Iron Pigs

Our spring is just flying by, and whaddayouknow, its almost the end of the school year.  Just over one week to go!  We've been going from baseball game to party to picnic to swim practice, which started this week.  We also took a big camping trip which I'll dedicate another post. 

At the beginning of May, Grandma Bobbie and Grandpa Joe came for a visit and got to see Logan play two baseball games.  The passion Logan has for baseball is so much fun to watch.  He really has some great skills, and he's scored some doubles and lots of runs this season.  He has two more games this week to close out the season.  Its been great fun getting to know some of the other families.  I think we're going to have him play again this fall!

 

Logan also started collecting baseball cards this spring and already has quite a large binder full of them, all categorized by team, league, etc.  He's excited to get to attend little league day at the Washington Nationals stadium next weekend and parade around the field before the game!  Here he is showing off his card collection.

 

 

Little League Opening Day

Baseball season is underway, and this past weekend the league Logan plays in celebrated with an opening day parade and celebration.  Mom and Robby cam out for the event, and the six of us had a great time.  It was colder than usual, but sunny and blue skies and as the day went on we warmed up. The boys enjoyed all the free amusements at our local baseball park.  Play ball!

Here is Logan's team, the Iron Pigs, in red shirts.

 

And the boys during the singing of the national anthem, Logan is #2

 

 

 

 

 

This one was hilarious.  The logs came around and tried to knock the kids of of 'tree stumps".  They both had some great wipe outs.

 

 

Dylan got his clock cleaned this time!

 

 

Iron Pigs, Season Opener

Logan is a baseball kid, its just part of who he is and what he loves.  He can watch it on TV, play it in the yard, collect cards in an album, read book after book about players and stadiums, go to a game and play it on the baseball field.

When we found out his team would be named the Iron Pigs this spring, I laughed out loud.  Iron Pigs, I love it!  He will play 13 games this season, and after a few practices, his had his first game this past weekend.

He is at the Instructional Rookie level which basically means the ball is coach pitched about 6 times and if the kid doesn't hit it they can switch to a tee and hit it from there.  If the first practices and game are any indication, I don't think he'll be using the tee much since he usually whacks the ball on the first or second swing and then runs like lightning.  Its exciting to watch him play and joyful to see him having so much fun playing and enjoying himself.

12 games left, with the second one being tomorrow night.  We might take off this spring and summer from taekwondo with so much baseball action, and soon swim team season will be heating up.  Busy, fun spring!

Take me out to the ballgame...

Sometimes a Groupon comes to your inbox you simply can't refuse.  This was the case a couple of weeks ago, when a great half price ticket deal showed up from The Nationals.  We haven't been to a game in years, and this year they're doing really well!  We decided to buy tickets with our friends A, S, I and A and head on down last night.  After sitting in some hellacious traffic, we were rewarded with a great game, lots of fun and well, not a win, but it was close!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fear the Storm

Although I haven't posted anything about it with this crazy fall we've had, Logan is playing his second season of t-ball. This time his team is called the Storm, and they have super cool logo.   There's been a lot of rain this fall, so the schedule has been hit or miss.  And now with his surgery recovery, he has to sit out sports for a couple of weeks.   He'll hopefully be back in shape to join in for the last one or two games of the season.  

He still loves it, and he's really good.  Its fun to watch him play and I'm sure he'll want to play again in the spring when its a bigger season and more activities surrounding the team.

that's a wrap

The Blue Claws finished their t-ball season with a wrap up party at our local Fuddruckers Sunday evening.   The coaches awarded their trophies and since then, Logan has wanted to carry his everywhere we've gone.  Suffice it to say, he'll be playing t-ball again for the fall season!

Wow, have I really not blogged since Sunday?

This has been one of those weeks when the days just blurred into a hot mess of pick ups, games, practices, drop offs, work, more work, and school year end wrap up stuff.

In a nutshell, here is the week in review:

• First, the shower glass was delayed and will not be installed until next week.  We are LOVING the new bathroom but have yet to be able to take a freaking shower in there.  The glass company is a totally separate vendor and they operate in their own timezone, apparently.  We've been having fun, still, getting decor onto the walls and such.   I will post photos when the glass is installed and its finally finished!

• Second, Logan ended his t-ball season with his last game Tuesday night.  He's loved it so much, we're signing him up again for the fall season.  His end of the season party with the whole team is this Sunday night, and the boys will get their trophies. Go Blue Claws!

• Logan also enjoyed his first week of summer camp this week.  I found a preschool summer camp he could go to every morning for outside play, crafts and fun with kids his age.  They even got to make sno-cones today.  He loved it, and I hope to get him enrolled a few more times this summer.  It gave me the chance to have some kid-free hours now that preschool is over, so I could work.

Getting them to all sit on the bench to wait their turn to bat has proven to be quite challenging these past two months!   When they're in the field, its all about stomping to make dirt clouds.

