Sorry, I have been so bad at keeping up this blog. Yes, it has been quite awhile that I have found time to get back to this blog and I guess I will recap March and April and May...it's been so hectic with sports, schools and everyone's schedules this spring I don't know where the time has gone! So this may get long:)!
The last post was about Cooper's thumb sucking...we are still struggling with it. He goes in spurts. He really wants to stop and sometimes catches himself or Braedyn is quick to let us know. We did the Malvala on his nails but after awhile he decided it wasn't that bad after all...grrr that was our last stitch effort. According to the dentist, that seems to work for everyone she knows who has tried it. As we know, Cooper's not the norm! At least he's only doing it when he is tired or going to bed but we continue to keep trying and be patient. So if you see any weird contraptions on his thumb he hasn't broken it, it's our last effort to get him to stop!
We enjoyed our three week intersession break in March for spring break. We just hung out at home and opened up the pool! The weather was so nice and since getting a cover for it and turning on the solar panels, it kept the heat in. It was nice to just be home with them and enjoy our time together and not have to rush out the door.
This spring Braedyn's spring baseball little league started. He is playing in Hillsborough again with HYAA (Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association). It's pretty competitive and he loves it. He is in the machine pitch league and this is his last year in that league before moving to kid pitch in the fall. The pitching machine for this league is set at 40-45 mph. I don't think I could hit it (that's not saying much)...it seems pretty fast. He is doing great this year! His hitting streak continues thru 7 games!!! When he got a double this last game, his smile was from ear to ear. Daddy is helping coach and he is really good with the kids. Both boys love baseball and have found a way to hit at home...but I'm not sure if I like their idea. So they got tired of chasing balls and mom was to cheap to go and get a pitch back net, they decided they would hit tennis balls against the house...they have not broken a window -yet! This sounds silly but it sure has helped both their swing. They are out there everyday for hours just hitting it against the house. They bounce it on the driveway and then swing away...it also gives Jake a good workout chasing the balls. I guess I will let them do it until they break a window in the house or in the car. Charlie was in the car wash one day and continued thru to the dryer and saw something fly by the window - he thought the vehicle was falling apart...no- it was just a tennis ball that had gotten lodged somewhere in the Hummer!
Here's some pics from baseball... Grandpa Bode makes a cameo...my parents were here and happen to catch some games and Grandpa kept the books! I bet that brought back some memories for him coaching my brother's games thru school. It was special to see him sitting in the dugout with the team and sitting with Braedyn and Cooper! I am thankful he and the boys both got that experience! Baseball is coming to an end in a couple weeks for us. Braedyn wanted to try out for travel 8U All Stars and he more than likely would have made it since we know all the kids in it and he is at that skill level but mom put her foot down. We talked it over and he also decided he just wants to have fun. Agreed! Practice four times a week and tournaments on weekends...they are 8! I want Braedyn to enjoy baseball for a long time. I could go on and on about this topic -that's for another blog. Kids should be kids they have all their youth to be involved. There is such a thing called Burn Out! Everything in Moderation...I try to follow that rule:) So instead of travel ball I told Braedyn he could pick a camp to go to and he chose Carolina Little Tar Heel camp so he will be attending that for a week in June. He went last year and loved it. It was a bonus for him last year, because his favorite player for the Tar Heels who also got drafted by the MN Twins, Levi Micheal, was helping out with camp. I grew up a Twins fan, as will they, but for them growing up in Chapel Hill they are Tar Heel fans too! How great for boys to grow up near a college campus and have access to things their mom and dad did not. Even if we were still in Minnesota I don't think I would have taken the boys to MN Gopher baseball camp...downtown Minneapolis...everything is so accessible here! Just down the road! Lucky Boys!
Cooper really enjoys baseball too but with his birthday being in July he doesn't make the cut off date for the league that he should be in. They have a strict policy on age in HYAA. He would have to play t-ball again and he did not want to play t-ball. Last year, parents were worried he was going to hurt someone because kids in that league sometimes would rather play in the dirt then play ball! He would smoke the ball and he has to play with younger kids... So he decided to get back to hockey in March. He missed it. He took almost a whole year off but you wouldn't know it. He didn't skip a beat. His goal is to make the mites team this fall so I called to see if he could move up to a different group. He was supposed to be in the Rink Rats group which is 3-5 year old and he doesn't turn 6 until July. I talked to the program director who has known Cooper since he was 3 and he agreed Cooper could move up. We didn't really know what ages would show up since it says Learn to Play is for 6-13 year old. Most of the kids are 9 and 10 and in 3rd grade because they play in the squirts league. This has made Cooper's skill level vastly improve! He is beating kids that are two-three years older than him. He's got the drive to take on the fastest skater out there and try to beat him. He doesn't like to get beat. I love watching him because he amazes me out there. It's also fun because he doesn't really know how good he is -he is just having fun-which is the best part!! He just goes to lessons once a week during summer then fall league will start up! He is excited for that. That will be his sport of choice at least for now. He will be going to Carolina baseball camp this year in June with Braedyn. Hockey camp wasn't going to work with school schedule since we start school in July! I don't have any good pics of hockey because its too hard to get some good shots. I will try and get some this summer...
So lil Jordan who gets carted around to all these sporting events just takes it in. He has voiced his opinion a few times! He wants to play hockey with Cooper and wants to play football when he gets bigger. He asks me daily, if I will come watch him play football at Carolina! So cute! So he will start skating lessons this fall, about the same time Cooper did. At least I have all the gear to hand down as Cooper out grows it. We will see how that goes. I can't believe how fast the time goes. A friend asked us to sign him up for t-ball who's son is the same age and it got me thinking. Wow, that's when Braedyn and Cooper started playing t-ball. I did not sign him up. I can't take on another activity right now. If he ends up not liking skating he might try soccer with his little buddy Thomas. I want my summer with my boys to be enjoyed at home playing and swimming in the pool. Summer goes by way to fast for us and they grow up too fast!
Now onto school and another post since this one is so long!
~Allie
