omen

What a school year so far.

This is me on the first day of grade 5.

All dressed up in my Texas Tech baseball shirt and eager (not really) to start the new school year. I only got out of bed for the promise of a sticky cinnie roll at the cafe near my school.

As soon as I leave the cafe, there is a dead baby bird right there on the sidewalk. I should have given up right then and there.

Instead, I persevered and endured all kinds of nonsense. Then I went to California for Thanksgiving (amazing fun times!) and then I took two months off of school (that turned out to be a good idea) and now I go to public school (which also turned out to be a really good idea).

RIP little baby bird.

baseballing

Well, that was a busy season that has not really let up yet. 

These photos were taken during the May tournament and were just recently sent to me by a photographer who works with one of the other teams. What a treat it was to get photo evidence of what will likely be the best inning of my entire pitching career (except that time a few weeks later when I finished an inning in six pitches.)

And the pitcher tags the runner OUT at the plate.

no place like home

At long last, baseball season has started. It was a grueling wait - even though I didn't really take a break. I did fall ball, pitching clinics, batting clinics, winter clinics with my own league and another.

But still. To be park in my own park, eating concession food is the best ever. They even have veggie dogs this year! And 1700 candy bags in stock. Apparently, that only lasts one month. (If I wasn't above using emojis, I would insert a shocked face here. a toothless shocked face because that much candy will ruin some teeth.)

Wait, I just realized that baseball season hasn't even started. It starts next Sunday. But I have had a few practices and my first game is on Thursday. Stay tuned for the game score. My first game is against my last year's coaches and my batting coach so I am going to hit at least a triple.

going to California

I just spent 11 fun-filled days in sunny California!

Several days after Christmas, we packed up the car on the most miserable dreary rainy day and headed for Seattle. The drive was brutal and took way longer than it should have. Friday rush hour traffic in the Seattle rain: a losing combination.

The next morning, we headed for SeaTac where I boarded a flight - alone!

I arrived in California and was greeted at the airport by my grandparents. and then I met my cousins. so many of them. We celebrated a belated Christmas. Then we proceeded to have all the fun and eat all of the pizza in the entire state.

And, just as my mom predicted way back in November when she booked my flight, I tried to play the "I'm sick" card for my first day back so I could miss school. She did not buy it. Off to school I went.

Mostly, I am heartbroken to be away from my cousins.

the good old days

While trying to get some photos organized to print for my great-grandmother Mary, I happened across this one. a classic from the good old days. me at a political fundraiser.

This is me meeting the lovely Congressman Doggett for the first time. Why did I have that look on my face?

Reason number 1 to love him:

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D, Austin.
NRA rating: F
NRA campaign contribution: None

grade 3, the first day

Today, I started grade 3. We are on a new routine so I will be going to bed at 8:00 each night. I did that last night! I was asleep immediately!

I woke up independently at 6:30 this morning and was ready to go NOW. I bathed, ate, brushed my teeth, put my shoes on, gathered all of my school supplies. ready.

Two things about my photo below:
1) I am still wearing my wristband from the Clallam County fair and I will never ever take it off.
2) People say my biceps look huge. I have been working out. Thanks for noticing!

I was the first student to arrive on campus. We got my locker set up and then my teacher invited me in to spend the next thirty minutes with her until school really started. I am trying my hardest to be her favorite student.

So far, I am overjoyed with my class. We get silent reading every day after lunch. The school has added more restaurants to the lunch delivery program. Cross country running starts in two weeks.

living and breathing baseball

Signing up for little league was the best decision I have ever made. The best decision the league ever made was putting me on the winningest team. When I am not in league practice or playing games, I can be found at the park practicing. On Sunday, I am registered for a batting workshop.

Until our tragic defeat on Thursday, we had not lost. While we had hoped to win all season long (win so much that we get tired of winning, as Trump might say), the loss wasn't really as bad as we expected. We didn't play well for the first two innings. It was like when the Seahawks lost to the Falcons in the playoffs this year, with Wilson being all butterfingers and every player making one careless mistake after another. We were down 6-0 at one point but caught up and we narrowly lost 6-5. sigh. painfully close.

Highlights of the season include:

* me scoring our team's first run of the season (we won that game 1-0)
* our 6-0 win against a team from one of the best leagues in town
* the kids' combo meal at the concession stand

This is a photo from our first away game. It was also my first effort as catcher. It is my favorite position. We won that game 6-0. (We have frequent shut out scores!) The hot dogs in that ballpark are cheaper than ours. And they have heated bathrooms and a fun playground. That ballpark is gearing up to host the little league world series in two years.



Me, up to bat. I am a reliable batter. I am usually the one who gets the first points of the game on the board.



I am always paired up with the same pitcher. He strikes all the kids out. We are the perfect pair because we are roughly the same size and we know each other well. We have made up our hand signals, which may or may not mean anything but parents think it is cute when we have our little conference on the pitcher's mound just before the inning.



 crossing home plate, how I do.