2 down and 8 more to go.

I am sorry I didnt post last night. But I was wore plumb out.

BR didnt work too late on Friday night so we got up and took the boys to the ball park. He wanted to work with them on hitting and fielding. I went along for the ride. I thought.

He started off with pitching to Brett and I started throwing the ball to Matt. This went on for about 6 buckets of balls. Brett did pretty good. He has the basics down, he just needs to stop flicking the bat, once he makes contact he stops.

Matt is a good player. WHEN he DOESNT think. if he just throws it or catches it with out thinking he looks wonderful. When he thinks he will be looking at you and toss it 20 feet away.

Once my arm started hurting I took Matt to a field and started making him run. I told BR I wanted him to practice his sliding and running the bases. He told me that 2 or 3 bad slides and he would fiqure it out. I told him I wanted a break and wanted Matt to run. He picked on me about being lazy. Brett said "well look at how bad of shape she is in. She's toting like 50 extra pounds"

It took him a little while to fiqure out where to start his slide, and once he got that down I started standing on the base and told him to slide under me. The first time he filled my shoes with dirt and made a perfect slide. I still made him run the bases a few times. :)

THen it was his turn to hit. He did wonderful. If we could just get him to step AND swing at the same time.

Then BR took them out to do some fielding. He was hitting them balls and had them each playing their positions. Brett in Center and Hoover on shortstop. I dont know what we are going to have to do with Brett. He is bound and determined to bring the WIllie Mays basket catch back. BR spent more time hollering at him that Willie was retired then he did doing much else. He finaly caught one with the glove in front of him.
"Well, ole WIllie done caught him one" Brett hollered from center field. I promise, if I had been capable of throwing that far, and wasnt laughing so hard I would have tried to knock his hat off his head. But it did tickle me.
Not near as much though as the next ball BR hit. Brett misjudged it and it hit his wrist. hard.
By now I was rolling on the ground laughing. nothing we could have done as parents was a better punishment than that.
He did make more of an effort to catch the right way after that.

Then he challenged them to hit the bucket he was sitting on at home plate. He told them to make him jump off the bucket. Brett moved on up to second base to do this. They tried, neither came close. BR was able to hit a few with the bat, and Matt did hit the bucket once.
Well Brett decided to move on up. By now BR and I were standing by the fence behind home plate and Brett was about 5 feet from home plate. He started throwing them at his daddy and it became a game. Then he threw one at me, and stupid ME, I moved. He beaned me on the inside of my left leg right on my knee. It hurt like hell. But when the boys gasped and asked if it hurt I told them NOPE. So the first time I found them whining about being hit I was gona come out on the field and bean them myself. :)

Now today I am so sore, My knee wont bend, my hamstrings are seized up like a rusty hinge, my shoulders hurt so bad I cant scratch my own head and the palm of my hand is tender. I swear I didnt do THAT much yesterday. But my father in law said, "when just a little is more than your used to, your gona feel it, and you are VERY used to doing VERY little" yep. I cant argue with that logic.

But BR did take me out to eat after. I enjoyed my meal. Everyone picked something out, but Brett wanted some off the wall shrimp dish. We told him he wouldnt like it and to get the fried popcorn shrimp. He said he didnt want that. We tried to explain it was a mexican food restutant and he WOULDNT like the shrimp dish he wanted. He refused to belive us. So I told him he couldnt have that (I wasnt paying twice as much for his for him not to like it as I did for each of ours) When she came around to take our orders Brett decided he wouldnt eat. No problem
I ate till I couldnt eat any more. Matt ended up eating all of his and Brett ate the chips and the french fries that came with our appatizer. He liked the caso. I told him it was like what I made at home all the time. He refused to belive me.

Then the girl came around and asked if we wanted desert. BR and I said no, then I remembered, this is where I got the fried cheesecake wrapped in a soapapia with cinnamon and sugar and strawberries adn ice cream.
I ordered it.
OMG. This is absolute heaven. I kid you not. It came with 4 spoons. Brett got all excited. I told him that I was sorry, but he had opted not to eat.
He was heartbroken.
I did relent and let him have a bite. I fiqured this was the biggest punishment I could give him. To let him have just ONE little taste.
I was right.

Tonight I was in the kitchen cleaning up and Brett asked me when WWIII was gona happen. I asked what it mattered.. He said "cause thats the end of the world" And then got upset and wanted to know when the world was gona end and if he would even live to high school. Matt was throwing in questions too. I dont know where they got this, but dang, kids have enough to deal with, why on earth should they worry about the end of the world. I told them that it was NOT WWIII. That the world was not going to end in the next 10 years and if they were good and stoped lying and didnt steal or cheat, they would live to be a ripe old age.

"like you mom?" Rayley asked.. she might not see the end of the world..

Then they started telling me that God was gona end the world soon. I saw this as a way to hammer home my point of them being good. I told them again that as long as they were honest, and good that God was not going to end the world. That he would only do that when noone was honest and good anymore.

This seemed to be understandable to them, they dried their tears and promsied me they would be good from here on out. I really hope the end of the world is NOT hinging on my kids..

They even got up and started helping me clean. Matt offered to put on a load of clothes and switch over the clean ones. Brett offerd to make the beds in their room and pick up the living room. I hated to see them do all that work, but understood their need to help. ..*snort*
Matt also asked if he could help me clean the kitchen, I told him sure. About that time I had a bowl that had to be put up and asked him to put it up for me. He set it on the table. A few minutes later I asked why he didnt put it up.
He couldnt remember where it went. I told him it went in the cabinet, across the kitchen.
I turned around about 5 minutes later. It was ON the cabinet. I hadnt asked him to help me, but he voluneteered. BUT I still couldnt let this go unchecked.

