Game Cancelled

I finally am updating my blog....

So, as you know it is Baseball season. That means each and every day is filled with either a game, practice, a board meeting, or if we do have a free evening, we head to the batting cages. Ward's Dodgers are having a bit of a rough start this season so far. They have won only two games, but those wins were quite impressive. In both cases, they came back from behind to win in "extra innings". I finally learned that it's not called "overtime". Nick has had some fun successes, hitting a few doubles and triples so far. His private batting lessons are paying off (yike$$!!). So tonight, they were supposed to play a team that they were really wanting to beat. I show up at the park right after work and it is pouring down rain. The infield is a muddy, soupy mess, and the game is cancelled. Ward and Nick were so bummed out. I am thinking woohoo - an extra two hours! Sometimes I feel like a third wheel... "That's Baseball"!!

Tomorrow, Nick and his class are venturing to Warm Beach camp for 3 days. They are going to be learning about outdoor science, playing games, riding horses, swimming, and lots of other fun activities. I am so excited for him. This is his second camping trip that his class has gone on. Very cool!

And the latest....Last Saturday night, well technically Sunday morning, the phone rings. Expecting it to be Boeing, Ward answers the phone only to hear, "Is Nick there?" from a couple of girl classmates. Ward explains that he is sleeping. They say OK and hang up. Then they CALL BACK!!!! Ward explains what time it is (12:45 am) and the girls start in on "so and so told me to call...." giggle giggle. OMG.

Great Wolf FUN!!!!

Chris and Laurece riding the 'double tube'

Chris and Laurece coming out of the chute

Nick and Megan decide what to do next

Derek, Nick and Megs coming out of the chute

Megan's excitement from the Tornado - Woohoo!

Jill and Miranda - cute!

We just got back from 2 days at the new Great Wolf Lodge (GWL) in "Grand Mound" Washington (where??). My mom took Jill, Miranda, Megan, Nick and I. Derek came down for the day. Ward, sadly, could not arrange vacation. He would have loved it. And, we met the Rust family down there too. So fun! I have lived in Washington all my life and have never heard of "Grand Mound". I think they created the town when they put in GWL. Meaning, it is truly in the middle of nowhere. But, GWL is a GREAT thing. Apparently there are eleven in the USA. My mom and dad first saw it in Kansas City and have always wanted to take the grandkids. So, this trip fulfilled that wish. We came during the "Soft Opening", which means there was still a fair amount of construction going on, and processes were not fully in place. Can you imagine the sheer enjoyment Jill and I had postulating how we could improve the place if only we were given the task??

Nick loved it. He could go to the arcade, water park, teen center (video games) as he wished. Nick competed in a "Guitar Hero" contest, and made it to the top ten. He did really well and was proud of himself. He definitely didn't want mom hanging around though. Totally un-cool! So, I hung around from time to time just outside the door, peeking in to make sure he is OK. There was a small crowd of moms and dads doing the same thing. One mom got booted out by her teen age son when she STARTED DANCING to the guitar hero song, "Schools Out For The Summer". HAHAHA! Not even I would do that to my kid. We all got plastic bracelets with computer chips in them, which had a pre-programmed spending limit on them. These bracelets also opened the door to your room. I think Nick enjoyed it because he got a real taste of freedom. I also got my first taste of "kid being out late". I told him he had to be back at the room by 10:30, and he actually came in at 10:25! What a good boy!

The water park was truly amazing, but really packed. My guestimate is that there was approx. 1,000 people in water park part at any given time. It was kindof like skiing with the wait part and the volume of people. The wait for the big ride (Tornado) was long, but not awful. But boy, was it fun!! I was able to get about 5 trips down that thing in per day.

I think this is funny - Here I am with all these 'body image' issues: cellulite stricken rear end, pasty white skin, varicose veins, to name a few, (there are more!!). And appearing in a swimming suit in April nonetheless... Yeah, I've been working out all winter - NOT! OK, no problem. Mental talk to self: "There are 1,000 people here, many of them worse off than me. The point is to have fun with the kids. No one is looking at YOU.... blah, blah, blah." OK, I am ready to do this thing..... I take off my clothes to reveal my utilitarian and efficient lap-swimming suit. I get in line for the big ride, and what do I hear?? "Christine, Christine!! HI!!!" Great, a colleague from work is now seeing me in my swim suit. OMG. Next, I saw an ex-coworker from T-Mobile. Greeeeaaat. Then, it was someone from Little League. Excellent. VERY humiliating. Definitely something I had to just 'get over' and move on.

There are tons of pictures to post. Hard to choose the best ones!

Nick - Then and Now

I can hardly believe how fast the last eleven years have gone. My cousin Jenn sent me a picture of Ward, Nick and me about 10 years ago. I've always thought he was such a cute baby. Look how adorable Nick is!!

Nick - 10 years ago:




And Nick now:


....I am so proud.

Leavenworth

Nick lines up a nice putt


Leavenworth in April is becoming an annual event. Last year, just Nick and I went for a mom-son weekend get-away. We stay at the Enzian Inn, which is a great place for kids. They have bunnies in a cute cage in the lobby, a great putting green golf course (18 holes), an indoor swimming pool, authentic German breakfast, and more. I highly recommend it. So this year Gram and Megan came along with Nick and me. The four of us headed out of town Friday after school, which was a half day. Nick wasn't going to go because of a Saturday baseball commitment, but we thought the rain out chances were pretty good so we took him along. Our plan was to shuffle him back over the mountains if the games were not rained out. And of course they were not rained out even though it was raining!! So, I packed him up Saturday morning and headed back over Blewett pass to meet Ward in North Bend. Then I headed back to Leavenworth. LOTS of driving, but worth it.

We had fun stimulating the local Leavenworth economy by purchasing lots of trinkets and goodies. Megan and I swam together, played basketball,and played catch with our baseball mitts. We also did hand stands and cartwheels. I can still do a semi-decent cartwheel at the old age of 42!

For some reason, I cannot seem to upload any more of my Leavenworth pics. Ratz! See "Mom's Blog" on my "Links" menu for more great Leavenworth pictures.