Favorite Foto Friday

I have not yet gotten to post about baseball. Baylor's season has started and Callan's begins Monday.
This year Baylor tried out for a tournament/ travel team. We have never done anything like that before and it was in the paper, so we thought we would see what it was all about. To say that this baseball is on a different level than we have ever seen (as 8-9 year old baseball goes) is an understatement. These boys are good. Baylor's skills have really improved, as he is one of the only 8 year olds on the 9 year old team...and they all have been playing together alreaday. He is learning a lot, growing, and playing a game he loves.

MOM-on the other hand is a nervous wreck. When I watch him play I am sick-nervous for him. I want him to do so well, I want him to be able to prove himself to the team, and I do not want him hurt. I just know that my nervous sillyness in the stands will soon make it to an Am. Funniest Home Videos episode very soon, as I seem to be the entertainment for the parents in the stands. I think they are all placing bets on me going into labor early at a game, and someone stated that they would be bringing a video camera just to capture me on film. Don't get me wrong, I am not making a complete fool of myself, it is just that they are all so laid back and calm (I mean not even one other parent brought a camera to their first game). They seem to be used to other 9 year olds throwing balls 50mph at each others heads and while stealing second base. Fun stuff, I tell ya... fun stuff.

This past weekend they played in their first tourney. We had no idea how the team would do since this is a first for us and the first time they have played another team. It was a top notch tourney with an announcer calling out their names when they came out to the plate, and fun music during all the little breaks. Out of 6 teams in Mid TN our boys played in the Championship game and took home a 2nd place trophy. To say Bay was pumped is an understatement. I think he told everyone he knows. (The pics from the game are not the best, my camera was acting funny and there was a double layer of fence everywhere)

I need toothpicks to hold my eyes open, but I am afraid I might eat them!

Let me start this post by saying that I am not whining or complaining. This is my blog, and I try to document my life as much as possible. This week I have hit the anemic point of my pregnancy. I did it with Callan and Silas too. Honestly I probably did with Baylor, but the doc I went to then forgot to test my blood during the Glucose Tolerance Test after an hour. When I finally got up the courage to ask if they were going to, she just pricked my finger with the diabetic meter thing... so they did not send my blood off.
Anyway, I have known it was coming. I have been getting dizzy, seeing a few stars here and there and feeling tired. But I have done it before and made it just fine. The thing I hate most about being anemic is having to take iron because it messes with your digestive system, and every pregnant mom knows that your digestive system just "ain't right" anyway. So, I thought this time I would do a little research to see if I REALLY needed the extra iron or if I could try to beef up (well not really since I do not eat beef) my iron levels through food. Do you know what I found out? First of all, unless I change my eating behavior that I have known for 15+ years now (no beef or pork) getting iron in my diet is not that easy of a task. Sure it is do-able, but does not absorb like the "muscle proteins". Second, a person with anemia may struggle with PICA a disorder where the person likes to eat random things. Like, crunching on ice, or paper, or things that should not be eaten. Sadly, I have to raise my hand to the ice thing. I have been feeling the need to crunch on ice lately, but I thought it was just because I enjoyed my mouth being cold. In fact, I almost devoted a whole post last week to the WONDERFUL ice I found at Moe's Southwestern Grill (and rice and black bean burrito), but realized it was a bit off. NOW I KNOW WHY.

So... to put this post into a few words. I am zapped! And if you see me crunching on anything other than an edible item (I am okay with ice) take it away from me and contact my husband immediately.

Best Buddy Day

Silas' birthday was March 4th, but seeing that we were still recovering from the flu and it was traveling heavily through the area, we decided to put off his birthday choice celebration until all things looked clear. I had a really hard time trying to figure out what kind of activity would be best for a few kids 3 and 4 years old. I wanted to take them to a movie, but there is nothing good out. I know the kids would have a blast a Chuck E. Cheese or McDonald*s Playland but the previous mentioned flu made me steer clear. Then it occured to me... Silas (who had never made a bear at the "Bear Shop" before) loved making his Monkey and it has gone with us practally everywhere since. I bet his buddies would enjoy it too. So, we loaded up the car geared for a day of fun (who am I kidding it took all of 30 minutes to make a bear from start to finish). Since Silas had just made a monkey, he was more interesting in increasing Monkey's wardrobe, so he chose some PJ's and a baseball outfit for Monkey. But Rhett and Micah had a blast building their monkey's (they both got a choice and the both chose Monkey's like Silas).

The boys (and Eliza) had a blast. And we were thankful for Nommie for joining in on the fun (I was scared of being responsible for so many little ones). Sadly I have more pictures of our little buddies making their animals, but not my own because he only chose clothes. He sat here with me crying that there were no pictures of him so I posted the one of all three of them together with their monkey houses.

Favorite Foto Friday

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS. Every time Silas goes to draw... he tells me he "can't". He does not even want to try. He loves to color and play with crayons and pencils, but until the past 2 weeks he has had no interest in drawing anything other than some scribble. This is what he decided to draw today. (and I am not at all upset that I have hair all the way around my head, and Daddy is just fine looking like the little man from Monsters Inc.- it has been a rough week)

IT'S FAMILY TRADITION

Okay so the title makes no sense what-so-ever. But it is the one song from the concert that I cannot stop singing (and not one of the artist has this song on an album... he just sang it).