I called him over and told him it went IN the cabinet.
"OH, but there's a kitchen chair there"
move the chair.
"oh, where do I put it?"
under the kitchen table, where it goes
"ahhhhh"

I started scrubbing the stove, by the way, I HATE those glass top non burner stoves. they are the hardest thing in the world to keep clean. I will NEVER own another. I'd rather use a coleman stove and a heating plate.

I just about got it cleaned up and turned around. the bowl was STILL on the cabinet and the chair was being sat in by Matt.
I thought you were putting that bowl up.
"what bowl?"
The one on the counter, that goes in the cabinet that was behind the chair that you are sitting in.
"oh. I wondered what I was doing, I couldnt remember so I thought maybe you had told me to sit down and stay out of your way."
do you mind putting the bowl on the bottom shelf of the cabinet?
"no, I dont mind, after that what else can I do?"
Just take care of that for now.
"okay mom. When I get done can I sweep?"
SURE!

I finished loading the dishwasher, and walked into the laundry room. There was the dryer door open, with wet towells hanging out, the washer open with jeans piled ON TOP of the agitator and no water ran.

Matt is something wrong in here?
"No, why?"
come look
"can I sweep in there too?"
I havent seen the floor of the laundry room in months.. sweeping wouldnt work
"we should really work tomorrow and get that all done up"
Ya think?
and in he comes.
"Oh, I guess I forgot to turn them on huh?"
yep.
"should I do that now?"
Unless you expect the cat to do it then yes.
So he went about shutting doors, running water and turning on the dryer.

I walked back out, I was gona go ahead and sweep.
There ON the floor, in FRONT of the cabinet was the bowl.
HOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
"yes mom?" says my dear space cadet child
"MMMMOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!" hollers Brett "can't you be quiet, you woke up Bow! I just got him to sleep and now look what you did!" he had went in to play with him and Bow had fallen asleep in his arms. Now he was getting mad at me cause I had woken him up. Gee, its a bitch when the tables are turned.

Hoov dear, why is the bowl on the floor?
"what bowl?"
I am gona buy this kid some Ginko baloba or what ever.
The one on the floor
"cause you told me to put it there"
NO I didnt. I told you to put it IN the cabinet, since when do we stack the bowls on the floor INFRONT of the cabinet?
There was a momentary look of confusion and bewilderment, and then a look of delight and a sparkle in his eye.
"I made an executive decision"
Its really hard not to giggle.
You made a what?
"executive decision"
Alright, I'll play along.
And what was your deciding factors that lead up to this decision?
"Logistics"
... I had to cough to buy some time to compose myself.
Logistics huh? Please elaborate.
"well, this way you dont have to move a chair and bend all the way over and open the cabinet to get to the bowl, its just right there and you just grab it up and go, it will make making pancakes in the morning easier for you"
Okay, do you mind if I point out why this will NOT work?
"if you think you can."
OH, I KNOW I can. First, the chair shouldnt be in front of the cabinet. The chair being there tells me that ONE of you wanted something out of the cabinet and couldnt reach it, more than likely something you wernt supposed to get, so you grabbed a chair, moved it over here, got the ... breakfast bar, and---
"wow, how'd you know what I got Mom? said Brett
In a minute I'll explain it Brett, let me finish explaining to Matt why I want this bowl IN the cabinet.
"okay"
now, since the chair was NOT supposed to be there, that leaves the door,-- Cabinet doors have jobs, they are to keep the clutter from being seen, keep dust, dog hair, toys, mud, and dirt out of the dishes. Opening a cabinet is not real hard. Even Rayley can do it. Point number three is; if its on the floor it will collect all the ickyness I just described cause its a BOWL, and there is no cabinet door to protect it. Plus you would kick it when EVERYTIME you walked through, its a glass bowl. And last but not least, even if I was gona make pancakes tomorrow, and I doubt I will, I would use the measuring bowl that I have used for years to make them. NOT a bowl that you cant pour out of.

"oh, so what should I do with the bowl?"
honestly, I couldnt stand there any longer. I handed him the bowl and walked out, went into the living room and was promptly handed a happy and energetic Bow. With Rayley in my lap 3 seconds later.
"mom, I understand that you might not want to make pancakes in the morning"
Thnk you baby, I appriciate that.
"so if you make them tonight we will eat some now and save the rest for tomorrow."

SHE is THREE! THREE and these boys are already rubbing off on her!
in my eye rolling and sighin I happened to see the clock.
8:27..
WHoOO hoOO!

I told the kids to go on to bed. Rayley said okay and started that way, Matt walked through and I asked him where Brett was. He said, "he went to bed a few minutes ago"
WOW!
I told him to go on to bed and we would go out tomorrow and play some ball. Off he went too. Gosh that was easy. I think they were wore out from all they did today. They spent it at my moms.
I sure hope I am not as sore then. I promised BR I would work with them this week. Before it gets cold, and rainy. It was 88 saturday. And just as hot today. I bet it freezes before easter.
And my mom and grandfather were so proud that they planted all these plants yesterday. I dont know why my grandfather does this year after year, he looses plants to the last frost because he insists on putting them in the ground a week before Good Friday.

BR wants to concentrate more on working with them on actual tactics and not the basics when he takes them on saturday.
I am gona take some Tylenol and go to sleep.
OH and I am gona put the bowl up that Matt sat on the coffee table when he came in to kiss me goodnight. I think I will set it on the table. Or maybe put it in the dryer. That should confuse him.

or maybe not.

oh well, School starts back in 8 more days.