Rained Out

The kids have been keeping up with a few activities now that school is out. Mostly they like to play outside or come inside to watch a movie. “House” seems to be the favorite game they play with their friends. Their friend Cannon comes over before we’ve even had breakfast and they all watch Gavin’s new movie from Grammy, “The Land Before Time” episodes from the cartoon series. They have seriously watched it every day since it came in the mail last week. At least they don’t fight as much when they’re tuned in…just watch out for when it’s over because then they bug each other!
Both Lexie and Gavin started up baseball this week. Lexie has practices the same night as Gavin’s games, so we have to split up a bit. But at least our friends the Binghams have kids on their teams, so they can help out when I have the baby! I thought it would be a fun activity for them to do this summer while I am not up to much else…I really am getting slower and slower with advancing pregnancy! Most of the time we just hang out at home, so it’s good I made some commitments to get out and do something! Gavin was cute at his game, and he throws well and bats the ball off the tee pretty well too. (He automatically throws overhand, and straight to me!) He isn’t so sure he needs to run to the bases, though, and the direction to go seems a little unclear to him. He hit the ball at his first game and headed back out to the field to stand with the other team! It’s a bit more tricky to learn than soccer.

Lexie has had a couple of practices and tonight was her first game. She is in a different league than Gavin’s Mighty Sluggers (age 3 & 4,) she plays with the 5, 6, and 7 year olds. I was a little nervous about her being the youngest when she has never played before. She is doing really well though, and likes to absorb all the information she can about it. She keeps calling her coach her “teacher.” It’s like a different kind of school to her, it’s cute. I guess I’m not that into team sports, but I wanted my kids to have the chance to try it out and see if they enjoy it. I was a bit surprised Lexie wanted to play, but she seems to enjoy it and is doing well so far. The only hitch we had at her first game is that it started to downpour on us before she got up to bat! She at least had some throwing practice before the game, but only 2 or 3 kids on her team had a shot at bat before the rain. We stood in the rain for a few minutes to see if it would let up, and left after they called the game off. Oh well! It was kind of fun to be out in the summer rain! After the game and dinner, the kids rode bikes outside. Gavin got a new bike today that he can manage a little better than his “dirtbike” bicycle that is too heavy and long for him. He is already going really fast on the new one! Danny took the training wheels off of Lexie’s bike a couple of days ago and they have been practicing riding without them! For a long time she has been afraid to ride her bike and nervous about controlling it. But she is finally to the point she can do it. She can even go for some stretches without Danny holding her bike, so a little while longer and she'll be speedy like her friends. Tonight they were getting really good at it.

I am quite the camera-happy mom, and try to document these activities and moments in our lives. But I completely missed out on swimming lessons somehow! Lexie and Gavin have been enrolled in swimming lessons for two sessions now, since the beginning of March. They finished up their last class Saturday, May 31st. They have both done really well and are starting to look like little fish in the water! Gavin was the smallest one in his class, but would climb in and out of the pool on his own and follow his teacher’s directions and learn the techniques. Lexie spent time swimming in the deep end and even doing sitting dives and swimming on her own without a floatation belt. They have both advanced to the next level after each session and are more confident and capable swimmers. I am really proud of them and their progress…if only I had taken some photos! Oh well, you get the “picture” right?