2nd place

Softball has finished for the year. We took second place in the Lion's Tournament on June 27. The game should have started at 8:00 p.m., instead we didn't get started until 8:50. The officials called time at 10:18. We lost to an accelerated dominated Manti team 16-7. We had beaten them before in Manti, but this time we just weren't getting hits.

Preparing to hit at the Manti game on June 23. This was the game that we should have won, but due in part to the idiotic ump (see no face mask) we didn't.

D playing 1st base. This was her usual position this season.At the Lion's Tournament in the first game against Gunnison. It was a close game that we won 8-7.Waiting at third to steal home. We stole a ton of bases. The other teams didn't like that too much. We stole the field twice at Manti in the game we lost on base on balls. Twice!!

Deirdre getting her 2nd place trophy from Lion's President Rasmussen.

The whole team that participated in the Lion's tournament. Back row: Jeff, Amy S. (ass't coach), D., middle row: Hannah S. (all the way from California), Olivia M. (holding up her cousin H.S.), Nikysha R., Bailee N., Savannah P., Sarah J., Taylor N., front row: Hannah O., Megan J., and Shonacee S. Missing are Jessica R., and Riley M. Neither were at the tournament.

June has ended and the summer is now half over. On to working on the house and getting ready for a new school year. Finishing out this post is a picture of "Miss Queen of the House" Greymalkin.

Yeah! We won!

How great was it last night? It was great!!! Three softball games in three days winning two. We should have won Tuesday's, but for a variety of reasons that just make me mad to think about we didn't. Now we play in the championship game on Saturday!

First game and more

Well we lost 11-6 against Moroni. But, they had an extra week of practice. Until last Wednesday the people in charge of city league games weren't even sure there would be a team at the Filly level. There is no team at Fox (7-9 grade) this year, only six girls signed up.

The team looked good. Our catcher was crying after the game, because she missed a few balls and one major error. But, it was the first game. D did a great job at first base. She, the pitcher (Megan), and the SS (Olivia) had some great in-field plays. If you saw her leg you would be extremely impressed. From knee to almost ankle is missing the first layer of skin plus some gashes. She really did a bum job yesterday playing baseball.

For Scouts we made scrunchies. D had done them in FACS (Family and Consumer Science) and was happy to be able to teach a class on how to make hair scrunchies. JoAnne (really Malynn) and I brought our sewing machines to the meeting. I had thread, pins, and ribbon. I thought I had the elastic that was needed, but I didn't. So JoAnne ran down to the local fabric store and bought some 1/4" elastic. She was already to write a check out from the troop when the owner tallied up the amount of 60" of 1/4" elastic for $.51. Surprisingly, she would not take a check for only 51 cents. :) The girls made their scrunchies for their Design It IPP. I have a feeling that now that they know how easy they are, they may make some over the summer. I have the lucky experience of wearing the one D made first. Hurrah!!

Turning the news to me—I received an A- in my harder of the two classes. I was soooooo happy! I reread the articles before the final and reviewed my notes, but it seemed that I could not remember anything, so I only got an 87% on the final. I received a 93% on the final that I spent all day and night doing. The final was 35% of my final grade. I was pretty thrilled with an A-. As a matter of fact I wasn't sure I wanted to open the e-mail that told me my grade. It's been 12 years since I did any schooling that had a grade attached, so I should feel good. And you know what? I do. I'm not some 22 year old going to school full time—I teach all day, drive the 100 miles each way to class, run a Scout troop, and try to have time for my family. I should pat myself on the back for a job well done.

Mother's Day and more

If you are reading this, then you noticed that I updated the header. I got tired of the same old same old and tried something new. While looking for quotes on writing I found a several that I really liked, but not enough to have permanently on my blog. So from a few of my favorite authors are the following:

"Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being." ~A. A. Milne

"Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don't see any." ~Orson Scott Card

"I hated school. I don't trust anybody who looks back on the years from 14 to 18 with any enjoyment. If you liked being a teenager, there's something really wrong with you." ~Stephen King

I really have to agree with Stephen King. Mother's Day was a very relaxing day. I did nothing, but read. It was very nice. I called my mother, who is HOME! Yes that is right. She has been shipped home. She starts physically therapy today after a break. One of the things she wants them to do is teach her how to walk with a cane when she can't feel the ball of her foot. Jeff called his mother. See sometimes we are good children.

The first softball game is tomorrow! Unfortunately D slid during a baseball game at school and really scraped up her leg and knee. It's so nice to live in a small town. She called me at school, because Jeff wasn't home. I can't go get her, so the secretary who lives in our neighborhood took her home. Jeff came back just as they were going to go drive around Ephraim looking for him. He took her back to school after cleaning it up and bandaging it. Poor kid.

My freshmen and sophomores are writing alphabet books. "A is for Arthur who was king of the Celts." The sophomores are doing them for the Myths and Legends unit they are finishing. The freshmen are doing them for the books they just finished reading Literature Circles. I did this idea a few years ago with sophomores as a book report on the book they were reading. It takes a fair amount of work to do it right. I have these students working in groups (Lit. Cir.) or pairs (soph.) or for those who hate working with someone else they can work alone. I needed something to do for the last week of school in those classes and borrowed the idea from D's seventh grade lang. arts teacher who had them write alpha bios. They were due today, but I found out about last night at 7:30. URG save me from pre-teens. She stayed up and did it, while Jeff and I went to bed. I cut her paper for her and left her to it.

We are making scrunchies at Scouts tomorrow. They should be interesting to say the least. Cutting, pinning, sewing—what fun.

More softball

The softball team won last night 15-3. They play tonight at 8:00 for the championship. The team may also be going to state playoffs. We find out on Tuesday.

Can you believe?

It is hard to believe that June is almost over. The Ephraim Lions Tournament is happening right now for the softball team. Jeff's team finished the regular season at 4-4. If the Mt. Pleasant Lions Tournament is added then the season becomes 5-6. Still more wins than the girls have seen in the last few years.
June has been a month of sickness. Kate had Bronchitis from the end of May through the beginning of June. Then the stomach flu or Rotovirus hit everyone the middle of June. Deirdre ended up not doing the second session of swimming lessons because of it. Although, she did pass all but the butterfly in her first session of level 5. She hasn't taken swimming lessons for at least two years, so a repeat of level 5 was necessary.
The girls in Kate's Girl Scout troop have picked their Bronze Award project: the Ephraim Softball complex. The Bronze Award is the highest award a junior girl scout can earn. The girls have to have the project completed before the end of September when they bridge up to the next level—Cadettes.
We need to add some pictures to this blog to make it more interesting. Well that is all for now. The next game in the Lions Tournament is Friday at 5:45.