Letter from Chris

We had the most horrid baseball game tonight.  The scoreboard said we won, but I now have a ten year old who has been badly mistreated and is inconsolable.  This is the letter Chris wrote to the baseball league concerning an umpire who not only needs to be fired, but deserves to have my foot placed where the sun don't shine.  I can't even begin to describe the feelings I have right now.  I'm sure I will have more to say when I am not seething with anger anymore.  (Please forgive the typos.  This was written immediately following the game and emotions were running high.)

I want to alert you to a situation that happened at our game tonight. This was a game between the Minor Cardinals and Athletics. The situation was with the umpire. I don’t know her name but it was the 7:00 pm game. In the 4th or 5th inning I put my son in to catch; he is like most 10 year old catchers, he is average and will catch about 50% of the balls that come his way. He was catching and missed a few; again like most 10 year olds and at some point a ball hit his finger and it hurt him. I had a pitcher that reached the limit I put on him and when I went to change pitchers the umpire told me that “my catcher was not trying to catch the ball because he was hurt”. I asked him and he said he was hit and that his finger hurt and he couldn’t throw the ball. I asked him if he could go one more batter while I got my other catcher ready and he said that he could. There was about 12 minutes in the game at that time I went back to the dugout and told my other catcher to get ready.



A couple of pitches later my pitcher threw a ball inside and a little high; well my catcher didn’t catch the ball and it hit the umpire in the arm. She backed up in frustration and I know it hurt BUT she then after calling a runner safe that was clearly out she yelled to me to pull my catcher and basically blame Jakob for her getting hit! She called out my catcher in front of EVERYBODY and said that I needed a new catcher because he wasn’t trying to catch the ball. I told her that I was getting my other catcher ready (who came running right out) so that we didn’t stop the game. I told her she was wrong and told her she shouldn’t be accusing ANY kid of not catching a ball. I told her I understand that it hurts but she was out of line. Where I screwed up was: I should have pulled my team off of the field because all my players and parents saw this. All of my players were shocked by this and I told them after the inning that their job is to hit and catch the ball and my job was to argue with the umpires.


I keep saying catcher because I really try to treat all of my players as my players; even if one is my kid. If my kid makes an error it is no different then any other. The problem is my son; Jakob is different. He has Asperger’s and takes things very serious; he cannot understand why he was called out like that. He held it together through the end of the game and until we go to my truck and then he lost it; and hasn’t stopped. That umpire killed his confidence; he probably won’t be behind the plate for a long time. I didn’t handle this on the field as a dad; I handled it as a coach and didn’t call her any names; I did say she was wrong and I did walk away from her because I won’t allow one of my players to be called out like that. There were several parents around the field that heard what went on and there were some other coaches that heard it as well. This was NOT a situation where the kid moved so the umpire would get hit. I would have pulled my team if that had happened and forfeited. He simply missed the ball!


I understand that umpires get hit every game; and can sympathize with them; but if you can’t handle a hit on the arm them maybe I don’t believe that they should be umpiring they damn sure should not let emotion get in the way of their duty. I am not heartless and say that she doesn’t have right to be frustrated but they shouldn’t ever take it out on the kid and that umpire was 100% out of line! And as of right now I have a son that doesn’t want to play baseball again this season. I will tell you this that if she is assigned to another one of my games; I will pull my team from the field in protest and all my players parents will back me on that.


I did not go to the OD because I felt that she might be upstairs and I didn’t know if anybody would be around as a witness in case there was an argument; plus I just wanted to get my kid out of there.


Please let me know how this can be handled.


Thanks,

Chris

Project 52. 10/52

This week’s theme: Be Still

Once again, I am way late in getting my shot done.  Something about Spring Break….  I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to go with the theme this week, but finally decided to try and capture the sunset.  The trees are just starting to bloom and the days are just starting to turn longer.  I love this time of year. 

Shot in manual.  I cropped, sharpened, reduced noise, darkened the luminosity, and bumped up the saturation a bit.  I took this same shot with the preset landscape mode on my camera and I didn’t like it as much as the manual shots.  Maybe I’m learning something!

