The Bleacher Years

I've heard it said that this phase of parenthood is known as the "bleacher years", when you are cheering your kids on from the sidelines. It seems pretty accurate, considering any free time lately is spent at a ballfield or in a gym. It may be better termed as the "bag chair years" since we are constantly setting up and putting away our chairs at whatever sporting event we find ourselves at. It makes for long days and early alarms, but we wouldn't trade it for anything.  

Two weekends ago, on the 13th, we spent a full Saturday watching five ballgames combined between the two kids. Emmy's Yadkin Ignite team played in their second Top Gun Tournament, and as we waited to hear the location and times, we hoped it would not conflict with Eli's game that was also scheduled for that day. Things worked out as close to perfect as they could: Emmy played at 9AM and 10AM in Summerfield, Eli at 12PM in Walkertown about 30 minutes away, and then Emmy back in Summerfield at 2PM and 4:30PM. Boomer and I drove separate cars, since we knew he and Emmy might have to leave Walkertown before Eli's game ended. Both sets of grandparents came to Summerfield in the morning, and as soon as Emmy's second game was over, we had a train of four cars making the drive to Walkertown to watch Eli. Both Emmy and Eli had a big cheering section. There's no doubt these two have the best grandparents around! Emmy's team went 1-1 in the morning games, which positioned them in the silver bracket. Emmy played outfield during the morning games, and then she played 1st Base in the two afternoon games. Her strong defensive performance in the 2PM semi-final game earned her the award of MVP (selected by the umpire!) Sadly I missed most of that game as Eli and I made our way back to Summerfield, but thank goodness for GameChanger, I was able to follow along and then watch videos later. The championship game was a competitive match-up against the Carolina Angels from Lewisville, but Yadkin Ignite won and got the hardware! We were leaving the ballfield a little after 6PM and capped off the evening with a birthday party for Emmy's friend Eva. If Yadkin Ignite had not made it to the championship game, we would have gotten to the party sooner, but we made it in time for the bonfire and s'mores. Eva is Emmy's friend from her Walkertown team, and it is special to see the friendships that are developing from sports. 

Emmy and Eli have continued with games for their Walkertown teams. Emmy's team has a 3-0-1 record, and Eli's team is 3-0. They both are enjoying the fall season. We have also had fun supporting their cousins, watching Trivett play football and Zander and Maddox play soccer. Our bag chairs are getting a lot of use lately!

Here are a few other photos from our week. Boomer was celebrated in Kids Street during our once-a-month rotation of serving. On Sunday evenings, we return for Awana, and the kids enjoy the activities and bible study (and sometimes the sweet treats!) On a recent WSFCS Teacher Workday, Grammy took the kids to 4th of July Park for some playtime in the creek, and she also helped Eli complete his "All About Me" book. It was very helpful to have that assignment checked off with Grammy's help. September has passed by in a blink!

Kennedy Ballpark Tour: Atlanta (again!)

Boomer and I just returned from a three-day trip to Georgia, where we fit in a little bit of work and a little bit of play. Boomer attended the Association of Career & Technical Education Conference, and after some deliberation, I decided to tag along with him. I was uncertain at first, since it meant taking three (!) days off of work, but in the end I am so glad I took the opportunity to be with him. We left on Wednesday morning after dropping the kids off with Aunt Megan for school. It was a 5 1/2 hour drive to the conference site in Fayetteville, just outside of Atlanta. From doing a little bit of research ahead of time, we noticed that the Braves were playing at home on Wednesday evening versus the Cubs, so after checking in at the conference hotel, we made our way to the ballpark. Boomer pre-paid for parking in Lot E44, which was just a short walk from the gates, and we got there just before they opened at 5:30PM. Little did I know, parking wasn't the only thing Boomer planned ahead of time. He got us Delta SKY360 Club tickets, which included unlimited food, beverages, and snacks, not to mention access to the air-conditioned lounge, cushioned seats, and a great view directly behind home plate. The weather was perfect, too, with temperatures in the mid-70s. There was even a special jersey promo, and we both got nice Strider jerseys, which I put on mine right away. A day or two before our trip, I reached out to Casey, who lives close by in Monroe, and she was able to get tickets last minute. It was so special to fit in some time with her before the game. The Braves haven't been having the best season, but our hopes were high for a win, and we were disappointed when they lost 3-2. Our Kennedy Ballpark Tour record has struggled lately, after a string of losses in Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Miami. Hopefully our luck will improve in 2026. Even with a Braves' loss, Boomer and I both agreed that it will be hard to top this experience at any other MLB game in the future! 

 

On Thursday, Boomer attended sessions for the conference, and there was an Awards Luncheon to recognize the state winners of various CTE awards. Boomer was recognized as the 2024-2025 North Carolina CTE Administrator of the Year. They also announced the regional winner, which will move forward in the national competition. Boomer did not win the regional award, but that doesn't change how very proud I am of him. He doesn't put much stock in these types of awards, and his humility is one of the things I love most about him. He works so hard, and it is exciting to have that effort recognized in such a big way with a state-level award. 

On Thursday evening, we had dinner within a short walk of our hotel at The Barleygarden Kitchen & Craft Bar. We ate on the upstairs deck, overlooking the street where a cornhole tournament was set up. We took advantage of some happy hour specials and ordered drinks and appetizers to share. It was a fun, laidback evening with great company and great food. 

