What I have learned...

Those of you who know me, know that Will is an attorney.  He has his own practice, which he has had from the start, except for when he had a corporate job for about 9 months.  (Boy, that was fun!  A steady paycheck and we got into this house!  But, that company fell apart.........) Since he is a lawyer, you might think that I would have no need to learn how to save $$.  There was a time when we both daydreamed about how things would be when he graduated.  Those dreams helped us make it through those trying years of graduate school. We didn't know what an uphill climb it would be for us.  Blessings have come, but also there have been many, many disappointments, stressful times, and tears shed.  Will and I have both grown and gained so much through the past few years.  And the growth continues to come as we continue to have ups and downs.We have both pondered and asked over and over "What are we to learn from this?".  I had the thought this morning that I should share what I have learned.  If I can help someone else who is struggling during these hard economic times, it would make me very happy.  I wish people weren't so judgemental about others that have hard times finanically, but that's not always the case.  You never know what they have gone through.  You don't know how hard they have worked.  How much they have prayed, fasted, served and tried to have faith.  And yet they still struggle........So, here are some things I have to share and will probably post other ideas as I think of them, or discover new things I want to try.

• Have a good food storage and learn how to use it.  I am so thankful we bought our dry food storage items.  It has made our rocky times between getting settlements and new clients so much easier.  I have had to learn how to use it better and to make meals out of what I have. 
• You can make pretty much anything that comes pre-made in a box or frozen.  Eggo Waffles. Pizza. Lasagna. Burritos. Hamburger Helper.  Refer to cookbooks and the internet for help and recipes.
• Make your own babyfood.  I realized this morning that I didn't buy a single jar of babyfood for Noah, and maybe a couple for Audrey.  I ground my own fruits and veggies, or whatever we had for dinner and froze it in ice cube trays.  I would thaw them as needed.
• Your kids don't need store bought snacks to eat!  We have an air popper for popcorn and that is what we snack on when times are tight.  I bought a 25 pound bag of kernals at Sam's for like $17.  Make things from scratch for them to snack on.  My kids will eat a waffle from breakfast any time of the day. Yippee.
• Make your own cleaning supplies with a mixture of vinegar and water with a squirt of liquid soap for good measure.  It doesn't smell as nice as the store bought stuff, but it sure is cheap!  You can also run vinegar in your Jet Dry compartment or use it instead of liquid fabric softener.  I buy my vinegar at Sam's; you get two gallon jugs for under $3.  That is super cheap!
• It's ok if your kids don't have a new wardrobe at the beginning of each season.  My kids rarely get NEW clothes unless I scored a screamin' deal from a clearance rack.  We get hand-me-downs often, which we are grateful for.  We also shop DI, Savers, and garage sales.  It shouldn't be embarressing to be super frugal! 
• We try to made do with what we have.  If clothes are ripped, we fix them.  If they are too short, we try to still make them work by adding more fabric or if it's a dress, wear it as shirt instead.  You'd be suprised what you can do if you try to NOT spend money on clothes or even decorating items.  I made my girls' bedskirt from some old clothes and fabric I had laying around because I couldn't go buy a new one.
• Let's face it: people are going to post where they are going and what they are buying on facebook or on blogs.  If it bothers you, stay off the computer until you are in a better spot emotionally.  Sometimes I feel myself getting green with envy when I see so-and-so are going on vacation again and we aren't.  I actually quit reading someone's blog because of what she posted.  It was making me sad, so I just quit reading it!  I don't think people are trying to brag and make others feel badly, but I do know when you are struggling it can be hard to not be jealous. ;) I am truly happy for people that are having fun, but sometimes it does bother me. So....
• Have a party anyway!!  Just because you can't have ribs on the grill for a BBQ doesn't mean you can't have a BBQ at all.  Just serve hot dogs!!  Find a way to still enjoy life!  We had a party for my kids' baseball teams, and it wasn't the best timing for us financially.  But, I used coupons, hit some sales and managed to pull off a couple of nice little parties for my kids and their teammates.
• Don't watch too much TV.  The world says stupid things like "Every kiss begins with Kay (Jewelers)!" and seems to want us to think the only way to enjoy life and eachother is to go on fancy vacations all the time and show love by buying eachother elaborate gifts.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to go on a big fancy vacation, but for now, being with my kids in our own backyard is enough.  It should be enough.  It needs to be enough.
• It's ok to tell your kids "We don't have money for that right now."  My kids understand that we are self-employed and sometimes we have to "tighten our belts".  They understand that we have to pay bills: the power bill, utilities, and so on.  They have gotten quite creative with trying to earn money for things they want.  Can you say "Snowcone\lemonade\face painting stands"?!

