Memories to Last a Lifetime-Cooperstown, NY--July 19-25, 2008

"Scary" bedtime stories*Strong pitching by all available arms*Jack's 2 homeruns*great deals on pin trading*playing in Lake Ostego*turning 3 double plays in 1 game*kick the can*diving catches*bunk beds*the great hits by everyone*trying to be quiet at 10:30 curfew*being on webcam*being the "lookout" for staff*beating the really good Florida team*the "yummy" cafeteria food that there was "plenty of"*parents solving the worlds problems,late at night by a campfire*fireworks*receiving your Hall of Fame ring and hearing your name announced in front of 3000+ people*.....just to name a few great memories. Not to mention going 4 and 3 during a week that had many of the top teams from around the country. Way to go STL Cyclones! You are all Shining Stars, not to mention inductees of the Little League Hall of Fame!!!!!!

Couldn't haveit any other way!!

Of Course!!

This team has had to endure the fuckin flip-floppin rain at every tournament they have played this spring/summer. Why should it be any different traveling millions of miles away from home? Well .. it shouldn't.

The weather certainly is cooler there. We are not packing 2-3 seasons worth of clothes, so freeze family! The cases are packed. DEAL!!

Its Like, All Of A Sudden, I’m His MOTHER

Last night I told Catcherdude to brush his teeth and get to bed. I waited impatiently for him to finish so that I could use the bathroom and get to bed myself. After what seemed like forever he came out and went to his room and climbed in to bed.

I did my thing in the bathroom and went to my room to climb into bed as well. Something stopped me and I walked to his room and tucked him in. I rarely ever tuck him in anymore. I usually tell him good night and that I love him as I’m shutting his door. Last night, I walked in, tucked his blankets under him and said “Snug as a bug in a rug,” just like I used to do every night when he was younger. He just smiled up at me and I bent over to kiss his forehead and tell him I loved him. As I was walking out of the room it hit me.

I AM HIS MOM.

I am supposed to be tucking him into bed every night. I am supposed to make sure he gets plenty of hugs and kisses every day. I am supposed to read him plenty of stories and play with all his little army men with him. I am supposed to show him that he is the most important thing in the world to me.

I spend all day with him and we read lots of books together, but most of those are for school. I try to kiss him, but he wipes them off or runs from me and so I don’t try as often as I should. I hardly ever play with his toys with him, because seriously? Wrestling guys? Bleh.

He knows that I love him. He knows he is my favorite boy ever.

But, what is he going to remember about me when he grows up? Will he remember the way I sat at the dining room table with him and taught him math? Will he remember how we would climb into my bed and read together or watch movies? Will he remember the times that I snapped at him to turn the TV down? Will he remember me nagging him to put his clothes in his hamper instead of on his floor? Will he remember all the times I’ve taken him to the movies and out to eat, just the two of us? Will he remember how I sat through GAME AFTER GAME of Hockey and Baseball?

I’m his mom. Its my job to make his childhood GOOD.

God. That is a lot of responsibility. And, yes, I know I am late to the game here. He’s now 13 years old and its just hitting me? I mean, I’ve always known I was his mom and that I had to feed him and bathe him and clothe him and keep him happy. But, I never thought all that much about what he was going to REMEMBER of his day to day life.

What are your kids going to remember about you?

DEFENSE NOT ENOUGH ..

DEFENSE IS NOT ENOUGH AT THE 4TH OF JULY CLASSIC

STEADY DEFENSE WAS NOT ENOUGH TO ADVANCE THE CYCLONES PAST THE SEMI-FINAL ROUND OF THE USSSA 4TH OF JULY CLASSIC AT BALLWIN. iT WAS A WOODEN BAT TOURNEY, AND IT SEEMED LIKE THE MAPLE BATS WEREN'T LOADED WITH ENOUGH HITS.

THE FIRST GAME OF POOL PLAY WAS ON THURSDAY EVENING. THE CYCLONES WON 10-0 AGAINST THE RASCALS, IN A GAME INTERRUPTED BY A 45 MINUTE RAIN DELAY.

