Swing Away! Will Went 3 for 3 On Tuesday

Will taking some practice swings before the pitch comes. Look at the energy of the swing and the strength of the stance. That was a different boy at the plate.

Attention Family and Friends: A change of attitude has occurred. Will is now ready to play baseball. Yesterday, he couldn't wait to get to the game. He knew he was going to hit it and he couldn't wait to do it. Today, he couldn't wait to get to practice.

I am a happy mom. Why you ask?

Because my little king faced his fears and won.

Is this the face of a boy afraid of the ball?
He is loving the game and feels confident. What happened between Tuesday and Last Thursday when I wrote that desperate blog entry? My sweet courageous boy decided to face his fears. Plus he had more experience batting because his dad took him to the batting cages on Saturday before the game and then pitched to him on Sunday and Monday. Will stayed in the box and swung at the ball and guess what. . .he hit it!!!! After he hit one squarely and sent it sailing, he said to his dad, "I knew I was going to hit that one!" I love it. I love that attitude of I Can! I love that he now has it and that makes all the difference. Now with practice he will fine tune his skills and grow as a player.

Hurrah for Will! 3 for 3


This is Will second at bat. I missed his first. He hit the first pitch that came squarely and sent it past the infield. He ran the bases and came home.

After fouling a few off, he hit his third hit and made it to first.

Another big accomplishment is that Will asked to play catcher. He hasn't wanted to because the last time he played he was hit in the leg with the ball. He wasn't squatting but sitting on his knees and so the pitched whirled in and hit him in the thigh. Ouch! But yesterday, he asked to play!
Hurrah for Will, My Brave Little King



I asked Will how it felt to hit the ball after the game and this is what he showed me. He swang the bat and then took off running to first. I love the confidence. That's my boy!







Will gets his spoils for getting not just one hit but three! What does a little slugger want for a reward? His very own bag of Hot Chettos and Horchata (mexican rice milk drink) You got it Big Guy!

A WAY Better Than The Average Day!

What does Community Service project,















Etiwanda Falls

















Will's Game
















In n Out Burger








& Berries Frozen Yogart all have in common?







A WAY better than the average day.

It all started out with eggos and chocolate milk. The girls made their own breakfast, set the table and even provided little sticks for them to tap their glasses for every time an announcement was to be made. Here Lily is announcing that the sticks are for announcing. I love how they put down placemats and everything. Sweet.

After a quick breakfast and an attempt to wake up Mitchell for the fifth time, we started heading out the door for the stake service project. We were to head up to the top of Etiwanda to clean up the hillside. After a warning from the organizer that most assuredly, snakes would be present and by snakes he means rattle snakes and that our group would most definately come in contact with one, and that paramedics would be on hand in case of an emergency. I knew I needed to talk to the kids about trail awareness etc. I waited to tell them until we were in the car and almost up the hill. I knew what their reaction would be, and I quote, "I don't want to go
anymore." I assured them that everything would be okay if the took the precautions that were explained to them. I am happy to report that when we arrived they did get out of the car. They loved their little yellow worker bee vests. It was rather awesome seeing the force that was out that day to help our community. It was neat to don the vest and join the army of volunteers. The hillside was swarming with yellow breasted worker bees cleaning up that morning. (okay swarming is an exaggeration, but it was a great image wasn't it.)

We found what seemed to be a homestead of some sort complete with couches, broken table, chairs, a computer, monopoly game, a scattering of clothes, paper plates etc. The girls were reflecting the whole time we were cleaning up why that stuff was there, where did the people go, why did they leave everything behind. All very good questions.

Part of the fun of the day was finding tools with the trash that was there. If you look left, you will see Casey using a part of a chair as a rake to pick up trash. Casey later found an old table leg that had screw sticking out of it that became a great tool I used for picking up the trash. It was awesome. A friend made a wise crack that it was trash not a tool, I assured him it most certainly was a tool. I think he was trying to get me to discard it so he could start using it. I am pretty sure that the girls had a good time. As long as they wer with each other they can have a great time no matter what they are doing. I recorded it for their blog.

After we finished the service project the girls wanted to go hiking up to the falls that are about a mile and a half up from where we were cleaning. So after taking Mitchell home we packed a lunch and headed up the hill. The girls were troopers. The hike is up hill the entire way and they trudged along singing songs to keep their spirits high. I will have to get back to you on the lyrics.

Here we are about half way up. I think that they still have smiles on their faces.

After two different false surprises where we thought the falls were just around the bend, we finally got there. What a beautiful sight. What were you thinking? They would be Niagra Falls? We live in a desert. Yes they are little bitty, but we love them despite their size.

While there the girls played in the water. Climbed on rocks, looked for frogs, caught butterflies, and just laid in the sun. It was heavenly. Truly. We plan on doing it again very soon.




Casey and Emma playing in the creek
















Lily and I on the rocks by the waterfall.

Emma and I laying on the warm rocks like a couple of lizards. Emma slipped in the icy water and needed to dry up.



The sweetest little butterfly you have ever seen. It had the cutest little fuzzy body and big eyes. I looked like something Disney would animate.







Here is a shot of Casey holding the butterfly, we shall call Oswald.

