Kinsey's Closing Ceremonies

The Power Puffs ended with a record of 2-5-2. The girls had a great time!

Kinsey's Last Game

Kinsey was the lead off hitter today. She has been last all season, so we switched it up. She crossed the plate twice during this game!!!

Diamondbacks and Power Puffs

Trace's team played their last game of the season last night and Kinsey's last game is tomorrow. I really don't know what to do with myself. The back of my car will no longer be filled with bat bags, pennants, and dugout baskets. Not to mention what we will do each evening. I have loved baseball for a while, but watching my kids play has been the icing on the cake! I was telling someone last night that Chad was at the game where Craig Biggio hit is 3,000th and I was so jealous that I couldn't be there. But I have to say, I would much rather see my kids running the bases carrying their pennants. I can hardly wait for the next season!

We were lucky to have great coaches for both teams. Trace's coach taught him a great deal about baseball and also about sportsmanship. I can't say enough about what he did for those kids. He gave lots of time and energy over the last three months and it is greatly appreciated. And after the last few games, he probably has a few gray hairs! This was Trace's first year to play baseball and we were fortunate to have been part of an amazing team.

I couldn't have asked for better coaches for Kinsey's first year. They made sure the kids had fun and put no pressure on them to win. The girls really had a great time. Kinsey is upset that she hasn't hit a home run, but couldn't care less that they only have three wins! I can't thank them enough. We've had a great season and a great intoductory experience!!!

Closing ceremonies are tomorrow for Kinsey and Monday for Trace. I will post pictures of my sluggers with their trophies soon!!!

Grandmother

Chad's grandmother is in her late 80s. She has had a rough year, but seems to be back up on her feet. She is always up for fun. She has recently gone for a helicopter ride, ridden horses, and here she is riding the 4-wheeler with Chad. She has retired a few times, but is still working every day!

The Rodeo

We have been trying to get Kinsey on a horse for over a year. She finally decided to sit on a pony after the rodeo in Crockett. There was a girl riding a miniature horse as part of the show and she decided that was the one she would sit on. I asked Chad if he took any pictures of her on the pony. He did not because someone had him in a death grip.

And then there's Trace...he is so comfortable on a horse. He asks me regularly why we can't have a horse. The list of reasons is too long!

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day, I got my mom golf balls with a picture of her dog, Maggie, on them. You have to know Maggie and how my mom feels about Maggie to get just how funny this is. I laugh out loud every time I think about those golf balls!!!

Rodeo

Chad gave me a much appreciated evening off Saturday night. He took the kids to a rodeo in his hometown. He sent me a cell phone picture of BOTH my kids lining up for the goat scramble. My son did it last year, so I was not surprised, but Kinsey?! I never thought in a million years she would get out there in the dirt with all those kids to chase after a goat. Those of you who know her will, I am sure, be just as surprised as I am! I mean really, she won't wear jeans because they're not pink. Needless to say, she's a girly girl! Chad said that Trace almost had that goat. Next year he will be old enough to do the calf scramble. That should be interesting! Hope to get some pictures up soon.

bowling

Trace went to a bowling birthday party today. I talked to Chad during the party and after 7 frames, he was bowling a 77! He got a strike on this throw. I guess all that Wii bowling is paying off!


He also played another ball game today...they won! The kids have all improved so much through the season. I am so proud of them!!!

Pop Fly

Trace's team played a great game last night! The boy who plays at the pitcher's spot was not there, so Coach moved Trace from third base to the pitcher's mound. He did a great job! Our first baseman can catch, and he and Trace connected for a handful of outs during the game. Trace also caught a pop-fly! He reached up, and there it was...right in his glove!!! It was pretty cute, he didn't really know what to do with the ball after he caught it. At this age when they catch a fly, it is usually because that glove is just at the right place at the right time, so everyone was excited. Go Trace!!!

Trace's team is really a good little team. They are one of two undefeated teams in his age group; we play the other team at the end of the month. One of the girls on the team lacked a single, or she would have hit for the cycle!

It was also Kinsey's team's turn to work the concession stand...or the concussion stand, as Kinsey calls it......

Dad's Birthday

Chad turned 36 last weekend. We were not celebrating with a costume party. Kinsey just wanted to be SpiderMan, then an Aggie cheerleader. After the gift opening, Trace went on to put on a pirate costume. Trace had a friend over, he was a ninja.

My Little Power Puff Girl

Kinsey's team won tonight...by one run! I won't get in to how lousy the coaches on the other team were...grrrrrr. All I'm gonna say is that adults really need to remember that this is for the 4, 5, and 6 year old kids. Enough about that.

She is the absolute youngest player in the league. The girls were supposed to be 4 by January 1st and her birthday wasn't until the very end of March. Keeping that in mind, she gets tagged out on the way to first base often. She has also decided she doesn't want to bat anymore because it hurts when she gets tagged out with the ball. She got to cross home plate tonight. Another rarity. The inning ended when she was on 3rd, but the coach sent her home and she was so excited to score a run! Love it!!!

Big Fishermen

Last weekend, the ScaleBusters, Chad, my brother Matt, and Thomas, participated in a bowfishing tournament on the Trinity River. They placed 9th in numbers, or most fish shot, with 63, 7th in the Big 5, combined weight of the five heaviest fish, and won the Calcutta, the highest total weight when combining the weight of one each buffalo, carp, gar, and bowfin.

Custom Marine Concepts Calcutta Division
1st Place - 4 species @ 31.2 # ScaleBusters - Thomas Neumeier, Chad Lucas, Matt Preston

I need a shock collar!

Katie has been a very sweet addition to our family, but she has found her voice!!! I have come to the realization that Macy is either deaf, or really is THE most patient dog on the planet. Katie gets about 4 inches from Macy's face and barks...and barks...and barks. I keep waiting for Macy to put her in her place, but she just lays there and lets Katie bark til her heart's content. It's enough to make me completely crazy. After two days of this, I went to Pets Mart.

"I need a shock collar for a 6 pound dog," I said. The animal-loving lady looked at me like I had just told her I needed supplies for my dog fighting operation. Her response, after a few silent moments, "Ma'am, you know those really are a last resort?" If she only knew how much and how loud Katie could bark, she'd know that I was one stop shy of my last resort! I told her that I would settle for a muzzle, but I needed to leave that store with something to make my puppy quit barking. Because I love that puppy and would like to see her continue to be a puppy!!!

She had two recommendations: 1. puppy training classes and 2. a little 'bark machine' as I call it. The bark machine emits a terrible noise when the dog barks. Well, I can't hear it, but the lady said it's a terrible noise if you're a dog. So I left the store with the puppy training paperwork and the bark machine. The machine seems to be doing something. Whenever I push the button to trigger the terrible noise, Katie turns and snaps at the machine. This stops the barking for all of about 10 seconds (if I'm lucky). Then she gets to spend some time with nature.

She is a smart dog. She started using the doggy door after living here for 7 days, so maybe she'll figure out that the bark machine only 'barks' at her when she barks. Let's hope anyway.

Puppy training classes are definitely in our future. I figure that Katie will probably live a pretty long time and my life will get just a little shorter if she doesn't stop barking. Or I'll drink way too much wine.