My Boys and Me

Well, this is for sure a record for me. Where have 2 months gone? I was able to get so much caught up when the boys were gone, but I also got very lazy and it’s taken me some time to get used to our routines again. Some people thrive on having little (or long) breaks- me, not so much. I seem to just get thrown off. So, now I have 2 excuses for the boys not going away all summer again. 1) I missed them WAY too much and 2) I function better without having the lengthy break that allowed me to temporarily believe my life is not just BUUUUUUUUSY plain and simple! I promise I will not make this post an excruciatingly long “catch up” session, since it’s been so long (plus, I don’t have the time to type a long post and am really not sure anyone even reads this anymore)!

So, they boys had an incredible summer, but seemed happy to be home. A mere two days after Braeden got home, he had tryouts for a travel baseball team. He had tried out for the team in the spring and didn’t make it. Well……………below are the jerseys (one practice jersey and one game day jersey) for the newest member of the Haymarket Bulls travel baseball team. This team plays in a league more competitive than rec baseball. They practice more intensely and play tougher teams. We are so proud of Braeden. He has proven himself this past year and really deserves to play at this level. It takes up a lot of his time, but he doesn’t seem to mind at all. The team plays a double-header every Sunday and practice several times a week. To date, they are 4 wins and 2 losses. Even though it means we are at the field for close to 6 hours on Sunday, I simply LOVE watching these games. Braeden plays 1st base and left field. He has done really well at both. I have seen him hit harder than he ever has and handle the competition like a pro

B totally focused at 1st base-

Braeden and I were able to see a Phillies game in DC in late August. The game was GREAT despite a 2-hour rain delay in the middle of the game (and the fact that the Phillies lost). We were one strike away from winning the game and Washington hit a homerun to tie the game. We lost in extra innings. It was such a fun day spent just the two of us. Here are a few pictures.

Phillies line-up during the National Anthem-

Phillies Head Coach Charlie Manuel-

Chase Utley (B’s favorite player- notice the matching jersey #’s Before we knew he’d made the travel team, we bought him red cleats (like Utley’s) to wear for the fall season. Turns out his travel team uniform required black cleats. Oh well, he tried out for the team in the red cleats so they served him well.

Roy Halladay (Phillies #1 pitcher)-

I am actually typing this post as I am watching the Phillies most likely lose game #4 in the first round of the playoffs. I HAVE to believe they are losing because Braeden is at practice and if they won, he would miss the celebration of his team advancing to the next round. If they lose tonight, they go back to Philly for game 5 where they HAVE to win or they are out! For the record, all this intense baseball is sure a lot for this anxiety-suffering Mama!

The boys went back to school the Tuesday after Labor Day. Braeden handled it like a pro as did Mikey (for the first week anyway). I was actually really surprised he handled it so well after being gone all summer. I knew it was too good to be true. He had a rough 2 or 3 weeks after the first week of school. He would beg ang plead with me from the minute he woke up and remembered it was a “school day.” He would cry the whole way to school and the teacher (who we LOVE) would literllly have to peel him off of me. It was heartbreaking for me. I am happy to report that we are (hopefully for good) past that. Mike is usually off one day during the week and we’ve told Mikey he would be allowed to stay home and have a special day with Daddy when he was off, but only if he didn’t cry and/or throw a fit on the days he did have to go to school. Seems to have worked well. Mikey is totally a Daddy’s boy!

I guess the positive of being so busy lately is that we are now in OCTOBER- my favorite month! I LOVE fall. I love the weather, all the fun festivals and the beautiful scenery of the change of seasons (now that we get to experience it in VA). Mikey loves fall for football like his Daddy. He says, “We Are- PENN STATE!”

Mikey’s “Baseball” face. If I didn’t know better and they didn’t paint Rawlings on it, I’d say he might be Freddie Kruger