Mighty Casey and Lindsay




















The girls jogged a lot of the way down. They learned that down is definitely a lot easier than going up.
It also takes about half of the time.


At the bottom there were fine port a potties for our use. Emma found them to be more than adequate. They actually had water and soap so we could wash our hands. This picture makes it look like it wasn't an enjoyable experience but it was. Really.

After the hike we rushed to Will's game where we saw him swing away at the ball. He didn't get a hit but he had some strong swings. I was very happy.

In n Out and Berries yogart were the treat of choice for my tired girls.

It is experiences like these that really burn the joy of life into your soul. These are the things we can take with us. When I think of my childhood it was experiences like these that really stuck with me. Spending time with family and friends doing simple activities. I want my children to look back into their childhood with fondness and I think with more experiences like this, they will, and I will too.

Cowboys and Indians in the 21st Century

Joshua and Owen playing cowboys and Indians.

I love pretend play. I find a child's ability to pretend to be a remarkable creative expression. I am amazed at their ability to invent scenarios and act them out. Their little worlds are so vast and open. They can become whomever or whatever they want. They can envision anything and make it come to pass in the living room or where ever they may be at the time. AWESOME!

When do we as adults loose this ability? What happens to us that we seem to get stuck in the reality of life. When do we decide that it is childish to dream and when does the dreaming stop. When do we lose the courage?

When my kids are pretend playing, I pretend, and this is about the only pretending I do anymore, that I am not listening. I don't want them to know that I am paying attention because then they get a little shy about their game.

O's and Joshua decided that they wanted to play Cowboys and Indians. I don't even know if that is a politically correct pretend scenario anymore. This is an an example of the adult world infringing upon the pretend play of children. I used to play indians when I was a kid. I loved to be an indian. My brother Rob, the yidda guy, and I made bows and arrows from branches and twigs that we found in our backyard. We had a ball. But apparently some people feel that pretending to be an indian can be offensive. I was surprised when the Claremont School District banned Thanksgiving Dinner celebrations at their schools because they felt it was offensive to people of Native American descent. There was no dressing up as Pilgrims and Indians in Claremont schools last November however, protesting parents enjoyed their turkey, stuffing, masked potatos and gravy dinners in the parking lot, outside of the schools, dressed as Pilgrims and Indians. Chalk one up for adults and pretend play.

When working out their game, Os and Joshua both agreed that they would get really tough guys on their teams and that they both would be able to fight bad guys, normal decisions when playing cowboys and indians, but then, what Owen said next, really blew me away. "Yeah, Joshua, and then on the NEXT LEVEL it will be really hard. Really tough!

What?

Next level?

Was he equating his playing cowboys and indians with a video game.

FOUL!

Alarms go off in my head. I chuckle to myself in disbelief. No way! I protest! My child's pretend play, especially connected with cowboys and indians, is not supposed to be set up like a video game.

Here Jushua pretends he has an arrow stuck in his leg. He had a whole posse trying to help him pull the offending arrow out of his leg. I finally became involved and extracted the deadly weapon from his leg.

Owen doesn't play a lot of video games, but he does play some. I am obviously not a fan of video games. Poor Mitchell had to wait until he was 8 years old before he got one and this only occured because he stopped asking for things for Christmas because he never got what he wanted anyway (a nintendo game system) He asked for 4 years before I finally caved.

I was abjectly against the parameters of Owen's pretend play. This is not allowed. Video games aren't allowed to seep their way into the innocence of my boys imagination. But then I realized that things were changing. The world is changing. Technology guarantees it. I've seen it before when I watched Owen hold up a pretend camera to take a picture, and instead of putting it up to his eye, he held it out arms length like he was seeing the picture from the LCD screen in the back of the camera.

Don't worry, I didn't intercede in the pretend play and tell him that his game can't have levels (although I don't like it one bit.) My little guys pretend world is his own. He can make it how ever and what ever he wants it to be. I accept it.

Now, how can I sabotage the X box?

HELP!

Remember how I said that I NOW like baseball?

After 30 some odd years of having a laissez faire attitude towards the game. Comme ci comme ca as the French would say: it was there, I knew it was there, I didn't mind it being there and sometimes I would visit it but pretty much didn't care about the outcome, unless of course the Giants were playing and then I did care because their performance deeply affected Richard's happiness. When the Angels beat the Giants in the world series, our family was in mourning for weeks, But that is another blog entry all together.

But now, NOW I love the game. I love getting him dressed up in his uniform every game day, the stripped pants, the game socks, the jersey, the hat, the belt and the cleats. I mean look at how adorable my little, tough guy is. Doesn't he look great. I love it, the problem is . . . my son doesn't.

What do I do?

When he was little, he would love hitting the wiffle ball with the bat. He can do it, it is in him to do it, but when it comes to that hardball, all things change. First he was hit smack in the chin, next he as hit, thud in the chest, shortly there after he was hit, crunch in the thigh (I think it was on this day when he was playing catcher) a week later he was beaned, bonk on the back and last week his friend was hit, tink squarely on the helmet and all with the hard ball. It was after seeing this that Will simply stated, I am not batting. I am not going up. NO WAY, NO HOW. He sat out the rest of the game and then didn't get snack. He was disappointed about not getting snack, but really didn't care about sitting out. For him I think it is a matter of survival.

