Batter Up!

A few months ago I got the bright idea to introduce my students to baseball.  Noah has a real bat, gloves, and baseballs.  But I knew that we couldn't play with those.  I searched high and low for a wiffle ball set.  Of course, I couldn't find one, but I did find one that was similar to a Nerf set.

I found the Sand Lot movie and showed it to each of my classes the first week.  Stupid me thought that the movie would go a long way in explaining baseball.

NOPE!

Apparently things like hitting and throwing a ball, knowing when to stop running, strikes, outs, and pretty much everything associated with baseball are very Western and very hard to grasp.

I tired my best, yall, but the game we played was baseball's distant cousin... weirdball.

Regardless, we all had so much fun and the kids were crazy about my baseball unit.  In fact, bad weather rolled in yesterday evening so not all of my classes got to play.  They are begging me for their chance.  They come running up to me in the halls wanting to know when they get to play.  The entire school was hanging out the windows watching us.  Everyone who passed by had to stop and give batting a try.  

P.S.- Students LOVE to see their teachers strike out!

I am praying that the weather next week is beautiful so my other classes get to play!!!

base hit

This school bus driver (in the black jacket) wanted to try to hit with the real bat.

I had to tell this sweetie, "There's no crying in baseball!" when he got out.

Most of them hit like this.

Not everyone found baseball super exciting!

The German teacher wanted a chance to hit!

During recesses I let them have a chance with the real ball and glove.
I was pretty certain that someone was going to end up with a black eye.

My 5th Grade baseball cuties

Noah's class
That's Noah at pitcher.

After class Noah took two of his friends over to the side and taught them to throw and catch with a baseball glove.
They did pretty well!

If nothing else, everyone had a good time and was happy to not be stuck inside the classroom!  What a fun two weeks!  I'm hoping we can continue next week!

A Few More Easter Pics

After an amazing Easter brunch in a beautiful location
(FYI- That's not my baby!  I'm just borrowing her!)

the Leonard Family

Boys will be boys

These sweet girls love each other!

Getting ready to hunt Easter Eggs
Noah and Callie had their own special eggs that Justin hid in crazy places!

Auntie April had a special Easter craft for the girls to do

Girl Mom

I'm pretty sure that there is nothing better on earth than my girls!!!

little mommy
She alternates between a bed full of babies, a bed full of horses, and a bed full of doggies.
She wants to be a farmer when she grows up.

She got the Harry Potter books for her birthday and has been reading constantly since.
She has read about 5,000 pages in the past month!
She reads for hours each night and then snuggles with her precious kitty to sleep.

She has started playing the guitar and is loving it!

I don't even know what's happening here!

Sunday Sneak Peek

This was our view for Easter breakfast.

He is Risen!!

Won't You Be My Neighbor

We went to our neighbors' for dinner last Friday night.  We've chatted a little bit here and there, but this was our first chance to really spend some time with this family.  Our other neighbor, Zeynep (in the purple shirt) came, too.  We went to her village last month.

It was so fun to spend time together and get to know our neighbors better.  Zeynep's husband works on a big ship and she entertained us with stories from their travels around the world.  Let's just say that she confirmed my vow to never step foot onto a container ship and cross the ocean.

What?!  This isn't something you contemplate?

The family that invited us has a local business.  They are working really hard to produce organic molasses and hazelnut butters.  Their products are yummy! 

I feel like we are finally getting out and about and meeting more people.  It seems that so much of our lives have been consumed by school.  But, we are slowly gaining balance and getting outside of our school bubble.  I am thankful for our sweet neighbors and for the time we are spending together.

Baby Hog

Noah is such a boy.  He's gross and obsesses over sports, weapons, and all tho other stereotypical boy stuff.  So, it still surprises me that he is such a baby lover.  He has staked his claim and refuses to share our precious new teammate with anyone!

I love how sweet he is and how good he is with babies.  He isn't grossed out by the threat of spit-up and he can easily quiet a fussy baby.  If we can just get him changing diapers he'll be the perfect manny!!

Thankful Thursday

Today we are so thankful for our church back home in Kentucky.  They are sooooo good to us!  They love us and pray for us and spoil us rotten.  Thank you so much for this amazing box of love... and yumminess!!  We love yall and we are so thankful for you!!!

April Fool

Well, there is a level of hell that Dante forgot to include in Inferno.  It is being a middle school teacher on April Fool's Day.

Oh... those wacky kids!

The crazy thing is they were doing the same stupid things we did when we were that age- snap 'n pops, fake bugs, and the classroom switcheroo.  Not too creative, just annoying.

I have a new life goal to pull a major prank on my students.  I need to start planning now!!

Geek Squad

One of the teachers at school got a Macbook Air from his brother and had no clue how to work it.  One day when Justin was at the school he took some time to help our friend sort out his machine.

Sunday Sneak Peek

Visitors

Our sweet friends from the big city are here visiting this weekend.  After a several days of winter relapse we were so glad that the weather righted itself just in time for their visit.  

We showed them all of our favorite sights.

This is not a posed picture.  I love it when these two remember that they like each other!

Noah is such a boy!  He found a stick and some rope.  So he used the rope to tie one of his knives (of the several that he carries around with him) to the end.  Then he went spear fishing.

We all hopped along the volcanic rocks and looked for critters in the little pools of water.

Our friends really seemed to enjoy our little town.  In fact, they especially liked a warm spicy pickled cabbage dish that is popular here.  I hate it.  So we laughed and told them that liking that dish was probably proof of their calling to this region!

Cultural Children's Games

This week I have had so much fun teaching the elementary students games from around the world.  We have been playing cultural children's games the last week of each month this semester and I love it.  

I don't usually teach in Lucy's class.  But I help her English teacher do these games.

I love these monkeys... even though I am pretty sure they are going to send me to an early grave!

Adding to our Numbers

Our precious friends down the coast had their baby a few days ago.  As soon as we got the chance the girls and I hopped in the car and made a little road trip to meet our newest teammate!

Don't worry, we were at a stoplight!

We LOVE this little princess!

I promise this is a tiny newborn baby.  Well, I guess she's not so tiny.  She was almost 10 pounds!  She is so perfect and pretty and full of newborn baby goodness!

I think we'll keep her!!

Teach Her to Cook

So that you can sleep in.  Later on, you can spend the afternoon chatting over tea with the neighbors.  Then you can go get a haircut.  When all the goofing off is over with, you can come home to a perfect roast beef dinner and fancy layered dessert.

Seriously, I know it is painful to cook with little kids.  But, if you hit the kid jackpot like I did, it just might pay off in the end!

My Callie is awesome!!  She rocked it on Saturday!  She got a new cookbook for her birthday.  Planned the menu, made the grocery list, and cooked the entire meal all by herself.  I wasn't even home (Justin was).

Perfect roast beef and glazed carrots

a layered fruit and custard dessert that had us all licking our bowls

So proud of my girl!

Sunday Sneak Peek: Daddyback Riding

First, Lucy was the horse trainer and baby was the rider.
Lucy put Daddyhorse through all his paces.

Shhhh!  Don't tell him!  I'm going to hop on, too!

I'm sure he didn't notice!