Broken Angels

We survived another season of baseball.  Phew!  We stayed in the same league as last year, opting to drive a half-hour each way to practice (pre-season 4+/week) and games (2-3/week) in exchange for avoiding Sunday games and tournaments.

Last year Big Boy #2 was the starting pitcher.  By the end of the season he was batting fourth or fifth in the order and had a fabulous experience.

This year, not so much.  His coach did let him pitch - some.  Try as hard as we could, there wasn't any logic to whether or not the coach would let him pitch.  In one game the coach had him start an inning and after BB#2 struck out the first two players up to bat the coach pulled him.  What?!?  That was all he pitched that game.  Sometimes the coach would promise to let him pitch at practice, but then wouldn't put him in during the game.  BB#2 spent way too much time in right field and hardly ever played first base (which he played when he wasn't pitching last year).  It was frustrating and discouraging.

When BB#2 made a fantastic diving catch the coach heaped all the praise on the kid BB#2 threw the ball to and then complained that BB#2 wasn't giving 100%.  It seemed there was no way to earn the praise of the coach.  As a parent I was annoyed when he called a last minute practice on Memorial Day that lasted over two and a half hours (seriously!) and by the end of the season BB#2 was talking about quitting baseball all together. 

Like most kids, BB#2 blossoms under praise and tends to wilt under criticism.  Fortunately, he didn't get worse this season, but he didn't get better either. We'll try another coach next year and hopefully it will be a better experience. 

It seems kids sports are nearly impossible to get just right.  At least we haven't managed to figure it out.  Too easy, too competitive?  A coach that's too hard and/or doesn't build skills? Avoiding Sunday games and the volume of time to get to long practices and even longer games?  Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it.  Especially after a season like this. 

But when he has a great game and is so proud of himself for cracking a double or striking out a batter, well, I guess sign me up for one more year...

Nothin' But Net

Look who showed up at church the other day?  That would be Nothin' But Net, Jimmer Friedette!  The boys were BEYOND thrilled, particularly BB#1 who has not one, but two posters of Jimmer up in his room.  Apparently, his wife's sister was blessing their new baby in the other ward.  The information spread like wildfire through both wards, and as soon as their sacrament meeting let out the boys scrambled in getting autographs and this picture. 

The blessings of church attendance...

St. Patty's

When I was a kid, St. Patrick's day consisted of nothing more than wearing green in an effort to guard against getting pinched by that annoying kid Robbie.  Growing up in NY, there were a lot of genuinely Irish kids who would show up with their "Kiss Me I'm Irish!" buttons, but that was about it.  Not a big deal, holiday-wise.

For the two oldest, I tried to do just a smidge extra for St. Patty's Day.  So for dinner I'd make all the food green.  This was probably more of a punishment than a reward - who really wants to eat green mac and cheese with a side of green applesauce?  (Certainly not Diamond).  But it was something a little different, and for that the kids seemed happy enough.

But the other day the Caboose came home from school jabbering all about Leprechaun traps and St. Patrick Day treats.  Apparently all the kids at school were making traps and expecting treats.  Curse Pintrest!  The Caboose set up a trap consisting of goldfish crackers and some fake gold coins.  Here's what he woke up St. Patrick's Day morning:

Although it wasn't at all what I experienced growing up, and a whole lot more than the older kids got, seeing my little boy all lit up that morning was spectacular.  Maybe it's because he's my baby, but I am such a sucker for that kid and his twinkling eyes.

I wonder what he's gonna expect come Arbor Day...

Austin

Diamond had a business trip to Austin this spring, and since that was another part of the country I had yet to explore, I tagged along.  (LOVE going on business trips with him!  Other than my airfare the trip is totally free, we get time together checking out new places, but because Diamond has work I get to sleep in and have a little bit of time all to myself - perfection!)

Diamond's business was to attend South by Southwest (SxSW, or South By).  It's a huge conference pulling in tons of celebrities and experts in the fields of music, film and gaming.  Sixth Street (the main bar/club/music part of the city) was hoping with crowds of people, fabulous bands and commercial promoters.  Diamond managed to score me a day pass to the conference where I collected way too much swag and attended a couple lectures.  It was awesome!

As I was wandering around the conference I happened across these two stars from the TV show Glee- a show that I watch regularly despite the fact that it sometimes makes me cringe, but whose music is all over my iPhone.  I also saw a couple actors from the show New Girl.  Cool!

While I was hobnobbing with celebrates, Diamond was hanging out with Captain Crunch.  There was so much promotion of so many different things.  I found it all very entertaining.

As much as we enjoyed the conference, we also wanted to explore Austin.  Here is a view of the river.

We spent one afternoon walking around Austin, checking out UT campus and taking a tour of the Texas state capital.  It was rainy and a bit cool, but I absolutely love exploring new places.  To be honest I was expecting a bunch of obese cowboys, but Austin was full of hip, young musicians.  It reminded me quite a bit of Boulder - very cool.

 You can't very well go to Texas without trying to find a hole-in-the-wall BBQ place and Saltlick fit the bill.  Wow, that place was very, very, um, Texas.  We ate at wooden picnic tables and everyone brought their own beer (like tubs full of ice and beer, coolers full of drinks, etc)  There was plenty of camouflage clothing and an all around laid back atmosphere.  To be honest, I'm wasn't a bit fan of the food - I preferred the TexMex at Chuys - super yum!

 We were only an hour or so away from San Antonio and so we rented a car and went to the Alamo.  There was a ridiculously long line to get into the chapel were the Travis letter was on display.  (As one of the guides was talking about it he was on the verge of tears - apparently Texans take the Alamo VERY seriously!)

 At the long house in the Alamo complex.  I wasn't all that familiar with Texas history, but by the end of the trip it all started to fit together.

At the Alamo

We also went up to the Tower of America while in San Antonio.  Gorgeous views.

 Everyone had told us that in San Antonio, you have to go to the Riverwalk.  They were right, it was fabulous!

 Eating a taco salad with Diamond along the Riverwalk in San Antonio = perfect afternoon.

By the end of the trip, Diamond decided to become a Texan.  Ahh, my cowboy!  Such a great trip!