Day 346

Still not cleared to skate but we've got the uniform now. Sadly his usual number 10 was already taken, so we have to get used to 14.

Day 339

He doesn't look dizzy... Recovering from a concussion this week, Sandro has been relegated to the activity level of the fat cat in his lap.

Day 280

Boy Scout Troop 615 left for a 10-day trek at Philmont Scout Ranch this morning. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation at the airport, but this one, he stayed cool all morning. Of course, he'd been up since 2:15, so he may just have been exhausted already!! Have fun, boys!!

Day 279

I realized this afternoon that I haven't taken any photographs of my mom with the boys since she's been here visiting the last week. Since Sandro leaves for his Scout trek early tomorrow, tonight was the only chance we had to get a snapshot of the three of them together.

Day 276

Brotherly love... ok, brotherly tolerance. They got into a fight on the way home from speedskating so I made them sit next to each other & smile when we got home.

Day 270

It's just about a week before Troop 615 leaves for their big summer trek at Philmont Scout Ranch, so the boys had their final pack check tonight. They've been preparing for almost a year so it's exciting to have it be right around the corner.

Day 268

After a lazy 4th of July yesterday, we had another lazy day today, enjoying the 3-day weekend. Only thing that had to get done today was a haircut for the boy, who needs to have it short for his upcoming Scout trek. It's been a very long time since his hair has been this short, and it's kind of strange to be able to see his eyes again!!

Day 263

The boy has been coughing since before hockey tryouts last weekend. It's gotten worse and worse, and frankly, it's grossing me out. Plus, he needed a physical for his Scout trek in a few weeks. So, we hit the Doc-in-the-Box and got him checked out. He doesn't really feel this pathetic - it's just that he takes every opportunity to lay down. He is 15 after all!!

Day 261

Hockey tryouts, part deux. Because he didn't get a contract with Dallas Stars Selects for the fall, we had to find an alternate team for Sandro to play with. Luckily, we have some connections and were able to get a one-on-one tryout with one of the Mansfield coaches, so he will be playing high school JV hockey this year.

Day 250

Since Sandro is back into inline skating full-out now, he's heading out before indoor practice to outdoor sessions. It's the best way to build endurance that will help him with the indoor racing. Plus, it's the best way to enjoy the Texas summer!

Day 225

The celebration of the 15 year-old's birthday continued today with a cookout at Grandpa's house. I love the rays of sunshine over his head - he looks so angelic! Ha!!

Day 222

On the occasion of his 15th birthday, I was able to coax both a photo & a smile from the teenager and, as a bonus, his usually reluctant father, too!

Day 207

a boy & his cat. 'nuf said.

Day 202

Rolling, rolling, rolling... Believe it or not, he has the smallest wheels out there

Day 184

After Benjamin was inspired by the short -track speed skaters at the Olympics and started skating with the speed team, it took only about three practices for Sandro to decide he wanted to get back into it as well. His skating style changed dramatically after six years of ice hockey, so the coaches have their work cut out for them to get him back to inline speed form. But, the foundation is there, plus he's got explosive power on his starts, so it's exciting to see what he can do on rollers.

Day 183

Had a great morning with the hockey team at the paintball party out by Lake Grapevine. I only got hit twice in the back of the leg - hurt like heck! The boys (and dads) had a lot of fun.

Day 177

After church today we went in search of a location for the boys' annual photos. We ended up at the bandshell downtown so we stayed out of the drizzle and mist. The only challenge then was get a shot of the two of them looking at the camera at the same time while not either blinking, scowling, or fake-smiling. Mission accomplished.

Day 171

Boy Scout, Second Class. He's got one achievement left to his First Class rank, an open-water rescue, which couldn't easily be done over the winter months. His goal is to get all his rank advancements short of Eagle by next summer, so he can focus on his Eagle project during his junior year in high school. Good job!

Day 93

Just about the time I thought, "Hmm, not sure what I'm going to do about the picture of the day," I heard the unmistakeable clamor of light sabers from the other room. Problem solved!

Day 49

The team split their games today, losing a rough one in the morning, but rallying to beat the team from Mexico in the late game. Yes, for people who have a hard time imagining hockey in Texas, wrap your head around hockey in Mexico! And, they were pretty good, actually.