T-Ball!

Here are some pictures from Ben's T-Ball game. Ben played first base and got a kid out at first. He made sure to tell the player that he was out!

Ben pre-game - look at the focus!


The team on the bench - this is the only time
they were actually sitting on the bench!


Out in the field - sizing up the competition!


Making a throw!


Batter up!


Making contact - base hit!

What a Wonderful Weekend...

We had a great weekend - perfect weather and lots of time with friends and family. The weekend started early for George. He was out at noon on Friday and then headed out to lunch with his work buddies and brother Colin. Lunch then turned into a Friday evening poker game. (For the record - I played my best poker that night!) George's co-worker, Ryan, made some killer drinks which always leads to a more difficult morning after.

On Saturday our friends and old neighbors, the LeClerc's, came over for a cookout. The kids enjoyed the warm weather and swam in the pool.

Sunday's weather was picture perfect and my folks stopped by for burgers and dogs. Jacob, George and my dad played a mean game of water polo. Jacob was the goalie.

Later that evening, we had some folks come by for couples poker. Colin's girlfriend, Erin, was the big winner that night. Sadly, I did not play my best poker that evening and was the second one out of the game!

And on Monday, the third day of this great long weekend, we did nothing! George and I both had errands planned but in the end it was too much. We spent the day by the pool and by the end of the day the boys (and their parents) were clearly tired out.


Benny enjoying a break poolside.


Not sure what Jacob used to make this headband -
uncertain if this is a good look for him!


Did Jacob make the save or was it a GOAL???

Jacob Pitches

Jacob had his first chance to pitch for his baseball team last night. We were at an away game in Raymond and the Nottingham team was doing well. Jacob's buddy Brendan had been the starting pitcher for the team and did a great job in the three innings he pitched. It was then Jacob's turn to pitch in the 4th inning.

It was nerve wracking at first. I got up from my seat on the bleachers and starting to pace around. In addition to watching Jacob I had to make sure that Benny did not run into the parking lot or play too close to the porta-potty! So the pressure was on.

I was not sure how Jacob would do and how he would react - if he would get discouraged, sad or angry. It is a lot of pressure for these kids to pitch - especially their first time.

Jacob did a great job. He ended up getting two strike outs and only allowed one run to score. Each time the ump called a strike Jacob made some sort of fist pump move on the mound. (Very funny.) At the end of the inning I could tell he was happy as he bounced off the field and did a little happy leap to get back into the dug out. I could have described the leap as "twirly" but that does not sound like a baseball term. And we all know there is certainly no "twirling" in baseball.

The Brown Headed Cowbird

Yesterday evening a flock of 4 - 6 black birds with brown necks and heads ascended upon my bird feeder. These birds were smaller than crows and were scraggly and unattractive.

They were bigger than the birds that usually visit the feeder and there was something unsettling about them. I felt like I was in a scene from the old Alfred Hitchcock thriller The Birds. (Yes, I was in the house and well protected but these birds were still odd and bothered me.)

The folks in this movie weren't initially worried about the birds either!

I did some research and found out that the birds are Brown Headed Cowbirds. At first I thought the name was made up as it was too funny of a name. But as I read on I found that these birds are parasitic - meaning that they don't make their own nests and they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. While doing this they often remove one of the nest's original eggs in the process.

The baby Brown Headed Cowbirds hatch before the other birds do and then they get all of the food and attention from the parents of the nest. Meanwhile the cowbird parents are out and about enjoying themselves child free. These birds have contributed to the decline of many songbird populations.

So, my nice little bird feeder - which should only provide me with relaxation and happiness - has now introduced me to a whole new world of bird behavior and the seedy (ha ha - seedy - bird seed - ha ha) underside of our feathered friends.

Here are some pictures of this bird:


The Brown Headed Cowbird - they do look mean!

Brothers

Here is a picture of George, Caleb and Colin.

Jedi Warriors....

My brother-in-law Caleb was visiting from Seattle so George's family came down this evening for a quick visit and dinner. (We missed you Aunt Stacy!) While the big guys were at Jacob's baseball practice, Grammy and Ben had a light sabre battle. It was a tough battle, but I think Benny prevailed. Notice that Benny has a pool noodle for a light sabre and poor Grammy has a damaged and slightly broken pirate's sword.


Benny - about to strike....


Use the force Ben!


On guard!


Grammy looks fierce!


Ouch!

A glimpse of what's to come....

It was such a bright and sunny morning that we all went for a swim. The pool water temperature was warmer than the air temp so it was chillier out of the water. Putting on a bathing suit for the first time this season was not too traumatic either!




Benny and his Spiderman kick board


Jacob the Frog Man!


George and Benny

Uncle Colin Babysits!

Uncle Colin came for a visit yesterday. He also picked Jacob up from school and had some Uncle/Nephew bonding until I got home from work with Benny. Video games and Legos were the main activities.