I hope that something I have said will help someone.  It helped me write it out!  We are always asking ourselves "What are we supposed to learn from this??".  That is hard to know.  But, I have become better friends with others who struggle like we do.  I have more compassion for those whose financial success is slow coming. We all have trials.  They may not be the same, but we all have them.  May we do our best to lift eachother up and encourage eachother.  (There will be more posts like this to come as I think of more things, or find more frugal ideas I want to try.....)

Plans for the school year: Part 2

I really want this game:  World Dash!  It looks so fun!  I want to play more games this year with the kids.  We did geopuzzles last year and had tons of fun with that.

I also want to do some fun things with music.  Like play recorders.  Is that funny??  I am serious.....

Couponing IS worth it!

I have been an avid couponer for years but although I don't use coupons for food all that much, I still LOVE using them for non-food items!

 Did you know you can combine store coupons with manufacturer's coupons?  Like these two babies above.  I can use the Target coupon to save $1 off a bottle of Pantene, AND also use the other coupon to save $1.50 off each bottle.  That shampoo at Target is around $3.00 so I will be getting some for .50!!!!!  Target also puts products on clearance at the end of their aisles and you can use coupons on clearance items.  I LOVE finding great deals at Target!

Here is another great coupon.  Smith's put their Revlon beauty items on sale for 50% off all the time so you can score nail files, clippers and stuff like that for just pennies.  Or you may even make a few cents on the deal.

Using coupons to buy razors is the ONLY way to go!  Especially if you don't want to buy store brand. By using both of these coupons I will save a bundle!  A package of razors is usually around $10.  I will get two packages for $10, then use the $3.00 off coupon making each package $3.50!! So easy!  Saves a ton of money!!  I don't know about you, but I'd rather spend my money on other things besides razors and other items you kinda need to have! :)

Plans for the school year: Part 1

I have a feeling I will have more ideas to post on this topic, so I better name this "Part 1"....ever notice how writing things down helps you accomplish them?  Anywho....

• I really want to have "Masterpiece Monday" and "I Wonder Wednesday" as much as possible.  I think it will be fun to see what we ALL do.  Yes, I will participate.
• I want to have us as family read a biography of our choice each month, do a small report on it, and then present it to eachother.  We could all go to the library to pick out our books the 1st Family Home Evening of the month.  Then at the end of the month, we could report during Family Home Evening.  I want Will and I to participate as well so it is not viewed as "another assignment" I dish out.  I hope this works and that I am being realistic with my expectations.....

It feels so good to be excited about the school year.  Last year about this time, I had a newborn and was truly panicking about our school year.  We made it through the year and we did most of what I had planned, but a few things fell through the cracks.  Although I had planned on schooling through the summer, I can see that I really did need a break to regroup, have fun, and develop my game plan for next year.  My mind is full of ideas and ways to improve our homeschooling journey..... :)

Masterpiece Monday.....

I came upon a blog a few months back that had some fun ideas that I want to try.  Each day has a different theme or activity to do during the summer, but you could do this anytime and change it as needed.  The author of the blog implemented this during the summer when her public schooled kids were home.

• Masterpiece Monday: The kids create something.  Artwork. Building something.  Cooking or baking something!  Use your imagination!
• Take a Trip Tuesday: Go to a park, museum and so on.
• Wet Wednesday: Go to the pool.  Turn on the sprinklers. Water fight, anyone?
• Anything Thursday
• Friend Friday

Fun ideas, right?  I especially like the Masterpiece Monday idea.......I seem to remember there being a "Wonder Wednesday" where the kids look up something they are wondering about.  How do batteries work?  What does adding baking soda do to a recipe? Things like that.

Kitchen: Part 2

Instead of getting new stuff, I remade my old stuff.  I did not take before pictures!  UGH!  I thought about that a little too late!  My papertowel holder was a garage sale find and it was navy blue and forest green.  Sasha spray painted it for me last night and I glued a bit of ribbon on the bottom for extra beauty!  ;)

I just added ribbon on this cause you can never have too many polka dots in your life.

The recipe holder was a cute gift years ago.  The magnet star was yellow, so it needed to change!  I used ribbon yet again. CHEAP!

