  One time Clara made a great play, Rob yelled out "That's my sister!!" and his other friend yelled out "That's my sister's friend."  One of my sweet friends actually chased down the umpire and he was extremely hostile.  Her beef was not with his calls but the way he handled himself.

The pepto team went on to lose to a team we beat last week.  I wasn't sad at all.  

So that was a not so quick recap of our weekend.  Brian's parents came to visit, it was nice for Clara to have some grandparents there.  Rob leaves for his first church youth trip tomorrow.  We will miss him and it is weird he is old enough to go.  The curfew is 11:30.  But I know he will have a blast and it will be a special experience.  He will be back in time for most of Clara's games next weekend.

Light up shoes and loud music

My baby wants some light up shoes.  We were in the Stride Rite outlet and my 6 year old discovered light up shoes for the first time.  He spotted some Buzz Lightyear light up shoes and he was in awe.  I know a six year old is too old for light up shoes but when you are the third kid you discover some things way to early and others a little late.  They didn't have any that fit him and I refused to pay more than 20 bucks for some light up shoes at the Stride Rite outlet.  Of course now we have had trouble finding any in his size anywhere else.  So I probably will end up going to Monkey Toes and getting some for way over 20 bucks.

We had a great weekend in Pell City and Clara's All Star team won the tournament.  We have a Mom who bought a huge boom box for music in between innings.  During the championship game Clay and Oak Mountain players, umps, and coaches were all doing YMCA.  Softball is such a fun thing.  We played another unnamed team (from an affluent Bham suburb) in the game before and their coaches just complained to the umps about our music, our photographer, our pitcher, his calls etc.  We suspect one of the coaches even sent his mama to us to ask us to turn down our music.

I woke up this morning and felt like I had a hangover.  I had no alcohol last night so I figured it was a Mamma yelling hangover.  By noon I felt like crap, I worked on Bible School some and then went to the after hours clinic. When the nurse looked in my throat she made a horrible face.  I have microplasm or walking pneumonia.  So where the heck did that come from, after my research that it has a long incubation (15-25 days) so it could have come from the preschool where I work.  So it has taken me about an hour to type this.  I think I better hit the hay.

Kiss my Grits

We are at the beach enjoying a leisurely life.  We are staying at Turqoise with all my family.  My parents, my three sisters, their husbands, and everyone's kids, totally 20 people.  Needless to say we never go out to eat.  We take turns cooking every night.  Last night Brian and I cooked shrimp and grits.  I cooked way too many grits, I mean way too many.  I asked Brian if we could feed them to the seagulls.  I always cook too much when I cook, I always feel it is better to have too much than not enough.  Sometimes that personality trait in me drives Brian crazy.

Clara and Brian are going home tomorrow for all star practice.  I am sad they are leaving, I will miss them.   Brian is like blood pressure medication for me.  We took our family pictures tonight, in all white of course, even though I tried to talk them into a change.  It is easier every year.  We have learned to appreciate the "bad pictures" and laugh when the little ones cry.  We do look a little like a cult out there, all white and all.  Honestly I am glad when they are over, they are pretty crazy.  Waiting for the oil to come, we saw little men with white shirts and green pants.   They worked for BP and were getting prepared for the oil invasion.

How to force people to be your friend during air travel

I went to Chicago last week to meet my older sister and my Dad.  Dad had a meeting there and Mom was going to Germany (to track the path of John Wesley) so Dad invited us.  I had asked the doctor when I saw him last for a few Zanax to take (not at the same time) for the flight because I hate to fly.  I used to love it as a kid, but as adult I have never liked it.  I don't think we are going to crash I just hate the feeling I get when I why.  So I had taken my Zanax before so I would be good and relaxed, hoped on the plane (Southwest, love them, really).  I actually was so relaxed that I almost missed my flight, they changed the gate number and I didn't realize it.  I got in the plane and seating section A had no meaning.  I lucked up and found a seat on the front row between two business people.  One was definitely more businessy than the other.  The guy on my left had longer hair and kept tearing out pages of a fishing magazine and putting them in his front pocket.  Neither one of these men said a word to me when I sat down.  They hogged both the armrest, but that is what I got for being too relaxed.  So the flight attendant came to get my drink order and brought me a diet coke.  As soon as she gave it to me, the fasten seat belt light came on.  The plane started experiencing turbulence and one time we dropped and my diet coke flew up in the air.  I did get diet coke on my seat companions, and to my relief they laughed.  After a couple more bumps I was brave and asked my still mute friends if I could hold their wrist.  I told them I was scared.  They both said sure.  The guy on my right then started talking to me and I think he took it upon himself to help distract me.  The guy on my left was my time guy,  I kept asking "How much longer?"  Each time he would patiently answer me with a smile but no chit chat.  The guy on my right was a nice guy from Mountain Brook, wife and two kids, and he was actually going to the same conference Dad was.  For some reason I blurted out, "We should share a cab!"   We were staying in the same place.  Isn't that crazy?  It was the Zanax talking.  I mean I had just watched  " Taken"  and the shared cab is the kiss of death.  I think that was in my subconscious or something.  Needless to say I was so thankful for my new friends!  The flight attendants never got up again the whole flight, too bumpy.  When we arrived, I realized my cab friend had not checked any luggage and I had.  I had to say "I am sorry, I have to go to baggage claim."  He said no problem.  About this time my sis texted me and said they were waiting for me in baggage claim.  My friend was saved.  I tried to introduce him to my Dad but had no clue his name.  Thank goodness he realized it and introduced himself.    He bade me farewell.

