Kenzie and Connor are playing at church, on the organ during Mass, this afternoon. They got to practice a little bit on Friday. Here's how they sounded:
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
What an Awesome Day
This was just a great day to be the dad of my kids.
It was a day full of sports on an absolutely beautiful day. Let's start with the Alex. He started his first real paycheck job today, at Subway. He was supposed to go in at 9:00 AM for training. They must have liked him because they kept him there until 8:00 PM. A few of us stopped in for some subs at the end of the day, and Alex was still smiling, so I guess he likes his job. I can tell you, I like him having a job. He'll need to help with his car insurance real soon.
Connor had baseball at 9:00 AM. He pitched the first few innings, and did great. His team lost, but at least they were ahead when the coach changed pitchers. Then, it was off to referee some soccer games. He had three to do, and I watched most of them. Kenzie's team played in the first game; Tyler's team played in the second game; and I was just watching Connor ref in the third game. By the end the third game, Connor was exhausted and sunburnt, but he had to run to another field and, with no time to spare, jump into his own game where he played Goalie for 70 for the whole game. I was pleased because Connor has not been given the opportunity to show what he's capable of on this team, playing only about ten minutes per game for the past two seasons. Given all he'd done already, I was not expecting peak performance from him. His team won (their first win of the season) by 2-0, Connor having allowed no goals. How awesome is that!? Plus, he made over $100 referee-ing. He deserved his sub from Subway and should sleep very well tonight
Kenzie had a 11:00 AM softball game, but she went to the park with me when I took Connor to his game. Her softball team won their game. Kenzie was Catcher, which she absolutely love to be. Her thumb was bruised from soccer last week, so she couldn't swing the bat. But, she managed to get on base every at-bat by bunting for a base hit or walking. Only once did she not score a run (she got stranded on third) and stole more bases than I can remember. She had to leave softball a little early so I could get her to her soccer game, where she play Goalie. Her team played the number one team in their division and beat them, 3-1. Kenzie only let one goal in. In six games or so, I don't think she's had more than 6 or 7 goals scored against her.
The twins had a lighter schedule. Tay had a 9:00 AM baseball game. His morning started off pretty rough. He lost his baseball hate, and losing par of you uniform is a pet peave of mine, really gets under my skin. SO, Tay got yelled at, and left at home to look for it, while I took Connor and Kenzie to the field so Connor could warm up. I went back and got Tay, but neither one of us had a happy start this morning. Things eventually calmed down; he borrowed an extra hat from his coach; then got a hit near the end of his game.
Tyler, who had no game until the afternoon, hung around with us at the baseball fields, waiting for his turn to play. In his soccer game (with Connor as ref), Ty played Goalie (see the family trend here?). He's very inexperienced at travel soccer, but has been attending goalie training sessions to improve in that position. It just so happened that today his team played one of the best U9 teams around, and they got beat up pretty bad. Tyler has come a very long way in his sportmanship. He did not let anything bother him, where in the past, he would have had a tantrum over losing, let alone at being the Goalie in such a lopsided game. I'm very proud of him.
It was a day full of sports on an absolutely beautiful day. Let's start with the Alex. He started his first real paycheck job today, at Subway. He was supposed to go in at 9:00 AM for training. They must have liked him because they kept him there until 8:00 PM. A few of us stopped in for some subs at the end of the day, and Alex was still smiling, so I guess he likes his job. I can tell you, I like him having a job. He'll need to help with his car insurance real soon.
Connor had baseball at 9:00 AM. He pitched the first few innings, and did great. His team lost, but at least they were ahead when the coach changed pitchers. Then, it was off to referee some soccer games. He had three to do, and I watched most of them. Kenzie's team played in the first game; Tyler's team played in the second game; and I was just watching Connor ref in the third game. By the end the third game, Connor was exhausted and sunburnt, but he had to run to another field and, with no time to spare, jump into his own game where he played Goalie for 70 for the whole game. I was pleased because Connor has not been given the opportunity to show what he's capable of on this team, playing only about ten minutes per game for the past two seasons. Given all he'd done already, I was not expecting peak performance from him. His team won (their first win of the season) by 2-0, Connor having allowed no goals. How awesome is that!? Plus, he made over $100 referee-ing. He deserved his sub from Subway and should sleep very well tonight
Kenzie had a 11:00 AM softball game, but she went to the park with me when I took Connor to his game. Her softball team won their game. Kenzie was Catcher, which she absolutely love to be. Her thumb was bruised from soccer last week, so she couldn't swing the bat. But, she managed to get on base every at-bat by bunting for a base hit or walking. Only once did she not score a run (she got stranded on third) and stole more bases than I can remember. She had to leave softball a little early so I could get her to her soccer game, where she play Goalie. Her team played the number one team in their division and beat them, 3-1. Kenzie only let one goal in. In six games or so, I don't think she's had more than 6 or 7 goals scored against her.