I got this recipe holder at Dilly Dally's in Roy like 12 years ago......when my kitchen decor was APPLES.  Stop laughing.  It was painted with apples all over it and was just.....lovely.  It must have been cheap.  Anyways, I ditched the apple theme a long time ago but never did change this thing.  UNTIL today!  I made a fabric flower, glued it on top and yes, added ribbon.

So, I am done for now.....I think.  I am redoing the area over my fireplace but it is not quite right.  I need to go to the DI.  Or another garage sale.  If you are wanting to change things up all you need is a bit of paint, ribbon and you'll also need to ignore your kids all day so your creative juices will flow properly.  (Ha, they loved today!  Wii.  Computer games.  All day.)  When shopping for decor, think outside the box.  Put something unexpected on your wall.  You can always paint something you find.   My favorite things to look for garage sales are picture frames and decor of any kind.  You can aways change what you find so you like it.

Here is one more I forgot to add originally.  I already had all of this; just painted them a bit.  I used more fabric in the picture frame.

I love seeing what others are doing!  So, post on your blogs what you are making!! Happy decorating, my friends!

Now that I am done decorating my kitchen I REALLY need to work out my game plan for the upcoming school year.  Lots of ideas.  I need to write it out.  Get organized.  But, I must say, it feels soooooo good to create again.  I put off things like this during the school year, for the most part because school must take top priority.  Having a summer break is proving to be a good thing for me to rejuvinate, to create and craft, and to sit and watch the grass grow with my kids.  Yes, we do this often.  We just sit outside with nothing to do but enjoy the day.  LOVE IT!  We also take a couple of bike rides a day.  The little ones LOVE riding in the "wagon" (as I call it) that is hooked on my bike.  HOORAY for summer!

Kitchen Makeover.....on a dime!!

Here are some "before" pictures! I had become tired of the decor in my kitchen and I suddenly found myself obessed with tourquise and black.....

 Most of my decor comes from garage sales and the DI.  So, when I am ready to change it, I don't feel guilty about it!  Plus if I end up deciding it doesn't work, I give it back to the DI, or hang on to it until I figure something else out.

 This is where the plates used to be.  I found the frames at a garage sale.  I put scrapbook paper in two of them and the black and white print is actually fabric from a skirt I got at a garage sale. 

 This is above my pantry.  All done with garage sale items, but I did add a bow here and there to jazz it up.  Total cost for all this was under $5.  YAY!!

All this stuff was already there, but I just painted the birdhouse to tie in the new color.  All from the DI...except the tile.  I made that years ago.

Here are the new curtains.  I found the fabric at Hobby Lobby, so this was the most expensive item in my "makeover"!  I am used to "bunched up" curtains, but I do like the way this looks.  I didn't follow a pattern; I just got the fabric and sat down one night and whipped them out.  That is so my style: JUST get it DONE!  LOL!

I also updated the decor I already had in my kitchen....pictures soon.  (I know, I know, you are holding your breath....ha ha)

That's that...

The Handsome Coach Rodgers!

Sasha's team played their hearts out tonight but didn't win so they are out of the tournament!  Shucks!!  It was a great season and we can't wait until next year...

Super Sasha getting ready to bat!!

Seth and Addie chillin' in the dugout!  Oh and yes, that is our hamster....Racer....he was our mascot.  How cool was that?  Yes, he came to most of the games and kept the girls company while in the dugout.

Audrey liked the dugout too.  Here she is pointing out the bats to me....again......  For the record she does own many shoes but won't wear any of them.  I give up!
Nice job, Racers!  It was so fun watching you all improve with each game!  Hope to see you next year!!!!  But, I have one question: NOW what will we do each night??  We have been going to games every week night for weeks now.  It will feel kinda strange to not have uniforms to get washed and equiment to load up in the car every night.  That's kinda sad.........guess we'll have to ride bikes, eat ice cream, or weed the garden instead.

Father's Day 2012

Happy Father's Day!

The kids and I ALL went to Kohl's to find some new shirts and ties for Daddy.  I taught the children how to dive into the clearance racks and or bins and to not come up for air until you have found some killer deals.  Mission accomplished.  Yesssss!

 Every year Will says he just wants a shirt the kids made for him.  So, we make him one! This year made a hand and footprint shirt for him, and one for my dad.  Audrey LOVED getting her hands and feet painted and wanted to do it again and again.  She came up to Will all day on Saturday when he had on his shirt, saying "I made it!!".  Yep, she sure did!  Noah was not amused with me painting his hands and feet and smashing them on the shirts.

