Keeping up with the Manssons: Start of T Ball and all the Misc pictures from December.

She posed like this all by herself! What a ham!!

I have been diligently trying to update the blog...but I keep thinking next week is not going to be as busy and low and behold it is busier! I thought for sure after Jillian's party, Christmas, New Years things would slow down...but I had the Orange picking party to prep for, plus the kids started T-Ball, plus pruning the grape vines and other misc stuff. So...I am trying to get everything updated as life is flying by. Andrew wanted Jillian to try a different sport (other than karate and swimming), so he picked T-Ball. Henry decided he would try as well, which surprised me since he really does not like to play sports.

Henry, trying to pose like his sister!

This is my story about how Andrew complains about how I spoil our kids which actually he does it too. Don't get me wrong. I know how privileged our kids are growing up and how they will never want for anything. I am hopeful that once Jillian get a little older we can start volunteering and they will understand how lucky they have it. But, I digress...To start T-Ball we needed to get the kids gloves. I also wanted to get Jillian a pair of sweat pants for the cold-ish mornings. So, I was all set to go to Walmart (as this is the cheapest place to purchase pretty much anything), when Andrew requests that we go to Dick's Sporting goods. He apparently wanted to be sure there was a selection. So, we headed to Dick's. I found a pair of sweats on sale for Jillian and Andrew purchased: Gloves for both kids, Bats for both kids, a Batting Tee (which we actually had a nice one, but sold it because we NEVER used it), extra balls and the most expensive pair of sneakers for each of our kids. So, my $30 trip to outfit the kids actually cost approx $250. Sigh...hopefully the kids will want to play T-ball forever. So far, Henry is doing really well at batting, but not great at throwing. It is heartening to see that he is actually age appropriate when it comes to sports. Jillian is a giant on her team, but to Andrew delight she bats a lefty. Andrew is not sure how my whole family can be lefties (except me), and he is a lefty and neither of our kids are lefties. She has been doing really good. She get the concept of hitting the ball and running the bases, plus fielding the ball and throwing to first base. I should have recorded the first practice where all the kids on Jillian's team just practiced running from base to base. It was HILARIOUS! The kids just ran and it was a mass of cute chaos.

Henry-ism's for the month:

I have 3 favorite times during the school day, Walking to School, Lunch and Walking home.

As his friend drove by on our walk home from school: Tamir (from inside the car) BYE HENRY!!! Henry: Bye...Ca..Di..Wy..Tamir. Man, with 27 kids in my class...all those names are hard to remember!