After the fall break, things got back to normal..... quite quickly!
School is, well, quite ridiculous. The schedule is exhausting -- between what I'm doing teaching + the kids' activities -- it's enough to make anyone's head spin! (Hence the very very late blog post!)
Between both kids, baseball games and practices took up 5 days a week. We only had Sundays and Mondays off (unless there was a tournament on Mercer's tournament team... if so - then there would be baseball all day Sunday too.) Mercer moved up to the 6th - 12th grade "youth" program at church which meets on Sunday evenings. He has boy scouts each Monday night, but Isabella has dance on Mondays. Literally - there was something Every.Single.Night. :(
Too much! If Todd had a building committee meeting or I had a class at night.... it would throw off the entire juggle of our schedule! THANK GOODNESS baseball ended!
Here are photos from each baseball season and end-of-season parties. I have to admit, Isabella is a cutie in the catcher's gear.
She would also get really excited if she made a hit or made it to base. She even got to cross the plate a couple of times and was ecstatic when / if this happened.
Once during the season, our East Marietta club went to play away games at a club called Milton. Isabella kept telling everyone: "the other team was like 'what? a girl?'... they were wild about me!"
And... during her baseball party the coach would say a few words about each player before giving them their trophies. She LOVED hearing the coach talk about her. She proudly announced how she was the only girl. We were afraid she wouldn't enjoy being the only girl since the "all girl baseball team" didn't happen this fall.... but we were sorely wrong!
Her coaches had great energy and made the season a lot of fun! They definitely made her feel comfortable and helped her grow as a player.
Todd coached Mercer's team this fall. There was one coach who came to East Marietta this year from a different league that was really harsh to his players... talking down to them - even if they won the game - about how awful they played. He supposedly cursed at the kids some too... and his players started doing this to the other teams. It brought the energy down in our 11U league!
Lots of us 'regulars' called / emailed / complained. Fall ball is a season for growing and learning. In fact, on Todd's team, he had 11 year old players who had never played before. I was proud of Todd for keeping practices and games enjoyable. Also, there was one girl on the team -- another new player. Isabella liked seeing her (Kennedy) playing in this older league.
That "mean" coach ended up winning this fall season with the number of games won -- but he did not win any respect from the other teams. In fact, there were so many complaints about this guy's attitude that I'd be surprised if he was allowed to coach in the spring?!
There is such a difference - after playing in the All-Stars and in the extra "tournament" team that Mercer has been playing with for over a year now - then going to "fall ball." Mercer was frustrated some with clumsy plays and lack of knowledge of the game by some of his teammates in the regular fall league but he kept his chin up and tried to mentor a couple of his teammates. He was certainly a leader.
At least he got to play some competitive baseball through this tournament team (the Spikes). They are pretty much the All-Stars team for his age group.
The Spikes are not as competitive as the full-time travel baseball teams where parents pay thousands of dollars a year to be on a team.... but they "belong" in these tournaments and do all right. Who knows.... after they've been together another year, maybe they'll win more of these tournament games? The rules are different than what they're using in the sanctioned Little League. The bats are different too. They did a lot better this year in the Spikes than they did their 1st year (especially b/c they didn't know you could use the big-barrel bats that first year)~
The last tournament ended in a fun way... they ended up with a RING! The boys were so excited to have gotten some baseball bling. (They came in 2nd in their bracket.)
Baseball has been replaced with 1 hour basketball practices / games (2 days a week) for Mercer instead of 4 days a week of baseball at 2-3 hours each. Isabella did not - thankfully - replace her 3 days of baseball with anything!
So, it's feeling a little more manageable these days... <just a little>.
Last year - because of baseball - Todd and Mercer were not able to go to the annual "Ray Day" celebration that we've been going to as a family for years. This year, however, Sunday baseball tournaments flanked this particular weekend [the stars aligned] & we were all able to go.
Cool thing, too, is that one of Mercer's friends from preschool (whose mom is in the sustainability industry and I got to know quite well over this decade-long friendship) was there too. Mercer had a buddy!
Two years ago when Mercer went (he was 9).... he was starting to get too old for the activities... he built a bird house and a bat house but didn't enjoy the other kid events.