 My sweet dad sporting his shirt!  He wanted some socks this year, plus a shirt from the kids.  Done and done!! 

How cute is this picture???  Seth's scout leaders helped the boys make this for their dads.  I am in love with Seth's cute little face in this picture.  Not exactly smiling, but pretty dang cute, nonetheless.

We celebrated Father's Day on Saturday with a BBQ, a swim in the pool and ate a cake Sasha made.....I didn't get a picture!  UGH!  She made a cake with a purple fondant tie.  It was super and tasted delish!!  Happy Father's Day!!

The Coach's Wife...

How fun to have Will coach both the kids' teams this year.....or so I thought.....

ok, it has been fun and the our kids LOVED it.

BUT, there are things I don't like.

Parents are hard to please:

"Play my kid here!"

"Play my kid there!"

"Don't put my kid on the bench too often."

And on and on.

I have gotten so nervous at the games because I want the kids

to play well, but as the season has worn on, I get so nervous for Will.

The coach!  The guy that attended the meetings.  The drafts.  The practices. The extra practices. The games.  He wants all the kids to succeed.  He doesn't appreciate poor attitudes.  He wants the kids to play as a team and work hard for their teammates who are depending on you to do your best.

So, Will, I say to you: THANK YOU!  Thank you for being a great coach to these kids.  To OUR kids.  You are wonderful in my book and I appreciate all you have done.

You have been an amazing coach.  Plus, you look handsome in your baseball pants.

Sasha has game 1 of her tournament on Monday.

Play Ball!!

A Game, A Pool Party, and A Crawler....

Sasha's softball team had their last game before the tournament today and after, we had a BBQ for the team.  Hot dogs, chips, baked beans, pop, treats, and a blaring radio for 3 hours!  It was pretty stinkin' fun!

 The have a single elimination tournament on Monday...........Go RACERS!

 Then we have Noah.  He is so close to crawling!  He does this frog-jumping thingy to get around that makes us all laugh so hard!

Go, Noah, go!!

Oh, and we took the kids to the Bee's Stadium for training with the players.  The kids LOVED it.  Audrey loved running all over the chairs, stairs and the field.  I forgot my camera because I wasn't planning on going with them until the last minute, and golly we barely made it out the door with all the children.  Today was a super-duper fun day!  SUMMER is my FAVORITE!

Strawberry Girl

 My little Audrey loves to eat strawberry after strawberry....

 This is her favorite spot.....there is a rock in the middle of the patch. She'll sit out there and eat and eat.....

I didn't get a very big crop this year. Not enough to make jam......or maybe I did and she ate them all!!

A win!!

The Racers got their first win!!  They have had a loss or two, a tied game or two, and FINALLY tonight they won!!!!  Sasha has wanted to try pitching and has worked here at home with us, so tonight The Coach (Daddy) let her start the game.  She did a great job and struck someone out.  It was harder than she thought; nerves are the WORST, so she didn't finish the inning as pitcher, but we are proud of her for coming out of her comfort zone and trying something new.  Way to go, Sasha!

**The following pictures are of those individuals that made tonight's game nearly impossible for Mommy to watch.**

Someone cried and fussed the entire game....

And someone ran here and there and EVERYWHERE. (Why oh why do they keep the equipment sheds open during the games at the high school?? They have a million balls and all kinds of items that 2-year-olds shouldn't be playing with.  **sigh**)

At the end of the game I didn't even know who won!!  But, I had a feeling tonight was gonna be the night!  Sasha had a teammate and her brother, who Seth has become buddies with, over to swim and of course Daddy went and got shakes from Iceburg. Gotta celebrate that win, ya know! (I didn't get one, though.  I was a good girl and went to my water aerobics class instead!!)  One more game and then it's the tournament......

Finally got a hit...

