Megan's softball

All of our kids started a team sport (soccer) in Kindergarten.  Megan refused.  She did not like sports she said.  So in first grade I let he pick what she wanted to do and she picked art.  She has taken art for 2 years.  This year we felt strongly that she needed to do SOMETHING athletic or team based.  We gave her lots of options.  She refused for a while.  Then she found out (although I had told her for 3 years) that all her friends from school are on the same softball team and her vice-principal (one of her friends' moms) is that coach.  She was in!

She loved being on the team and playing around with her friends.  She worked hard, kept track of her equipment and was always ready when it was time (VERY different than the boys!).  She had a hard time hitting the first half of the season - she would swing the SECOND the ball left the pitchers hand.  Her coach taught her to count to three and then swing - it worked!!  She started hitting quite a bit after that.

She was actually an amazing out fielder.  Several times her coach would use Megan as an example of what you should do in the outfield.  Every time a ball was hit she would move and she always covered someone.  It was great.  She says she isn't playing again.  But I hope she will.   (Not just because I love softball and LOVED hearing her team cheering the same cheers my friends/team cheered for the 7 years I played softball - softball cheers are the best!)

And she got to play catcher a few times. Which was adorable!

Noah baseball

Oh - Noah!  You and your sports!  I love that you keep wanting to play and try different sports.  I love how excited you get for your first practice.  I love that you love talking to other people about your sports and making connections with them.  I love how after the games you love to talk about how the game went and that you think you tried your best and did a really great job.  I love that you love being part of a team and making new friends.  I love that you like to talk and bond with the coaches.  These are the things I love.

I won't go into the things I hate.  But there are a lot.  There are so many things about sports that are hard for Noah.  We have to struggle and struggle and struggle to just limp our way through each season, practice, and game.  Every season I swear to myself that it will be the last because it is so miserable. There are a lot of tears - from both me and Noah.  But it is so hard when HE thinks it was great and wants to do it again.  In the moment he doesn't think it is great though.  He cries, and wines, and refuses to go out on the field (he always does though).  He gets so frustrated when he doesn't do things perfectly - but refuses to learn and practice how to do them.  But sometimes he will take advice and try a new trick the next inning.  We taught him how to "look ready" in the outfield - so his coaches and teammates won't get frustrated with him.  Noah's definition of "ready" and everyone else's is VERY different.  We had to explain that to him and tell him sometimes you have to do things how other people want them done - even if you don't think it is necessary - just so they learn to trust you.  He took this to heart and "looked ready" almost the rest of the season.  He also REALLY wanted to hit the ball.  He had 12 games and 8 games in had never hit (he would hit at practice quite a lot - but after about 10 pitches - he didn't have that many pitches during games :)  Noah's processing speed is VERY slow - so hitting a ball takes a loooong time and a lot of pitches.  He had some great coaches who worked really well with him and met him where he was at - his head coach came up with this stance for him.  He looked ridiculous - but the coach said he was "half way to hitting it" with this stance.  He hit a ball every game after this stance. 

Noah "looking ready" in the  outfield

He is not the one closest  - but the one in the middle.

His team and coaches. 

Brock's baseball

I am pretty sad I didn't take very many pictures of Brock at baseball.  He says he is playing next year - so I guess I will do it then.

This was Brock's first year of playing baseball.  He wanted to play last summer but I was slow getting him signed up and by the time I did the teams were full so he went on the wait list and never got on a team.  I am glad he still wanted to play this year.  He got on a team that had been together for 4 years, but it was great because he knew several boys on the team.  He had a great time and learned to really love baseball.  He mostly played left field and did a pretty good job.  He hit every game, his favorite part was stealing bases.  Next year he says he wants to pitch.  He would have pitched this year if he would have had the opportunity.  I really enjoyed watching his games.  He is getting old enough now that watching his sports is really fun.

Summer time baseball

We had three baseball players this summer.  In Colorado rec baseball is June - August.  On one hand I hate it because it is HOT and keeps us from summer travels; it is also nice becasue it lets Brock get another sport in without overlapping soccer or football.  It was a bit crazy having 6 practices a week and 6 hours of baseball on Saturdays.  In the end we got everyone where they needed to be and enjoyed watching them all try and work hard and get better as the season went on. 

