Frustrations With Food

No, this is not a post about weight. It has nothing to do with the intake of food. What I'm referring to are my frustrations with the current way we buy food. I really want to believe that there is something better AND cheaper.
I like Wal-Mart, don't get me wrong. There's nothing better than having the ability to buy milk, socks, and Wii games all in one visit. I love the fact that their food is fairly inexpensive. The problem here is I often wonder just what they have to do (compromise) to get it that cheap.
We decided to pay a visit to United last night, and walking in just felt like a totally new shopping experience. The produce was shiny, there wasn't misplaced merchandise behind the boxes of cereal, they had an organic foods area that was awesome, and everything was just---brighter.
I guess what frustrates me is that I want United quality at Wal-Mart prices. Is that so impossible? I just want to know that I am giving my children something good without worrying that I'm gonna break the bank in doing so.
Here's an example of what I mean:
gallon of milk at United: $4.99-6.99
gallon of milk at Wallys: $3.99-5.99

case of 24 bottles of water at United: $4.xx
case of 24 bottles of water at Wally's: $3.xx

See what I mean? Even in just 2 items Wally's is cheaper. Not always better though. Maybe I'd be satisfied if the quality of stores like Wally's went up. I just don't like that our world feeds on naivety. Hmmmm.....I'd really like for there to be a Whole Foods here. Not that it would solve the problem, but it would definitely be a fun place to shop! :)

Weekend Warriors

That's what we've become. Softball is now a favorite past time of the Haskell parental units. So much so that we played in an all day tournament yesterday.
The Pantex Fire Department entered in the 2nd Annual Lifestar Softball Tournament. Pantex won last year (yeah!) and were determined to do the same this year. After all, gotta keep that winning streak alive! John played last year on this team, but I had just had Caroline and wasn't into softball yet, so I watched from the bleachers. This year, they were kind enough to ask me to play too, and I really had a good time. The word "SORE" doesn't even describe what I am today though. I played catcher almost the entire time, and we played from 9am to 9pm with just a 2 hour break. Ugggggggg
The good news---WE WON!!! It was a brutal championship game, but our team rocked it out. YEAH for Pantex Fire Department!!! :)
We were supposed to practice softball today with our church league, but John and I both bowed out of it. Playing the violin at church this morning was hard enough. I don't think I could have thrown another ball or even attempted to bat. We'll be back at it again next weekend though I'm sure!

Just Some Slideshow Fun

I've been seeing some very cool slideshows on the blogs I read, and I just wanted to try my hand at one. So here is what I created (make sure you turn the sound up):

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

(Let Them Be Little-Billy Dean)

Mom vs. Rodent

I actually do like hamsters---really I do. Christian's dwarf hamster, Alex, is extremely sweet and easy to hold/love on.
Ruby Penelope, on the other hand, is a gigantic pain in my backside. I just can't get rid of her because Caitlin loves her to pieces. It has taken a mountain of self control not to pluck that oversized mouse from her cage and let her go in the field beside the house.
The main thing is that I remember exactly what it was like to be an animal lover when I was Caitlin's age. Just like I used to do with my pets, Caitlin talks to Ruby P. constantly, gives her treats, plays with her when she's in the roll around ball, and proudly shows her off to any friend or family member that comes over.
I think Ruby P. just has issues with ME. In fact, from the day we brought her home, she has had something against me. It has been roughly 4 months now since she has lived here, and I have grumbled about her every day. First, it was the fact that she wouldn't come down out of the observatory in her cage. She ate, slept, and pooped up there, and I couldn't stand to clean it out on a daily basis. That's the 1st time she bit me. All I was doing was trying to create a more sanitary and comfortable home for her--sheesh, where is the love for the momma?!?
You would think that after all of the time it has taken me to clean the cage, feed/water her, and make her more comfortable, she'd be just a tad bit grateful. But nooooooooooooooooooooo.......
For the past month or so, Ruby P. has figured out how to push my buttons. Her cage has a ball on the top of it that she can run in--sort of like a wheel--and the ONLY time she wants to run it is around 1am. Not good. So, thinking I was smarter than her, I stuffed a wash cloth up under the ball so it couldn't roll during the night. That way she'd be forced to run it during the day when I'm not trying to get some beauty sleep.
That backfired.
About a week ago, I woke up around 1am to a very loud *CHIIIIIIIIIING* coming from Caitlin's room. I laid in bed and listened to it for about 5 minutes.
*CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
*CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
*CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
I could feel my blood pressure rising by the second.
Ooooooooohhhhhhhh that s...t...e....u....w....p....i.....d rodent!
I went to Cait's room and found Ruby P. standing up on the side of the cage using her teeth to pull on the metal bars--thus creating the *ching* noise. Are you kidding me?!? It was all an act of retaliation I was convinced.
So I let this noise fest go on for several nights. Just thought I'd learn to live with it. After all, don't give in to the rodent--she will never win!
I got up yesterday morning and was waiting at the front doors of Petsmart when it opened. I decided to get an aquarium (lots of people keep their hamsters in these) with a grated top so that way she'd have NOTHING to *ching* and it would be easier to clean. I bought all the goods, replaced her cage, made sure she had the basics---food bowl, water bottle that hangs from the side, big tube to sleep in..that's it. No extra fluff for her to demolish or irritate me with.
Last night at 1am----*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?
I went into Caitlin's room. Ruby P. was attempting to climb the water bottle holder and she had knocked the water bottle sideways--thus creating a *BANG* noise when she would push against it.
I swear she smirked at me.
I removed the water bottle and decided that she didn't need to drink at 1am. She could wait until the morning.
As I left the room I said, "You know Ruby P, there's always fresh water and food in the field by the house." I think she stuck her tongue out at me.
Chalk one up for Momma....