Letters of Intent

Has the weather done a 180 on you this week with temperatures in the 70's one day and in the 40's the next?  Has dinner become cold cereal and milk because no one else will cook and you're sick of doing it?  Have you used the fluff cycle on the dryer more often than usual to "iron" your clothes this week?  Or maybe you are starting Spring Break and can't wait to get started!  Well tell me about it…in letter form of course. Write the who, what, when, where, and why of it all. Grab the button from my sidebar, and link up at the bottom. I look forward to your Letters of Intent!



Dear Baseball Game Schedule Maker,

I know you have a big job and there are only so many days in a week and you have a lot of games that must be played.  However, scheduling 10 and 11 year olds for 7:45pm games that last 2 hours on a school night is out of line.  Please explain to me how you rationalized keeping 4th and 5th graders up until 10 at night playing a baseball game when they have school the next day.  I don't think you can rationalize it, because it is just not rational.  I don't miss games, but I will be forced to this season.  I have a seven year old who has an 8:00pm bedtime.  I will not be keeping him up until almost 11:00pm on a school night because you deemed it appropriate to play these late games.  And yes, it will be 11:00pm because you did not seem to realize that the coaches talk to the team after the game, the car must be loaded up with equipment, there is a 15 minute drive home, and a shower is all necessary before my ten year old can go to bed.  You sir, need to take a serious look at Sunday afternoons and do some rescheduling.  This is ridiculous.

(Google)

Signed,

A furious mother.  

_________________________________

Dear Followers/Lurkers/Visitors,

I think I have come to the decision to end the link-up to my LOI carnival soon.  I will continue to write my letters and if you write letters I would love for you to let me know and I would love to come read them. 

Signed,

The time has come.

Project 52. 9/52

This week’s theme: A Great Leap

I don’t think I could be any later to this party, but better late then never right?!

Nolan is my shy child.  And of course I can’t have a child be a “typical” anything, so when I mention to someone that he tends to be shy they just don’t understand the extent of it.  As a baby he would not get out of the car at Grandma’s house even though I was staying there with him.  He would sit in his car seat and cry while I tried to convince him that it was okay to go inside.  He didn’t speak to his Pre-K or his Kindergarten teachers until well after Christmas break.  His Kinder teacher used sign-language to communicate with him because he just wouldn’t talk.  And this year in first grade, when learning to read is so very important, he was unable to read aloud to his teacher.  The first report card he brought home was marked at below level in reading because he was unable to show her that he knew how to read.  After much coaxing, bribing, and yes some threatening that he would have to be in 1st grade again next year, he spoke loud enough for his teacher to hear him.  Suddenly he went from below level in reading to reading at a second grade level.  Yes, there was a great leap in levels, but more importantly there was a great leap in confidence and fortitude.  He was so brave. 

Shot in manual.  I turned it to black and white at first but the tones and contrast didn’t look right so I went with sepia.  I saw some wedding pictures done by a photographer in black and white and the faces were so bright and their skin tone looked so good.  I have no idea how that is done.  I’m still not sure if there is enough contrast between Nolan’s face and his grey shirt.  Does it all blend to much?

And You Can't Make Me

So here's the thing.  I just don't feel like it.  I don't feel like cleaning.  I don't feel like cooking.  I don't feel like working.  I don't feel like blogging.  I don't feel like playing my games on Facebook.  I don't feel like exercising.  I don't feel like napping.  Well yes, I do feel like napping.  I don't feel like taking pictures.  I don't feel like editing pictures.  I don't feel like eating anything but junk food.  I don't feel like helping the boys with their homework.  I don't feel like making their lunches.  I don't feel like loading them in the car every morning and driving them to school.  I don't feel like mowing.  I don't feel like watching TV.  I don't feel like reading.  I don't feel like talking on the phone.  I don't feel like feeding the dog.  I don't feel like closing the cabinet door all the way.  I don't feel like moving from my spot on the couch.  I don't feel like adding a picture to this post.  I just don't feel like it.

Letters of Intent

Does the realization that it is already March have your head spinning?  Does your five day work week feel more like an endless loop of drudgery?  Did you tell your kids they weren't allowed to talk to each other because the only time they do they are bickering?  Did you tell your seven year old that you needed a brain break because if he continued to talk incessantly you might internally combust?  Or maybe you got your tax refund and are planning a big purchase.  Well tell me about it…in letter form of course. Write the who, what, when, where, and why of it all. Grab the button from my sidebar, and link up at the bottom. I look forward to your Letters of Intent!