This morning, I convinced Boomer to get up early with me for a run around the town of Trilith. The conference hotel where we stayed was called Trilith Guesthouse, and it is right in the commercial district of the community. There are several restaurants, shops, and retailers, all within walking distance. There is also a residential area, with European style homes with quaint courtyards and cobblestones. We found out once we were there that Trilith is a movie and film-making community, most notably where the Marvel movies have been produced. As you enter the town through a rural stretch of country roads, all of sudden there are large industrial buildings, labeled with numbers, that are the studios for all the movies. It was really interesting to think of all the famous actors and filmmakers that have come to this place, which feels like a mini-Hollywood. After our run, we checked out of our hotel and grabbed donuts and coffee to-go from Hero Donuts. Coffee and sweet treats were a common theme of this trip. 

While Boomer and I were away, Eli kept things interesting for us. On Wednesday, just as we were entering Atlanta around 1PM, the elementary school called to say that Eli had collided with a wall (or a railing?) and that a few of his bottom teeth were loose. There was a lot of blood, but Aunt Megan was there to console him until Grammy could come to pick him up. A few phone calls later, Eli had an appointment at the dentist within the hour, and they took X-rays to assess the damage. Luckily there was no damage to the root or bone, just significant trauma to the gum. He is on a soft diet for the next few weeks, with a follow-up appointment in October. Yikes! Being a boy mom is not for the faint of heart! Besides this episode, both kiddos had fun with Grammy spending the night with them at our house while we were away. She and Grandpa made sure they got to all their activities in our absence. It takes a team, and we are so thankful for the opportunity for this little getaway!

Fall Ball

The fall season kicked off on Saturday with games for Emmy and Eli. Both games were at home in Walkertown....however, they were at exactly the same time, which made it tricky for this momma who wanted to be at each one. Like with the overlapping games in the spring, I bounced back and forth between the two fields, trying to catch the highlights, so that later I could say "Yes! I saw that!" Both kiddos went 2-for-3 at the plate, which was a great start considering they both moved up in their age groups. For the first time, Eli is playing machine pitch, and Emmy is playing Minors/10U player pitch. They both seem to be quickly adjusting to hitting the ball from the machine (Eli) or from the opposing player (Emmy). In the field, Emmy played 1st base, while Eli played 1st, 2nd, and pitcher. Eli had two impressive back-to-back outs at 1st base to end an inning, and then he trotted into the dugout like it was no big deal. As head coach of Emmy's team, Boomer wasn't able to see Eli play, but I tried to capture a few videos to show him afterward. Boomer and his squad of other dad coaches have been working so hard with the girls, that I was especially glad when they got the win. Eli's team won too, and we celebrated afterward with lunch at the Seafood Shack. It's always exciting to start the season 1-0!

Emmy had her second game of the season this evening at Walnut Cove Little League. Weekday games are fun, but also tough after a full day at school. Eli caught a quick catnap on the way there. Going into the last inning, the score was tied 8-8, and Walkertown scored two runs to go up 10-8. As the away team, they had to play defense in the bottom of the inning, and Walnut Cove squeaked in two more runs, to end the game in a 10-10 tie. We will face that team again two more times this season, so it will be interesting to see the outcome the next time we match up. 

Recently Boomer rediscovered this photo on his phone from Emmy's very first season when she played baseball in April 2024. It makes me smile to see her there with all the boys. She has shown tremendous improvement and grit since that first season, and we are all excited for the weeks ahead.

Even though we are at the ballfield several nights a week, we found time to fit in some football too. This past Friday was the rivalry game between Starmount and Forbush, and all four of us went for a pre-game tailgate and to cheer on the teams. I couldn't resist a picture with the Falcon mascot. You can see that Emmy wasn't too interested in the action on the field; she preferred reading and braiding my hair. Eli was a little more engaged, but even so, about midway through the 2nd Quarter, we made for the exit and bedtime. I am not sure when we might see more football in person. For now, we are catching bits and pieces of games on TV, and as always cheering for our Deacs and Gators. 

This past Sunday was Grandparents Day. It just so happened that we had already decided to celebrate Dad's birthday on that day, since he will be on a golf trip during his actual birthday. We went to Don Juan's, and Dad even got to wear the birthday sombrero. Be sure to notice the Houston brothers in the photos; Zander is trying to keep Maddox from blowing out the candles! We are so thankful for Grammy and Grandpa; they are easy people to celebrate. They are always there to lend a helping hand...even putting together rocking chairs for our front porch! Grammy is back again this year volunteering at Sedge Garden. Our favorite SGES volunteer helps in both kids' classroom and in Maddox's too, usually on Thursdays of each week. The kids love seeing her, and I know the teachers are grateful for the extra help from a veteran teacher. 

Just a couple other photos from the week: Emmy and Eli finished a 750-piece puzzle they have been working on for the last few weeks. I was quite impressed with their perseverance and team work. Besides my help at the beginning with the border, they completed the rest independently. Also, a hallway selfie of Eli and Aunt Megan, and then a picture of me with my certificate of completion for the CDC Induction course. Yay! God has been so good to provide opportunities for me to further my career. But also...no more discussion posts or PowerPoint assignments for me, hopefully ever again!