Softball game

Since Saturday morning's softball game was a rainout, we played the makeup game tonight. However, tonight's game was a tough one for the Eagles, who gave up a one-run lead to lose by a score that no one cares to remember. (Heck, I lost track somewhere at 16 to 10. Thank goodness for the 5-run inning limit.)

Cameron batted first in the line-up, went 3 for 4 (and was thrown out at first on the last at bat.) She picked up 2 RBIs, scored twice, and was left on 2nd base. Coach moved her to the infield this game, playing 2nd most of the night, and then 3rd. While on second, she caught this fantastic pop-up, you know, the kind where the batter hits it straight to you and POP you've caught it. She also fielded very well, catching a ball thrown from the outfield and throwing it to the pitcher with control. She stepped on the bag for a forced out at second. While on third she "froze" the runner (meaning in layperson terms she blocked the runner from advancing).

Meanwhile, Bryan was in second heaven working the dugout as the bench coach, calling up the girls for their at-bat, and managing equipment (bats, batting helmets, catchers equipment). I didn't bring a camera to this game, but I wish I could take a photo of the proud look on his face giving Cameron a high-five when she came running back to the dugout after scoring. It's priceless.

Magic School Bus

Brenna loves the Magic School Bus television show and picture books. She would choose to watch MSB over any Disney show. So when the Children's Museum brought in the Magic School Bus weather exhibit, I knew I had to bring her.

Brenna really enjoyed the Weather TV studio, where you selected the backdrop, set up the map, dress up for the remote location, and read the script.




Live, from a snowy blizzard, it's Brenna!

The day we went to the museum, they had meteorlogists from the local television stations come in for a science demonstration. Brenna was very hopeful that it would be David Paul from our morning news station (because we watch weather in the morning), but she was still happy to see David's co-worker - Gene Norman - who does the 5 and 6 p.m. weather.


Quite honestly, she was just a little star-struck by meeting him. (That's face paint on her.) She sat right up front during the demonstration, got his autograph and wanted a picture with him. Now when we come home in the evening, she asks to watch the 6 p.m. news (weather only). She comes running in when I say, "It's Gene!"

They also had a hands-on lab for children 8 and over, so Cameron went in and made a hot-air balloon out of tissue paper. Since Brenna came in with us, she got to make one also. Once we had all of the pieces glued together, they put it over a hot air blower (like a hair dryer) and sure enough - up it floated to the ceiling.

Earth Day fundraising

To honor Earth Day (Earth Week), the girls' school student council has been raising "money for endangered animals." (Now exactly what the animals will spend their monies on the flyer doesn't say.) Their approach is to assign a theme to tell students how much money to bring in each day.

• Monday: Add the numbers in the address to your house or apartment and bring in that amount in coins.
• Tuesday: Bring in one penny for each student in your classroom.
• Wednesday: Add the numbers of your phone number and bring in that amount in coins.
• Thursday: Count the number of letters in your name and bring in that amount in coins.
• Friday: Add up the numbers in the date and bring in that amount in coins.

So Monday we brought in $ .10 (per child), Tuesday we brought $ .20, Wednesday was fun to count and we figured $ .51, Thursday is $ .14 for Brenna and $ .15 for Cameron, and tomorrow we'll bring in $ .21 each. So each child brought in a grand total of (drumroll) $ 1.16 (add a penny for Cameron having one extra letter in her name.)

Not only did they have fun figuring out the amount to bring each day, but it was a small enough amount not to prevent us, and hopefully others, from participating.

The Inverter

Bryan and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary this weekend by spending a little time at the Kemah Boardwalk and having dinner at the Aquarium Restaurant. After dinner, we strolled around, listening to the live band, and watching the people enjoying the games and rides.

I recalled that Cameron had a field trip here last summer with her summer daycare, and she told me that she rode a big ride. Bryan and I looked around and tried to figure out what she had ridden. We quickly eliminated the new rides, added this winter. Hmm... not the carousel, not the train, not the swinging upside-down boat, not the upside down inverter... must have been either the submarine thing or the swings.

When we picked them up from "Kids Night Out", we asked one of the child care workers (who took them on the field trip) and Cameron together. SHE RODE THE INVERTER!! My (then) seven year old daughter rode an amusement park ride that I would never have allowed her to go on. She also rode the swings.

