The Dugout

Alex just finished another baseball season. I am always a little sad when it ends, but I'm glad that we have the extra time now. It is a huge time commitment and entails a lot of chauffeuring which isn't fun when I-900 is all torn up.

Anyway, this was Alex's first time in Pony (Lake Sammammish) League and he had an amazing time. The main differences in Pony as compared to Little League is the field is bigger, and they are allowed to lead off, pick-off, and slide head first. Alex was one of the smallest players on the team. I think this age (13-14) is when young men have their growth spurts and some of his teammates had obviously already had theirs.

Alex played Second Base the whole season with a few Left and Right Field thrown in. He assisted in a couple of double plays and that's when I saw him smile the most. He also loved being able to pick off players who were diving back to second. He really loves playing baseball and just loves it more now that he's starting to have to use strategy and has to utilize his brain more. I've never noticed before but they have to pay attention all the time. It's a very intense game when you really watch all that's going on out there. I could never do it...too much stress.

Alex also got to be appreciated for his hitting ability. He started the season off near the bottom of the batting order. The final game he was hitting second. He still can't hit the ball too far, he doesn't have the weight behind him, but he was probably the most consistent hitter, only striking out a hand-full of times. He got many singles and a few doubles and one or two triples. His coaches teased him calling him "Mr. 500" a couple of times. He proved he could hit like the 14-year-olds and was a great team asset. He also was pretty good at leading off and diving back (which would always make me cringe--and make him smile).

I wanted to post some things we heard coming from the dugout. Mostly, because they made us laugh. But, also because it proves that although these boys show so much maturity on the field it's apparent they are really still just boys who like to have fun:).

One of the boys broke his ankle early in the season (not playing baseball) and wasn't able to come to practice much. When he returned to sit through some of the games Martin heard one of the boys say to him, "Dude, you're back! We thought you broke your scrotum!" I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure you cannot break that body part....but I'm no urologist.

The boys sometimes had a hard time with the officiating (big surprise). Once, one of the guys was batting and was struck out. He did not agree with the call and charged back into the dugout stomping and saying, "I can't believe he called me out. I've KILLED people for less!" He was lucky he wasn't ejected.

There were many more funny things that were said. It was always funny. This age cracks me up sometimes. I really love it!

I am so thankful for what baseball teaches Alex. He has learned discipline, how to be a team player, how to listen to and respect authority figures, to have confidence in his abilities, and he has learned the importance of practicing. They're all things that will be of value to him in his future. Most of all, I'm glad he has something he loves to do that's just fun! We should all be so lucky!

End of the Year and Start of a New Year

The end of school has come at LONG last. I always get so excited when my kids are finished with school. I get to have a nice break from the carting around factor and I really love having them around. It's going to be a fun summer!

Isaac graduated from Kindergarten. I use the word graduated loosely, because there was a possibility that he would repeat Kindergarten. Isaac's teacher suggested the possibility of his retention and the therapists and counselors at school said it might be beneficial if he could get into all-day Kindergarten; if not, they said half-day would not help. We decided to put his name on the lottery list for all day K, just in case, and then we would make our decision. He didn't make it into the first class so we thought our decision was made (that was easy) and we'd send him on to 1st grade. However, a wrench was thrown in when they added two more all-day classes and Isaac again became eligible....back to a hard decision. We prayed about it and the impression came to us to send him on to 1st grade anyway. If he needs to be retained at the end of 1st grade we will do it then. Until then, this summer will be filled with lots of tutoring for Isaac at the local learning center! It's all good! He's excited to have his own personal teacher.

Olivia and Alex finished 4th and 7th grade respectively. They both did an awesome job with their studies this year and both maintained their piano studies and dance and baseball "professions" and had a lot of fun play-time too (which I think is so important). It was a great year, but they are ready for a well-deserved break!

Martin and I celebrated our 15th Anniversary on June 17th. We decided to spend it in Cannon Beach, our original honeymoon destination. How fun it was to be in the same spot where we started out our journey together. Wow! We have come a long way. At the time of our wedding we had no idea we would end up in the northwest. It's ironic that that is where we chose to go after our wedding. Incidentally, we went there originally because we saw an advertisement in a Bridal magazine and it looked beautiful and fun.

We had an amazing time on our vacation. My niece, Jessica, came to stay with our kids and Martin and I were able to be alone for a few days. We trusted her fully and didn't worry once. We stayed at the same inn we stayed 15 years ago. Back then it was a brand new inn and it was beautiful and luxurious. The Stephanie Inn is still the same. This time we decided to get their best room and that happened to be in the Carriage House right next to the hotel. It turned out to be an AMAZING place. The room was beautiful and had windows everywhere so at any given time we could see and hear the ocean. It was a lot more quiet than the main inn too. We spent 3 days mostly sitting together and reading and talking. We shopped at the cute little shops and had a couple of massages in the hotel's spa. It was so nice to not have the television on, or the phone ringing, or other little interruptions. We truly just relaxed. They also gave us 40% off of everything at the hotel because we were return guests (including the spa treatments and food).


