The "Gift"

This past weekend marked the big ole thirty-three for Ryan.  He woke up Saturday morning and proceeded to tell me that his birthday was actually a gift to me, to make me feel not SO old and alone in my MUCH older age.  He's just intimidated that I am wiser.  Nonetheless, THANKS for that honey.

We kicked off the weekend to a big birthday bash on Friday, picking up a dozen helium balloons and distributing them throughout the house.  The kids ran through their strings like a bunch of crazy loons, so excited to clebrate. 

The next morning once they had deflated, Brooks proceeded to see if they would enable him to take flight.

Saturday morning, on the actual day, we got up and went to the batting cages so that Chance give it a whirl.  Don't think 40 mph fast balls are really the best thing for him yet.  But ole birthday boy decided to give it a try. What I like best is the helmet.

Later in the day, the long awaited Treasure Hunt began.  Chance and I had been working over many nap times to come up with the best clues and places to hide the MANY gifts Ryan got on his birthday.  I wish I had that whole thing caught on tape.  I can't tell you how many times we went over this past week, how Saturday is DADDY'S day, let's be well behaved, let's make the day all about DADDY.  Ya right.  The treasure hunt ended first in high anxiety over the fact that Daddy was finding the presents too easily.  To make things worse, we hid one in Brooks's room - I should have known better, cause out walks Brooks with the present in hand......"Here Daddy" with the biggest grin on his face, like he's doing the right thing.  Next Chance screams at Brooks on his way to pout in his room cause Brooks "has ruined the whole thing".  Of course then Brooks starts crying, and you can see where I am going with this.  We end up in the hall way and recompose ourselves and Ryan gets to open his loot.

Now is that the face of a meltdown?  I know, you couldn't possibly believe me.  At least birthday boy kept his composure.

Next day we ended the weekend long celebration with the fam coming over.  Hope the birthday boy felt celebrated.  Sure am glad he is turning one year older.

A LITTLE LOVE BACK FROM BIG BROTHER

We're working on finalizing Brooks' Book for AGE 1......the boy's about to be 2 here in the next couple of weeks.  I can't believe my baby is about to be 2.  How did that happen?  As part of the book, I asked Chance to write something to Brooks and this is what he did. 

LA LOO BUH-BUH

Schools out for summer.  And really who needs a break at all?  Apparently not baseball.  We just jumped right in with out first summer league game today.  In the 102 degree heat, but who's counting.  It is nice to see some color back on my skin though after 4 years of summering it in Switzerland.  I forgot how much I like being tan. 

Chance got a couple rocking hits, and as usual his trusty fans were in the stands: me and Brooks, while Ryan is helping to coach.  I think his fans go a little over board sometimes though: today Chance was playing first baseman and Brooks had a clear shot of him from the stands, screaming BUH-BUH!!!!!! BUH-BUH!!!  The first 10 yells got a look from Chance over the shoulder with a very patient but somewhat shy smile.  That reaction set Brooks to the LA LOO BUH-BUH mode, screaming it over and over until finally Chance looked back and said: SHHHHHHHH Brooks!  You are distracting me!

I mean the little guy just lives his life for his big BUH-BUH, following him every where, wanting everything he has, wanting to be just like him.  And what does he get?  He gets allocated to the cheering section.

But despite his yelling distractions, he did get his one moment of glory, when at the end of the game he ran up to Chance while he was in the team huddle.  Chance reached out with his arm, brought him in close and let him participate as if he was one of the team.  Now that is brotherly love, and I was watching it all from behind kicking myself that I didn't bring my video camera!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

CHANCE: "Mom, do you have a million dollars in the bank?"

ME: "No, but I wish we did!"

CHANCE: "Maaaaaaahhhm, if you would just listen to me!  If you go play Minute to Win It, then we could have a million dollars in the bank.  Why don't you just listen to me?"

WHERE HAS A YEAR GONE?

This post has been in the works in the back of my little head for the past month, or two.  Not sure where the time goes really, and why since moving back I absolutely struggle with content. I looked down the other day and completely appauled myself.  I had to grab the camera and capture the moment.  This pretty much sums it up and puts all my lack of blogging in to perspective.  I mean if I can't even maintain my toes......

 

I think I've been somehow processing content since our Swiss friend Siro came to visit way back in April. 

Now that is a true friend, who promises to come and visit and actually sticks to his word.  I mean, we live in DALLAS of all places.  I kept cringing at the fact that this guy was coming from Zurich to Dallas......what in the world do we have to offer him here? 

I was reminded of the fact that it took me several months not to drive down the road of concrete hell to the gym and cry.  Or cringe at the scenery as I drove over the lake.  Now I've realized that it's not that Dallas is all that ugly, it's that Switzerland is just THAT beautiful, and once you've seen such beauty for 4 years, it takes awhile for the eyes to adjust back.  A year later and I find myself driving over the same damn going, ah, how pretty!