This year, however, he and Gabriel had a BLAST hanging out together on their own... wandering the grounds of Serenbe, going to the food and beverage stations as much as they wanted.... playing baseket ball next to the inn... exploring new things. It was pretty cool to see these two guys re-united after not having seen each other in more than a year!
Gabriel didn't stay as long as we did, so Mercer and I hung out a bit too -- including building another birdhouse with my old colleague, Mike. (who - as it turns out - says that this is what he should be doing instead of sustainability education: building with kids... teaching kids to use tools.) It was fantastic hanging out with him as we used to travel and teach all over the Southeast for years.... and usually had a pretty good time while teaching. It's like an old friendship - picking back up where we left off.
I got to really catch up with others from the sustainability industry this year while Mercer explored....unlike last year where I was chauffeuring Isabella around the event checking out all of the kid activities. This year, the "keeping-up-with-Isabella" job was Todd's! :)
Looks like they did a lot of great things... all thanks to the Ray Anderson foundation!
These are the LAST photos of Isabella's BEAUTIFUL little-kid smile.
That night, she worked almost all night on wiggling out her loose front tooth. (She probably only got a few hours of sleep because of her determination!) Her comment to me: "You'll have to get used to this smile for awhile."
Sadly, yes. But -- she's proud of that snaggle.
The Halloween costume was not dampened by the fact that this little vampire was missing a tooth! It only enhanced the look~ ha!
Somewhere inside of this inflatable Stay-Puft Marshmallow guy from the Ghostbusters movie is a silly 11 year old boy who is as tall as we are. Halloween was rainy and the annual neighborhood party was cancelled. But - Todd, Mercer and Isabella went on a quest for candy while I passed out treats from our house.
A neighbor shot this photo and sent to me from the top of the street. :)
Due to the weather, we had about 1/2 of the kids come this year than in years past... we had lots of left-over candy. (ugh) Todd did all of the decorating and carving this year. Kudos! I did some scary-cookie baking this year (broken bone and witches fingers sugar cookies).
It's a juggle - soooo glad that Todd took the lead on decorations this year!
I also volunteered at the youth haunted house in the basement of our church. I came straight from baseball and didn't have a costume. I sifted through a box of clothes and props / put on an old robe + this hat with wig. I think it came together nicely!
Mercer arrived later... he didn't have a costume either... but he was donned in his baseball uniform. (The youth leaders thought that WAS his costume!) He was also carrying a baseball that he got signed earlier that day by a MLB player who came by the tournament. Mercer was pretty stoked about that!
He wanted to stop by the house for his inflatable costume, but had already missed the haunted rooms (thankfully b/c I don't think he would have liked them). He was bummed because he was certain he would have won 1 of the 3 prizes in the Halloween costume contest.
This girl look ghoolish here in this photo!! --->
About a week later Isabella's other front tooth fell out too. <Guess what she wants for Christmas?!> She is having fun singing that little song !!
On this particular day, she was at home because she was sick. She was the first one in our family to get hit with something. The school nurse suggested strep throat, although she tested negative. She did have a really high fever and a sore throat though. After a visit to urgent care (I took the photo so we could look at her tonsils / the doctor could explain a couple of things to me) and after an antibiotic, it was pretty much cleared up, although she's still coughing a little.
Then Mercer was super congested and his throat was really hurting. I picked him up early from school one day, but he didn't miss school otherwise. His was not bad enough to go to the doctor either. He's pretty much on the mend.
I had had a few weeks of difficulty breathing (and I still am, technically). I didn't go to the doctor until I woke up one morning with pain in one side of my chest... I had no other symptoms (no fever/ no sore throat). It just hit me.... I had fluid in my lungs! (Walking pneumonia, I suppose, since I was not bed-ridden.) I've finished one course of antibiotics, however, it's not better / I will have to go back to the doctor over Thanksgiving break. :(
Todd... fingers crossed... is avoiding it! (Although he started sniffling today- as I'm writing this blog.)
Mercer wasn't feeling well for Isabella's actual birthday. We went to dinner and he was leaning on me, head on my shoulder much of the time, sadly. At this point, Isabella was feeling fine and enjoyed the spotlight at dinner...