Colin was asking Benny about school. I asked Benny to tell Uncle Colin what he was going to do after Kindergarten next year - thinking that he would tell Colin that he was going to spend the afternoons with his friend Erin. Instead he told Uncle Colin that he "was going to college after Kindergarten." Benny is one funny kid!

Here are some pictures from the visit:


Ready to go....


Focusing on the game!


Legos, Legos, Legos....

Rainy Fenway!

George got invited by our friend Mike to go to tonight's Red Sox game. Their seats were great but unfortunately the game was rained out. It was not a wasted evening though since the guys had some pre-game fun at the Boston Beerworks. (And who wouldn't enjoy a nice blueberry ale!)

Even though the game was rained out, it was still a big night because George decided that he no longer feels compelled to wear his Yankees baseball cap to random Red Sox games. I think this decision is in George's best interest....cold, wet and disappointed Red Sox fans don't mesh well with Yankee pinstripes!

Here is a picture of MLL enjoying a nice cold beverage!


Blueberry Ale - the king of beers!

Skinny Cow - So Good!

I bought some Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches this weekend. I had seen the advertisements in magazines and heard that they were good but I just assumed that they were only low cal, low fat, no taste rip offs. I was so very wrong.

The chocolate peanut butter ice cream sandwiches are the real thing - smooth, creamy, rich and so good. And only 2 grams of fat! I could eat 5 of them if I wanted!

So run out to your local Market Basket and pick up your own pack of 6 for $2.49! And for those of you who are already Skinny Cow fans let me know what other products of theirs are good.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my mother-in-law, my two grandmothers and all of my friends who are moms! I have learned so much from each of you and you have all shown me ways to be a better mom. Warning: This post might be a bit sappy!

My mom has shown me the value of hard work, the importance of family, and the benefits of being direct and speaking your mind. My mom worked hard to create a great childhood home for me and her support and encouragement enabled me to become the person and mother I am today. Yes - this is a sappy post!

I am truly thankful to my mother-in-law for welcoming George into her family and supporting and guiding him during his childhood years.

My grandmothers have influenced me tremendously and have shared their years of wisdom as well as their very funny, interesting and usually thought provoking stories with me. They have made me appreciate how easy mothers have it today in many ways compared to my grandmothers.

To my friends who are moms - I enjoy sharing the stories - the good, the bad and that "what was I thinking" about motherhood. It is always helpful to know that I am not alone with my doubts and frustrations and that I am certainly not the first one who has dealt with a particular problem.

I hope everyone has a great day and that you don't have to: go grocery shopping, do laundry, clean the bathrooms, cook dinner, drive any kids to any events, or referee too many arguments. I'll be thinking of all you and will give you a silent toast on Sunday evening with my glass of white wine.

Black Flies, Flavor Ices and My Hearing

Here are a few random thoughts which highlight the last few days at the Snow household:

1. Black Flies - these nasty little bugs are back in full force now. They swarmed us at Benny's T Ball practice and then followed us over to Jacob's baseball game. They do bite and Benny has a good sized welt on his head. One flew right into my mouth! Yuck! I am considering getting one of those protective nets that goes over your head. Yes, I'll look like a geek, but I don't care.
These products may become the next big fashion trend in our town!

2. Flavor Ices - George loves these frozen treats. I think they are nothing more than sugar laden flavorless ice cubes. The boys love them too. I tried to convince George that they are junk and that he would be better off eating an ice cream bar. But then to my surprise George compared the labels for flavor ice vs. ice cream bars and determined that the sugar content was the same! He also told me his flavor ices are fat free whereas the ice cream bars have 11 grams of fat! Who taught him how to read these labels anyway?

3. My Hearing - I think I need to get my hearing checked. I am not always hearing George correctly. (Now perhaps this is a defense mechanism and something that I have built up over the years...) I find myself having to ask George to repeat himself several times a day and on quite a few occasions I have totally misheard what he has said. For instance, this morning George was talking about something in the kitchen and I swear that he said "My aunt said hello". Not sure which Aunt or when, but I was 100% certain he said this. Yikes!

The Baseball Gods Smiled on Us!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, both Jacob and Ben are now playing baseball. We just got their game schedules and after using our super hero decoder rings to make sense of the dates and times, I figured out that there is only one conflict between Jacob's and Ben's games. I was shocked!

I assumed that George and I would have to divide and conquer to get the boys to their games and to make this happen. And to be truthful, I have not yet driven to one of the away fields by myself yet. (Sad, yes!) I need to step it up and not complain because I know that the Shaughnessy Tribe and others have mastered this art of getting kids to their activities! But, for one more season, George and I won't have to go separate ways and I'll be able to see both Jacob and Ben at all of their games! I am sure that this good fortune will not last beyond this year though.