I tried to move on from bad flight with shopping at H&M.  I had never been there and I loved it.  It was like Forever 21 but better.  That night we went to a delicious steak house and I had the best steak I had ever had.  We had ridden to the restaurant in a mini bus, after dinner my Dad was ready to leave.  He had to wait on the bus, he convinced the whole group to go outside and wait for the bus.  About 30 people stood under the awning while it rained, but soon enough the disco bus arrived.  It was just like the ones they use for prom now.

The next day we went to the Museum of Modern Art, because it was very rainy.  After getting a dose of culture we went to Nordstrom Rack.  Loved it!  That night we decided to go see Date Night, funny movie.  Then we went to a Greek restaurant where I had a strange Greek dish that was pretty good.  We then went to Navy Pier looking for ice cream but the whole darn place was closed.  We ended up getting a dessert at a fancy grocery store.

We all decided to change our flights to leave Friday night.  We were having fun but all of us were getting a little anxious to get back to our lives.  So wonderful time and now I was off to the airport to fly home.  The shuttle took 1:15 minutes to get to the airport, the driver said it normally takes 10-15 minutes.  He was driving so crazy that I had to take Bonine and only look straight ahead.  He was so angry too.  I really thought we might have an accident and I was sure my driver would have some major road rage.

I am waiting for my plane and I take a Zanax, I am starting to get nervous.  I am thinking I will have a smooth flight since it was clear skies.  Just then I saw my friend, Scott Dillard, from church.  I work with his wife and she had mentioned he was going to Chicago but I had forgotten.  Scott who knows I am somewhat crazy must have thought I was sure enough crazy that night.  I told Scott he would be my buddy, I was so happy.  We settled into our seats and started discussing life.  The flight attendant came to ask our orders (2nd row) and all of a sudden ding, ding, ding.  They never got up the rest of the trip.  Very bumpy.  Scott was trying his best to distract me and all the while I had his arm in a death grip.  In one moment of panic I blurted out to my silent other side soon to be friend, "Where are we, what are we going over?"  He said, "What?"  I repeated my frantic question.  He said I don't know but I will look on the map.  He did and then the three of us talked the rest of the way.  I think he took pity on poor Scott and thought he needed help keeping this crazy flier distracted.  He was such an interesting guy.  He gave me his card, because of some Mississippi State stuff and I think it might have disintegrated in my clenched hand before I got home, because I can't find it.   We survived.

He and I headed to baggage claim, Scott had carried on.  We claimed our bags and I waved to his wife and child through the window.  She was probably was thinking "Who is that strange woman standing next to my husband waving at me?"  He had told me so much about them that I felt like I knew them.    I never use skycaps but when one offered I said, "Sure"  He had an I Love Jesus lanyard around his neck and I love him too so why not, I was just happy to be alive.  So we get in the parking lot and I am not parked where I thought I was.  Then Miss Olivia started calling on the walky saying someone needed help with a wheel chair.  So I encourage my 4th new friend to go help Miss Olivia and I surely could find my car alone.  He ran away calling "Miss Olivia, I am coming."  One reason I love Birmingham.

I was left to locate my car.  I kept pushing the panic button and then I heard it.  It was below we somewhere.  I tried the closest elevator and it was broken and I lugged/rolled my 50 pound suitcase to the other elevator.  Yeah my car!!  I was so happy to be on solid ground in my good old Quest, I  could hardly stand it.

"It's time to change!!"

Sometimes I am not a good sharer.  It probably goes back to my childhood, always having to share with three sisters.  Lately I am tired of sharing our kids.  They are starting to have such busy lives.   I told my husband today I feel like I am always bossed around, not by my kids but their schedules.  I love they have activities of their own but I just have to remember to let go.  I do not control their schedule anymore.  For years I had to control every minute detail of their schedule, routine and life.  It took me awhile to get used to that reality, now we have a new one.  I don't know why it was bugging me today, I guess it has been a year of reflection overall.

