Summer Rec

I know we are in the throes of the school year already, but I feel like there's SO much of the summer I had wanted to capture here for posterity and yet I haven't.

So, please excuse me while I go back in time a couple months to share with you this snapshot in time.  :)

As I've shared before, Nate started Tee Ball when he was 5 (summer before he started Kindergarten).  He played again last summer (before 1st grade) and finally this year moved up to what is called (in these parts) "Coach Pitch" baseball.  It was quite the adjustment for him.  First of all, the people on his team take baseball very seriously.  And some of these kids have been living and breathing baseball since they were born.  So to say that Nate was a little behind the curve is a bit of an understatement.  But what he lacked in skill he definitely made up for in heart and passion.  What really hurt his game was that any practice he was getting at home was limited and, well, let's just say that Mommy pitching (at 4'10" tall) or Daddy pitching underhand is NOT the same as the 6' coach pitching overhand.  So there was some learning to do there.

Good news is, he got a LOT of individual practice with one of his two coaches or other parent helpers. The other thing I really liked was the variety of positions he got to experience.  They had him on 1st, outfield, and he even got to be catcher a few times.  It really was good for him to get a feel for the different positions and the tasks each position is responsible for.  I really think he'll continue to grow.

This year Alex got to join the Summer Rec ranks and play Tee Ball like his big brother.  I also signed him up for soccer because I knew he'd be good at it and I'm glad I did.  I really think he preferred soccer (it moved more than tee ball does).  But we'll give him another year in both to figure it out.  It was an adjustment for Nate who's never had to go and sit and watch at a game for his brother (we had a few words about that the first few practices because Alex did it for Nate's tee ball for two years, it was Nate's turn to learn the spectator role).  It all worked out in the end thanks to a nearby playground and friends of his at practices who he could go off and play with on empty fields.

We had a rough go of it for tee ball and soccer this year.  For the first 3 weeks or so, we kept getting rained out or cancelled for soggy fields.  But once the season finally kicked off (i.e. the weather cooperated), we had fun.

I really liked the way they coordinated the tee ball teams this year.  Instead of playing a long boring game that 4 & 5 year olds couldn't focus more than 5 minutes on, they rotated smaller groups of the kids through "stations" that worked on them with batting, fielding, and catching.  Then for the last part of practice they'd play a "game".  I really think it worked great and taught Alex a LOT more in one year than Nate learned on his teams for two years.  I hope we have these coaches again next year!!

 So, until next year....

10 on 10 : July 2011

It's been forever since I've (remembered to) participate in 10 on 10.  For those of you who have forgotten, 10 on 10 is where I take ten photos (one/hour or thereabouts) for ten hours on the 10th of the month.  It's a fun way to get creative, think a little differently about your day, and highlight some of the ordinary moments that make life so extraordinary.

So here is my 10 on 10 (with some wordy descriptors since they won't make sense otherwise and I'd like to look back on these as a journal of sorts)  :)

 

 This has been our life for 4 days now.  Alex came down with a fever on Thursday morning (4AM).  By Friday he landed us at the pediatricians' office for a negative strep test and a preliminary (guess?) diagnosis of Coxsackie Disease.  We were slated to hit the 1000 Islands for a weekend of fun in the sun but this curve in the road kept us home for this beautiful weekend.  Alex has (unwillingly, I'm sure) given us a run for our money with this fever from H-E-L-L (including a couple scares with 105 degree temps that wound us up in the ER on Friday night and back on the phone with the on-call physician on Saturday afternoon).  Finally today we found a rhythm of medications/dosages/timing that worked well to keep his fever spikes at bay.  He was maintaining a temperature near 100-101 which was impressive considering we were in a non-air-conditioned house with no breeze and little relief from the heat and humidity that spiked outdoors.

 

 So, we packed a quick lunch and decided to head to the cooler temps of Lake Ontario for some relaxation and cooling off.  

 Nate was convinced that the water was "10 feet deep" and he'd surely drown, but we finally convinced him that if Mommy, at 4'10" could reach the bottom, that it was NOT 10 feet deep and he would be fine.

 Someone was feeling better himself once we stripped down and cooled off in the fresh Lake air. 

 I got to toodle around in my new kayak (that I got for my birthday a few weeks ago) and even got to give Nate a chance to try it out.  

 The boys had fun torturing Daddy while he was trying to relax.  Notice I didn't dissuade them from their scheme.  HA!

 

The best part about today was getting to play around with a new Coleman Underwater camera I bought specifically for my kayak adventures.  It was cool to be able to dunk under the water to snap photos...this will bring a whole new dimension to my photo taking obsessions!

