Cubs Win the WORLD SERIES!!!!

The Chicago Cubs are the Oak Ridge Woodlands Area Little League 2014 World Series T-Ball Champions!!!!

We had a wonderful spring season!

As the season began, with a new team, new coach, and new mascot, we were all a bit skeptical of how the season would turn out.  Will was one of the tiniest and youngest guys on the field (a reoccurring theme for us in sports I fear)...but he showed his strength and skills earning a game ball about half way through season!  He also earned a base running skill for being super fast!

Will improved his batting with each game, hitting several doubles throughout the season and got to try out some new positions in the infield!  In the beginning of the season Will played mostly second base but by the end of the season, with the confidence of his coach and his improved fielding/throwing skills he got to play pitcher, third base, and shortstop too!  Even better, Billy signed up to be an Assistant Coach!

After finishing the regular season undefeated and getting a bye in the first round of the tourney, the Cubbies lost their first game of the tournament, putting them into the "loser's bracket" ie, it was win or go home for the rest of the tournament!  It was double elimination and they rallied back to win the National League pennant and went on to play the Houston Astros in the World Series Championship Game!

It was STRESSFUL to say the least.  The Cubbies were shut out in the first inning, scoring zero runs, but they fought their way back with some great defense (including a double play) and great batting (including a double from Will).  They defeated the Astros in seven innings with a score of 23-22!

After the game, (while I was at the office) Will, John, and Billy headed for a congratulatory dinner.  Even though he had already changed into some comfy clothes after getting home from the game, Will requested to put his uniform BACK on to wear to dinner (guess someone was proud!!!) 

Below is a short clip of some great photos from the season...way to go CUBS!

Turn up the volume and enjoy!!

Special audio thanks to the one and only Harry Carey - Cubbies greatest entertainer!

Mother's Day :)

Simply put, I had a fantastic Mother's Day!  Billy made me the most amazing dinner, I got to take the kiddos to the neighborhood park, and I got some fabulous presents!  

So here we go...We kicked off Mother's Day Saturday night with dinner...

First - dinner.  Billy made me my FAVORITE.  Alaskan King Crab Legs (oh, and beer).  You might be wondering why I have kitchen scissors?  Simple.  Once upon a time, my sister put on a crab leg opening clinic using scissors when we visited her in Alaska while I suffered with the traditional crackers - scissors rock.  There is no substitute.

And here's a good photo to give you guys a sense of scale.  These babies were HUGE!  

Next - Dessert.  If you know me, you know I love desert.  So the boys picked us up some gourmet cupcakes...Yum!

 Sunday - I slept in until SEVEN O'CLOCK!  Shocking!!!  Absolutely unheard of!!!!  Then the boys and I biked/walked/strollered to the park for some baseball and playtime.

 These guys are my angels...I am the luckiest person in the world to call them mine.  

 And lastly - Presents!  Will presented me with a tear-jerker of a card he made at school complete with several pages of poems, artwork, and a letter.

 Check out the note from my sweetie!  

Sidebar 1: they don't help the kiddos with spelling in his class, rather allow them to independently work on their grammar...he did really well! 

Sidebar 2: Will won the award for best penmanship in his class this year :) my little neat freak...

 And then there was little Johnny Boomtastick's fingerprint art.  I LOVE his photo with his silly hat...I can only imagine his antics during this art project at school!

My boys are incredible...this was the best Mother's Day I could have ever asked for.

Johnny's School Photos

A few weeks ago, John's daycare invited some photographers to take some spring photos of all the kids.  Because the younger kids tend to get cranky towards the afternoon, they tried to take most of the pictures in the morning.

Well...John simply refused to cooperate!  Apparently he was kicking and screaming and fussing the whole time so they gave up and moved on to the next, more cooperative kiddo.

Before packing up their gear, they decided to give John one more shot, in the afternoon, after his typical 3+ hour nap.  And apparently, he still hesitated, until they started calling him "Superman" (at his request), at which point he began to love the camera (and the camera loved him)...smiling, carrying on, and channeling his inner super hero.

Check them out!  They totally captured our little guys personality.