Krushers Rock

Mason and Tanner's baseball teams played in a tournament this weekend. It was so hot outside. I felt sorry for the boys. Tanner's team didn't do so well, but Mason's team was on fire. Both boys played 2 games on Saturday. The tournament was single elimination and Tanner's team lost their Sunday game. Mason's team played at 7:45 a.m. Sunday morning. They won that game. Their next game was at 3:45. We won that game and played again at 7:45 for the championship. The boys played the best game and ended up winning 3-2. It was a lot of fun! We didn't end up getting home until around 11 that night. It was a very long day.

Let the war begin

The boys have been playing war a lot lately. Their friends from the neighborhood all come over, they pair up into teams, and off they go. They each have an air soft gun and glasses. I love it, because they will play for hours. We have a pond in the center of the neighborhood that has trees on one side and houses on the other. This is the central location for the battles. Last night Mason came home upset and said a cop stopped him and told him he couldn't play anymore. My rule is the kids can only shoot someone who is playing, they may not shoot anything in anyone's yard, and they must wear glasses. He said they weren't bothering anyone. He was so mad. He kept saying that the cop was dumb and insisted I go and find the cop to talk to him. We loaded up in the car and drove around the neighborhood, but we couldn't find him. The whole time Mason kept talking smack, acting all tough. When we got home I called the police department and was told an old couple thought they had bb guns. That the complaint was unfounded. I told the boys to give it a rest for the night and they could play again the next day. I put the boys to bed and about an hour later Mason came down all upset. He asked it it would really be okay for them to play tomorrow. I told him yes, and he said, "But I don't want to get into trouble from the police." That is my Mason. Tough on the outside, but tender on the inside.

First days of summer

We have been to two birthday parties since school has been out. Sunday a kid on Mason's team had a swim party. At that party Tanner got jumped on and had a horrible bloody nose. Once I got the bleeding to stop and got him cleaned up he said his tooth felt funny. I looked in his mouth and noticed his bottom front tooth was chipped. I saw money signs. I already had a dental appointment for him, because he had a small filling come out and I wanted that checked out. We went to the dentist on Tuesday and I was really worried about the cost. Every time I go to the dentist it cost me a butt load of money. We saw the dentist and he said he didn't want to do anything with the small cavities because they are on baby teeth and will be coming out soon. The chipped tooth will be fine. He doesn't want to do anything with it either. He said when he gets older and can take care of it we will take care of it. Did I mention how much I love my dentist!!!!!!!!? I left there paying $5.

The second party was at Memorial City mall. Before the party started the boys and I went and did a little shopping. Mason said he wanted some plaid shorts. This took me by surprise because I have tried to get him to get some for over a year and he refused. He picked himself out some new clothes and insisted on changing before the party. He has basically lived in athletic shorts, under armour, and t-shirts for the last couple of years. I guess he is growing up. I asked Tanner if he wanted some plaid shorts and he said no. Guess what he picked out, athletic shorts and shirts to match. I am just happy Tanner will wear t-shirts now. He went a year wearing nothing but under armour. I guess I will just be happy with the small amount of progress.

The party was at the ice skating rink. The kids played broom ball. They had these sticks and basically played a game like hocky. They made them wear baseball helmets. As I watched them playing I thought to myself, someone is going to get hurt. Well, someone did, but it wasn't my kids for a change. One of Mason's team mates got hit by a stick in the mouth and chipped his front top tooth. It doesn't look bad, but it really upset him. Then the birthday boy got hit in the eye. I am not real sure why they would make the kids wear helmets without face masks. The kids were swinging those sticks around. I am surprised their weren't more injuries.




See Mason with his cute plaid shorts.

YIPPEE

Today Mason had a visit with his nephrologist. He has stayed in remission for almost a year and 1/2. We have maintained the same doses on his medications to keep him from relapsing. Today we decided to go prednisone free. I am so happy!! He has only been taking 5mg every other day, but I can still tell a difference in his personality on the days he takes it and the days he doesn't. If he continues to pee protien free urine we will try and take away another medication. Our ultimate goal is to be medicine free. If he can handle the reduction of the medicines this may mean he no longer has nephrotic syndrome. This would be the answer to many prayers!!

