Cale + soccer = fun

Took the camera to Cale's soccer practice and game. He loves going and being part of a team. The following are from his team's (Comets) game against the Stars. Maybe not the best quality, but it's hard to get good pictures of running kids.

Cale holding the flag before the game starts. I think he thinks that is his "job" now. The coach didn't even get a chance to ask anyone else before he ran up to volunteer.



Waiting for the ball to be kicked to them. There are eight kids on the team and the coach rotates in 4 at a time. The coach is very patient with the kids. You can tell he likes to coach. Two of the players are his own kids.

Here is a video clip of the game. Not too sure if there will be sound, although the best part is just watching all the kids run after the ball. Cale is #2 on the red team. I think at one point he actually kicked the ball.

it snowed some more....

From moreJan2009

We finally got a nice big snow! It snowed 12 inches over Tuesday night. In Indiana, this means that everything gets cancelled for the next day. We got to take the boys out again, excited to play in the snow and with their sleds. You might be wondering how many more times I will take photos of my kids in the snow...answer: every time it snows! It cracks me up to see them roll around in snow and dig around in it. There's a couple more photos if you click on the one above...

cousins came to visit

From moreJan2009

Marcus, Savannah, Cale, Ewan, Marie and Cassie

The cousins came for a visit last weekend. The boys were super-excited to see the girls and play with them.

From moreJan2009

We went to a Butler basketball game for Chris's birthday present. Ewan held hands with Savannah the entire way to Hinkle fieldhouse from where we parked. It seemed to take forever to walk there.

From moreJan2009

Everyone enjoyed the game and the kids made it all the way through.

From moreJan2009

This is one my favourite picture. The kids all played together after church and the boys got out their lightsabers. I love that I caught Marcus and Cale trying to sneak up on everyone.

Clicking on any of these pictures will take you to some more. :-)

a sports update

Just wanted to let everyone know that the boys started their sports programs at the YMCA 2 weeks ago. Of course, the programs are at the same time @ two different locations, but luckily, our schedules have worked out that Andy and I can each take one of the boys.
I've been taking Cale to soccer. Cale likes that he got a jersey, socks and shin guards to wear. For the first game, the coach rotated out two groups of four kids. I'm pretty sure that Cale was wiped out @ the end. The coach said he did a good job. I was a little worried that running with a bunch of kids would not be Cale's thing, but he got in the thick of it every time he was on the court.
Andy has been taking Marcus to basketball. His team is made up of 4-5 year old kids and Andy said that Marcus is definitely the tallest boy on the team. I guess they had a game on Saturday and Marcus took control of the ball whenever he could. He had a bunch of steels and finally had to be benched-not as a punishment-but to let the other kids who aren't as agressive (ie good-per Andy) have a chance to play.
Pictures will be forthcoming at some point. I'm going to take the camera with this week!

100 things

How fun is this. I saw this list on another blog site and I thought it would be fun to do. It's extra fun, since I need something to occupy myself with @ work. So, this list is just a list of 100 things. You bold the ones that you have done. Here we go...

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band. (trombone all the way through sophmore yr of college)
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. (crochet)
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick. (sometimes, my kids just need me to stay home)
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. (on our honeymoon)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community. (that's right-we drove through Amish country on our way to church camp, and I've been to Rockhome Gardens-for those central Illinois folks:-))
36. Taught yourself a new language. (HS Spanish, college French, and then I had to learn to sing in Italian and German)
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant. (thank you Mom, for reminding me of this one)
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. (I taught piano lessons for a while)
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma. (blood, B+)
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check. (yeah...)
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury. (horrible experience)
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby. (or 3, going on 4)
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

more snow fun!

it actually snowed a fair amount on Wednesday! Of course, this resulted in super-slow driving on the roads, minimal plowing, and schools cancelling events and pre-emptively(?) delaying and cancelling school for Thursday. Marcus's school started out with a 2 hour delay today and ended up just cancelling school for the day. I guess it's just too cold for kids to stand @ the bus stop (it is -6 degrees outside). Thank goodness for the Wii, which is currently entertaining Marcus and Cale. I got some more/better pics of the kids playing in the snow, and, yes Mom, you can tell who each of them are in these photos. If you click on them, you should see more.

From Jan2009

Cale

From Jan2009

Ewan

From Jan2009

Marcus

back into the swing of things

Over Christmas break we "rediscovered" the YMCA. Really, this means I actually step foot into the Y for the first time since we joined in Oct/Nov-I can't even remember. This motivated me to sign the boys up for some kind of lesson again. We did this before when we lived in Kokomo. I was pretty good about signing them up for swim lessons and making sure we we always in a class. Well, I got lazy, or busy, and they haven't been in anything for a while (a year?).

I decided to sign Marcus and Cale up each for a sport since I cannot bring myself to think of swim lessons in the winter (at least not this one). Being the "good" mommy, I gave them the choice of basketball or soccer. Being little individuals, they each picked a different sport, Marcus-basketball, Cale-soccer. And, they're at the same time in different locations at the (as I like to say) un-holy hour of 9am (this is why I work nights). Andy and I will split up and take one kid apiece to their sport. It should be fun. I'm excited to see how they pick up the games, having never really had "lessons" before. And, it will be good for us to have a scheduled event to go to each week. I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures. Practices start Saturday!

Waiting for the big one

Santa brought sleds for Christmas and we have been waiting and waiting for enough snow to play in. Here are our desperate attempts to make the most of what snow we have gotten so far. It's snowing right now, thought, so hopefully later...

Ewan likes to roll all over in the snow. He won't walk, he'll "commando crawl" through the snow. He is a cold mess when he comes in!

Thank you to Daddy for pulling the boys around in the snow. They liked getting the chance to play outside and wear their snowpants.

our exciting New Year's

all the boys snuggled down under their "softs" that Grammy Pammy made for them when they were born. you can even see Mr. Orange @ the top of the photo snoozing on the sofa. pretty exciting stuff-I know!

Christmas @ home

From Christmas2008

This photo below should take you to the rest of our photos from Christmas. A brief recap: Christmas Eve, we made cookies for Santa and gave the boys the Wii we bought for them (and for Andy). It was a gift from us, seperate from Santa presents. We also opened up 2 new Nerf guns so that every male in the household is equiped to defend himself in a fight. I (Tracy) worked that night and then came home the next morning to open presents with the boys.

The boys liked their presents and were excited to open them. That morning they played and I slept. Grammy Pammy came that afternoon and brought more gifts! By now, even Ewan had gotten the hang of opening presents and they tore through the rest of the presents.

It was a nice day, the boys behaved great, and I was happy to stay home for the holidays.

From Christmas2008