I've tried all kinds of tactics. Once before a game, I talked to him about the ball and how the ball is really afraid of him. I showed him the look on the balls face as it comes whirling at him. I explained how it is really scared of him because it knows that Will can send it out of the ball park. He seemed to get a little fired up, but I think deep down doesn't really believe.

As we prepared for the next practice, Will and I had a conversation. "I don't like baseball. I don't want to go to practice."

"Yes you are. Your team needs you."

"I don't like it. I don't want to go."

"You can't quit. You made a commitment. Your going to keep it. Did you know you were hitting with the bat when you were three years old!"

"I was?" Will says curiously, "I want to see a picture."

"Okay I will show you. You can hit that ball!"

"No I can't." It is at this point that I tell him about how he has to believe in himself and I talk to him about visualizing him catching and hitting the ball in his head.

"Okay Will, close your eyes. Your at the plate, the pitcher pitches the ball in and you can see it clearly and you swing and CRACK! you hit the ball. It is passing the pitcher and then the second baseman! Do you see it?" I say, all proud of myself at my ability to influence my son in a positive way. "Do you see yourself doing it Will?" I say smiling.

"I see a squirrel hitting it!" he says with a big smile on his face giggling.

"You have to see you doing it!" I say, ignoring the silly animated squirrel comment. I repeat a very similar scenario and again ask, "Did you see yourself doing it?" Will is sitting there with his eyes shut head tilted back, face shadowed by the brim of his hat, he is smiling.

"I see a worm hitting it!" he says snickering.

On the way to practice, we have a chat. "Will I know that your scared, but you can't quit because you are. You have to face your fears and go to practice. You have to try your best and not choose to be afraid. I remind him about Cowardly Clyde the horse (a great Bill Peet book) who chose to act brave even though he didn't feel it." He sat uninterested.

When we get there Will drops to his knees and says how he doesn't feel good and can't go to practice. He is whimpering and whining.

"I guess I have to take you home then and put you to bed!" I say hoping that he will straighten himself up and go to practice, but instead, he continues to whine.

"I don't feel good." and this is when I try the tough Sargeant Mom act. (only it isn't an act. It is for real. Often I have to be the sargeant, don't we all! and Sargeant Mom is mean) Will whimpers and I knock the bat on the cement say,"Stand up! Stop Whimpering and go out and play ball. No more whining, time to be brave."

"Okay." he says, afraid of Sargent mom and walks out to play. When he got there a teammate calls him over to play catch and Will joins in. Thank goodness.

The coach thinks we should put Will down to T-ball, I disagree. Although he is young, he is in the right place. I think he just needs more practice.

The next game, Will gets up twice and doesn't even swing at the ball the first time, and then next at bat swings twice half heartedly after I bribe him with a scoop of ice cream for each time he swung at the ball. (my brothers idea, I am trying everything.) Then in the out field, he folds his arms and stands straight legged. If that isn't an act of defiance and A bold statement that I don't want to be here, than I don't know what is.

So after the game Sargeant Mom appears again, he loses his TV, video game privileges and a play date he is supposed to have with one of his team mates. He is very sad, but I say he can earn them back if he tries when he is out there at the next game. I have to see that he is trying to do his best when he is playing. That is all I ask that I see him doing his best.

So help me out. I am drowning here. Do I force my son to stay in a game he is obviously hating at the moment. My feelings are yes, and it is more than just the cute uniform. He made a commitment and he needs to finish it. He needs to understand that his team is counting on him, he needs to face this fear that plagues him and WIN! We are obviously battling, Will and I, and Will is battling with himself and the fear is winning, not good. Our kids face things all through their life that require courage, he needs to learn that he can face his fears and win.

What do I do? Any suggestions, advice, opinions?

UPDATE: Will and I tossed the tennis ball around on Friday and he was very confidant catching, Richard took Will to the batting cages yesterday morning, and at the game, Will had some strong swings at the ball. So obviously exposure and practice helps, but I want to hear your advice and your opinions.

I need a little help here.

Sincerely,

I don't like Sargeant Mom. She's a hard-nosed and demanding.

Because The Best Don't Mess!

Lily tried out and made the girls 5th grade basketball team. We are very proud of her! She really increased her skills thanks to excellent coaching from wonderful volunteers.

Timberwolves Girls 5th Grade Basketball Team.

These girls practiced every Tuesday after school and every day at lunch and were able to propel themselves to second place in the district tournament. Here are some highlights.




Lily taking a shot. Look at the air she is catching. Nice jump shot Lily.












My little rebounder!















This girl is an amazing talent. This is her first time playing basketball on a court in a game setting. She had an amazing court sense and handled the ball very well. She was also an excellent passer.

This is Lilify's good friend. She always gave her best.












Here are some of our favorite spectators. Loyal fans, tried and true. True Blue!





Emma takes advantage of her time to get her homework done during half time. What a good girl!





















Congratulations Timberwolves. We are proud of you. You guys ROCK!