Grandparents

Our kids are so lucky to live in the same town as their grandparents. I love that they will grow up really knowing them and not just seeing them once a year.

As I look around baseball diamonds, basketball courts, concert seats, or football fields you can be sure the Budach/Heide clan will be taking up the most room. Rarely does a game go by that they miss it. Even when I tell them they can miss a game, they won't. Out of town, early mornings, twice a weekend, driving over from another grandkids game....they are there.





I have never paid for a regular babysitter and I don't suppose I ever will at this point considering Noah is almost 13. Our parents have always wanted to spend time with our kids and have those special sleep-overs. My kids have fond memories of popcorn and movies, trips to Target for a toy or two, water park visits, and lunches at McDonalds. You know your kids are spoiled when they receive a Wii for Valentine's Day from the grandparents because "we would have spent that much on candy and stuff anyway". I always laugh at that one!

The amount of time my babies spent being watched by a loving grandmother so their own mother could go to work and not worry a single second about her children is too enormous to even describe. I still tear up thinking about how I can never repay her for those years. My kids were so lucky to have her. Especially Connor as he was the youngest.

 

I miss out on a lot of what goes on in school with the kids simply because of what I do for a living. I know I can always rely on our parents to be there for our kids on those days. They like it and my kids always know someone will show up for them.

Grandparents day at school? Better bring in extra chairs for our kids.

 

 

THANK YOU to Dave & Cindy, Dick & Nancy for being amazing people in our kids' lives. We love you all!

Big Now

So, Noah is almost 13. He's in seventh grade this year, that means the JUNIOR HIGH. I know it's supposed to be sad when your child gets older and no longer wants you around, but can I just pause to enjoy the numerous great things that come with him being a teen?


1. Noah, Connor, and I all drink the same Crystal Light. Peach tea, if you must know. Can I just tell you how awesome it is when I go into the refrigerator and the pitcher is full, even though I know it was dangerously close to being empty a couple of hours earlier....and it wasn't me that remade it?


2. No more begging/demanding for him to shower. He just does it.


3. Being able to go to Quick Trip in my pajamas with no make-up on to pick up milk because I am just going to send him in anyway......priceless.



4. We moved him downstairs into the HUGE bedroom. We swapped his room upstairs with the guest room downstairs. Noah and I moved every single thing out of that guest room down there together and hauled it upstairs, including the king-sized bed. Then we moved a couch (yes, there was a couch in that room down there besides the king bed, I told you it is huge), and gun cabinet to the old toy room down there. So nice to be able to have that done before Mike even got home from work!


5. Mowing the lawn has never been so easy.


6. Being able to go out to eat with Mike without the kids needing a sitter makes for many more dates with the husband! Heck, a run to Target without the kids feels like a date and we do it all the time!



7. Never having to personally find a single item for his baseball uniform has its perks.


8. He makes his own lunch! A lot!


9. Taking the money usually spent on a birthday party for 5-8 friends and spending it all on the birthday kid is more pleasurable for everyone.



10. Having intelligent conversations with your kid is pretty spectacular and usually quite comical.


So, what am I looking forward to? Is there anything left?

Yes. Driving. I can't wait for him to run my errands and take his brother to all his events. Woo Hoo!

The Wee One Plays Too.....

Another successful season of baseball is in the books for Connor.

It was his first year of machine-pitch. Surprisingly, the game goes quickly when every pitch is a strike! I think he got up to bat at least a dozen times every game.

Connor thinks nothing of diving for a catch or leaping for a ball. And luckily doesn't take it too seriously when he misses.....

He played in some HOT weather this year. July was brutal.  Someone needs to come up with a new uniform for boys baseball......you know, something not made of polyester and involving multiple layers (under those lovely pants are full length THICK polyester socks).

 

 

He's excited to start REAL baseball. Baseball that involves three outs, kids pitching, and stealing bases.

I am not sure Connor has a favorite position yet. He tends to run to an infield position when given a choice, but he's great at judging a ball too.

Soon both boys will be traveling for baseball. I think I will enjoy two more years of this one being little, even though he doesn't look so little....

***************************

As a side note...I went flower shopping back in May when my BFF was in town. I took a Monday off from work and enjoyed a nice "friend" day. She helped me pick out my flowers for my pots. I think she did a great job.......

Even with this incredible heat, they have done great all summer. I even cut them back as they were getting so huge and they grew back thicker and with more blooms, every one of them. The purplish-white ones in the center are called Nemsia. Here is a close-up taken from the Internet....

It smells like lilacs! And because it's right outside my front door... the smell wafts into my living room while I sit in my recliner. It's amazing. I will buy this every year, and it will always remind me of my sweet friend.

Happy Last Days of Summer.....

LB



State Baseball

Another baseball season is in the books! Noah had a great time on the AA team this year, and although they didn't place at state, they played great ball.


I learned some things this season. Some good, some not so good, and some well....just odd.


Let's start with the good. I learned that there is a benefit to your child playing every position, even at this level. Last year, Noah stuck with about three positions that he rotated around. This year, he pretty much played every one. Even at state.

Here he is playing outfield. Left field to be exact. It was hot that weekend.....

Here he is playing third base......

Pitching....

Short stop.....

And lastly, CATCHING! He ended up doing this for the first time all season at state because he volunteered. He liked it more than I would have liked. His knees bother him a lot with his Osgood Schlotters and he doesn't need this wear-and-tear on those joints. He caught a pop-up though and I think it felt pretty good.  He wouldn't even had known he liked this position had he not been given the opportunity to try it.

Some ugly stuff I learned is some parents/coaches are complete butt-heads when it comes to their kids and sports. It's so nasty to listen to parents harass the umps, yell angrily at their kids, and just be all-around jerks. It wrecks the game for me.  It takes the fun out of it. And these kids are only 12! I can only imagine what happens at the high school level.

All I can think is, these are volunteer coaches and poorly paid umps. The coaches are probably missing another child's event to be there, they probably had to take vacation time from their jobs, and they certainly put in hours each week between practices, games, and tournaments away from home. It would never even cross my mind to criticize and complain, and yet it happens all the time.


Some parents need to get a grip. Get a life. Get a clue.


One odd revelation happened while I was editing the pictures from this tournament. Notice anything?

I had no idea no idea Noah stuck out his tongue when pitching! Ha! Connor does it all the time when concentrating....

I am not even sure he knows he does it! One thing I do know, Noah throws hard.....

I am thankful for people willing to spend so much time to make my child a better player...in all facets of the game. I know Noah and his teammates had a blast...

Until next year boys....

Smooches,
LB