School Ball!

Roddie has his first away game today for his school team - taking the bus to a neighboring town. The team is all wearing their uniforms to school. He seems pretty unhappy about it LOL!

Thursday they play the other middle school from our town, some kids on the other team are or have been on his travel team. Should be fun!

S

Our boy is growing up!

This morning Roddie had his first paid gig umpiring baseball- that's his umpire shirt he's wearing. He made $25, and apparently spent 10% of it already at the snack shack - including a tip for his sister :)

The responsibility must agree with him, I pulled in with the groceries and didn't even have to ask before he showed up and started unloading :)

Change of Seasons

The last couple of weeks of March get pretty hectic around here, our own personal March Madness, as hockey and baseball season start to overlap for Roddie, with the hockey team usually hitting their stride and the baseball team getting pumped up for the start of the season (heaven help us once these boys hit puberty!)  

The way things worked out this year, the hockey team did not progress in the playoffs, and therefore wrapped up last weekend, and the travel baseball team has their first games this upcoming Sunday - perfect!  (Well, except Norah has a touney all weekend also, but that's not what this story is about)  

In addition to the travel baseball team, Roddie had the option to play for his middle school team, which he first declined, stating "I really could use the break".  Cool I say, good for him for knowing what is too much.  Until ONE DAY before the end of hockey season, when he changed his mind.  We scramble around, get him registered etc.  all is good. Practices every day after school with his friends, representing his school, not in his default position holding down the sofa with a device in hand - all good.  In addition he's pretty much talking about baseball non stop, this team, that team, the Red Sox - seems he turned the page completely for the season.

Yesterday, the schedule was school practice from 2-4, and then travel practice from 4-6, same location so he'd just stay.  There was also an optional scrimmage for hockey at 5:30, which we obviously declined.  Some time during the first practice, the second got cancelled (it was COLD and windy out) so he didn't know until Matt turned up to pick him up.  Apparently the first words out of his mouth when he got in the car were "cool, can we go to hockey then?"

In case you needed confirmation, his first love will always be hockey.

Life Lessons, Quality time with Roddie

Thought you might be amused to hear about some time I spent with Roddie over the weekend.  We had a rare Saturday with no practices or games, Matt was working hard in the basement, and Norah was studying for mid terms and I had a laundry list of errands to run.  Early in the day, Roddie proclaimed that he was going to relax for the day (!!)   

After I pointed out that he had to change his sheets and do his laundry, as well as the fact that I could use a little help tidying up the kitchen he was a bit deflated, but went about his chores before settling in for a movie.

As the movie was wrapping up, I told him to put on his shoes, he was coming with me.  Mostly I just wanted an excuse to have some time with him, but it turned out he learned a bunch of life skills.  As we were eating dinner, we started listing them out:

1. How to mail a package at the post office
2. How to mail a letter from INSIDE the post office
3. How to ship something via UPS
4. How to make a return at Walmart
5. That you can get cheap stuff at Walmart (hello, $20 sneakers!)
6. How to clean ice off the car
7. How to buy yourself clothes (you need to 'check in" to the change rooms)

... you get the idea.   So, as we were running through this list with Matt and Norah, I asked if there were any more.  

His response: "Don't tell your Mom you have nothing to do on a Saturday morning"

A day in the life

Change of Seasons

Last summer, Roddie asked for "More baseball in his life".  He's not one to blindly join in, or overcommit himself, so we took his request seriously. 

The end result was that he tried out, and made a team that competes every weekend.  Double headers.  Both Days.  From the end of March until...?  That sounds ok until you realize that they start practice formally in January, had impromptu games and practices all fall, and hockey ran until April 11th. 

It is a lot of logistics, and it all culminated last weekend as there were 4 baseball games scheduled and, as it turns out, 2 hockey playoff games.  We also had the usual weekend stuff like Faith formation (at two different times, of course), Norah was to meet with her new boss (!), it was Palm Sunday, so missing church didn't seem like a great idea, and really what about family time!

It turned out to be a fabulous weekend!  I couldn't be more proud of the team-mate, friend and athlete Roddie is becoming.   I am pleased at how Norah jumped up to watch his team in their final game. The best thing I heard all weekend was Norah's excitement when Roddie offered up one of his old jerseys for her to wear to the game.

I started writing all this with a play by play of the weekend, because it seems like a miracle that it all happened and was so great.  But maybe what matters is that we managed family time (both all 4, and Norah solo with each of us) around Roddie's games.  We all made it to church, and are better for it.  Roddie made some meaningful contributions in baseball, and Matt got to know a few baseball parents. 

The hockey team, who a month ago had really lost their mojo, pulled together in the past few weeks, ending with two amazing games.  The teamwork, tenacity and friendship they demonstrated was all we could want for our kids and their teams.  They lost in the final, but as you can see in the picture below, it didn't matter - they played their best, they played as a team and they had a blast doing it.   (and looked 'sharp'?  the suitcoats were all their idea!)

Roddie and I have this routine, where before every game, we do this back and forth:

Play... HARD!

Be a... LEADER!

Score some.... GOALS (or RUNS)

Win the .... GAME!

Have some.. FUN!

And that, folks, just about sums up the weekend! 

Pictures are during the final two games, the whole team at the post game pizza party arranged by yours truly, and Roddie with a new this year friend Dylan, who played goalie in the past few games.  Roddie always looks out for the goalie during games when he's not in net, so here he is looking out for Dylan.

Off to the finals!

This ragtag group of boys in suits and sweats played an amazing game today! They beat the first place team in their division and will play in the finals tomorrow! Wearing the 'suits' was entirely initiated by the boys themselves.

Off to baseball for Roddie now!