I'm Outta Here

Holyn finished her 2nd grade year with a bang. On the last day of school the principal held an awards assembly honoring grades K-5 (and Max and I came to see Holyn accept her 3 awards). Holyn received the Presidential Academic Award (signed or stamped by Barack Obama, Holyn said), the ABBIT Award (which stands for "A's and B's Because I Try") and the Presidential Pin (for getting all A's for the entire year of school). Way to go Miss Holyn!! We couldn't be more proud of your hard work. Not bad for a kid that skipped 1st grade this year!

Graduation - Part Deux

Max graduated from Pre-Kindergarten this evening at Little Scholars. He walked across the stage so proudly and picked up this diploma like a pro (well he did graduate from Pre-School last year in Fort Wayne too). He really has mixed feelings about leaving school this year. He is pretty sad that he will not be with his friends this summer. And most of his classmates will be attending different schools this fall, including Trinity and Dylan (pictured above). At least we can have playdates with them. We are so proud of you Max, now onto Kindergarten!!

Game #8 There's No Crying in Baseball

There may not be crying in baseball, but there was a lot of whining today in our dugout. At 90 degrees, not many of the boys felt like sweatin' out a game (including Holyn, but she looked the part). Yet they managed to dominate with a 14-1 win. This puts our team in a tie for first place in the league. Holyn went hitless today, we think our major leaguer is in a batting slump. She did however, sample a couple beverages in our cooler while sitting in a cool spot. I think she was most interested in attending a birthday party with Max following the game (they advertised a water slide on the invite).

Hot, Hot, Hot - Game #3

Max's third game, (well I use the word "game" loosely) was a scorcher. We showed up a half hour early to practice with him and by the time it was game time, he was red. And I don't just mean his jersey. He got hits each time up to bat, and ran for the ball each time it was hit his way. He even had to fight for the ball a couple times. All part of baseball, right? He did leave the game early, we think he got a little overheated. He came back to the dugout and melted into my lap. We poured water on his head, got him a cold drink and a comfy seat in the air conditioning and he came back to life (just in time for a friend's birthday party). One exciting development, Max's ability to spit is coming along nicely. He loves to do it, and has no trouble finding time to master his talent (during the game).

Rain, Rain Go Away - Game #7

Another game, another rain storm, but no thunder this time. It down poured for about 45 minutes before Max and I even left the car. Holyn donned her rain jacket again (at least for the first few innings) and played anyways. She had a little trouble getting a great pitch off the machine. When her ball came, she hit a nice pop fly to third base. Too bad for Holyn, the third baseman caught it. Boy, was she bummed. Good thing they pulled out another win 8-2. Hopefully summer will start soon, 'cause its almost June.

Thunderstruck - Game #6

The Knights are back. Today's makeup game proved to be a mood changer, they walked all over their opponents with a 13-0 win. Never mind it rained the entire game, and we had 2 rain delays before they called the game in the top of the 5th inning. My favorite part was when I looked out into left field to see Holyn's assistant coach trying to keep her from getting rained on by standing over her and giving her a hug. Man, where was my camera!! (And yes, I ran her rain jacket out to her in the field).
Holyn didn't get a hit today, but it wasn't because she didn't try, the harder it rained the more erratic the pitching machine acted. Her coach finally said, "Holyn, its my fault, I can't get it to work right". And they called a delay as she left the plate. We'll get one next time. (P.S. Don't ya just love the fact she tucked her hood into her batting helmet. She was not going to get soaked. Max was a different story! What can I say, blue Laffy Taffy is only $0.25).

Heartache in Mudville - Game #5

Well, it was bound to happen. Even more shocking then the Cubs not winning the pennant, the Knights of Columbus have suffered their first loss. The weather was rainy and the Knights started the game off strong with 4 runs. Their opponents were able to match their runs by the top of the 4th and out scored them to end the game 6-9. Holyn got a hit and even got to run the bases. But yet again, the final out was made at first as she crossed the plate. Look at those long faces in the dugout. "Oh, but there is no joy in Mudville, the mighty Knights have struck out".
Luckily Holyn's buddy, Paris, called during the game asking for a playdate. Holyn told me she was glad to have friends like her to take her mind off the game. Onto Max's game for Mom and Dad!

