Let's Play Ball

Okay... it wasn't my intention to wait 2 months between postings, but alas it is what it is. Most of my excuse is that I missplaced my camera, but my husband found it after a deep cleaning of the family van! It was in a seat back pocket and once he found it I did remember putting it there.

The boys are two months into their t-ball and baseball season. Austin is certainly having fun playing t-ball, if for no other reason than the snacks. He plays on the Rivercats. Funny thing is, Aidan's first team was the Riverdogs. So I guess I can truly say at times that our kids fight like cats and dogs.

Austin wacks the ball AND the tee

Focus! (photo by Aidan)

Aidan plays for the Orioles and has recently enjoyed a promotion to the infield, playing pitcher or the hot corner, when not in right field backing up virtually all throws to first base (which he is quite good at). Aidan plays coach-pitch and usually goes 3-4 or 4-5 each game. His team is doing very well and is in trophy contention with 10 games played, 4 to go.

Shifting

Getting ready to slap one down the thirdbase line

Funny story... Since Aidan is on the Orioles, we watched a little bit of a game on TV with the Rangers and Orioles. Aidan asked if it was a cardinal on the Orioles hat! Nope, it's an Oriole - a black and orange bird. It wasn't 10 seconds later when Austin asked if it was a cardinal on their hat... Nope, it's an Oriole. Aside from the fact that our boys obviously only know the name of one bird, what I find particularly amusing is that Aidan has an Oriole on his team hat and never asked what it was prior to seeing the big leaguers with the same hat!

Balleyball

Every time we have a balloon in the house (with the helium no longer effective), the boys play "Balleyball" (know more commonly around the world as volleyball). Today is no different.

This is one of the last remaining sports they are allowed to allowed in our living room - baseball, football and hockey have been banned. Marbles is still acceptable too, as is evidenced by the masking taped circle in the middle of the carpet.

TAKE THAT, MY ENEMY!

Here is Austin, in his favorite yellow blanket tied on as a cape so he could be a super Canadian Balleyball player. Also, he refused to put on any clothes, even though he was cold - so his blanket was keeping him warm.

I'VE GOT IT - BUT I CAN'T TOUCH THE INVISIBLE NET!

Aidan was playing as Germany since he was wearing red and black (two colors in the German flag). He likes his new shorts because they are shiny and long - although he really didn't need to wear shorts today since it is only 40 degrees out!

Austin's 5th Birthday

Birthday Boy

Okay, so this takes us back to January 9th, 2009, but better late than never someone once said (and in our lives that seems to be a mantra). Austin chose Chuck E. Cheese as the venue for the festivities. He also only wanted to invite boys to his party (by Mommy was just barely allowed). We made army cup cakes and Austin insisted that we have birthday hats, because "We can't have a party without party hats, Mommy".

Christmas

Preparing for Santa

Christmas Eve was filled with excitement. At the church service, Austin sang with his choir and Aidan wanted to know when he could have Easter bread again (what he calls the communion bread). After church, Ed and the boys made cookies - halloween sugar cookies, from a pack they never made in October! Austin wanted to leave 16 cookies for Santa, and the boys ate the rest. We let them open gifts from Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Kirk - which resulted in Austin wearing a hockey jersey over his Christmas pjs and Aidan hanging a race car parking sign over his bed.

I've got you in my sight

Christmas morning started at ~6:15am. I heard the boys in the living room, discovering the gifts and then assigning wake up duties - Austin had Mommy and Daddy while Aidan had GG and Poppa Sid. Austin was like Paul Revere delivering his message "Santa was here! Santa was here!" at the top of his lungs. Then we all met in the living room for hours of gift unwrapping and toy assembly.

Awesome!

Some of Aidan's favorites are the AI Tech racetrack, a light blue Chargers Jersey and Wall-e the video game. Some of Austin's favorites are his army fatigues and gun, his police helmet and pixos.

Reindeer Games

We had a great day eating and playing. Oh, and Austin learned a new song (to the tune of London Bridges) and it went like this "Underpants are falling down falling down falling down..." and every time he sang it he laughed and laughed and laughed. And in addition to his performance making us laugh, his pants were falling down and we could see his underpants!

Halloween

Well the grand holiday of masks and jack-o-lanterns is behind us. The boys had a fantastic time and Aidan whined all day Saturday that he wished it could be halloween again! We started the festivities with a block party on our street. The kids ran around playing hide and seek, street hockey, etc. and only occassionally came over to ask when we could go trick or treating. The parents served up mummy dogs, mac & cheese, pizza bagels and strawberries - definitely this year the pizza bagels and the strawberries won out. The parents were happy eating the mummy dogs.

Costumes:

• Austin was a Skeleton Pirate (instead of the planned gladiator). His pre-k class made these for a parade earlier in the day and he didn't want to take it off, not even for a helmet and sword!
• Aidan was a Star Wars Clone Trooper (new in the animated series), but to those old schoolers among us, it looks remarkably like a Storm Trooper.

Austin & the nightly street hockey event

Aidan, again playing street hockey (as the sun sets)

Eat your veggies boys, grow big and tall