Take me out to the ballgame...

Is everyone aware that I STILL play softball??? I do. I'm almost, uh, 30 and I'm still at it. In fact, it's quite amazing how much better you play when you've lost nearly 40lbs!! I have so much fun - although I'm probably a little too competitive to be playing for my church team...I want us to be GOOD...no harm in that, right? And, I must say, it's nice to have MEN asking if I give hitting lessons! Sure I do...they are REALLY pricey though, ha!


It's me, on the mound! We had THE loudest ump in the world...I'm surprised someone didn't wet their pants when he hollered "STRI-EEE-KE"!! It was a bit un-nerving...but as I said after the game to Donald, who was annoyed with this person, at least he knew how to actually call something a strike! :)

Ella is the best little cheerleader in the world. If you could just hear her little chant...'Go mama go - go mama go'...she cracks everyone up...including me and I'm trying to pitch. She did really well tonight cheering - then she threw me a curve ball. I hear her over there calling me...over and over again...I finally get to a point where I can respond and she says, "Hey, I'm ready to go home". Everyone's rolling as I say 'Me Too!'. That girl...the stuff she comes up with is priceless.

So when she's not paying ANY attention to the game...she's doing 'boy' things...


And Evan is doing 'girl' things...well...it's a 'girl' toy anyway.

This is a Dora 'big-wheel' that Ella got for her 2nd birthday...today was the first day she used the pedals...she just hadn't grasped the concept of circling your feet to pedal. She's very excited and that's why we brought the bike to the ball field...she'd have a big flat area to ride. It's not so fun in our sloped driveway when they go barreling down the hill into the street. YIKES!

And I have to let you know what a big girl we have. Ella requested Popcorn. Donald gave her 50 cents...she went right up to the window, placed her order and paid the guy...she was beaming with big-girl pride as she showed off her popcorn! Little Evan reaps the benefits when a great big sister shares her treat...and her bike!



Ella is one smart little cookie (not a biased mother at all, though). She is a backseat driver. We'll pass one way we could turn to go home and she'll say 'That's the way to our house'. Then, if we pass the other way we could turn to go home, she'll say 'That's the OTHER way to our house!' or 'Mom, why didn't we turn there?' Then she knows if we're going this way we can get to so & so's house and if we go that way we can get to another so & so's house. I am very happy that she's so observant. I have taught her our phone number...and she likes to tell strangers at the playground at the Mall. I told her tonight that I want her to learn our address next...then I had to explain that an address is 'where your house is'. She's a little sponge...I expect her to be sending out postcards to tell everyone our address and phone number by September!