Go Max, Go

Game #2 for the Red Sox this afternoon, and it proved to be just as wet and cold out as Holyn's game. Max's team took the field first. After chasing the ball in the infield, Max would launch it towards first base (sometimes over the heads of his teammates, like in the picture above). Max got hits both times up to bat and was last in the rotation to take the plate. He got a little sick of waiting for Zoe to run, good thing he didn't listen to his Dad yelling on the video. So glad I got this on tape. In the pouring rain, Max's team scored their second win (this according to Max, because they officially don't keep score).

Game #4 - Whole Lotta Shaken Goin' On

Game 4 proved to be a nail bitter. We started out with quite a few runs, only to be matched by the other team in the first inning. Holyn got her hit on her second time up to bat, and made it to first. Too bad she didn't get to advance before the team got 3 outs. Holyn did however, keep busy with her acrobatics and dancing in the outfield. At one point she looked over at me (taking pictures of course) and laughed. Holyn had lots of buddies on the other team, including two classmates. I laughed when the second baseman yelled at Holyn in the dougout to say hi during the game. Nevertheless, the Knights of Columbus are still undefeated with the latest win of 15-8.

Bad News Bears, I Mean Red Soxs Win!

Our day at the ball field started early with pictures for both kids (in the freezing cold I might add, our hands were numb by the end of the team photos), followed by the much anticipated start to the T-ball season. The Red Sox (Max's Team) consists of 3-6 year olds and many different skill levels. I was surprised to see they gathered the entire team together in the infield and let them all run for the ball each time it was hit. Basically each team goes through the whole line up taking their turn batting and then we switch. Max can out run most kids, so he got to the ball first. Max is being tackled for the ball in this picture. After a few throws to first base, he was told by his coach to "let the rest of the kids have a chance" and just had to hang back and watch.

When it came time for our "team" to bat, Max did a great job getting down to business and getting a hit. They do not keep score for the game in T-ball, but Max did. According to him, his team won, and he scored two home runs. Go Max!

Game #3 - Right before the Rain

The Knights pulled out another win tonight with a 2-0 victory. Holyn didn't get a base hit (she did hit a couple foul balls that didn't count), but she did get a free pop after the game. That always keeps your spirits up. The kids are doing a fantastic job working together. Even our left fielder (payed attention long enough) to return a couple balls to the infield. She also practiced a little gymnastics (the recital is in June), what a multi-tasker! Looks like Holyn is waving to her adoring fans here, but that's just her wind up for the cartwheel. Thankfully the game ended right before the down pour of rain. Should be soggy out here for tomorrow's game and Max's debut!

Game #2 - Cartwheels in the Outfield

Night #2 and Game #2 of our triple header week. Holyn has dance class on Thursday nights, but cut it short tonight to make it to her game. The Knights triumphed 13 to 5, keeping their winning streak going another night. Holyn got on base twice and ran home once (unfortunately her score didn't count because the other team got the batter going towards first before she crossed the plate). I don't know if Holyn is superstitious or just trying to pass the time, her new ritual was doing a cartwheel in the outfield between batters. Oh yeah, I got a picture of her in action. Whatever it is, keep it going babe!

Baseball spells FUN

Holyn's baseball team, the Knights of Columbus, played their first game tonight (Saturday's game was rained out). KFC (as they refer to themselves) came away with an impressive win, 14 to 7. Holyn got a hit her second time up to bat and knocked one out on the first pitch. She had a great time in the outfield also. Check out our girl practicing her ready stance, or I mean arabesque. Holyn told her coach, Kurt, that "baseball spells FUN". He said that's his new motto for the season. Stay tuned, tonight is the first of 3 nights of games in a row.