Play Ball!

Briggs can be seen throughout the pictures as the one with white pants, black cleats, and his shirt tucked in . He is second from the left in the above picture.

Briggs got to play t-ball this spring and loved it. He is definitely a baseball kid. Of all of the sports, he gravitates towards it, gets excited whenever he wears one of his baseball shirts, always has a baseball cap on, and loves to spend time on the couch with Daddy learning all of the rules.

So, we were very excited when his coach arranged for them to have one-on-one time with the CalPoly team.

These kids are little, but they looked even smaller out on that field with the big guys. They got to meet and Hi-5 all of the players (one CalPoly guy even bent down and tied one the kids cleats that were untied! So cute!).



We weren't down there to hear what they were saying, but they really look like they are getting drilled by the big guys.



Then they were included in the team cheer right before the game. You really can't see all of the little guys in that huddle.



Then they ran out on the field and joined them in their warm-ups. They announced before they went out, "Playing left-field, Briggs Rober!" (and really, left-field is a good place for our little Briggs...) They stayed out there for the national anthem.


Lucas and Briggs. Guess who is about to do the bat spinning game?


That's him getting dizzy for the fan's entertainment.


He had a blast. But I paid for leaving the game early with Ty (Brian stayed with Briggs). Before I even got to my car, Brian called me to say there were Hearst castle tickets hidden under my seat. They announced the winning seat right after I left and Brian wasn't fast enough to beat out the man on the other side of the seat. Bummer! I need some of Lisa and John's luck!

Self-swirlies

So....

Ty gave himself a swirly the other day.

No joke.

I guess he got some dinner in it, and that displeased him.

When he disappeared from the table I went looking for him. It was too quiet in the bathroom when I approached, so I braced myself and peeked in.

He was mumbling something to himself and methodically dunking his head into the toilet.

It had been flushed and cleaned recently... not that that makes it any better.

Solvang

We went hiking on Saturday around Solvang. We saw some cool hollow trees the kids called "Lost Boys trees". We saw a waterfall - but honestly, Ty's waterworks in our bathroom last month were much more spectacular.
We saw some large-shoe action in Solvang, then topped the night off with a viewing of Night at the Museum, Battle of the Smithsonian. Our kids loved the first one, and equally enjoyed the second one.

Mark and Kris

My brother-in-law won American Idol last night...

Kris Allen

Mark Rober

8 eyes

Here is what it means to be Ashlynn:

We were reading in the scriptures about how people use to fast in the old days. Brian was teaching them the proper way to fast (we don't make them fast now) by explaining how people use to wear sack cloth and cover themselves in ashes and moan and complain all day to draw attention to their fast.
Without missing a beat Ashlynn said, "I bet I would be good at that."

Zing!

Here is what it means to be Briggs:

Background: the kids came with us while we donated blood at a blood drive (they played outside on the grass. We didn't make them watch us.)
...then...

Ashlynn asks what the big deal is with 40th birthdays, why don't people want to turn 40? I explained.
Then Briggs says, "And 18th birthdays are a big deal because then people can take your blood"

Poor misinformed guy.

This is what it is like to me Ty:

"Dad. Be careful when you take my shirt off, because it's going to pinch me and I'm going to be angry.'

"Dad. Don't spray water in my eyes because then they're not going to be pretty."





In other news, Ash and Briggs both got glasses.
Briggs's response, "This wasn't supposed to happen!"




Ashlynn's response, leaping and jumping and sqealing for joy as if she were just told she was going to become a princess and live in a Michaels craft store and never have to go to school again . In other words, she was excited.

Ty is also taking swim lessons to try and release some of that crazy energy and affinity for water in a productive manner.

Hiking on the Central Coast

Nursing cover

I've been getting back into sewing a little bit more, lately. I've made a few quilts for the new babies in the family, have another one in the works for a friend, and I recently made this nursing cover (aka Hotter Hider. tee hee!) for that same friend. I used this tutorial. It is pretty easy and quick to make.