Batter's Up!

  It's that time of year again! Batter's up!

Penelope had her first day of softball practice today. She did so well. I was surprised how much stuck with her from last year. Plus! Her coach this year is a softball coach at the local high school. So I am really excited about this opportunity.

This got me thinking about where we were last year. Last year at this time Austyn was crying desperately to play softball with sister. It took 3 different days of practice of walking with him on the basketball courts, crying his eyes out, before he finally gave up to just watch. This year we will be starting him in T-Ball (but they have a slightly shortly season so he hasn't started yet). Sometime during Penelope's season last year, we started potty-training Austyn. Funny thing is, we are still potty training him. LOL. However he is doing a lot better. In fact! He pooped on the potty 3 times recently. So we are defiantly making progress.

Penelope was still in preschool last year. Now she is a full fledged kindergartner. Wow have we had some ups and downs with that. But I am hoping that the rough parts are over with.  I doubt it, since she still has at least 12-16 more years of schooling to go.

We have officially entered a different phase in the raising up of children.  Currently in between taking Penelope to school, gymnastics, softball, soon to start t-ball for Austyn, church functions, additional school functions our plate is full.  We have made it into the "soccer mom taxi" phase.

Other stuff that has been going on for us.  The kids both had the influenza B virus (flu).  Penelope missed a whole week of school from it.  Austyn caught it but thankfully it didn't hit him as hard.  Just when we were getting to be a picture of health, Russ got an eye infection called irisitis.  (Where the black part of your eye is inflamed and infected.)  It makes it very difficult for him to see lights.  He got it last year, also around soft-ball time, surprisingly enough.  The ophthalmologist said that it could come back.  So we got him into the doctor to get the eye drops so we are letting them kick in. 

I started a new hobby.  I started crocheting.  At first I was making small swatches, dreaming of making many fancy things.  I am still dreaming. I still am very much a beginner.  But my teacher is so good she knows how to help me make beginning things look really good.  LOL.  Recently I made a lion baby beanie.  I think it turned out really good.  So I got encouraged to make a lady bug baby beanie.  I still have dreams far beyond what I  am capable of but I am getting there.  Too bad the cool weather is going away.  I would have done a lot more.  But there are still things to crochet even in warm weather Like the bottom picture: a starfish dollie. nbsp;