• This week was Dylan's second week of swim team practice.  He joined a neighborhood swim team this year for the first team called the Lightning, and so far he LOVES it.  He's always been a water boy, and it will be fun to watch him compete this summer and become an even stronger swimmer. Great exercise, tons of kids  he goes to school with, and fun parents to hang out with. 

No, he is not peeing in the pool!

• I am one hour away from kicking off a total girls weekend.  Andrew won tickets at work for the Go-Go's concert tonight at Wolftrap (my favorite outdoor music venue), and I'm going with a huge group of friends. My picnic basket is packed and I'm ready to re-live the 80's.  Well, maybe not quite. But its sure to be a good time.

• Tomorrow morning, early, Dylan has his first swim meet.  Its only a practice meet, but it will give the kids a feel for how a real meet will run.  His first real meet is next Saturday. 

• Right after that, I'm heading to this luxurious resort nearby with four of my besties for a much anticipated girls night away.  No kids for 24 hours.  Poolside, drinks, girl talk, need I say more?  On Sunday morning, the Dads will bring all the kids for some family pool time at the awesome resort pools and then we'll eventually head out for Logan's t-ball party.

A great weekend ahead, starts in 50 minutes!  Next week, Dylan has only four days of school and then its officially summer vacation!

field of dreams

Logan's t-ball season, sadly, is coming to a close.  He played his second to last game yesterday.  The last game is Tuesday evening, and his end of the season party is next Sunday.

Its been a great experience for him, he loved it even more than we imagined.  He never cried once, not even when he got out.  He really liked the boys on his team, and we're so glad they'll all be starting kindergarten with him in the fall at the same school.  We met some really nice families too.

We're going to sign him up to play again in the fall.  I don't think many of same the boys will play in the fall, as its more low key.  A lot of the kids switch to soccer and then do t-ball again in the spring.  But by playing t-ball this fall, he'll get more practice for the big baseball season next spring.  Next spring he can play Instructional Rookie, which is hitting off the tee some, and some coach pitch, too.  Hopefully we can assemble some of the same boys for the team again too.

Blue Claws, one more game to go!

its in his heart

Logan had a second t-ball game this morning, and unlike Wednesday night, the weather today was perfect.   Its fun to watch him play. He's so focused and can hardly wait his turn to bat.   He's very serious about it, too. 

Consequently, he attended a birthday party for the coaches son later this afternoon.  I was talking to our coach and he paid Logan a nice compliment.  He said "some kids just 'have it' and you can see in Logans' eyes and you can see it in how he plays.  He's good, he's really good. He stays focused, he knows what to do, and he's a great hitter."  

Its fun to watch the kids play.  For most of them, its the first time they've ever played a team sport.  Sometimes they have no idea what to do.   They run to first base and just keep running.  Or when the next batter hits, the kid of first base will run back to home plate.  Once, Logan ran to second base and just kept on running into the outfield.  When they're on the field, they aren't always sure where to throw the ball.  Its pure entertainment.  But, its also priceless and it fills my heart watching him do something he really loves.

I've written many times here about how parenting Logan is always both challenging and thrilling, and a learning experience every step of the journey.  Logan is such a complex little person, and every day presents a whole array of challenges, battles, discussions, negotiations, laughter and yes, sometimes tears.  Watching him at t-ball is a chance to see him in his purest little boy form, experiencing something that brings him joy and happiness.

Watching your children experience pure joy doing something they're passionate about...well, it just doesn't get better.  I feel lucky everyday of my life that I get to share all of these experiences with my boys.

first game!

Logan had his first ever t-ball game tonight. The Blue Claws were warmed up and ready to go.  You could feel how excited all the boys were.   And with 13 four and five year old boys on the team, that's a lot of excitement!  Its also very exciting he'll go to kindergarten with all of these kids in the fall...they'll all go to our school.

The field was plenty muddy enough to break in those fresh, new white baseball pants, and the boys loved it.  Logan did really well.  He focused while in his outfield positions, and he whacked the ball the two times he got to bat.

I think its really funny they rotate thru the whole team every inning, so every child gets a turn to bat.  Also, there are no outs.  I guess it makes easing into the world of baseball a little easier for these little guys.  Our whole team did really well... there were no tears.  Just smiles and high fives with a little help from the coaches, they even all ran to the correct bases in the right order.  A success!

I was really proud of Logan.   He sat still on the bench in the dug out waiting for his turn, and he didn't even pick a single piece of grass in the outfield.  He dove for the ball a couple of times when he played pitcher position, too.  Impressive someone so young can focus as well as he can during sports.  At home when its time to listen to me, well, that can be a whole other story.  But he really gets this whole baseball thing.  Its a lot to remember - which hat to wear, not to throw your bat, what order to run the bases, playing the outfield, catching the ball and where to throw it once you catch it...  a lot of stuff going on out there!

Way to go Logan!