Tanner's Journal

The last day of school was Thursday. Woohoo!! As I was going through all the stuff the boys brought home I found Tanner's journal. Here is an entry typed just the way he wrote it.

My favret relitive is uncle Scot heas a UT fan heas nise and frendly hese still alive we visit him evry year. I like him becas heas fun he likes to play chest. becase heas a chest teacher. He always bets me so we play anouther game.

Scott has always joked around and called chess, chest. Thanks Scott for making my son think the game is called chest. We are so glad you are still alive.

My summer goals: 1. Teach Tanner the game is chess not chest. I really don't want him to start playing chest for at least 10 years. 2. Teach Tanner to spell. Man does he suck at spelling. He is the perfect example of why a weekly spelling list and test on Friday does not work. We have studied all the words he wrote at least once for a spelling test. Thank God for spell check.

Astro game and lost boy

Monday at school one of my friends offered me 4 Astro's tickets. At first I told her no, because I was tired. We had been gone all weekend playing and working a baseball tournament. I thought about it some more and decided it was stupid to turn down free tickets, especially because Mason had been asking me if we could go. I told the boys they had to really clean their rooms and we would go. They vacuumed dusted and basically became my slaves in order to go to the game. We weren't sure Brad would be able to make it, because he had already planned on working late. He told us he would meet us there if he could. We left pretty early because Mason wanted to try and get autographs. Lucky for us one of the Astro's threw him a ball and then signed his ball and the one Tanner had brought with him. Tanner came running over to me and asked me how much he could sell it on ebay. I asked him who signed it. He didn't know who it was. I'm thinking no one is going to buy the ball of an unknown Astro. We watched the game until about the 7th inning and then the boys played at the Squeeze Play for a while. When we left the play area the boys were thirsty. I didn't feel like taking out a small loan to buy them another drink, so I pointed out a water fountain and told them I was going into the restroom. When I came out I saw Mason watching the game, but didn't see Tanner. I asked Mason where he was, but he didn't know. We checked around, looked in the restroom, Mason walked outside and looked by the squeeze play, but no Tanner. I stood there wondering what to do and getting really scared. I started to walk toward the door to check the Squeeze play area and saw Tanner walking up with a weird looking dude. He had those things you put in your earlobes that stretches them out. It didn't register to me that they were together. I asked Tanner where he had been and they guy said he had found him outside of Minute Maid Park walking down the street. Tanner said he was going to look for us at the car. He didn't know where I was. I thanked the guy for bringing him back and started on my lecture for Tanner. When I got home and told Brad what had happened he said, "You mean Tanner was with a freak." I said, "Yes, he might have looked like a freak, but he had a heart of gold. He brought us our Tanner back." This has freaked me out. I have talked to Tanner about what to do from now on if he is ever lost. I guess I did this to him by telling him we were going to the car when Mason left us in the mall. Poor kid, he must be really confused. Brad yelled at him and asked him what he was thinking. "Don't you know your mom would never leave you?" Of course I wouldn't. The two incidents were totally different, but I guess in the mind of a little boy he doesn't see that. This was not a great day in my parenting life.

Before and After

We have lived in our house for 2 years already. So far I have painted the kitchen, dining room, office, master bathroom and the half bath. We have really needed to paint the living room and going up the stairs, because having two boys is not the best for light colored walls. The walls are so tall we didn't think we could do it ourselves and do a nice job.

Brad and I decided we wanted to get the living room and entryway painted. We also have a deal with replacing the floors. We needed some money, so we had a Craigslist garage sale. We spent an afternoon going through our things and deciding what we really needed and what we could get rid off. I should say going through Brad's things. He is a pack rack. Kind of a white Sanford and Son. We ended up selling everything we posted and made about $1400. The first thing we did was get the painting done. I love how it looks, see the before and after pictures.. In a couple of weeks we will get the floors done. I can't wait.