The twins had a lighter schedule. Tay had a 9:00 AM baseball game. His morning started off pretty rough. He lost his baseball hate, and losing par of you uniform is a pet peave of mine, really gets under my skin. SO, Tay got yelled at, and left at home to look for it, while I took Connor and Kenzie to the field so Connor could warm up. I went back and got Tay, but neither one of us had a happy start this morning. Things eventually calmed down; he borrowed an extra hat from his coach; then got a hit near the end of his game.
Tyler, who had no game until the afternoon, hung around with us at the baseball fields, waiting for his turn to play. In his soccer game (with Connor as ref), Ty played Goalie (see the family trend here?). He's very inexperienced at travel soccer, but has been attending goalie training sessions to improve in that position. It just so happened that today his team played one of the best U9 teams around, and they got beat up pretty bad. Tyler has come a very long way in his sportmanship. He did not let anything bother him, where in the past, he would have had a tantrum over losing, let alone at being the Goalie in such a lopsided game. I'm very proud of him.
Tomorrow won't be quite as busy, but it will start early. CCD at 8. Alex goes to Mass at 9:00 because he has to work again in the afternoon, when we'll all be at Mass enjoying not only Mass, but Connor and Kenzie playing the church organ during the service, while Tay and Ty, as part of the youth choir, sing. Oh, and in the middle of the day, there's more soccer games for Tyler and Connor.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Homeschool Field Trip
We went on a field trip to Historic St. Mary's City yesterday. It was windy and cold, but it was a lot of fun. I was surprised at how much they had for people to do and see.We started in the Indian village, where we learned about how the Indians that met the Maryland colonists lived. Below are some of the kids using a rock to make tools from rocks and bones. Tyler was grossed out by the guy who was scraping meat off a deer hide to make clothing, but he gets grossed out by a lot of things.
We moved on to the Town Center, where we met colonists dyeing wool and operating their shops.
We learned how to use a seventeeth century printing press.
We also were drilled as Maryland's early militia, and got to see the firing of a musket. Everybody thought it was pretty loud. Connor could not believe that the colonists could perform the seventeen steps of loading and firing this gun, not once, but three times in one minute.
Then we moved on to the boat that brought them here, the Dove. Everyone loved this part. This was the only part of the day we were glad is was windy because you could really feel the boat rocking.
While Kenzie and Bekah fit in the bunks just fine, I can't imagine how grown men slept there, nevermind all the passengers, who had to sleep on floor of the hold.
Finally, it was off to the tobacco plantation where we ground up corn to make flour, made some corn bread, planted some beans, worked in the field, and fed the cows.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thud!
The sound of Connor's hopes being dashed. But I guess I should say 'Splash'. Connor had his first opportunity, as a certified soccer referee, to ref a Capital Area Soccer tournament. He was going to make $144 for six hours' work. Not bad for a twelve-year-old. I heard him come downstairs this morning, about 7, all dressed in his referee uniform, only for me to tell him the tournament was cancelled due to the rain we had overnight (I had gotten up earlier to check, but fell back to sleep before O told him). DARN! Back upstairs to change out of his ref uniform.
At least now we know he'll get to his piano recital on time this afternoon. He and Kenzie are playing a duet for the first time in public. After all the battles between those two, while trying to learn their ensemble piece, I'm very proud of them for hammering through their "creative differences" and putting together this song. If I can get a good video of it, I'll post it here.
Alex's day is still on schedule. His high school baseball team has a game in Frederick, about 2+ hours from his school. I guess they got less rain than we, since they haven't cancelled the game, and the radar show all the rain has passed. He just got picked up by some friends to go meet the bus, which will be passing by our house on the way to the game in about an hour. Seems kind of pointless, but that's what you get when you go to a school thirty miles away, in the wrong direction.