This sweet litte lady had a rough first game.  Remember a ball nicked her bat and hit her just below her eye??  NOT a fun thing.  Ever since then she has been afraid of the ball.  I don't blame her.  Will worked with her at night and took her to the batting cages a few times, and still she acted afraid of the ball during games and was not getting a hit.  Every time she was up to bat, got her 5 pitches and didn't get a hit, she would smile and say "I am just gonna be happy!" and go back to her teammates.  (A fellow teammember would most certainly NOT smile about striking out every single time.......not gonna name names here.........) So, we were impressed that she didn't get mad about it, she just kept trying.  But, we were running out of games!!  During her last game, she was the last player in the team to bat and she was down to one last pitch.  I started to turn my head as the last pitch flew out of the machine because I could not bear to watch her end the season without a hit, that little sweetheart of mine...but.....SHE HIT IT!!!!!  The crowd all cheered since the parents of the other players knew she had not had a hit all season and they were just as happy as we were.  (I loved that we all supported and loved eachother's kids.  So neat). She ran as fast her little legs would carry her and made it safely to first base.  The smile on her face was priceless.  The inning ended with her bat and it was too cute to see her around all her teammates smiling from ear to ear cause she got a hit, too!  My sweet baby girl taught me a great lesson:  face your fears and don't give up. I love you, my Addie Boo!

We ended Seth and Addie's season with a pool party for the team complete with 47 packages of hot dogs and other delicious items.  It was perfect.

Utah Homeschooling Convention 2012

I look forward to this every year.  It is wonderful to hear keynote speakers, attend classes of my choice, wander around the curriculum fair, meet up with my homeschooling chums, and just be around A LOT of other homeschoolers. I always walk away feeling refreshed, recommitted, and full of ideas I want to try.  I love it.

Here are some notes I took from each of the four classes I took today:

THE 7 SUCCESS HABITS OF HOMESCHOOLERS by Alison Moore Smith
(Her book with this title is coming soon and I will most likely buy it.  I attended her first class and loved it and decided to attend her 2nd class, as well.)
*Habit 1: Change your mindset. What is a "good education" to you?  Why are you homeschooling?  You don't have to mimic public school in your homeschooling journey.
*Habit 2:  Define well-educated.  What does success look like to you?  Set general, flexible, long-term goals and adjust them as needed.
*Habit 3:  Organize and Prioritize.  (Her 2nd class went into this in more detail, so I'll list some of my notes here.)

• have an "in box"
• have a portable calendar
• file your reference papers, (tax papers, past bills, and so on) alphabetically.
• have a "someday" file.  Put things in there you don't need right now, but might someday. (I love this one.  I am always throwing away things I wish I had saved, but I hate having too many papers floating around!!)
• when cleaning and organizing a room have 5 boxes and a bag.  Box 1:  dump all contents of a drawer or whatever you have started cleaning out.  Box 2:  items to give away.  Box 3:  Put away box.  Don't stop organizing to put these items away.  Put them away when you are done.  Box 4:  Keep box. Things you want to keep.  Box 5:  Things you are emotionally attatched to and don't want to get rid of.  Each person in your family can have a box of these special items.  Bag:  Items you are throwing away.  (You could probably do this with less boxes and still get the same effect).
• When organizing think:  "easy in, easy out".  If it is too hard to get out, it will be too hard to put away and won't ever get put back right.
• Put things near the area where they are used.  Scissors and tape right with the wrapping paper; vegetable peeler in the drawer nearest the sink and so on.
• She mentioned the "Jeff Campbell Speed Cleaning System" which I will check out....
•  Meal Planning and Preparation:  She has a one week breakfast menu: eggs on Monday, Oatmeal on Tuesday and so on. She has 5 weeks of meals planned out that she rotates.
•   Laundry.  She washes the laundry, puts it in their bin, they fold and put it away.
• Homeschooling.  Have a dedicated homeschooling room where all or most items are kept.  Have a shelf for each child and their books.  Have binders for each subject.
•  Have a daily schedule and stick to it as much as you can, but also let your children explore subjects they love.  If they are engrossed in a science book, don't stop them so you can start history.

Habit 4:  Everybody wins.  You can choose what works for YOU.  Take what you want from public school and leave the rest.  Her kids can attend a class or two from public school in jr. high or high school.
Habit 5:  It's all about time.  Do school around these things:  Kid dates. Kid trips.  One-on-one time.  Mom is there MORE than peers.
Habit 6: (didn't catch what she named this one)  Field trips. Library. Service projects. Clubs. Kick-Off events. Use your skills; share what you can do with other homeschoolers.  Schedule downtime. 
Habit 7:  Be a Model in Progress.  Model what you want them to do and how you want them to be.  Create a success system.  Press ON!

Science and History by Catherine Levison
She follows the Charlotte Mason method and has written several books on this. 