She also enjoyed the spotlight at school (I went to help out in her classroom for awhile and snapped some pics)
You're allowed to invite a friend to the parent table -- an area separate from the rest of the class tables. (She had two friends... which is against the rules, but when the Superintendent's daughter asks to join too, of course you say yes.
(Both of these little girls came to her birthday party too.)
Isabella enjoyed the spotlight during lunch when Todd joined us at the school. It's quite rare to have BOTH parents there!
She had a donut for breakfast - which seems to be their tradition since they don't really get them any other time. And she was reading a new book while eating it. We were a little later to school than anticipated because she wanted to finish the reading. (She absolutely loves to read!)
Todd and I got her an electronic keyboard.... which she really likes thankfully!
I think it was a good day for her!
Annnnd... here's Mercer.... having a good day too??!! (ewww.)
Isabella asked to have a "Frozen II movie" birthday party. The movie just came out but we pre- bought a block of tickets for some girls from her school + two baseball families that have little girls around her age (and parent chaperones).
This is definitely the cutest shot: the girls waiting (watching previews on the screen) until the movie started.
I did not get to see much of the movie because I had to leave and set up the party room, but I'm sure I'll see it at some point. The general consensus from the crowd was that it was good, but not as good as the 1st movie.
After the movie, the kids came to the party room. (I had just finished setting up a couple of minutes before they arrived!) There were coloring sheets, stickers, temporary tattoos, fingerprint crafts and - of course - cupcakes. It was sort of a free-for-all. I didn't really have the hour in the party room planned out, but all of the iridescent stuff looked fabulous! :) The photo props were a hit too.
We had invited one of the baseball families so that Mercer would have a buddy there. We assigned his seat / his ticket next to his friend. Apparently they kept going and getting refills of popcorn and soda throughout the movie, then they were spotted playing out in the lobby a game they "bubble-gum smash baseball?"
Since it's not every 11 year old boy's dream of going to see the movie Frozen, this was passable to have a friend there.
We tried to get a shot of the boys + their little sisters.... but it was pretty impossible (just like it was last spring when they were all at the ball field and we tried to get the same shot).
(These are out of order... the decorations had come down at this point and we were about to leave.)
This is the best we could do. Oh well!
Here is a shot of the baseball "sisters" that would play at the playground together while their brothers were having a game or a practice. (before we took the decorations down)
It was nice NOT having a party at our house, however, it was a lot to coordinate!
Overall, it went well and the little girls had fun at the party! What a way to start the 1st day of our Thanksgiving break!
After the party and we returned home with Isabella's gifts... I was the first victim... I mean "customer" of hers as she broke out a Mermaid Cosmetic Kit.
The next toy that she played with was a microphone. She kept performing for Todd and myself as Mercer "hid" in the room below the kitchen.
Here are a few other random things that took place in October and November:
- Mercer went on a backpacking trip with his Boy Scout troop. This was "real" backpacking where they had to carry their tent, food, pieces of a stove to be assembled at the camp site, etc. Mercer got MORE gear.... whew - this is turning out to be an expensive venture!
The backpack was fitted for him and rented (recommended at this age as the kids are growing). It was cold... dipped down below freezing, but he survived. Yay! His old Cub Scout leader and his son went, so I felt better knowing someone on the trip. He also supplied us with some photos.
Mercer said he had fun and would like to do it again... if it weren't so cold.
- While Mercer was camping, we went to the annual neighborhood art festival: Cherokee Heights Art Festival. There are 2 "stages" one at the top of the street, one at the bottom. 40 +/- vendors, the local brewery from the square set up shop in conjunction with a local high-end restaurant that set up a booth. King of Pops (we know we made it big when they showed up to our festival a couple of years ago!). A new addition which was interesting: the local barber brought old fashioned barber chairs and was giving hair cuts.
We ran into one of the girls Isabella played baseball with on the all girl's team from the spring. They happened to drive by, saw the signs and stopped. The festival is getting pretty big now in it's 10th year!
There was a "big foot" sighting there (one of the boys Mercer's age that lives at the top of the street is obsessed with the Sasquatch).
Also, the lady that we're friends with from the City (Joan) paid us a visit as well. She told me that she's retiring from Keep Marietta Beautiful -- a board I've served on off & on for close to 15 years. Here's a picture I sent her at the KMB kids' booth that they've been sponsoring the past several festivals.