We didn't know whether to be impressed as all heck (Goodness knows that neither one of us could be paid to go on that thing) or furious that she went on it without our permission. (She met the height requirement.) Of course, now she wants to go on the big roller coaster that just opened - the Boardwalk Bullet.

Leah is blogging!

Leah told Lisa and I some time ago that she had created a blog here on blogger, but hadn't posted anything to it. We joked (last week) that she should just post "Not Yet!" as a response to anyone who asked about Megan.

Today she has started her blog with Megan's birth (which I find highly appropriate, since MY very first blog post was Alexander's birth.) They have an adorable family photo there, so go take a quick visit.

Megan Elizabeth

My brother and sister in-law welcome their new daughter, Megan Elizabeth, born today at 4:40 p.m. weighing 6 lbs 7 oz. She almost arrived in Nana's minivan on the way to the hospital!

Leah's water broke at 3:36 p.m. and by the time they pulled up to the hospital (at 4:33 p.m.), where David was waiting with a wheelchair, Megan was trying very hard to be born. They made it (barely) up the elevator and into the birthing center, where Megan decided she'd had enough waiting and very quickly made her grand entrance. The nurse delivered her with only 3 loud pushes from Leah; no doctor and no place to put the baby (no bassinet, no warming lamp.) Nothing was ready. (Actually I'm impressed they got her upstairs.)

She is a very beautiful baby girl, with very alert eyes just like her brother. Big brother Alexander is almost 22 months. I know I'm biased, but this is such a beautiful family and I just love them to pieces.

We drove out after work/school and it has been a very long night. The girls were very excited to meet their new cousin, and both were just begging to hold Megan.

Megan has a fabulous birthday! She is born on San Jacinto Day and also shares a birthday with her great-grandfather, Pete Maniscalco, Jr. I think we'll see great things from this little girl. Happy Birthday Megan Elizabeth!

(Edited 11:15 p.m.: The emails are flowing and photos from other cameras being exchanged. So here are a few more pictures from earlier tonight.)

Wildflowers

We spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Chappel Hill, Independence, and Brenham enjoying this year's crop of Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush, and Roses.

We started at the Rose Emporium, where our photograph session was originally to take place. Then we moved to the corner of Luekemeyer and 390 (La Bahia Trail), where there was a beautiful mixture of wildflowers.

All of the downtown restaurants in Brenham were closed for the afternoon, so we went to the highway (290) and ate a late lunch at Chili's, where the waiter told Bryan about a beautiful spread of bluebonnets behind the restaurant. It was a large area that had been graded during construction and now boasted a football field of the most beautiful bluebonnets and little else. Surely someone seeded this field for the bluebonnets.

Enjoy these selected photos.

Second Softball Game

I didn't blog it last week, but Cameron's second softball game was immediately after her first.

This time she batted near the very end of the batting order, so she only had one at-bat.



A double!! So in two games, she's had 4 at-bats, and 3 hits for .750 average. (Third game is tomorrow night.) This game she sat on the bench for two of the outfield innings, and she played left field and caught a grounder.

Here is one thing that Brenna loves to do while Cameron sits in the dugout. Bryan will toss the ball with her sometimes, and otherwise she just tosses it up in the air and catches it.



And here is Cameron's team cheering for the batter. I'm not sure if this is a softball team or cheerleading squad, but they definitely like to chant. They'll be so cute at the next game when they will finally all be wearing uniforms.



(Bryan says little boys don't do this in baseball.)

Little Gym

This Spring, Brenna decided she didn't want to do soccer again. We noticed that a new The Little Gym just went up near our house, and they had a class that coincided nicely with Cameron's ballet/jazz class across the street. Brenna loves it.

Bluebonnets

We were signed up to have our first family portraits done this Sunday in Brenham, in a field of bluebonnets. I even bought the girls some new clothes to wear just for this photo. Earlier this week the photographer cancelled for lack of enough appointments. I am really disappointed. We don't have a professional photo of our family and this was a fantastic offer/deal. I'm completely bummed out.

So I blew off a little steam by creating my own darn bluebonnets photo. (Remember please that I am only barely an amateur photoshopper.)