Try to Keep Up

Tuesday was our first crazy day of double baseball. JP had to be at his first practice at 5:45 for a "meet and greet" (which Butch said wasn't very informative). Bubba had to be at his first "official" game at 6:15, but I took him early to warm up. So it was like -30 degrees with the horrible, nasty 90 mph winds. Peanut went with B and JP and then they came over to our game at 7 when his practice was over. I thought I was showing up well prepared with two fleece blankets, my warm coat, gloves, a beenie for Jo Jo, and his own warm blankie. I sat him in the stroller backwards so the wind wouldn't get him so badly. I however, sat right in the wake of the wind with the awesome dirt off the baseball diamond blowing sporadically in my eyes, despite the fact that I was wearing sunglasses. Bubba had a sweatshirt under his jersey. However, all of this awesome preparation on my part, was still not enough. And by the time the other boys showed up, I was watching from the car, which fortunately had a front row view of the field. The other boys, including B, only had sweatshirts on. And for the most part decided to stay outside to play. I came out a few times, like when Bubba was hitting or pitching. They brought him out in the third inning. HOLY COW can that kid pitch! He was doing so much better than practices had been going, and he did just fine then. But this time it was incredible to watch. He was throwing strike after strike. The coaches were amazed, we were amazed; it was just plain awesome. One of the coaches asked me if I had taken him home and beaten him and told him throw strikes "or else." I guess something just clicked for him that night. I think one factor might be that the coach told him after their scrimmage on Sat. that the reason he hadn't put him in to pitch that day was because he was saving his best pitchers for the game. I think that gave him just the boost of confidence he needed. So Rivera you better watch your back. If I can ever figure out how to sink my camera to the computer, I might be able to post some of the video we took.

Then last night we had Pinewood Derby weigh in at our house. So I spent the whole day cleaning my garage and putting together this "easy snap together" wire shoe rack. The shoe situation was getting out of control out there since we had old flip flops, boots, cleats, etc. that don't fit anyone right now. So I put all the ones nobody is using right now in a tote and then put together this rack for all the current outside shoes. So anywho, I had wanted to buy this plastic stacking system or these cool colored totes that stacked, but I let B do the final choosing while I was at home, and he picked the cheaper option. Well, I spent the better part of the afternoon, half swearing, "son of a," but not including the bad word. I did think about it a few times, but kept myself in check. So this thing was the hardest thing to "snap" together. You had to put these plastic things on each side, and they didn't want to just "snap" in like they were supposed to. My hands were raw from pushing on the edges of the stupid plastic. Finally, I had an epiphony and got out the sledge hammer to tap them into place better. That was great until I realized like 4 of these things were on the wrong direction, so I had to figure out how to get them off. Finally, after much pain and anguish, I got the thing together and organized all the shoes. I did call my husband during the process to tell him I hated him. Then came the weigh in. B wasn't home on time and the neighbor who is the committee chair just barely made it in time for the first car because I had no idea what to do, other than how much they were supposed to weigh. B showed up right after and we got all situated. The kids were running in and out and hadn't really had dinner (since we started at 6). Plus, the wind started up again and the shelter of the garage can only keep you so warm, especially when the sun goes down around here. During the lull, I managed to get Bubba and Jo Jo some chicken nuggets. Peanut didn't want anything because he never eats and JP had eaten mandarin oranges and corn for dinner before the weigh in. I know, I know, not very much of a dinner, but he's been wanting that for several nights now. So the weigh in started off kind of bad because we had 3 families here at once- one of my Wolves who has the mental capacity of about a 5 year old and cerebral palsy, another Wolf with serious ADD and his brother with behavioral/learning disablities, and a Weeblo with some kind of learning/behavioral problem that I'm not sure what it is. They're all great kids, don't get me wrong, but they were in B's garage (which was off limits) pulling all the toys out and scooters and throwing basketballs everywhere. I was going a little crazy. It got better after that and not very many more showed up until 3 families at once close to 8 when we were supposed to be done. Of course, 3 of the 5 cars were underweight, so they spent the next hour gluing weights, drilling, etc. I was trying to get kids in the shower and had to go in to wash Peanut and had just gotten him out when they needed me in the garage again so I could write them down since you can't read B's chicken scratch. Oh, did I mention I had to go visiting teaching yesterday to 2 of our 3 ladies? The day before we had visited the other one. This is an entire topic I could post about. Not that I don't like visiting teaching. It's just hard to go with 2 small kids to houses with older ladies who don't have toys or other kids and we have to go twice to get everyone in and my companion is always late, likes to talk a long time (mostly about herself) and then we're late for each appointment. Don't get me wrong, I totally love each one of the sisters we teach and my companion. They're all great ladies; it's just that I can't make my busy life stop that long. It throws off nap time and running errands and getting ready for the next big thing. So finally at about 9 pm we got everyone weighed in. B will have to race Bubba's car for him since he has baseball tonight, along with JP so I'll get to be in 2 places at once. Bet you didn't know I could do that.

Today, my visiting teachers were coming and I realized I hadn't cleaned the downstairs since I had been focusing on the garage yesterday, so no work out, no shower-just feed the kids and clean. Then I had to get Jo Jo down for his nap before I could shower. During his nap, Peanut started crying with a belly ache. I tried to get him to go potty and take a gas pill, but he wouldn't so then I rubbed his belly a little and put him on my bed in the fetal position and told him to lie there for a few minutes while I got Jo Jo lunch, since he had woken up during the screaming. I got him lunch and went upstairs and he was sound asleep. He never has naps anymore so I hope he wakes up feeling better. I came back down to find Coconut with his paper plate in his mouth and the food falling on the high chair tray. Really dude? I got him out to discover he had diarrhea for the third time today. The first was when he woke up in his crib and it had leaked all over the place. I was changing him and he decided this would be the best time to start screaming his shrill, high pitched, un-human, eardrum vibrating scream. You really need to experience it to get the full effect. I've never heard anything like it in my life. Which is funny since he cried like a baby piglet when he was born. I've lost count on how many poopy diapers I've changed this week. And he doesn't really want to eat. Oh yay, he just crawled over here and he smells again. Some days I just really want to run away to a beach somewhere. Actually, I guess that's most days. I feel so inadequate to raise up these future missionaries. I can't even keep it together most days. Hopefully at my day of judgement, the Lord will have pity on me for having to deal with all these boys.