Dear Exhaustion,

I'm tired of being tired.  You have overstayed your welcome. 

(Google)

Signed,

To much going on to be exhausted all the time.

________________________________

Dear Grown-up Responsibilities,

You suck the joy right out of life.  I don't want to go to the grocery store, do laundry, clean the house, pay bills, or wake up to an alarm clock five days a week. 

                                                                                                         (Google)

Signed,

I should have married for money so that I could pay someone to do all these things for me.

_______________________________

Dear Spring Break,

Get here fast and take your time leaving.

(Google)

Signed,

Spring Break should last much longer than a week.

______________________________

Dear Baseball Season,

Please be kind to us.  A few good at-bats, a few good outs, and a few wins.  That's all we ask.

Signed,

Baseball is so much more enjoyable when everyone is having fun.

_______________________________

Dear Followers/Lurkers/Visitors,

Is it time to retire Letters of Intent?  Have I beat the dead horse in the mouth a little bit to long?

Signed,

I used to feel so loved.

Travel Channel TX (Inaugural) Road Trip

*Links in this post are videos about the restaurants we visited.

A couple of weekends ago I ran into the playroom and robustly declared, “Road Trip!”  The boys, who have never heard the phrase before, looked at me with puzzled expressions.  So I patiently explained to them that we were heading to Round Rock, TX, home of the famous Round Rock Donut shop.  So yes, I may have called it a road trip, but we all know that phrase is a thinly veiled disguise for eating way more than any one person should eat.  Ever.  And Jakob just may have followed me around the house for a few minutes declaring how random this road trip was.  I told him we were being spontaneous and he said, “But we always plan things and talk about them.  We never just go do something without talking about it first.” Oh my little aspie, how I adore him.

So this may or may not have been shot number eleventy hundred of us in the car while driving because I may or may not have been trying to figure out how to sit so I looked my thinnest and Chris and Nolan (wearing 3D glasses) may or may not have been fed up with me.

After a 1.5 hour donut run we arrived at Round Rock Donuts.  I was a bit peeved that the owner of the suburban was ruining my shot.  I mean really, don’t they realize I am blogging about this in hopes that the Travel Channel will hire me to drive all over TX as a food critic?  I could totally be the female version of Adam Richman. 

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Everything is bigger in TX?”  We Texans like to pride ourselves on making anything and everything bigger and better.  Because of course if something is bigger it is naturally better.  Round Rock donuts makes a TX size donut.  One donut is the equivalent of a dozen.  And you better believe that the reason we drove 1.5 hours for a donut was because we wanted the TX size one.

I had wanted to sit at the bakery and eat our meal there, but the only seating is outside and it was raining that day.  So we piled back into the car and drove to Dell Diamond (of course we went to a baseball stadium, did you expect anything less?) and sat in the back of the car to eat our way to heavenly sickness.

The size of the box the donut comes in is comparable to a large shirt box, but I never received a shirt quite as nice as this.

Opening the box is comparable to opening presents on Christmas morning.  You know, if you like that kind of thing.

Believe it or not, Jakob doesn’t eat most desserts.  I don’t know how he can possibly be my son, but we bought him a cupcake in which he licked off the frosting and then threw the cake away.  (Later on we bought him a Hershey bar to make up for the lack of TX size goodness.)  So this giant donut had Nolan’s name written all over it.

And while Nolan and Chris were making themselves sick on the donut, I helped myself to a TX size cinnamon roll.  ( I have since learned that there is a place in San Antonio that makes a 3lb cinnamon roll that doesn’t even hold a candle to this one.  Stay tuned for that adventure!)  I am not a fan of nuts, but this cinnamon roll was so good that a few days later I ate a second one that we bought all by myself and didn’t offer to share. 

We bid farewell to Round Rock and planned one more stop on the way home. 

To eat of course.  We couldn’t possibly be expected to survive on donuts alone.  Have you seen Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives?  It’s on the Food Network and not the Travel Channel, but we didn’t let that stop us from experiencing this delicacy.

See that sign taped to the door with blue painters tape behind Chris and the boys?  It says they ran out of food.  After we had eaten.  Yeah, this one is gonna need a post all on its own.