His visit was a constant reminder of how far we've come in a year since our move back to the US. Let's just say it wasn't a cup of tea this past year, so many adjustments, so much resistance to be here.  I remember a couple months in to it, telling Ryan, you have to take me back there......we can't still be here in a year.  I won't make it a year.  I refuse.  And then one Sunday night a month or so ago, we were retiring for the night and it hit me. It was May 1, 2011.......it had been ONE YEAR. 

Siro helped us to laugh at ourselves, as Americans, and to see why it has been so hard to adjust to the American way of life once again. 

Like Drive Up ATMS.....or actually driving at all. 

Or weather systems that leave you wondering, why do I choose to live in constant fear of being thrown in to the Wizard of Oz?

Or as American parents, do we really need to be THAT concerned about where our SEVEN year old is in the batting order?

It did however make us appreciate our roots.  Like good ole Bull Riding

And REAL margaritas

And the fact that we still have each other, and that we still really like each other :)

I guess you can say it's taken a year to really blossom.  For all of us to put our feet down.  I mean I finally planted that damn garden.  Now if that isn't a sign.....

And the boys, finally I can take them off my worry list.  Chance has become an incredible ball player.  He was named most improved at his last end of season awards ceremony.

And Brooks wont be too far behind him.  We're making Brooks practice daily so he can be assured first place in the batting order when he starts his T-ball a year from September.

 

We'll see where another year takes us.  Happy 1 year anniversary, honey.  We made it even though I didn't believe you that we would.

A Day at the Farm

In addition to putting down roots, literally, in our newly planted garden, I decided to start participating in this MOMS Club I joined awhile back.  Today the group was going to Nash Farms for a little outing and so Brooks and I decided to join.

Let's just say the kid was ecstatic when I happened to mention we'd be going to see chickens on a farm. He took off running down the street, so fast it wasn't long before he fell and scraped up his knee, but he got up, wiped his tears and said "Farm, Chitens, All Better".......Some how chickens will make boo-boo pain immediately go away.

We started out slow with just a gaze at the "Chitens".

And then a call to the cow......"Hug Cow"!  But that darn cow just wouldn't come.

Next was a hay ride around the garden patch.  All the little kids sat so nicely at the request of the old lady who was a little TOO proud of her farm.  She talked and talked and taaaaaalked, and ole man farmer wasn't about to start the engine until she stopped.  So at that point, Brooks wouldn't stay in my lap and the ride hadn't even begun.

After the wagon ride was the watering hole......Brooks filled himself up a watering can and fed the vegetables.  With all the kids there, I think the veggies were drowning in water.

Next up, throwing rocks.  

And then the grand finale, HOLDING the "chitens"....

It was a totally cool experience watching him so happy to hold the "chiten".  I was snapping away until the lady took him off Brooks's lap and I happened to see 3 or 4 little "chiten" fleas or lice or something gross now crawling all over my kid.  Let's just say I was immediately brought back to December, the month from hell where lice invaded our house.  And then my head immediately started itching, and really it hasn't stopped, even as I write. 

As we drove away, tears for Nash Farms accompanied our goodbye......."More Chitens, More Chitens"

QUOTE OF THE DAY

As Chance was writing in his journal, he asks:

"Mom, do you spell "2011" as "TWO, ZERO, L, L?"

Because "I Now So Muck"

Although I've gotta say the school year has drastically improved, and I no longer worry on a daily basis about Chance.......this common theme seems to remain:

Let Loose

In the spirit of the Royal Wedding today, which NO I did not get up to see...... I loved this recap of what I missed.  We should have done our wedding like this.

It's All Baseball, All The Time

That pretty much sums it up.......it's ALL baseball, ALL the time around here.  No need to call up and ask what we're doing, cause we are going to be outside, with our gloves on, or bats in hand.  If we're not at a game, we're practicing for one outside

Evenings lately usually entail Ryan and Chance throwing the ball, and "Boop" (as he calls himself) at the T-ball stand, hitting that ball OVER and OVER to the point I begin to ask myself.........does the kid tire of hitting that ball? 

And if we aren't outside with real bats, Brooks is either swinging the air, or finding something to use as a replacement bat.  I found him using a spatula to hit a balloon.  At least the kid is self entertained!

I've gotta give Ryan all the credit, he's out there with the boys day in and day out, playing for hours until they want to quit.  I knew I picked my boys a good daddy!

As for the real games, I think we have an ALL STAR in the making (spoken by a true mother).  Chance has really given it his all. 

If you were to ask him his season highlights so far he'd tell you, "I've hit a triple, tagged a guy out on second, and I hit the balls ALL THE WAY TO THE FENCE."

We've been bringing the T-ball stand to the games so Brooks has something to do, and I often wonder if the other parents think we are making him do it.

 
He is Chance's number one fan, and when he's not at the T, he's at the fence cheering "Go Buh-Buh!"