Because I'm A Mom...

...I will post this. I LOVE being able to give my kiddos good things to eat and drink--not so much of the crud that's put out there on the shelves these days. I found a wonderful drink made by Apple & Eve called Fruitables. I think Mimi actually tried it out on the 3 C's first, and then when I saw how much they liked it I bought it. Info about the juice:

*Eight ounces provides one of the recommended servings from the 5 A Day Fruit and Vegetable program
*120% vitamin C
*A good source of antioxidant vitamin A, essential for good vision
*All natural ingredients
*No sugar added

*No high fructose corn syrup

Ok, so the BEST part of this juice is this------------it's ON SALE!!! We went to Wal-Mart on Georgia Street this evening and there were tons of bottles of it on the clearance/overstock/seasonal aisle. The sign above them said $1.00 each (they are normally about $3.00 each). I scanned it just for fun and they were 50 cents!!!! Needless to say, I have enough juice to float a boat! Just thought all you moms out there would wanna know...

It's Time To Upgrade

I was cleaning out the storage closet the other day when I found Christian's old booster chair. Thinking that he might want to use it (or that possibly Caroline would be interested in using it), I cleaned it up and strapped it to the dining room chair. By that evening, Caroline had discovered it. At first, she used the booster as a toy, buckling her babies in it. When she finally figured out that it was a cool chair to sit in herself, she claimed it as hers. I have been trying to make her sit in her high chair to eat, especially if it's something messy, but she's not having any of that. She wants the booster and the booster ONLY. Every time she wants a snack or eats a meal, she runs to it and says, "Momma---buckle!" That is the wonderful part of the booster--the buckle holds her down and she can't get out. Big plus! I guess she just felt it was time to upgrade to a big girl seat and leave the baby seat behind. *sigh* She's getting way to big for her britches if you ask me!

Another New Toy

John and I are gearing up to take a trip for our 10th anniversary in July. I couldn't be more excited to get away and just enjoy hanging out with my man. :) We were thinking last night that it would be really awesome to be able to take our ipods with us on the drive (we rented a car)--it's just that we don't want to have headphones in our ears and not be able to talk or listen to things together.
Our solution: a FM Transmitter (the DLO TransDock Micro Transmitter for the Apple ipod)
This cool little device plugs in to the cigarette lighter of your vehicle and transmits your ipod music through your radio. I took a trip to Best Buy this morning and found one on sale-wahoo! There is a wide range of prices for these, but I checked them out online before purchasing so I would know which one was right for us. I just had to try it out so I rushed to the car, sat there in the parking lot, and played around with it. The sound is great and it will allow us listen while we travel. Pretty smart invention if you ask me!
P.S. They make them for all kinds of MP3 players, including Zunes.

FYI

1. I didn't get a chance to try the "egg thing." John didn't want me to waste his precious eggs, and Caroline's bruise/swelling is 1,000 times better looking now.
2. All of the baby hamsters are gone--woopee! :) I am now devising a plan to rid this house of all rodents....is it possible to "give away" the momma hamster and Caitlin's hamster too?!?

What A Game!

