Take Me Out to the Ball Game. . .

Twice a year our minor league baseball team, The Louisville Bats, host a Boy Scout night. The scouts get to walk around the field before the game starts so they can wave and act crazy when they see their families.

Sam was feelin' like a rock star. And I am his greatest fan. I mean look at that face. When I look at that fuzzy-red-headed-cutie I almost forget the fact that he taught the kid next door a swear word on the bus. (when I asked Sam where he learned/heard that word. . .couldn't be from home. . .he told me another kid from the bus taught it to him. Whew!).

Sam LOVES scouts (and I love that he loves it)!

Our pack of animals. . .I mean cubs.

BFF's

Nothin' says baseball games like sticky-cotton candy.

The scout himself enjoying some of that yummy stickiness.

A LOT of Ben--Working Backwards in 2009

Ben is 11 years old

(October 11, 2009)

Some of my favorite things about Ben this past year are:

*He wanted to learn a duet on the piano with me.

*He took up running and triathlon, and really worked hard at it.

*He was sad (and shed a few tears) at his last Pinewood Derby, his last first day of elementary school, and when Meg told him about Santa Claus ("Damn Meg". . .that was Rusty).

*He can't wait to see Molly after school, and she him.

*He will eat anything I put on the table and never complains.

*He asked if dad and Uncle Mark could give him a blessing before his surgery.

*He became converted to jeans from "swish, swish" pants.

*He still loves to do crafts with me.

Ben chose Chili's to eat out for his birthday. Uncle Mark, Aunt Valerie, Paul and Lisa came.

Ben had to have surgery on a hernia this past October. It was one week before Halloween, but he was still able to trick-or-treat a little.

Before going under the knife . . .

. . . and after the surgery. He did great, but had A LOT of pain. Let's just say that because Ben is NEVER sick, he isn't the easiest patient (kind of like his dad. . .oh wait, did I just say that?).

Ben and his best buddy Max got their Arrow of Light the same night.

Ben joined the school X-Country team this year. Wow, it's a whole new world. I'm used to baseball, soccer, swimming, even dance. . .but cross country at our school is intense (I think due in part to a few of the moms), and the meets last FOREVER!!! Hence, Rusty took Ben (with Sam tagging along) to all the away meets, and Meg, Molly and I enjoyed the "home" meets.

What form!

Ben placed in the top 20 of this race. And no, I never did get his shoes clean. He just ran in them the rest of the year, and post-season I went and got him a nice new BLACK and red pair of running shoes (how come none of those "intense" moms told me not to buy white shoes?).

Ben's support staff.

Ben did his first triathlons this year. He first did a small one: 50 meter swim, 2-mile bike and 1/2 mile run in the sub-division where our school is (see pictures below). Then he participated in a regular tri in our county. The distances were 400 m swim, 8 mile bike, 3 k run. He did great and really liked the sport. I'm sure it's no shock to anyone that Rusty couldn't be happier.

Before the smaller triathlon. Ben, Max, Sam, Dominique and Meg all participated as well. Meg didn't have a great experience (of course it was my fault). . .just wait until her post next.

Ben earned this cap at a swim-a-thon, and LOVES it.

This past summer was Ben's last Cub camp. He is in a great pack (mostly boys from church), and Ben ALWAYS loves to go to Cub Scouts.

This was the first year I went without being a leader. It was great just being a mom at Cub camp.

Ben and Adam (cousin)

One of the highlights of summer 2009 for us was having our cousin Adam (Ben's age) come and stay with us for a few days. We did a TON of fun things with Adam including camping out in the basement.

Two days before school got out, Ben got a wicked case of poison ivy. He came with me to Meg's 5th grade graduation, but felt horrible and we went home right after. He was put on a topical and oral steroid to help speed up the healing process. Unfortunately, I left to go to Las Vegas with Rusty and my good friend Judy was watching my kids. Luckily she's a pro at taking care of this kind of thing, and helped Ben through his ordeal.

The good ole' Calamine Lotion. . .relieves the itch.

Ben's favorite book in the Book of Mormon is Enos. Ben told me once that he loves the story because Enos prayed so long in repentance and "His sins were probably no big deal."

Ben did an indoor YMCA swim team from January through May. The team's name was the ORCAs and Ben LOVED it. Ben got the Most Improved Swimmer of the season award.

Here Ben, Max and Dominique are with Coach Scott.

Ben's Science Project.

In January, 2009 Ben decided to participate in the school science fair. Unfortunately for Ben neither his dad or I know anything about science. I don't even think Rusty took science :) and I got a "C" in Chemistry and I think a "D" in biology. Therefore, Ben really had to do his project on his own (Rusty did step up and help him . . .thank goodness for Google). He did great. The project had something to do with aerodynamics, and I saw a ton of paper airplanes.

Celebrating the science fair with a little DQ.