The other sport

This is the other activity going on in these parts...

...generally a serious business, getting that ball to go where you want it!

Softball

Ethan on first...

Caleb playing shortstop...

We've ventured into a whole new sport.

Don't they look adorable in their "uniforms"?

9 Already?

I can hardly believe Caleb turns 9 today.  It seems like only yesterday I was in the hospital in High Level competing for the one and only delivery room with another couple from Rainbow Lake!  And won it, of course- the competitive gene runs strong in my family.  Caleb is no exception to that rule.  Sports, sports, cars, and more sports.  Right now hockey is the main thing but soccer also has its day, as does running, biking, and countless other such occupations.  He is such an awesome kid.  Smiles alot.  Likes TV a bit too much, but what kid doesn't!   Happy birthday, son!

 

Yes, this was the temperature the last two weeks.  During the day.  Talk about bone-chilling cold!  It's been much warmer this week.  Thank goodness, because today my house will be full of boys celebrating Caleb's 9th birthday, and I'm hoping they will play outside in the enthralling (to them) mounds of snow the grater and front-end loader have left on our lawn.  Caleb and Ethan have also been adding to the pile by dragging large blocks of snow and ice from the school grounds to our house with the help of their sleds.  Endless entertainment, I tell you!  Of course, Titus is much more his mother's son and prefers the warmth of the indoors.  I'm hoping that the lure of many new children outside our house will prove too much for him to bear and he'll head out sooner or later! 

Making God sad

"Mom, Titus won't help clean up!"

It's a phrase I hear far too often. In the time frame of cleaning a room, maybe ten or twenty times. Needless to say, I get more than a little perturbed when I've heard it for the umpteenth time. This was one of those times. I stomped into the room. Caleb and Ethan were diligently picking up pieces of lego while Titus sat on his bed with a scowl.

"Titus, help your brothers clean up.

"I'm too tired."

"Well, you can have a nap after your room is clean."

"No."

By now my eyebrows are raised in incredulousness at his sass. I'm sure the steam was coming out of my ears, just like it does in cartoons.

"Titus, who's in charge?"

"You are," he says with a whimper.

"Clean this room now."

"Okay."

As I'm leaving the room he asks me one more question: "Mommy, are you in charge of everybody?"

"Yes, I am," I reply, not quite sure where this is going.

"You're making God sad. He's in charge of everybody."

I guess I can never say that he doesn't pay attention in Sunday School!

Hockey and Computer Woes

*from Titus' perspective*

I've been trying and trying to post but my silly internet connection has really been messing me up. I detest going with a new internet provider but I absolutely abhor having one thrust upon me just when I've gotten on a first name basis with the original one. Ok. Whew. Enough complaining.

Caleb and Ethan are loving hockey this year. They're both on the same team and, so far, on the same line. Caleb is playing center and scoring goals, and Ethan's been on left wing. It is so much fun to watch. I'm afraid I'm one of those moms, though. You know the ones. Always yelling and telling the refs what to do. Good grief. I didn't realize I had reached the embarrassing stage until Luke came to a game with me and had to almost shush me a few times. When a man as loud as my husband has to tell me to be quieter - well, let's just say the devil may have had to shovel the snow off his sidewalk for the first time.

Titus and hockey have had a rough go of it. He finally had a practice tonight that didn't end in him laying on the ice for five minutes while having a mini tantrum. A step in the right direction. For a boy who expects perfection from himself all the time, hockey has been his nemesis. This is a kid who cries if he can't draw a letter just right, never mind skating with a bunch of awkward equipment on and chasing the ever-elusive puck around the ice. On his first game he gave up on the puck and started slashing the other team with his stick whenever they came in reach. Oy vey. I think we've been watching too much Hockey Night In Canada.

Well, have a good day and try to stay warm (we almost hit -30 C last night)!

*Titus' first hockey game*

A Prayer

Bedtime prayer:
By Titus Willms

Dear Jesus,
Help me I had a good day;
Help me I went to McDonald's;
Help me I went on the rides;
Help me I have no bad dreams;
Help me I went to hockey;
Help me I went to Burger King;
Help me I got a new shirt.
Amen.


*"Help me" also stands in as "thank you," the rides were from this summer, we don't actually go to McDonald's and Burger King everyday, and a shirt can be new for approximately three months.