Last night, my dad and I went to a Dillas game while John stayed at home with the kids--sort of a late Father's Day thing since most of our family had the stomach bug on that Sunday. Anyway, it has been over 10 years (I think) since I have been to see the Dillas, and last night was a blast! The game was super exciting--at one point the benches emptied and there was a small fight. I ate my weight in ballgame food (wahoo!) and it sprinkled on us several times as a storm passed by. Really, I had forgotten just how much fun a ballgame can be. Of course when the teams get grouchy with each other and start picking fights, you can't help but stay until the very end. The Dillas won 17 to 7! Thanks to Dad for taking me and hanging out with me. Happy late Father's Day! :)

Eggs & Bruises

As most of you know, Caroline fell and got a gross looking bruise on her little cheek--no pics obviously because I am still horrified at how she looks. That said all in love of course. :) Anyway, we went to a local Chinese restaurant today for lunch and the sweet waitress--who was an older Asian woman--saw Caroline's face and had a suggestion. She said that in her culture, they use boiled eggs to reduce swelling and bruises. Her instructions were to boil and egg, remove the shell, and then apply the egg to Caroline's bruise for 2-3 minutes at a time while it's still very warm. She said that bruises will usually disappear in about 3 days versus a week or more. Also it speeds the healing and reduces the swelling--which would be a good thing since my 19 month old looks like she's dipping tobacco. Haha Anyway, I might try it this evening and see what happens. Don't hold your breath--I know I'm not! :)

2,500

That's maximum capacity at Splash water park here in Amarillo. Why does that matter you ask? Well, we were invited to a birthday party last night that was held at Splash. Now, we as a family go there several times per week thanks to season passes. Normally it isn't crowded at all and very easy going. When we arrived at Splash for the party, people were parking in the grassy areas near I-40 because the huge parking lot just wasn't big enough. The owners of the water park decided to have a special deal and let everyone in for $3 a person, instead of the normal $17, from 7:30-10pm. I think 1/2 of Amarillo decided that was a terrific deal and decided to go out there. I had to park in the RV park across the street (I'm very sneaky--I parked in a public area that no one else thought of) and had to hike over to Splash. When I got there, the waiting line to get in wrapped all the way around the park and up to the access road of I-40!!! Anyway, we got in because we were invited to the party--but there were probably 500+ angry people that were denied access when the maximum capacity was reached sometime around 8pm. At one point there were fist fights and shouting matches because people were cutting in line. Once inside, we attempted to let the kiddos play. The lazy river, a very popular part of the park, was so full that you couldn't even move around! The party was a blast though--happy birthday to Jake!--but I couldn't believe the madhouse that was taking place around us. Wonder if the owner of Splash will think twice about doing a promotion like that again. :)

Dinner With 007

My friend from high school, Bond (as in James Bond J/K) Ottoson, and her husband Sean were in town visiting relatives, so we went out for good food and conversation. Bond and I share a lot of interests--one being that we both play the violin. She has played since she was 3 and she now teaches. Sean and John share interests as well--Sean is also paramedic and loves to hunt. He is currently in the Army and due to ship back out to Iraq in July. After a year of duty there, he will be stationed in Alaska. Bond is staying at their current home until he comes back from Iraq, and then the 2 of them will make their way North. That means we will probably only get to see them 1 other time before they leave. :( We love to visit with them any chance we get. There is always something crazy to talk about--for all of you who know Bond, you know exactly what I mean! :)

He's At It Again

So......this sweet boy of mine....he's definitely a comedian. Christian spent the night with Mimi & Pappaw this past weekend while I was not feeling well. Mimi walked past the bathroom and had to run get her camera to take a picture of him. I can't wait until he's old enough to seriously date a girl--she'll get a kick out of this one!

You Know It's Summer When...

you come downstairs in the morning lookin' like this...

and by dinner time you end up lookin' like this...

Ahhhhh, the greatness of being a 4 year old boy in the summertime!