This summer will be different with activities scheduled pretty much all summer long, but I just need to relax and enjoy it.  I am just feeling a little selfish today, I was a little grumpy for mother's day.  I am so thankful to have my family and I just need to remember I am not the only navigator.  I also need to remember that there is only one navigator that matters, my God.   I am going to Chicago with my sister and dad on Wednesday, seems like this break could not come at a better time.  Maybe I will come home with a more sharing attitude.   In the computer class we teach we always set the timer to remind our friends to share, maybe this is my "ding."  We always say, "It's time to change!"

Broken bat, but not a broken arm

We had another busy weekend of ball games.  Lewis had a game Friday night and then Clara started playing in a tournament at 7:30 Saturday morning.  Clara's wildest dream, she loves to play softball!!  It is her favorite thing to do period.  So they won the first game, lost the 2nd, and won the 3rd narrowly.  Clara and friend were covered with dirt from head to toe.  Then they had to wait about 3 or 4 hours for the next game.  Clara made friends on the Chelsea team we were playing next.  Some of her friends went on an adventure under a bridge.  Clara told me about her friend Kendall who was playing under the bridge and a little girl came up and said "My Dad owns the park and you are going to get kicked out of softball for being down here."  Kendall did not have the appropriate response for the little princess so the princess started throwing dirt clods at Kendall and Kendall threw them back.  I love that girl.   So the girls had a great afternoon beings kids too.

So by the time we got to game 4 they were a little tired.  Clara pitched the first inning and was catching the 2nd when she got smacked in the arm by a ball, hard.  She crumpled down and I knew she was hurt.  She gets hit all the time and keeps going but this was different.  She came out and we put ice on it.  It hit her in the crook of her arm.  I was thinking it was a bad bruise, but the longer she cried the more worried I got.  I decided I needed to take her to the er.  She is so tough and she was having a hard time shaking it.

They were wonderful at Children's Hospital, and I found it with no problems (1st time ever).  Please know that if it had been broken it would not be the end of anyone's world, except my little girl.  Clara without softball would be like me without Diet Coke.  Seriously she would play it every day, several times a day, if that was possible.  It is her "thing."  I remember an old episode on "Little Bill" when the grandmother explained to Little Bill that everyone has to find their "thing." The thing that makes you feel happy, completely engaged and content.  The thing you enjoy more than anything else. The grandmother had quilting, the dad had jazz and I forgot what the Mom's was...(probably sleeping).  She used to ask me, "Will I ever find my thing?"  She was good at dance but didn't love it, same with soccer.  Art was a true passion but with her temperament she had to do something active too. She was so happy playing baseball with the boys but she wasn't a boy even though sometimes she wished she was.

So when she discovered softball it was not love at first sight, but the longer she played it the more she loved it.  She by luck played all stars that summer and fell completely in love.  They lost almost all of their games and some of the girls were not that nice to Clara but she still cried so hard when it was over.  She has played ever since, and last summer she made her best friends playing all stars.  She had never found girls she had so much in common with they were fun, girly, tough and just as driven as her.  I saw her blossom before my eyes.  These friends all go to different schools so it was a special that they got to spend so much time together.

So as Dr. Phil would say it was not just about the possibility of a broken arm. So that is how we ended up in the er with my daughter covered from head to toe in dirt.  When we got back from the triage I looked where she had been sitting and it was covered in dirt (my own little Pig Pen).  When the doctor said it wasn't broken we both cried with relief. She has a sling for comfort and will take a break for a week or two.  In all the hurry to get to the hospital, I left my Vera Bradley bag and our MS State cooler at the park (really Brian did but I didn't tell him that I brought that bag that had my name monogrammed on it and he just plain forgot the cooler).    His friend is trying to locate it for us, it has my prescription glasses and sunglasses in it.

Meanwhile Rob had a game and broke his composite bat in half, it has a year warranty so he will be getting a replacement.  I think he was a little proud he broke it.  His first day of football practice is tomorrow.  He went to get his football cleats from flag football out of the basement and discovered one was filled with sunflower seed shells.  He dumped them in a big pile in the garage and when I asked where they came from he said my football cleat, like that kind of thing happened all the time.  So I am assuming our furry friends hid out there too and neatly left all the shells in that one shoe.  As I type I am trying to convince Brian to go set a peanut butter trap, it is not working. I hope football goes well, not quite sure what to expect.  A couple of friends told me this weekend to expect that he will get yelled at alot.  I just have to accept I don't really understand the appeal of it.   Clara took the first nap in years today, she was exhausted.