Baseball!

Noah has been dying to have a baseball and bat ever since going to see his daddy play softball this past season. We haven't bought him one, because we figured he'd go around hitting everything with it. Seriously, this is just about the only toy this child has ever been denied, and he has desperately wanted one. In fact, he has been so desperate to have a bat that he uses just about anything as one. These items have been Noah's first "baseball bats" . . . a shower rod, the vacuum extension hose and his bowling pins. He goes around the house hitting balls with these items saying "play baseball." Several weeks ago we went to Academy, and Marco was looking on the baseball aisle. Of course, Noah spots the bats. He wanted one so badly, and when we left the aisle without one, he started crying (really loudly). I think he's only cried in a store maybe one other time, so this was our first major crying episode in a store. We are way past "out of sight, out of mind," because Noah kept crying for "his" baseball bat for the entire rest of the time in the store. Marco and I were going to stay strong though and not get him one until he was older. I know some of my family members are thinking that we should seriously just buy the kid a baseball bat, but it's not like he doesn't have a million other toys. It's ok to say no sometimes (grandparents!). Anyway, when Marco and Katie went to the Rangers' game, Katie bought Noah his first baseball and bat set. Marco swears he told her not to, but she said that since she was Noah's aunt, she could do anything she wanted to. That sounds like her :)! It's a really cute set and the perfect size for Noah. So, Mommy and Daddy just set some firm rules (roll the ball in the house, hit the ball outside), and we let him have it. He was so genuinely delighted and gave Marco a huge hug when he gave it to him. We told him his Aunt Katie bought it for him, so he owes her a big hug next time we see her. Anyway, he and Marco immediately went outside to play baseball. I think you can tell from this story and the pictures that he will be elated about playing t-ball next year. Needless to say, he wanted to carry it around for the rest of the day, but I successfully negotiated a resting place for it outside of his bed.


ready for the little league!

Texas Rangers Game

Marco went to a Texas Rangers game with our friend Katie who lives in the Metroplex. I couldn't make it, but they had a lot of fun. Marco graduated from ACU, and they have a special ACU alumni event each year at one of the Rangers' games. ACU provides dinner, which is served in the museum at the ballpark. Marco and Katie then got to watch the game from the 13th row or the viewing deck in the museum when they needed some air-conditioning.Marco and Katie with Willie the Wildcat

Legends of the Game Museum at The Ballpark in Arlington

Marco and his "little sis" Katie

Noah's Gymnastics Class

Around our house, gymnastics class was first referred to as "nasty" class. Noah's first attempts at saying gymnastics were hilarious and now missed because he has progressed to saying "gymAnastics." He loves going to gymnastics class where he can jump in the foam pit, walk on the balance beam, do front rolls and jump on the trampline. His favorite activity though is going on the "swing." It is actually a harness attached to ropes and pulleys where they swing him, and he can try to do flips in the air. Last week, he figured out how to do his first flip. He not only flipped once, he flipped about 7 times going both frontwards and backwards. He loved it! Tonight, he had more trouble but did get in two good flips. The video we took was a little too long to upload to the blog, so you'll have to see it when you come by to visit. This was our last night of gymnastics for the summer session. He'll start back up in August. We'll try to take a shorter video at that time to share on the blog.

Here are some pictures from past gymnastics classes.

front roll

monkeying around

playing on the bars

on the "swing"

jumping on the trampoline

"bicycling" with his friend Maddie

playing in the foam pit

All Tuckered Out!

During our vacation, Noah got to sleep in a tent in our hotel room.

He was all tuckered out after a big day of playing!

More Fun at Great Wolf Lodge

He's so big and so little all at the same time!

Playing in the arcade - Noah loves motorcycles

We had to stop at Bass Pro Shop while we were in Grapevine, of course, and Noah has to get into ever tractor, boat, etc. that we go by. He is such a little boy, and I love that about him!

Wet and Wild!

We all had a FANTASTIC time at Great Wolf Lodge! Our fearless "Noah Man" had a ball playing and splashing in the water, and he delighted in spraying everyone with the waterguns.

We've Arrived!

Yep! We're gonna have a great time!