Martin and I have come so far in our marriage. We have our hard times and we aren't perfect but our marriage continues to get stronger everyday. It's the journey that continues to strengthen us. I can't imagine my life without him. He finishes my sentences, knows how I'll react in any given situation and listens to what's going on in my heart. He knows me better than I know myself. He tells me every day, sometimes dozens of times, how much he loves me and how beautiful he thinks I am in, inside and out. He is the father of my children, and is such an amazing dad. I get really emotional when I think about how my kids will remember their dad when they get older. I treasure my memories of my dad and I know how those experiences have shaped my life for the better.


Anyway, we had a great start off to our summer and our 16th year together. It's been an incredible life and I can't wait for the following chapters!

My 15 Minutes of Fame (this is it, huh?)

Well, everyone is said to have their own 15 minutes of fame in a life time and here's mine. I was in the news paper this past week. It was for the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk, which takes place this Saturday. I got to talk a little bit about my sister and the problem of finding a cure for brain cancer. Hopefully, it helped the cause a little bit. That's all I can ask for.

A couple of months ago the "Events Specialist" for the walk called me to see if I would be willing to be interviewed for the Issaquah Press to help promote the walk this year. She somehow saw my blog from last year's event and thought I was a good candidate. I, of course, agreed. Anyway I can honor Jenny by helping others with the same disease is all good in my book.

The article was really great. Here's the link http://www.issaquahpress.com/2009/05/19/brain-cancer-remains-incurable-fatal/ if you didn't get a chance to see it. The reporter did a good job in conveying something that really bothers me about the research for brain cancer. Since it is such an obscure cancer compared to some other cancers it gets little in the way of money to help fund the research and development of new treatments. If there could be anywhere near the amount of money raised for brain cancer that is raised for other cancers, there would be some serious advancements. That is why breast cancer and prostate cancer sufferers are surviving at a much higher rate now. What a blessing! I understand brain cancer doesn't affect as many people, but it is a death sentence for a lot of patients. Advancements are always a good thing no matter what cancer!

There were a few misunderstood points in the article. Several of the finer points about Jenny's diagnosis and story were not quite on, like her age and circumstances. For example, she was able to have radiation therapy while pregnant with Phoenix which was quite possibly the route of treatment they would have chosen even if she hadn't been pregnant. I am of the opinion that she would still have had the same life expectancy had she not been pregnant. Anyway, that is a minor detail.

I do think the author made too broad of an assumption in saying that all brain cancer is deadly. A diagnosis of brain cancer, in and of itself, does not mean the patient should expect to die. However, the stage of brain cancer Jenny had, Glioblastoma, is usually fatal within 2 years. Glioblastoma is a term referred to patients with stage 4 cancer cells, or late-term cancer. When Jenny's tumor was biopsied it showed very few stage 4 cells but the oncologist told her that if the tumor contains any stage 4 cells at all they technically had to call it Glioblastoma. And it is true that the cancer almost always comes back even after treatment. I don't know for sure, but I would assume that a person with stage 1 or 2 brain cancer has a much better chance of eradicating the cells for good. But I'm no oncologist!

This was really a great experience for me. I hoped to really raise a lot of money for the walk this year! I'm way short of my goal, but that's okay. With family and the life of a mom always looming, I haven't had much time. I'm so excited to walk on Saturday!

Mr. Baseball and the 2009 Season (so far)

Is there anything I love more than baseball season? Hmmm....maybe, but I do love it. I love sitting in the sunshine and watching Alex. I'm always amazed at the maturity he shows on the field. This year is his first year out of the Little League program and since there's no team at the middle school we decided to go to the Pony League this year. He plays with 13 and 14 year olds (I think some may 15 also).

These kids are HUGE! My dad was visiting a month ago and went to a game, and as he so eloquently put it, "Some of those kids are big enough to eat hay and pull a plow." I was nervous when I first saw how big these kids are. Mostly because I wondered how in the world Alex would be able to compete with those guys. Apparently, puberty hits around this age and we're still waiting for it with Alex). Most of the guys are 6 to 12 inches taller than he is.

Well, I need not have worried. It took a game or two to adjust to the faster pitching, longer base runs, and head-first sliding, but he's totally up to speed now. It is taking me a longer time to figure out all the stupid new rules...what the heck is a balk???? I've never seen so many dumb rules! Oh, not to mention the "new" rules Alex has assigned to me. I am to no longer call him "Ally," "The A Man," "Big A," "Smiley," or "Bud," as in years past. Now it is "The AC," or nothing. I have also been given strict instructions to never take unsolicited pictures. Hmph! I had to sneak this one in and he was very unhappy.

