liam's last day

We just returned from a fantastic vacation that I need to start posting about but before I begin there are a couple events that cannot be forgotten.

One is Liam's graduation from preschool.

It was freaking adorable. My emotions were a bit close to the surface going to the program because this is my baby all grown up. He is so ready though to move on to Kindergarten and I am glad that he passed all his requirements from Early Intervention and did not have to go last year. He would not have been ready socially or academically but I have to admit, this last year he has grown leaps and bounds and is all grown up.

I mean, just look at how excited he is.



These poor kids were the center of attention about halfway through the program. I noticed the little girl first bobbing her head since she was sitting next to Liam and then after I pointed her out to Justin, he said he was laughing at the little boy next to her. The girl would wake up periodically and try to sing and do the actions but the boy was out for the count. I would not be surprised if he has some whiplash injury.


I made it through the program just fine and then they started the darned slideshow. I think they should be banned.

I cried through the entire thing. Just seeing him and all his friends doing their little preschool projects was so endearing and it will be the last time I will have to endure it. The boys would look and me and laugh and I warned Nick that this was nothing...wait a few years when he graduates from high school. I may have to be escorted out by security since my tears will flood the venue.

Still a few more years. Whew.

Then Pomp and Circumstance was played and the students walked out on stage in their itty bitty graduation hats and received their diplomas and a lei.


So happy and such a big boy!


Liam and his cute friend Clara.





His proud brothers.


Liam and Lea.


The proud parents.


Thank you Miss Amber for all your love and patience and for all you taught Liam! He loves school and had so much fun in your class.


Watch out Kindergarten. Liam is ready.

march madness

Took a little trip down to St. George last weekend. It was a vacation of sorts except it was freezing and there was no time to even think to lay out by the pool. Liam and I did, however, have a great time watching Nick play baseball.

Andrew and Luke were super sad they couldn't come and I was super sad that I didn't want them to come but I was thinking that keeping 3 kids entertained for hours on end during the games would be torturous for me. And super expensive since keeping my boys entertained equals lots of treats and food. They also would want to do St. Georgie things which was not possible. Justin and I promised them a fun trip to St. George over spring break when we would have more time to play before we attended another tournament that same week. Luckily, they took the bait. And they ended up having a fantastic weekend themselves. Andrew slept over at a friend's house, Justin took Luke to a movie, and they got to see honest to goodness bear cubs at the Outdoorsman Show.

We were fortunate enough to stay in Justin's aunt and uncle's home while we were there. They were very hospitable and went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable. Liam loved hanging out with "Grandpa Bob" and playing with their dog Sam.

Nick had his first two games on Thursday afternoon. It was very cold and blustery and I didn't come as prepared as I would have liked but luckily I had a coat for Liam and a sleeping bag that I unzipped. During the game I put it in between the bleacher seats and put Liam inside and had him pretend that he was on Venus. He stayed in there playing his Leapster for quite a while.

We lost both games that day but the Scrappers put up a good fight. Nick had two hits, an RBI, pitched okay, and played well at first.





I thought it was cute that they were both number 9.





nick.chance.

chance.aaron.bridger.zac.cooper.tyler. I put this picture on here to prove that there are other boys on Nick's team. I just take a ton of my favorite player :).

liam and his buddy austin causing trouble.


Later that night we had a team party in Mesquite at the Virgin River where most of the team was staying. We were planning to go bowling but it was league night so the boys played in the arcade for a while. They each wanted to win over sized, colored tennis balls so they worked hard to get tickets. One boy one the ticket jackpot 7 times and Nick won twice. Between the 6 boys that wanted the balls they had over 4500tickets. They even "bought" one for Liam which I thought was super sweet. Liam did pretty well on his own though. He made out like a bandit with the tickets that he won. The prize selection was pretty sweet but what do you expect from an arcade inside a casino? He chose a pinwheel, a tube of bubbles, a slap bracelet, 3 packs of stickers, and a tootsie roll. He also drank my chocolate whipped cream concoction from Starbucks. I would say that he did pretty well for himself.

After the arcade they all went swimming and acted like goofy preteens.




The next day we didn't have games until 5:30 pm. We had a lazy morning, went to Red Robin for lunch, watched a teammates' brother play a game of ball, and then headed over to the fields. It was in the upper 60s and sunny--perfect weather to hang out in all day.

Nick really stepped it up for these two games. He had two hits, a triple, snagged every ball that was thrown to him at first, and did awesome in the outfield.

I love how everyone looks confused in this picture.

Some super nice lady leaving from the game before ours gave Liam some bubbles. Totally made his day. I need to be more spontaneously nice like that.


I love watching Nick play baseball. He loves it. He works hard and his skill is improving. He does not settle for mediocrity-he expects the best from himself and his team. He has quite an intense personality on the field which makes me smile because he is such a goofball at home. I am so proud of this young man.






We lost the first game and won the second. It is good to end on a winning note. Some of Justin's family was driving home from California that weekend and stopped in St. George to spend the night and came to watch Nick play. Then we all went out to dinner, my second visit to Red Robin for the day, and then tumbled into bed.

This is a fun time of year. It was so great to be back with our Scrapper "family". We have such great boys on the team because there are even greater parents. We are lucky to be a part of such a supportive, close-knit group.

Here's to a fabulous year.

darn those ears

Liam has been very predictable when it comes to ear infections. Once he gets a stuffy nose he ends up a nasty, pus filled eardrum. For years we have evaded tubes and I thought we were home free since he is older.

No dice.

He has had 5 ear infections this year, 3 within the last two months, 4 different antibiotics, including a 3 day course of Rocephin shots.

He giggled when he received them. I felt so bad that he had to get these injections that I gave him a little treat after every one.

Here he is engrossed in his $1 Jo-Anns space color by numbers after round one of Rocephin:


We set up an appointment with the ENT and he thought it would be a good idea if he had tubes placed and possible cauterization of his adenoids.

The procedure was done on the 22nd. I didn't bring my camera because I didn't know how much time we would have since they kept saying that it was a speedy procedure and by the time I thought about it I had left it at home anyway.

I don't want to forget though how cute he was perusing a magazine in the waiting room with his little legs crossed, how he looked in his hospital gown covered in colored suns, how he answered all of the doctor's questions, how everyone who came in contact with him was smitten with him and his gorgeous eyelashes, how he was worried that I wasn't in the recovery room and thought I had left him but how relieved he was to see that I was in his room waiting for him to return, how well behaved everyone said he was, how I spoon fed him vanilla ice cream and held his glass of apple juice while he sipped it out of a straw, how when I asked him if he was ready to go, he was reclined in his stretcher, his head on his pillow pet, little ankles crossed snuggled in a blanket watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with the remote right up on his shoulder and he said: "Give me 30."

I am glad that it was such a minor procedure and that everything went okay. They ended up not having to do anything with his adenoids so there was no intubation or IV. I hope this solves the problem with his recurrent ear infections and the ENT said he will most likely only have the tubes in for about a year. Liam was quite unfazed with the whole thing. He was be-bopping around at the park later that afternoon going against doctor's orders to stay down for 24 hours.

Oh well, what they won't know won't hurt them, right?