Weekend Wrap Up

I got home from a work trip on Friday. Darrin had to stay home with Carson on Friday b/c he had a little case of pink eye and a cough. I was gone for three days. Darrin managed to do all the laundry, get our taxes, pick up and put away a huge grocery order, and take care of Carson. He's so good at the dad and husband thing.

Saturday, Miles had his first tournament of the year. It was supposed to be a two day tournament, but b/c of the rainy/snowy forecast for Sunday, they made it a one day tournament. 

The boys looked sharp in their new uniforms.

It was pretty cold all day, but especially when we got there at 8am and then the last game of the night. We had several portable heaters, but the boys were so cold, so we sent them to the dug out to at least keep their hands warm. 

The boys moved around a lot since it was the first tournament of the year. Miles usually always plays on the left side of the field. He played third a lot.

He pitched a couple innings. 

He got us out of a jam once and walked in the dug out after the inning saying, "that was fun!" 

He got on base with a couple walks and one hit. 

  
He also played catcher, left field, and short stop.

Nothing reminds you they are little boys as much as when a coach or umpire has to tie their shoes :) He couldn't tie them with his batting gloves on. This was a coach from the other team. 

The boys made it to the championship game, so that meant it was a long day with several food breaks.

I love hanging out with these people. We have a group that always sits by the plate and a group that sits along in the outfield. 

I hang with the home plate group, but I strategically position myself away from the dug out. I do better when I am oblivious about what's going on between the players and coaches. A momma will always think the coaches are too hard on her kid and I'd say that 9 times out of 10 the kid is just fine. So, ignorance is bliss. I just hang out with my friends and have a good time.

We survived in sleeping bags. This the perfect answer for sitting outside in the cold. I was fine as long as I was in my sleeping bag. It literally blocks all the cold and wind.

The boys came up a lot short and finished as runner up. 

They had fun and hopefully worked out some kinks since it was the opening weekend.

My mom stayed home with Carson all day while Darrin was recruiting in Nashville. I enjoyed my time with Miles. 

He took this picture on the way home so he could send it to Darrin. The kid loves some hardware. After playing in such cold weather all day, I think he was just fine with second place.

Carson was fine all day yesterday, but starting running a low fever a couple hours after he woke up. He climbed up on the couch and went to sleep on his own.

Big brother was concerned about him when he woke up.

I didn't give him and medicine, so the fever could fight the infection and so we could see what we were dealing with. After a two hour nap, he woke up fever free and has been fine ever since. 

  
We had to say goodbye to Marmee. Carson hated to see her go, but didn't cry which I know she was happy about. 

I was so thankful for her help. I wouldn't have been able to go to Miles' tournament if she didn't come b/c it was just too cold for Carson. I saw some little kids at the ball field, but I can't imagine making him come or having to deal with him.

The boys watched some TV together....

...and then both took long naps. This is the second weekend in a row that Miles has taken a nap. Not surprising after his long, cold day yesterday.

Our weekends are always busy, but they are about to be extra busy b/c of baseball. I'm ready for it, but I would definitely go for some warmer weather.

Life with Carson

I don't even know where to begin. If you are friends with me on FB, you have no doubt picked up on the fact that Carson is a challenge. And I mean that in every sense of the word. He's messy, mischievous, loud, strong willed, and demanding. I say all that in the best possible way b/c I have no doubt that he will grow up to be something special. He is really funny and brave, and we LOVE these qualities in him. He just takes a little extra management on a daily basis. I thought I would capture some of his shenanigans. This compilation took me less than two weeks to capture. Enjoy.

It's hard to tell from pictures, but we turned our backs for one minute and he painted himself with yogurt (or as he calls it, applesauce??). His face, hands, and neck were covered in strawberry yogurt.

One morning when he was completely ready for school, he walked in our shower and turned it on himself. It was cold and he was wet, but he still smiling. 

He's a climber for sure.

He hates to be confined, whether it be in a car seat, high chair, or shopping cart.

If you leave the room for one minute, you never know how you'll find him when you return.

When it gets quiet, you better go find him. He had been quiet for several minutes the other day so I went looking for him. I finally found him hiding behind my clothes in my closet.

One time his diaper was wedged in his bottom and since then, he says, "my booty hanging out" every time we change his diaper or give him a bath.

Just a normal activity for Carson.

We had to rearrange our silverware drawer b/c he came walking through the living room with a steak knife the other day. He opened the drawer and reached over the edge to get it. He had it hidden behind his back. I thought it was a fork and then Miles discovered it was a knife. 

As we often say, it's a good thing he's cute.

Less Words Wednesday

Carson had the annual Ball at his daycare last week. The boys and girls are supposed to dress up like princes and princesses. I don't know if they had talked about it a lot at school, but he seemed excited about dressing up.

He was really excited about the bow tie which he called an "elbow".

The teachers took this pic during the day. He loves school to the point that he doesn't want to leave in the afternoon. We usually have to bribe him or drag him out against his will. Unlike Miles, who would stay home 24/7 if it were possible, Carson likes to be on the go. He doesn't have many places to go at his age, but he loves going to school, church, and Walmart any chance he gets :)

Basketball

Miles' basketball season ended on Saturday. This was his second year to play Upward.

He had the same coaches, Coach Jason and Coach Josh. It was also his second year to play with Mason and Bennett. I love that he gets to play with some different friends. He has great baseball teammates and great basketball teammates.

He loved having his grandparents watch him at a couple games. It's a joy to watch him play basketball b/c he has a confidence about him. He just seems comfortable with a basketball in his hand.

He got a lot better at free throws and jump shots this season.

Ball handling is his favorite. He is right handed, but eats with his left hand. We somehow think this makes him more comfortable dribbling with his left hand, b/c it seems to be pretty natural for him.

I could not have been more pleased with the coaches again this year. They handled themselves with class during every game and practice, even when others did not.

The coaches worked hard to teach them and I could tell an improvement in every kid. It's tough when you have all different levels of athleticism and effort, but they did a really job to meet every kid where they were.

Earlier in the season when I took Miles to watch his baseball teammates play on their travel basketball team, I was concerned that he would question why he wasn't playing with them. Truth be told, I just couldn't handle two travel sports when Darrin travels so much.

I also thought it would be good to play with different friends and coaches just for a change of scenery. After watching his friends play, he said on the way home that he wanted to play with them next year. Next year is a long way off, so I told him we would look into it.

On the way home after his last game, he said he wanted to play for Coach Jason again next year. He said that he felt like his Upward league was pretty competitive too and he liked playing there. It really doesn't matter to me where he plays, but I was happy to hear him say that. I thought it was a wise thought process and I was glad to hear him feel satisfied with his season and what they had accomplished. 

His feelings and the season in general were definitely wins.