Sam

Sam performed in his second recital. He is my only kid that will just go to the piano and play when it's not "practice" time. Unfortunately, it's the same few songs from his repertoire that he seems to delight us with, but I am happy he likes to play.

Sam and Ms. Shelly, our piano teacher who comes to our house every Monday afternoon and plays fun games like Hangman with Sam to teach him the notes.

On the 4th of July our pool had a massive party (unfortunately, we were only able to stay a few hours due to rain and cold. . .68 degrees; what is up with that?). There were two inflatables, one with a huge slide. Sam hit Ben's head and took two chunks out of his tongue going down the slide. Later that day he asked me if it would heal in an hour so he could eat a cupcake.

About an hour after the "tongue drama," Sam went down the same slide, hit the seam of the slide and ended up looking like he crashed in the Tour de France (which began yesterday to Rusty's delight). At this point in the day Sam informed me that it was "the worst day of his life."

Earlier this year, during baseball season, Sam took a one for the team and stopped a ball with his eye. He did however, finish the play before he started crying and was taken off the field. This is about an hour after he got hit.

The next day .

Sam was drafted by the Colorado Rockies this year (by his dad). Sam and Rusty (Rusty has been Sam's coach since t-ball) have ALWAYS been the St. Louis Cardinals, but another coach choose that team name first this year. So, much to Rusty's dismay they had to go with their second favorite team's name.

Sam played third base a lot this season. He made a few good plays, but mostly just loved being on a team that his dad coached. As a consolation prize for not being the "Cardinals" at least they got to wear their favorite color purple.

Sam also tried his hand a catcher. He didn't love it, and there was many a time I heard not only the coaches , but also parents, "remind" him to hurry and get the ball to the pitcher as boys on the opposite time were stealing the bases. He was finally getting the hang of it when the season was ending.

Sam has the stance perfected.

Sam, for some reason, thinks when he "repents" he needs to write a formal apology. Here is the latest I found on my floor one night after coming home from going to dinner with Rusty. Meg was baby-sitting and said that Sam got in trouble, and when Meg put him in time-out he said that he wished he hadn't been born because all he does is make mistakes. Meg explained that Heavenly Father doesn't like it when he says stuff like that about himself. Hence the note.