Much like at Ray Day... lots of our time was chauffeuring Isabella around from one kid event to the next. (Face painting, ornament making, swinging in the neighbor's yard, listening to the band, buying a snack, etc.)
- Both Isabella and Mercer had an event "collide" where they both participated together. (Finally - only ONE place to be at a time instead of two... which is good since Todd was at a building committee meeting that night.) At our church, they host a Rise Against Hunger event where people come together to make these packs of rice, protein, dried veggies + a nutritional envelope that goes inside that provides vitamins + minerals.
There are tables scattered across the sanctuary where 5 - 6 people make the bags of meals... assembly-line style. Then there are "runners" (I was a runner this year) who monitor the tables/ see which ones have made enough meal packs, take them to the front to be weighed and sealed up, then run the empty trays back to the tables. I chose this role so that I could keep an eye on the kids. Mercer gravitated towards the table where some of his Boy Scout members were working.
Isabella gravitated towards a table of older girls who were sooo sweet with her.... taking her under their wing! It's a great event / good energy / fun... all while doing good. The evening concluded when 20,000 meals were made, bundled, and packed in boxes to be shipped to developing countries.
- Our most recent family game night was actually at Todd's office playing shuffleboard after dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant which relocated far away.
His office is in an old renovated mill building and still has a few things that need to be done to it, but it looks nice overall.
- Marietta has a big chalk-fest around the square. It got rained out, but we wandered around afterwards to see what was left. (the lego person was done in one of those perspective drawings. If you look at it from the side - the guy's head is at least 6' long even though it doesn't look like it from the front!
And, the last bit of random:
- Here is Isabella's school photo.... shot before she lost her two front teeth, but arrived after. Ha! (Mercer's order form did not make it to us, so we didn't get his school picture.)
This past month or so was certainly exciting for her! How much she has changed an grown. Also, her personality certainly comes out in many of these photos.
She is a fire-cracker!
She brings a lot of life to our little family unit... I can't imagine it any other way!
One of my favorite decorations are these metal pieces that you can add to a pumpkin to turn it into a turkey! 
There was an area that had a wave pool. (This is where Isabella wanted to spend the majority of her time.)
Mercer has started his basketball season. This keeps us busy on Saturday mornings. Mercer is the tallest kid on his team again. He's starting to handle the ball a bit better, but mostly hangs out under the basket for rebounds.
Unfortunately, I've missed some of his games because I have classes that I take every now and then on Saturdays (these are preferred instead of week night classes, but I have to take those some as well). These are a part of the teaching certificate. 
One more thing that we were doing a bit of over the past few weeks: cheering on our Marietta Blue Devils. We only made it to a couple of their games because Mercer's baseball practices were EVERY Friday night during the regular season. We went to their first playoff game @ their home stadium. They won pretty easily. We did not go to the next round the following Friday -- it was across town at my old high school.... Parkview! (it was a cold and rainy day + trying to navigate across town in Atlanta traffic on a Friday? naaah!) But, they beat Parkview and advanced to the state championship. We went to that game - which was held downtown at the old Braves baseball stadium which was converted to the new GA State College stadium. It was really exciting because the small "hometown" feel carried out to this game. There were SOOOO many people that went to the game to support the team. We ran into people who were neighbors, former co-workers, people from each of the kids' schools, etc. There were pep rallies, parades and the kids at Isabella's school got into it making signs for the team. (The superintendent's daughter is in her class, so there may be a little extra team spirit there??!!)
It had been 1966 & 1967 since the last time Marietta made it to state. There were some great articles publicized that surfaced from the two games of that era - during segregation. The players of both teams were honored during the 2019 celebrations -- the players and cheerleaders from both years (the 1966 African American Lemon Street school and the 1967 Marietta High School, the year when desegregation had took place and the students from Lemon Street were mixed with the MHS students.)
Our little home-town school was also selected to play in a tournament in Vegas this past weekend. They won that game as well. (Doesn't hurt that some of the top high school players in the country are all on this one team!) It may be a little while before Marietta sees another championship.... so much excitement this fall and winter. Even though our kids aren't old enough to be in high school, we still wanted them to be a part of it all~
