Ode to Scrappy

"Mama, wouldn't it be great if we all lived in our van?" --Aubrey, age 9

(That's my girl!)

The Shrimpiest Shrimp Plays A Game

Aubs with her pal Ruby.

Aubrey's first softball game was so much fun.

We arrived Tuesday night in Gold Hill, about 25 minutes north of Ashland, to play the Gold Hill Marlins. Like our team, they are ages 9-11; however, we learned that they're mostly 11.

For the record, Aubrey was the shrimpiest shrimp out there.

She and the other Grizzle girls held their own, though.

Although we looked little and lanky, our few 11-year-olds were good leaders and our new players stepped up and played with heart!

We lost the game 7-12, but the girls had great attitudes. They got walked plenty of times, we witnessed numerous errors, they stole some bases, and it was an overall jumble of awesome softball learning and effort.

Miss Aubs hit the ball her first at-bat. She was last in the lineup, but she was the first to actually hit the ball! She told me later she was scared when she got to the plate (see post below), but that she was ready to give it her best. Mick and Dane and I were all there, yelling and cheering as she ran those little legs down the first base line to beat the throw to first.

She sat out the first inning, but played center field the second inning. No action out there for her, but those of us who watched her from the grandstands laughed and chuckled as she bounced around in the outfield with this visible giddiness and "I'm ready!" attitude. She might not have been doing kartwheels out there this year, but you could tell kartwheels were in her heart.

Later, she played second base and was equally ready then: leaning over, mitt hanging between her bent knees, still bouncing. She got a chance to bauble the ball a few times, and it was just pure joy to watch all that learning and effort going on.

She and her Grizzlies play the Marlins again tomorrow night here in Ashland. That'll be my first night as Base Ump (I was scorekeeper Tuesday night), so there'll be two of us out there a little nervous. If anything, though, we know this sport is character-building and we're up for it.

Teeny Tiny Big Thoughts

This is what Aubrey just wrote in her little tiny book with her little tiny pencil:

4-12-11
Today is my first baseball game. I'm scared and happy at the same time! the end

Go Ski Racers

The kids had fun up on the slopes yet again this year. They're turning into amazing, competent, slick little skiers, thanks to the Mt. Ashland Racing Association and six hours of instruction with accomplished instructors every week for 12 weeks.

They each raced in one race this year.

Dane earned his best times, meeting his goal to come in under a minute on each run. In fact, I think he got like 50 seconds each run, missing 3rd place by a second, and first place by only a few. It was super exciting.

Aubrey had one solid run with a little over a minute, and then one run that took her quite a bit longer than she'd hoped. She had a great attitude, though, and knew it was just part of the experience.

 Aubs there in the black mittens, waiting to race.

 Dane tired, and tired of waiting.

 Aubs out the gates.

 Aubs headed down the hill.

Aubs earning her participant ribbon.

I didn't get a good picture of Dane coming down the hill, because I waited at the bottom both times and was beside myself as I watched him just cruise. Didn't take a good picture, but loved reveling in the moment!

Birthday Bashes

This'll be a random update post.

Above is a "frog" drawn for the Traditional Reynolds Family Birthday Party Pictionary game. The frog was drawn in February at one of Aubrey's parties.

The following photos are of her 3rd grade girl slumber party and her cousin/family birthday party. Again, random order. Will have to fill in comments occasionally.

Haven't posted for a very long time and have several others to do.Might skimp.

 Dressing up.

Cleared out the living room, hung a blanket over the door windows, and spread sleeping bags across the floor. A tight fit but worked out ok.

Ready for cousins to come and dip mini cupcakes in frosting and decorate.

Pass the gift and unwrap a layer when the music stops -- a musical chairs game of sorts.

 Pictionary.

Barritt laughs/cries about the "Barritt's Boyfriend" drawing -- an old joke we share.

 Yup, ferris wheel.

 Wart hog by Mick, not at all the creature he was supposed to draw.

Jude drew this camera and his 4-year-old brother Weston figured it out immediately!

Woof! - National Poetry Month

I took Sharkles on a walk to the library with me yesterday to pick up two more Hardy Boys books on tape (the kids' new passion).

It's National Poetry Month, so when we left the library this gray-haired lady with a hemp purse stopped and asked if she could read me a poem. "I've got one about dogs!" she said, rustling around in her messy bag.

"Here it is!" she sang. Then she composed herself to read.

I was in a hurry (for no other reason than that Dane was home with a cough, waiting), but Sharkles sat next to me, and we listened to the poem:

Percy and Books (Eight)
by Mary Oliver

Percy does not like it when I read a book.
He puts his face over the top of it and moans.
He rolls his eyes, sometimes he sneezes.
The sun is up, he says, and the wind is down.
The tide is out and the neighbor's dogs are playing.
But Percy, I say, Ideas! The elegance of language!
The insights, the funniness, the beautiful stories
that rise and fall and turn into strength, or courage.
Books? says Percy. I ate one once, and it was enough.
Let's go.

The poem is from Oliver's collection, Red Bird (2008)

And, on that note, my happy, sniffing, panting, gazing-up-at-me-adoringly dog and I jogged home.