Time to Tend Them

It was one of those weekends where I felt really good about spending so much time with the kids. We really were able to focus on them, which is great for any family, but especially for a 2-working-parents one. DH and AJ went out Saturday morning to see THOR IN 3D – and came home speaking like that, in all caps, by the way, calling me “MAIDEN” and “WOMAN.” Heh, heh. That left KT and me some nice girl-time to get haircuts and go shopping. One of my buddies chided me for that, saying, “You’re starting her on that already??!” ...UM, YES. Actually she didn’t want to get her hair cut after we got there, but I did, and she sat patiently with my iPhone, playing her games (Princess dress up and the Sorting game from Toddler Teasers are her current favorites). What did kids DO before iPhones, I ask you?!

During our lunch (McDonald's, her choice), KT said something directly to me like, “This is Fun, Mommy. We’re having Fun.” I can’t recall the exact words but it was so sweet. Sometimes she tacks on “..because I love you” to her sentences (“You have to hold me [whine] because I love you.”) – she may have done that. “This is fun, Mommy, because I love you.” It’s clearly the most adorable thing you’ve ever heard, and it absolutely made my day. Even though she later pitched a hissy fit over not getting to push the buttons on the card-swiper at Target (eyeroll), and was swiftly buckled back into her carseat and told something disciplinary.

Saturday afternoon we went to a last hurrah cookout at AJ’s baseball coach’s home. I feel like we’re more socially engaged with this couple than with any of our other friends (until football season, when our Good Friends invite us over nearly every weekend to watch a game) – but I’m not sure I want to continue putting time into the friendship. Lots of reasons that I don’t feel like explaining – mostly about the coaching style. On the other hand – without other nearby couple-friendship options, I should be grateful, shouldn’t I? Tend the friendship and count my blessings. I was happy on Saturday when the wife called me casually and I was able to help her out with the menu – it was like, something actual girlfriends do. I have so little of that in my daily life. It’s weird.

At any rate, it’s definitely our turn to have this family over for dinner, so that will have to be in the works, if nothing else. What do you do for couple-friendships? Date-nights with one spouse or the others’ co-workers? Leftover friends from high school or college? Neighbors? Church groups? Do tell.

So much

I'm not stressed, I'm just... a little sad, I guess. I didn't check the calendar (but I thought I did?) and today is a baseball practice... but I scheduled a desperately needed haircut/color for myself at the same time (first world problems). No big deal, DH can take both kids to the ballpark, I know this, but it makes me feel bad. Because Monday night I left them all to go to Book Club. And Thursday night is choir practice every week, and as much as I love choir, it starts to wear on me after a full schoolyear's worth of every-week rehearsals. I've only skipped once or twice for a break, but once was last week, so I really need to GO this week. (I mean, I could be one of those people who NEVER goes to practice but shows up on Sundays and says, "What're we singing?" Except I get really irritated by those people.) And of course, this week we also have a Thursday baseball GAME. I think I can do both if we take 2 cars to the park, although I know KT will fuss and cry when it's time for me to leave without her. I don't know, maybe I'll skip again.

I want to get philosophical and come to some unique, well-written conclusions about the way I feel, but I don't think I have the mental energy for that. Everybody's crazy busy. It's not a big deal, sometimes it is a big deal... at least we got our taxes filed last night, and the painting is underway... right? I found some hand-me-downs for KT so at least she has some spring clothes and an Easter dress she can wear, but I still need to go shopping for shoes etc., and I simply can't find the time to do it. Maybe this Saturday, in between baseball pictures at 10:00 am, our game at 12:15, and me cantoring at 5:30 Mass? Er... no. And Sunday's no better -- Mass with choir goes from 10 AM until noon for me, and then we have our first swimming lesson at 2:30. I don't want to feel guilty for adding those swimming lessons -- my kids NEED swimming lessons and I think they'll enjoy them -- but MAN, do I ever feel guilty.

It's just way too much sometimes. I am so thankful I took Spring Break off - I have a week and a half to go until some much needed vacation time. No baseball, no swimming, no Fricking WORK. I hope I can make it a productive week but still feel like the days are long.

Finale

Well, we did lose a game. Tuesday night, actually. 28 to 15 or some crazy score like that. The kids took it well for the most part.

And LAST night, Wednesday, we sat down at the table at 6:00 pm, with mesquite-lime grilled chicken, steamed corn and garlic pasta. "What's this?" the kids asked, curious. "It's called Dinner," I said. "We haven't had one of these since April."

Or at least that's how it has felt.

By the way, I have been sick again, this time a cold, and it's kept me away from my 45-Day-Shred since Monday. I'm back at it tonight, and if I can just do Wed., Thurs, Fri, and Sat., I can call it done. Ridiculous.

Baseball Ready

Lordy. They told us that spring t-ball was going to be "more serious" than fall ball, but they didn't tell me I'd have to fend off rain and mud because heaven forbid we postpone the SACRED TOURNAMENT.

Despite it, I've gotten caught up in wanting to WIN. And somehow, our guys keep pulling it off. In truth, DH and I fully wanted our team to lose at first. (He may still, and part of me does, too.) We were/are both feeling a little s t r e t c h e d by the frequency and intensity. But you can't help fist-pumping when a 6-year-old makes a pop fly catch (and then zings it into the glove of the first baseman, for good measure. Hee.)! They're playing their little hearts out, and man, I hope we keep winning. It means a game every night this week, and 2 on Saturday, but... Emotions are high out there, folks. On every field there are LOUD cheers and CRACKS of the bat. Lovely sounds.