I still don't know if all the other local games/practices are still on, or not. Tay has baseball at noon. Ty has soccer at 3. Kenzie also has softball at 3, but I don't know when she'll be getting home from piano. It really doesn't matter if she misses some of this softball. It's a rec team. Most of the girls could never play at a level any higher, which is fine, that's why we have rec sports. Kenzie will have fun because she loves the game, at any level. I'll have fun, because all the stresses of travel are not there; and because I, as an assistant coach, can be involved with teaching the kids what little I know about the game. Anyway, I'm thinking the fields, especially infields, will be too soggy for play.
I almost forgot to mention we had an attack this morning. We lost two hens to a fox. We actually saw him, this morning, munching on one of them for breakfast (only got a measly head because I scared it off). Too bad my .357 is too loud to be fired in a neighborhood; I really hate that fox right now. Kenzie and I, out in the mud this morning, tried to fix the holes it dug under the fence, but now that it knows food is so easily available, it won't go away, I'm sure. Kenzie's going to have to be a very diligent shep-, I mean chicken-herd, for a while, making sure her hens are secure inside the coop every night.
Tomorrow, we have another long distance game; this time in Hagerstown. It's a soccer game for Kenzie. She wants to ride with some friends, not her dad, so if I want to go I need to bum a ride with someone else, too. I'm not driving, alone, for a four hour round trip no matter how much I enjoy watching her play. On the other hand, some of my other kids will want to go, so I won't be alone after all.
At least now we know he'll get to his piano recital on time this afternoon. He and Kenzie are playing a duet for the first time in public. After all the battles between those two, while trying to learn their ensemble piece, I'm very proud of them for hammering through their "creative differences" and putting together this song. If I can get a good video of it, I'll post it here.
Alex's day is still on schedule. His high school baseball team has a game in Frederick, about 2+ hours from his school. I guess they got less rain than we, since they haven't cancelled the game, and the radar show all the rain has passed. He just got picked up by some friends to go meet the bus, which will be passing by our house on the way to the game in about an hour. Seems kind of pointless, but that's what you get when you go to a school thirty miles away, in the wrong direction.
I still don't know if all the other local games/practices are still on, or not. Tay has baseball at noon. Ty has soccer at 3. Kenzie also has softball at 3, but I don't know when she'll be getting home from piano. It really doesn't matter if she misses some of this softball. It's a rec team. Most of the girls could never play at a level any higher, which is fine, that's why we have rec sports. Kenzie will have fun because she loves the game, at any level. I'll have fun, because all the stresses of travel are not there; and because I, as an assistant coach, can be involved with teaching the kids what little I know about the game. Anyway, I'm thinking the fields, especially infields, will be too soggy for play.
I almost forgot to mention we had an attack this morning. We lost two hens to a fox. We actually saw him, this morning, munching on one of them for breakfast (only got a measly head because I scared it off). Too bad my .357 is too loud to be fired in a neighborhood; I really hate that fox right now. Kenzie and I, out in the mud this morning, tried to fix the holes it dug under the fence, but now that it knows food is so easily available, it won't go away, I'm sure. Kenzie's going to have to be a very diligent shep-, I mean chicken-herd, for a while, making sure her hens are secure inside the coop every night.
Tomorrow, we have another long distance game; this time in Hagerstown. It's a soccer game for Kenzie. She wants to ride with some friends, not her dad, so if I want to go I need to bum a ride with someone else, too. I'm not driving, alone, for a four hour round trip no matter how much I enjoy watching her play. On the other hand, some of my other kids will want to go, so I won't be alone after all.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Rotten Eggs
So much for raising chicks. It didn't work. Next time, I guess we'll use an incubator. The kids did discover that lovely rotten eggs odor when Tyler squeezed one the unhatched eggs. Yuck! At least now, with the days getting longer, we're getting plenty of eggs again.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
New Babies Due Soon!
And here's the proud mama, in full brood mode. She's sitting on twelve eggs that, by my calculations, are due to hatch tomorrow. Once we noticed that she was getting very "broody" last month, we decided to try and let her hatch some baby chicks. So far, we've hatched chicks in an incubator, and bought some day-old chicks from a hatchery; but we've never let nature take its course in the hen house, so what the heck. I just hope we don't get too many roosters. I did not enjoy culling the roosters from the flock the last time.
This has gotten Kenzie interested in her chickens again. She was getting a little lax in her attendance to their feeding, watering, etc., but now she's getting things ready for the new additions. Once the chicks hatch, we'll move them to an area of the coop that mama can keep protected from her coop-mates and Nugget (the rooster). She's already gotten very bossy; even Nugget seems afraid of her. I think she'll be a good mother hen.
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