And this girls was a trooper - especially those looong hot Saturdays.  Good things she is a sucker for playgrounds.  She looks sad/tired in this picture but she actually isn't' - she just got done rolling down a hill. 

Rain Gutter Rigata

Megan got to compete in her first Rain Gutter Regatta.  Our ward always invites activity day girls to join in the fun.  Her and Jason worked hard on her boat and were very excited about it - Noah decided to copy what Megan did.  Unfortunately they didn't do very well.  Well.... Noah basically tied and Megan didn't make it to the end.  It was pretty sad.

Day at the park

One ward park day was especially fun.  So I took pictures.  It was fun becasue it was in a river - and all 4 kids came (we also took neighborhood friends - we ALWAYS have 1, 2, or 3 extra kids with us).  I brought nets for the kids to catch crawdads with.

There is also a train that goes around the park.  We took a ride on that as well.

Swimming our summer away

We went to the pool AT LEAST once a week.  There were a few weeks we were there almost everyday.  We have 4 different pools that we can go to for free through our HOA - so we mixed it up a few times - but we were at Westridge the most (closest to our house).  

The theme of the year was vending machines for sure.  Every time we went the kids would take their own money and buy themselves treats.

I would just relax under the umbrella and read books.  It was so nice having 2 summers with kids who could all swim and I didn't have to get in or even watch them.  I am VERY aware that this phase is now over and I will be back in the pool next year.

We either always went with friends or, if we didn't, there were always friends from school, church, or neighborhood that ended up being there as well.

Not pictured: Brock.  Brock hates swimming and would never go with us.  We ended up making him come twice - just to make him do things - it is good for 11 year olds to be made to do things they don't want to do.  :)

Random summer stuff

Here are some random summer pictures:

Our neighborhood had a party and we invited the police out (we just started a neighborhood watch).  Brock enjoyed being hand-cuffed.

We went to Dart Wars a few times.

Jason took a picture of me and Maddie napping one afternoon.  I have mentioned before that this summer was a strange summer.  We hardly went on any "outings" - we didn't go on one hike, bike ride, or river raft.  We never went to the zoo or children's museum.  And we hardly hit any of our favorite parks or splash pads.  The kids just wanted to do their own thing with their friends.  A few weeks into summer Madison was moody and bored.  We had a talk and realized SHE still needed and wanted those things.  So everyday Madison and I went and did something fun.  Sometimes we would get everyone to go - and sometimes it was just us.  But as you can see... some days we were worn out!

Our neighbors put out a pool and slip and slide one morning.

Once the kids were done the adults got in :).  Sometimes being a stay at home mom is tough! :)

We had several neighborhood BBQ's - I am pretty sure this is memorial day.

Kids cleaning their bikes.

Weird picture - you can't see what they are doing - but the boys played A LOT of baseball, kick ball, and tennis in the cul-de-sac.

Picnic lunch in the garage.

Brock and Jason did a puzzle.

Oh - and screen time, can't leave out screen time.  We started with 10 hours a week for each child and they could use them how they saw fit.  3 weeks in Noah realized he couldn't handle that (he used all 10 by Tuesday or Wednesday and was MISERABLE the rest of  the week).  So he asked for help and together we decided to have 1 hour before lunch and 1 hour after lunch every day.  The other kids stayed with their 10 hours (tokens) a week.

Madison loves to play outside (both front and back) by herself.  She spent a lot of time in the sand box this summer (I never took a picture of that).

Boys tried earning money by mowing laws and washing cars.

Play dates.  Each kid had a few play dates with friends from school.  Madison had some with Talmage.  Noah with Marcus and Jewel.  Megan with Taylor and Pailey.  And Brock... he is too old for mom's to organize play dates.

We had some sweet summer storms and the kids played out in them a few times.

Jason has his MBA class on Monday nights - so we have FHE around 4:30.  Then the kids and I watch American Ninja Warrior.  Some Monday nights it has turned into a neighborhood event.  One night the girls started massaging everyone's feet.  It was super weird.

We also had a lemonade stand, Madsion and I went to the ward "park days" almost every week, and (I can't believe I have no pictures of this) the girls played American Girls dolls in Delaney's garage for hours and hours and hours (and hours and hours and hours).