(Ok, what really might have happened here was his momma was trying out some new skills with the clippers and it didn't go as planned. Isn't it grand when they are too young to know the difference?!? *sigh*)

Winding Down And Feeling Better

I think we have finally found some down time in the summer. Caitlin's volleyball season is over (they won roughly 1/2 of their games), John's finished with indoor soccer for a while, VBS at our church came to an end this past Friday, and all is well with the contingent contract on the house on Imperial. It is kind of nice to look at the calendar and see empty dates! :)
The kids and I will be spending some time out at SPLASH water park, which will be a huge relief from the over 100 degree weather we have been experiencing. The only big thing coming up anytime soon is our 10th wedding anniversary in July. We are planning a small getaway without the children (gasp--is there such a thing as getting away without a single tag-along?!?) so that should be a blast! By the time I realize it, school will be starting again. Sheesh, where does the time go?
A small update on our family: We all made it through that horrible stomach flu. John woke up yesterday morning with a very grumpy tummy (way to say Happy Father's Day huh) and didn't get out of bed until around 5pm. By then he felt MUCH better! Christian never got it--isn't that a huge praise!?! My parents both caught it, but thankfully it hasn't stuck with them long. Sorry guys for giving it to you--it really stinks when they come over to help with the kids and end up taking home a present like that. :) Anyway, we are all mostly back to normal and feeling good. YEAH!
Also, we were able to give away 2 of the sweet hamster babies (THANK YOU Kathy!!!). That's 2 down, 5 to go....hint, hint......haha. But seriously.....

Happy Father's Day

I just want to say Happy Father's Day to all of the special men in my life:

1. my dad, Shane
2. my husband, John
3. my father-in-law, Steve

Thank you all for being such wonderful men in my life and those of my children. May today be full of rest and peace!

Amarillo Flu

Right now (Saturday at 3:30pm) is actually the 1st time I have been able to sit up and do anything at all. Some kind of nasty stomach bug lowered the boom on me Friday around 1am. I have had friends refer to it as the Hong Kong Flu, South African Flu, and more. I will kindly refer to it as the Amarillo Flu. Kid you not, this has probably been the most horrendous thing I've had in my entire adult life. It seems to have been making its way around our church, so thanks everyone for sharing! :) J/K

Caroline had it, I have had it, and Caitlin is now recovering from it. Christian was removed from the toilet-hugging fest yesterday and has been safe at Mimi & Pappaw's house. John has been so sweet and caring by helping me with household chores and taking care of the girls while I have laid in bed moaning and whining about how I feel so horrible. I don't know what I would do without John, my parents, and my grandma here to help me. It really stinks for the momma to get the nasties---it's such a helpless feeling! The one good thing is knowing my family will help me out and keep the day to day activities flowing like nothing has happened.

Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers as we continue to recover from this. Hopefully we will be at church on Sunday, but no big promises!

Heaven's Menu

I really hope God takes menu requests for heaven. After all, if it's "to die for good" here, why not have it there too? If He was to ever take requests, here are mine:

1. two big fluffy pieces of 9 grain deli-style bread packed with avacado, shaved turkey breast, and 2 slices of cheese
2. strawberry cheesecake jell-o
3. fat honey wheat pretzel sticks dipped in vanilla icing
4. root beer flowing like a river

It's fun to dream, isn't it? :)

VBS & Imperial

This week is VBS at our church, and so far it has been a blast! I am helping in the kitchen (no, they did not require that we know how to cook-haha) and it has been very laid back and easy. Just my style! :) Anyway, the kids are really having a good time and learning a lot. Hopefully I'll have some pics to post by the end of the week.
We finally got the inspector out to the house that we have under contract on Imperial Street, and everything checked out great! We couldn't be more pleased or excited. Things seem to be falling into place, and I know it will all work out fine. Now if we can just get a contract on this house.... :)

Great Strides Walk

As I had blogged about before, we joined the team of John's co-worker,David, for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Great Strides 2008 Walk. We, along with several of the families from the fire department walked yesterday and had a great time! The wonderful thing was that the walk raised over $26,000 for cystic fibrosis research. We were called "Team Lance"--named after David's 11 year old son that has CF. He is an adorable little boy, and their family is so sweet. Lance's mom is Janice, the woman that took our family photos recently (just to jog your memory). Anyway, I snapped a few fun pics as usual, so I thought I'd share them. CF is such an interesting thing to me--interesting because I studied it back in Respiratory Therapy School. Again, if you want to know more about it, visit the blog called Confessions of a CF Husband that is under "Blogs I Read."