THE SECOND POOL PLAY GAME PITTED THE MIGHTY CYCLONES AGAINST THE SILVERHAWKS. A VERY WELL-PLAYED GAME ON BOTH SIDES ENDED WITH THE SILVERHAWKS UP 8-2.

THE THIRD POOL PLAY GAME WAS AGAINST THE FIREFIGHTERS. THE CYCLONES LED THE WHOLE GAME UNTIL THE LAST INNING. IT APPEARED THAT THE MOMENTUM WAS TO STAY WITH THE CYCLONES AFTER A PICKOFF OF A RUNNER AT SECOND. BUT THE FIREFIGHTER'S PUT UP 3 RUNS IN THE SEVENTH INNING TO WIN 5-3.

ELIMINATION PLAY STARTED AGAINST THE SAME FIREFIGHTERS TEAM. A VERY EVENLY PLAYED GAME ENDED WITH THE SILVERHAWKS ADVANCING ON A 6-2 SCORE.

THE REGULAR TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE FOR THE CYCLONES IS NOW COMPLETE. THE LAST HURRAH OF THE SEASON IS THE WORLD SERIES IN COOPERSTOWN, NY. WE SAY FAREWELL TO TAAFFE, BIRK, AND MATTHEWS AS THEY WILL NOT BE MAKING THE TRIP. WE WELCOME DEGENER, FLETCHER, HANSON, AND WEBB AND ANTICIPATE A GREAT TIME IN UP-STATE NEW YORK.

WE HOPE THE EXPERIENCE AT DREAMS PARK WILL BE JUST LIKE ABNER DOUBLEDAY ENVISIONED IT. IT TRULY IS AMERICA'S GAME, AND WE ARE ALL KIDS AT HEART.

RECORD

Affton Tourney: 0-3
Bridgeton Tourney: 2-1
Columbia Cowhide Classic: 4-1
Ozzie's Super Series: 0-3
Rawlings Invitational: 2-1
USSSA Missouri Qualifier at Wiehaupt Park: 4-1
USSSA Missouri Qualifier at Bridgeton: 2-2
USSSA Wooden Bat at Ballwin: 1-3
Pond League: 4-0
OVERALL: 19-15

Happy Independence Day

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!

Where has the year went? Where has the summer went?

Well another year of skipping the fireworks display in our city. Just not up to being out with all those people. So we stayed in and watched baseball and neighbors (fools) set fire to newly paved street. Other than that .. boooorrrrring. But I will take it.

Catcher dude did have a tournament game today. They are playing in a Wood Bat Tournament. It is interesting to watch that. Those that are use to sending them out .. are struggling to get them hit at all. They are playing all weekend. Hopefully they can pull it out. Thursday night they played and won 10-0. Today they had a tougher match and lost 8-2. So we will see what tomorrow brings. They have two games tomorrow. Of course to far to come home in between, and far enough apart to be a pain to stay. So I am not sure what we will do. Just crossing fingers they can pull out some W's tomorrow.

Wishing everyone a very HAPPY AND SAFE FOURTH OF JULY!!

BIG THANKS!!

To Catcher dude for pitching in and adding things every now and then. I am glad it helped you to blog here when mommy was away. You are a dear. I know this was a hard time on you and you really raised the to occasion.

So around of applause .. you really hit it out of the park!!

Now appearing ...

Baseball mom herself.

Man it has been a long and hard recovery to get back in the swing on things. I have missed so much these last 6.5 months. But I am here. Ready to move forward and proceed on. I have sat down these last couple days and really considered going back over all that happen. The pain, the treatments, the ups, the downs, the accident, the gains, the losses, but really I can not yet bring myself to type it, re-live it. Maybe someday. But this is not the day.

It is time to shake the dust off and start living again. Sharing again what is most important in my life. What got me through the dark and back into the light. I still have my days where I want to gloom and doom over the fact I lost so much. But I can not. It is not going to bring it back. It will not help in the recovery process. So step on and *smile*

So I am back, not there are many readers left or even ever was. But was the blog for others, or myself? So screw it!! *smile*

So back in going to get in the swing of things. Batter up! I am back up to the plate and off the DL.