Alex's coaches this year are some great dads. There are also 3 young men that are recently graduated from High School that have been doing most of the on-field coaching. They were all on Issaquah High's championship team at some point. One of them is a pitcher who was drafted straight from high school to the Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately, he injured his arm pretty severely and plans have changed for him. He and his buddies are coaching the young team and are great at what they do. I think Alex is a little star-struck, but at least he is getting an idea of how to be a team player from some amazing players. I think it's been fun for him to see up close and personal how fast a major league pitcher can throw!

Little Bunnies Foo-Foo

This is one of the 3 baby bunnies living in our back yard. I have seen the mother a lot lately in our garage, on our front lawn, crossing the street and it seems she has taken up residence in the rocks behind our house. We were out doing yard work last Saturday and Martin almost thatched one of the babies to death before he saw it was there. Luckily, the bunny moved just in time and we were spared an ugly, bloody scene with our children looking on. I guess the rocks make for good warrens.

I have read "Watership Down" and it's one of my favorite books. Therefore, I am a little bit obsessed with bunny rabbits. Also, when I was just starting College my parents got some rabbits and they were so cute!! My sister Jenny made a video about them (it was a horror film). I wish I could find that video, it was hilarious...something like "Attack of the Killer Bunnies." Anyway, I'm wasting way too much time daydreaming about bunnies. Help!!

I am also worried. My perennials are just starting to poke out of the ground and I fear they don't stand much chance against this little family. Plus, I remember why my parents got rid of the bunnies: the mess they make is UNBELIEVABLE. To make matters worse, Livi and the Cuteness are trying to domesticate the bunnies and have been naming them...never a good sign. Maybe they'll just leave when they're big enough! Right?!?

Come on everyone!!

So I know it's only been a week since you all heard about the brain cancer walk, but I have not heard from too many of you!! I know we can do better than that.

I just wanted to let you know some of the plans we have in the works for raising money. First, Amy and I have decided to have a garage sale in which all proceeds will go to the walk. We are hoping some local friends and family will have some items they can donate for this. We are planning on holding the sale when the Talus Community holds their annual sale (the date to come soon). It will be great! So if you have anything you'd like to donate to the cause, comment on this blog! Also, we thought a bake sale might be a fun way to raise some funds. We are thinking we could do the bake sale the same day as the garage sale and have it in the same area. The catch is we'll need some people willing to donate some baked goods (hint, hint). Again, let me know if this sounds at all appealing to you!

Finally, if you are still wondering if you want to walk just let me know and I'll talk you into it!! We need a big team this year! If you aren't able to walk you can just make a contribution (we would be happy if you did).

Here's a bit of what my sister, Mindy wrote about the walk that I'd thought I'd share:

Dear fellow bloggers, we need your help! As you probably all know my sister, Jenny, passed away just over a year ago from brain cancer, leaving behind two darling little girls. Now imagine if you were given a diagnosis of terminal cancer... now imagine it's brain cancer, like my sisters, and you are told that towards the end of your life, you will not be you - as everyone knows you - as the cancer takes over your brain. So the last few months of your life aren't spent holding your children, kissing and hugging them before you pass on. You spend it staring off, unable to speak - even though you want to - you just can't make the words come out (your brain won't let you). You can't feed yourself, or walk, or do any daily functions you should be able to do for yourself, however, you sit and watch your 18 month old do them, all by herself. It's a horrific death, as all cancer is. None of us would want this for themselves or for any of their loved ones and would do anything to make sure it never happens.Well my sister, Heather, and her friend, Amy, are participating in the Brain Cancer Walk in Seattle, Washington where they live. They have set a high goal for themselves, $5,000 in pledges! They would appreciate your help in helping them reach their goal. 100% of all pledges (and even registration fees) goes to support the Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment (CABTT) at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute. When Jenny was going through her treatment it would have been so nice to have had a Neuroscience Institute full of the newest treatments and technology. The Huntsman Cancer Institute was great, much better than what most people have access to, however, it wasn't a neuroscience institute. How great it would have been to have had access to something like that. But the research and the new treatments that they are working on will help all brain cancer patients throughout the world. I understand times are tough and money is short for most of us, but a donation of $5 or $10 (the amount spent for lunch at Wendys or McDonalds) does help and adds up quickly. You can get a pledge form by emailing my sister at heathermariec@comcast.net or email myself at mindymiller@earthlink.net.

Thanks again, everyone! Gold bless you!