 

 

Alex quickly got tired and wanted to go home so he floated around with Daddy for a little bit being silly and relaxing while Nate got his last few moments of swimming in.

 Nate floating around.

 

 All in all today was a beautiful day!  I'm so thankful that we were able to get out for a bit as a family and enjoy some of Dave's week of vacation.  I'm especially grateful that Alex's fever has come down (he's now sticking closer to 99 degrees which is as close to "broke" as we can hope for at this point!).  I hope the next few days bring rest and better health for our family! 

Wordless Wednesday...Summer Vengence

Wordless Wednesday...Summer Cool Down

Wordless Wednesday...Youthful Innocence

Alex

Stanton Family Reunion

July 2010

Wordless Wednesday - Little Man, Big World

Wordless Wednesday...Classic Summer Fun

Wordless Wednesday...Parade Season

Wordless Wednesday - Spray

Simple Woman's Daybook...July 6, 2010

FOR TODAY...July 6, 2010

Outside my window...the three H's.  Hazy, Hot, Humid.  I'm glad to be in A/C today (we even kicked it on at home, if that tells you anything!)!

I am thinking...about the next few weeks! There are big changes coming down and lots to do and keep straight. Packing, moving, organizing, sorting, scheduling, loose ends to tie up, new plans to make. It's a bit overwhelming but exciting. I just want to get it done and over with so I can feel somewhat settled again. If we had a closing date I'd feel a lot better!

I am thankful for...the long holiday weekend we just had.  It was a great weekend.  Dave was off for part of it so we got a lot of family time, rest, relaxation, fun and adventure in. 

From the kitchen...my cupboards are pretty bare these days.  I really need to do some grocery shopping but hate the idea of buying things I'm just going to have to move in a couple weeks.  In the meantime I can't starve my children though so I'll have to compromise.  I want to start  meal planning.  That's my next goal.

I am wearing...comfy capris and an oversized t-shirt.  Love comfy clothes!

I am remembering...to bring my BFF's birthday present tomorrow.  I'm doing lunch with her today to celebrate and I totally forgot to bring it in.  I'll have to extend her celebration by an extra day and remember it tomorrow.

I am creating...lists.  Lots of lists.  Lists of things to pack, lists of things to plan, lists of things to do. 
I am going...to a concert with my husband on Thursday (my Daddy's birthday!).  My sister has made arrangements to take the boys for the night so we can do dinner, the show, and not have to worry about picking them up late and having to get them home.  (Thanks, Sarah!)  I can't wait!
I am reading...

I am hoping...to lose 10-15 lbs by our camping trip with the Ciravola's in August.  That would be 2 lbs a week so it's lofty but not impossible.  I have to change something though.  I'm spiraling downward FAST!  I started on the Gazelle last night and plan to double my time tonight, walk with Heidi tomorrow, and double my time again by the end of the week.  I'll check back in to update my progress!


I am hearing...the boys playing.  They're actually playing nicely together at this moment so it's relatively peaceful.  (Of course now that I said that it will change, I'm sure!)


Pondering these words..."At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal.  You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent." – Barbara Bush

(I totally stole this quote from my friend, Heidi, but it was fabulous and sums up my overall theory and perspective.)


Around the house...disaster, chaos.  Clutter, mess.  Dirt, distruption. 

On my mind...my carbon footprint.  I know that sounds granola-y, but it's an issue that is bothering me and I'm trying to reduce my impact on the environment in little ways.

Noticing that...we waste a lot of things in this family.  And we tend to be particularly frugal and practical, comparatively.  I can only imagine the impact everyone is making as a whole on this planet.  I drove down my street last garbage day and noticed all the stuff that people had thrown out at the curb.  I could envision it all filling up the garbage truck and thought "this is just one street, one city, one day of the week".  This goes on all across the country and the world...365 days a year!  It boggles my mind and leaves a sick feeling in my stomach.  I'm not usually all that "tree hugger" but this is one issue that really bugs me.

One of my favorite things...despite my carbon footprint issues above (I recognize the hypocrisy), today one of my favorite things would be my A/C.  Our new house doesn't have A/C and even though we have only used it a handful of times since we bought this house it's just nice having the option when the weather gets oppressive like this week.  Not having the option will make even average days seem hot.  Thankfully the new house is a ranch so that should help keep it cooler.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Zac Brown Band at CMAC, birthday celebrations, photos for Shelby, Walk 'N Talk.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing:

Check out more daybooks at Simple Woman's Daybook.

(Not Quite) Wordless Wednesday - Water Baby

Surely by now you've caught on to the fact that this boy loves him some water....

and I LOVE taking photos of it!!  

Whenever I hear Brad Paisley's newest song, Water, I think of my Alex.

He really is my water baby!