John with his co-workers Steve Crum and Matt Ketelhut (and Ginger the dog)
Caroline and Alexis chillin' in the strollers
Daddy and my 2 sweet picture hams :)

Trouble In Rome

As most of you know from reading a previous post, my mom (Kathy) and my brother (Josh) are on vacaction in Europe. Yesterday, I got a phone call from Mom saying that they had been robbed while on a crowded bus in Rome. They took her money, passport, driver's license, and credit/debit cards. I was horrified!
She explained the way it all went down, which was even more frightening. She and Josh were crammed in a bus on their way to the Vatican. They were squished next to a pole and to a woman with a baby in a sling. Mom said the woman was very plainly dressed, dark skin/eyes, and very non-maternal acting toward the baby. She was traveling with a man that Mom assumed to be her husband. During the bus ride, the baby started to fuss a bit. The woman--in front of everyone--exposed her breast and attempted to feed the baby. Of course Mom and Josh averted their eyes...aparently it was hard not to look with it all right up in their faces. The baby settled down but didn't seem to be feeding, so the woman put her "goods" back into her low-cut dress. The bus then stopped, the man she was traveling with got off, and the woman continued to the next stop--then she got off. Mom and Josh got off at the stop after that, and that's when they realized what had happened. Mom said she KNEW something was not right with that woman. She also believes the baby wasn't hers--that it was a prop. She also said the woman's hands were not visible during the whole feeding scene, which was obviously when she was unzipping mom's pack and stealing the contents. Josh later said that he believed there to be 2 other people in on the scam. He had noticed suspicious characters in the bus.
I just hate it that something like this had to happen to them on their trip. Mom said that she had read up on pickpockets before the trip, and she had taken precautions to avoid this kind of incident. They did find a police station and were able to file a report (which will come in handy here in the U.S. because the woman had already charged some stuff to Mom's credit card within 2 hours of this happening--and they'll have to despute those charges). The police officers acted like it was kind of a normal occurance there in Rome. Sheesh!! Anyway, Mom and Josh will be safetly back in the U.S. tomorrow, and we can't wait for them to come back. Please pray for their safety as they return!

A Bit Of Clarification Is Needed

Ok, so my previous post was about the low carb eating lifestyle and how I can eat a pound of bacon, Reddi whip, and sugar free Jell-O. Well, John read that post and was highly offended----offended by the fact that I could have possibly led my wonderful readers astray. He wanted me to clarify just what the low carb lifestyle includes, so here we go.

You are free to eat as much as you want of (within REASON):
bacon (pork)
beef
chicken
leafy greens (salads & spinach for example)
sugar free Jell-O
cheese

He wants me to point out that it is not a good idea to eat a whole pound of bacon (ok John, I get your drift) at one sitting, nor is it ok, to go overboard on anything. All in moderation is his key to success. Plus, you really need to be working out in some form or fashion. That can include a good brisk walk if you don't have access to gym equipment. The 1st four days really are miserable, and you feel like quiting. But don't--it's worth it! :) Also, drink LOTS of water! I have an issue with that, being as I like my diet sodas. Note to self: more water. According to John, it is possible to lose 10-12 pounds in the 1st two weeks. He suggests you eat foods low in saturated fats for the 1st few weeks so your body can adjust. There it is ladies & gentlemen...you're guide to John's eating habits! :)

For The Love Of....

Bacon, Reddi Whip, and Sugar Free Jell-O.

Those are the 3 magical words in the Haskell household right now. And for who you might ask? ME. That's who. I ate a whole pound of bacon by myself the other day...went back to the store yesterday and bought 5 more pounds (3 that you cook and 2 that you microwave). The Reddi Whip? Oh it's just a fun treat. The Jell-O? I have approx. 6 of the 6-packs in my fridge as we speak. No, I'm not pregnant (can I get an AMEN for tubals?!?). It's just that I agreed to be subjected to John's low carb eating lifestyle for 2 weeks. The first 4 days were pure hell. My flesh wanted everything it could not have. Then he turned me on to bacon....and Reddi Whip...and sugar free Jell-O. Ahhhhhh, everything is right with the world again. Haha Honestly, what other eating plan can you think of that allows you to eat a whole darn pound of bacon, and when you weigh the next morning you've lost a whoppin' pound?!? YUM!

Projects Completed-Round 2

I know I've posted something every day for about a week now, but don't get too used to it! :) I finished another round of projects, so here are some befores and afters. I hope to have more soon--I think there are about 5 more projects that I have yet to complete.