Saturday night (I know... you are thinking Ash you better slow down you are not used to this party lifestyle. BELIEVE ME I know, it is Tuesday as I type this and I still have not caught up) we went with the "Party-till-you-drop" Morgan's to the Brad Paisley concert. It was a BLAST. I have not been to a concert since my Brother-in-law, KJ, screamed "It's Mrs. Jackson, if your nasty" from the rafters of the GEC. Brent and I were not sure what to expect, and had to keep asking questions. In fact, we are so "old-school" we kept thinking we would be outside at Starwood, and Brent was scared that some of the security might remember him from his wilder, more youthful days.

ANYWAY, we had an awesome time. One of Brent's fave high school times singers was Hootie and the Blowfish and he was the opening act (now known as Darius Rucker). He did great... and sang the Hank Williams Jr. song I cannot get out of my head. We also got to see Dirks Bentley who was was full of energy and never sat still. And then finally, the headliner Brad Paisley... man does he have a lot of paisley guitars. He was great and really put on a great concert in his hometown (and the last night of the tour).

Thank you Morgan's for inviting us... we will be doing it again.
(If you want to see more detailed pics from the concert, go over to Sonja's blog. I stole this one from her and she has some photos over there that made us laugh so hard at the concert that the drunks around us thought we'd joined in on their party.)

Girls Night Out

The Facebook Phenom has brought about some change in my life. One of those things being that I get to chat with some high school friends now. Even if just to comment on something they say or tell them how cute their kids are. But, Friday night I took it to a whole new level. I grew up not far from here and many of the girls still live right in this area, so we Facebooked each other and decided to get together (one friend was coming in from Florida for a visit) for dinner. To say I was nervous was an understatement. I wanted to go, but I was nervous. I had not seen most of these girls (except for FB) since our 10 year reunion in 2003. But, I sucked it up and went... and to be perfectly honest I had a blast. Everyone has changed so much, but at the same time so little. They were the people they have always been, and it was a breath of fresh air to get to catch up.

What would you do?

Have you all seen that show? The Dateline type show that puts people in situations to see what they would really do... if they saw their best friends husband on a date... if they saw a woman being abused... if their waiter was doing weird things to their food? I felt like I was put into that situation twice.

Yesterday afternoon I was on car-rider duty and went to get the kiddos. On my way home, I was sitting at a four way stop on a neighborhood street that is very busy during school drop-off and pick-up. I notice a little boy playing in the yard, by himself. There were no adults around. I see a home with a door open (but with a storm door). This little boy is older than Eliza but younger than Silas. As he is running around I notice that he thinks the cars going every which way are funny, and he begins to play around with the cars. He started stepping out into the street and laughing at the cars stopping to make sure not to hit him. I had a gut feeling that someone did not know that this child was out and about. So I pulled over and went to the kid. This young child had hearing aids in both ears. I let him take me to the door of his home and I began to knock and yell "hello" in the door. After a minute or two a lady came to the door with toothbrush in mouth. I informed her that the little boy was in the street, and she seemed shocked. I thought my job was over, I kept the little boy safe and returned him home. But, I could not quit thinking about it. I wondered if I should have done more. I can tell you that from outward appearances this lady looked more like his childcare provider than his mother, and I wondered if she was his childcare worker if she would pass on the information that the boy had opened the front door to the home and was freely playing on a busy street without the caretakers knowledge. I wondered if I should have called someone to report it... I wondered if I did all I needed to.

Well, this morning I had the chance again. Usually the boys ride the bus to school in the morning, but we have had a sub driver the past 2 days and they have been early. In an effort to RUN out the door to get the bus, Callan's lunch was left at home and I had to take it to him. I have learned that it is easier to get the lunch to the school before 8:35 so that I can walk it right to him rather than sign his lunch in and wait for them to call him to the office when they get a chance. It was on my way home that I looked toward the little wandering boys home again. This morning, I saw for vans parked outside the house on the side of the street and mom's were standing around everywhere with astonished looks on their faces. In an effort to check on the boy I stopped and asked if everyone was there because a little boy was in the street? They confirmed it and told me that he was dodging cars in the street this morning and they had been trying to get an adult to come to the door for a while with no luck. One mom was on the phone with the police department because they started fearing (since there was no answer) that something had happened to the adult in the home. I do not know what happened after that, but I told the woman on the phone with the police that I had returned the boy home yesterday as well. Finally, the same lady came to the door again... she was in the shower, and the boy took it upon himself to escape.

I do not know if I am supposed to do anything else for this child who could have easily been killed 2 times in the past 24 hours. I told Brent that I wanted to take a door lock that can be put on the door out of reach by their home, but don't know if that is my place. I do not know if the police went to check on them, I do not know if the child's mother was informed. I am worried about this little boy who has a new passion for escaping locked doors and playing dodge with cars. What would you do?