• Study one person from history for 3 months.  Go into as much depth as you can studying from that time period:  literature, documents, letters, plays, art, novels, essays, poems, and biographies.
• Make a History Chart.  It is basically a big grid with 100 large squares.  Each square represents a year.  You then write or sketch something to represent that year.  A war, or something like that. Don't just do US history.  Do this with World History as well.  (I might try this on a smaller scale....)
• For science she suggested getting each child a sketch book.  This is their own and they don't need to show anyone.  Take them on nature walks.  Weekly!  Bring home things to sketch or sit and do it there.  Regarding science, your main goal should be to teach them to be observant.  They should be observant about:  stones, plants, constellations, birds, field crops, leaves.  Take them to the same place during each change in the seasons so they can "observe" the changes taking place.
• Teach them the "thing" before the name.  Help them see a flower, wonder what it is, go home and find OUT what the name is.  They will retain that longer.  (So true!  I was delighted to discover we have already done this.  We went for a walk in the spring and saw fuzzy caterpillars everywhere.   We didn't sketch them, but were still able to go home and find out what they were and write about them.  I LOVE doing science this way.  I want my kids to WANT to study the world around them!)

The last class I attend was called CLAP interviews.  Chores. Learning. Attitude. Planning.  Bascially the teacher has weekly meetings with each of her kids discussing each of these areas.  They set goals and she follows up with them each week.  She has THEM pick an attribute to work on that week: honesty, kindness and so on, and I loved that!

All in all it was a great conference and I got what I needed from it.  I often pray if homeschooling is still right for our family and for now, it still is.  I am excited about our school year.  I am grateful for the support I got today and that I know where I can go anytime I need a lift.  I have made many dear friends that understand what it is like to have your child hide from you during math time.  Or reading time.....or any time.  UGH!Being a parent is hard work.  Homeschooling is hard work.  But, it makes my heart sing.  I feel free to do what works for us as a family.  I am grateful I have that choice.  How blessed we all are!  :)  (I hope this post helps some of my homeschooling buddies who read my blog and weren't able to go today!!)

To the Convention I go.....

Off to the Utah Homeschooling Convention I go tomorrow.  I am looking forward to it so much!! **Except for the fact that it is in Provo this year and Noah came down with a fever today.** I have picked out my classes, got my notebook and pen ready so I can take some serious notes.  I am hoping I can get some fresh ideas, get inspired, and feel ready for our school year.  **Although I had planned on homeschooling through the summer, I have reconcidered this.  Will thinks I should take a break.  This is the first summer in a very long time that I haven't been super sick and newly pregnant, heavily pregnant and beyond grouchy, or caring for a newborn and completely sleep deprived.  Good point.  I have taken the last few weeks to get some things done around here that I have neglected because of school, taken time to think about what I want or need to do to improve our homeschool journey and have just enjoyed not having to wake up at 5am to get my workout in before school.  Soooooo, I plan on doing things here and there with the kids, but mostly I want to go to this convention and get some new ideas and set some goals.  We still had our geography group which was really fun.  Sasha is joining a youth homeschooler summer group and they have some fun things planned. We will still attend Lego Club and are still doing gymnastics.  Yay for summer.........now if it can get and stay WARM, I'd be one happy girl.

Fun to do....to do, to do, to do!!

Wearing your sister's batting helmet backwards is fun to do.....(if anything of theirs is ever missing, they know who to ask.  Not that she will tell you where she put it, but it's worth a shot.....)

Hitting your first homerun and stopping at Iceburg after the game is fun to do......(you just might want to tell mommy where you went, cause she drove separately and got a tiny bit worried....)

Being related to the boy who hit his first homerun and getting a shake, too is fun to do, as well.

**Did you  know it is hard to keep all the uniforms washed and ready for the next game when you have somebody playing every night, and daddy coaching every night?  It is a wonder that the kids made it to their games with their own uniform on, and that it was actually clean and not dripping wet cause there wasn't time to put it in the dryer.  I feel like I need a trophy!!**

Let's go, RACERS!!

Sasha and her daddy!

What a fun season this has been!  It has been so fun watching all these girls improve and do better and better each game.  Most have never played before, like our Sasha.  They have put in an extra practice and stayed later to have batting practice, and they have done so well.

Sasha has proven to be a great hitter and a wonderful 2nd baseman.  She always has a good attitude and is getting better and better at going after that ball!  Go, RACERS!