Here's a before shot of the fabric
And here's the after (burp cloths, diaper/wipee case, sling)
Another before shot
And the after (burp cloths, shopping cart cover)
This is just a fun bag that I made up. No pattern, just winged it. I wanted a smaller diaper bag for Caroline but didn't want to pay for it. The squares are all fabrics I have made stuff out of.
The inside of the bag

At Least He's Honest

Christian has a deep love for things that can either fit in his pocket or clip to his pants--something...anything he can carry around. He will eat with it, sleep with it, and take it everywhere we go. He usually finds a new love about every 3 days, and this time it was a bright green tape measure that he found in the junk drawer. He was amazed at how you can stretch it all the way out and then push a button to suck it in quickly. Note to grandparents: no need to buy the boy real toys. Just get him something small that has a belt clip and he's pleased as punch.
Ok, so we all know how boyishness can kick in with something as cool as a tape measure. At first he was wonderful with it---only used it to measure things. Then came the trouble. Christian decided that Caitlin and Caroline both needed a good bonking on the noggin with it. He can be very sneaky--he hides behind furniture and smacks them out of nowhere. Ornery turkey! I think he got a total of 3 timeouts yesterday for using his tape measure for evil instead of good. :)
Last night, Daddy and I decided that the tape measure had a much better home in the junk drawer, so there it went. Christian was broken-hearted to say the least. He was able to find a car to take its place next to his pillow though.
This morning, he got up and came right to me asking if he could have another chance with the tape measure. He assured me that he wasn't going to bother either sister with it, but I still said no. He then said that he just wanted to use it to measure Charlie. Yeah right. I still told him no. He huffed and said that the real reason he was wanting it was so he could smack Charlie with it. Oh really now? And somehow that is gonna make me give it to you buddy? What can I say, at least he's honest.

As Promised

I finally got to take some pics of the sweet baby hamsters. I could only get a shot of 5 at a time...there are 2 that are major sleepyheads! :) Momma hamster really did not like the camera all up in her space. I think she's still up there fretting--2 hours later. Poor Momma hamster.
Again, the offer is up for anyone who wants 1...or 2...or 3. It costs about $30 for cage and food. They are the most low maintenance pets we've ever had. Another plus is that they only live for about 2 years max, so you aren't committed forever. And, the dwarf hamsters don't stink like the big ones do, and they are sweet and easy to hold. How's that for a sales pitch? Seriously though--they have 3 more weeks to live here and then they desperately need homes. Did I mention they are free? Haha
Cutey Patooteys!
Momma and her babies--mind you, she's only about 3 inches long and they are about 1 1/2 inches long

Softball...Violin...Soccer

Before this year began, John and I had completely quiet Sundays. We went to church, ate out, took LONG naps, and then putted around until time to put the kids to bed. Nowdays, Sundays are majorly busy--actually more so than any other day. Today was no different, but for some reason it seemed all the more packed with fun stuff to do.
As you all know, John and I have been playing softball in our church league. The church actually has 2 teams--the orange team and the white team (we play for the orange team). We played at different times and against different teams in the league. Well, the coaches decided to have a little fun and have us play against each other as our final game for the spring season, followed by a cookout. We've been totally trash talking each other at church (all in love of course) and were in fine form at the game today. It was a scorcher--95 degrees and barely a breeze. Both teams did great. We were tied until the final inning. The white team was at bat and they had 2 outs. Somehow, they came out of nowhere and scored 12 runs on us before we finally got the 3rd out. Sheesh! Needless to say, by the time all was said and done, we couldn't recover. Boohoo for the orange team. That's ok--we'll get 'em next time! :) The cool thing is that the coaches decided to classify the softball teams as a small group, so we will be meeting regularly for practices on Sunday afternoons. John and I are really enjoying playing! Also, the next season starts up sometime in July. Hopefully we will have improved our skills by then.
After that exhausting game, I had just enough time to go get the kids from Grandma's house, run home and shower, grab a bite to eat, and trek all the way across town to worship team practice. After 1 1/2 hrs. of that, I came dragging into the house (my backside followed about 30 minutes later*wink*) to 3 very cranky children. Caroline did not get a good nap today so she was in fine form. Let's just say they got very limited "mommy time" tonight, as it was off to bed at a decent hour.
Just when I thought all was finished for today, I remembered John's soccer game. Let me just ask--who in their right mind schedules a soccer game at 9:30pm?!? Tonight is actually his last game for this season. I took his picture in his soccer gear just to have an excuse to post a picture. Haha When I asked him if he liked playing and if he was going to sign up for the next season, he just shrugged. I got a definite maybe out of him though. He has really enjoyed indoor soccer, but it's definitely a whoopin'. He runs nonstop for 45 minutes--and the blisters on his feet look very painful. It's all worth it though, right?
*very deep sigh*
Thus ends a Sunday at the Haskell household. I know we are probably more boring than I think--but then again I can always find something to post about!

Check out the name of the team-Death Scorpions! Really? Who chose that?!? Whatever... :)