There's definitely a bond with the other parents, too. I've been looking for friends at our school, but maybe t-ball is where we'll really get connected with people. Such nice families; we're lucky to have been matched up so well.

We're very proud of AJ. His attitude has been great, even though he's playing boring ol' left field. He complained about that for 1 minute last night, poor little bunny. But every night, he runs out there and stands "baseball ready" and he swings hard and runs as fast as his legs will carry him.

Day 25, T-ball, and The Church band

It's at the point now where I have to keep Shredding (hate it as a Verb) because THANK GOD it's nearly over. Not that I'm planning to quit exercising, but I think most people who do this particular workout for the full 30 days get SICK OF IT after a while, amiright? (Please say I'm right.) I am jonesing for my Yoga/Pilates DVD. On the other hand, I am scared that I won't keep up the momentum, will fall right back onto my spot on the couch, with a handful of M&Ms to fill the Jillian void. I don't WANT that, but that's what has traditionally happened, so I expect it to. I'll do my best to fight it, but that'll be new for me. I am really grateful that DH has kept up his workouts since January. 4 days a week, without fail. It's been impressive.

So far I'm not noticing a great physical difference in the place I want to see a difference. My shoulders seem to be getting slight definition (be still my heart, if I someday get to see my collarbones for the first time in my life!), but the post-babies tummy is still a post-babies tummy. Oh well, I suppose I'll have to pretend to feel good about my heart health. HA. Everyone knows that deep down we just want to look nice in a tankini. Okay, enough of this nonsense.

* * *

T-ball tonight. It's the second game in our tournament series. We lost the first 22-0, did I tell you? It was a sad situation.... for the crazy parents/coaches who think this is IMPORTANT or something. DH and I are of the opinion that if the kids are having fun and learning the basic rules, it's ALL GOOD. In contrast, the head coach went to the ballpark last night and the night before, when we had off-nights, to SCOUT the COMPETITION.

Kee-razy. I think I mostly like T-ball because it means I don't have to plan dinner on those nights.

* * *

We had Date Night last weekend. Went to hear one of DH's all-time favorite bands, The Church. It was the last stop on their 30th Anniversary tour. Thirty. Years. OfRockandRoll. Pretty amazing. Maybe you don't remember the Church; they only really had 1 hit in the U.S., "Under the Milky Way," which I'm sure you'd know if you heard it. My only memory of that song from high school is being about 15, and at a party where all the lights were low, and I knew someone was drinking beer and shouldn't be, and I felt uncomfortable and unsure. So I just stared quietly at VH-1, where the blue, watery-looking video was playing.

I never knew anything about their other music until I met DH, but when he put one of their songs on a mix CD for me early in our relationship (a mix CD! how quaint!), called 'Almost With You,' I was hooked. I've seen them twice before, and we both agreed it was one of -- if not the -- best show(s) we've ever seen. Not just of The Church, but of any band. (I feel like I say that after every concert I've seen in the last 10 years. Bon Jovi, U2, Billy Idol...) It was a small venue, and they chatted with the audience -- literally bantering with people between songs -- and there was this enormous mutual respect going on. Because they've been around so long, the band members have come to this profound gratitude for their fans, I think -- who've stuck by them through the requisite breakups, overdoses, and comebacks. And the fans... well, the type of music they play has a lot to do with fan loyalty, I think. It's deep, thought-provoking, with intelligent lyrics and memorable, but complicated and sometimes dark melodies. I think it just grabs hold on a deeper emotional level than a lot of music, so the fans are much more connected.

One thing we loved was the audience. Someone commented to me before the show started that "the guys have all gotten so OLD!" meaning the band. But I looked around at the fellow concert-goers... uh, yeah. If you give a flip about this band, you're pretty much old. The show started exactly at 8:30, as promised (OLD). They did 3 encores, but we were home before midnight the way God intended.

It was really great, and we're both still on concert-high, where all we want to listen to is The Church. I love that. What's the latest show you've seen?

Gratitude check

--- Whew. That was rough. I didn't eat for 2 days. I supposedly lost 4.5 pounds. I am grateful that's over, and REALLY grateful that I have a husband who took care of me and handled the household while I was sick and useless!

--- I am still loving T-ball. Probably more than the T-ball player, himself, at this point. Last night's game, although it was at 7 pm (LET ME RESTATE: TOO LATE FOR 5-6 YR-OLDS!), was amazing. These kids have finally come together as a team, each one doing his or her part, playing with and FOR each other. They still fall over their feet sometimes, or play in the outfield dirt -- it's still Little League after all -- but they also score their first home runs. Not AJ, but his teammate MC, one of the older boys on the team who works really hard and LOVES baseball. SMACKED one over the fence. His Dad jumped up and down. Team Mom opened the dugout door and all the other kids ran to home plate to congratulate him as he came home. Big moment! It. Was. Awesome. I nearly cried for a kid who's not even my own! (Am nearly crying now, typing it up.) It's just enormously fun, watching kids grow up.

And P.S. opposing team coaches: Trash-talk is not cool at this age. Come On. DH tells me that the kid standing on the pitcher's mound (who wasn't pitching - this is coach-pitch baseball, and DH is our pitcher) was saying all kinds of rude things about each of our batters. "Oooh, bummer, a GIRL." when our pink-helmeted Caroline was up, and "Oh look, a 2-year old!" at AJ's turn. NOT COOL, coaches. There's no place for that crap in wholesome family t-ball. Rrrr. Mama Bear.

--- The weather. Finally spring. Last night it was 74 beautiful degrees for our game. Perfection.

--- Quiet week at work so I can be sick, and now in the last part of the week, accomplish some important lunchtime errands. Sigh..... errands. Oh well, grateful I have them.