Graduation and the Start of Summer

Cami and Griffin officially graduated from Pre-School and will start Kindergarten in the fall.

Lexi also received her certificate of completion for 2nd grade.  Man, I'm getting old.

The girls had softball games, and continued the status quo; no big hits or spectacular plays this week.  Griffin had a make-up soccer game that neither Trisha nor I were able to attend (he went with his friend), so of course he scored a goal.  He was pretty excited.

We are well on our way into summer vacation and have already spent a bunch of time swimming at Tom and Donna's.  Griffin can touch the bottom when diving for toys, Cami swam the length of the pool, and Lexi acts like she was born in the water.

Rank my Fearless review

If you have the time, please rank my review for Fearless.  The link is here, or you can use the widget below.

Thanks.

Sports and Us

So, Griffin wrapped up his soccer season this past Saturday.  While he didn't score any goals, he did improve in passing and dribbling.  His coach did a really good job of coaching the kids up on spreading out and sharing the ball.  Unfortunately for Griffin, some of his teammates still struggled, always flocking to and fighting for the ball.  He is very proud of his soccer medal, though.

Cami had a game Saturday, and had her second hit.  She knocked it between 1st and 2nd base.  She also played tonight, and hit a couple more off the tee.  She hasn't really had a lot of action in the field lately.

Lexi nearly had another hit on Saturday, going just foul.  Monday night she took a few good swings and didn't swing at any bad pitches, but went hitless.  Still, those two from last week might be good enough to keep her going.

Careers (According to my students)

My students recently completed research papers about careers.  But, I'm learning that research is a term be used loosely.  I'm going to list some of their findings. (All typos and misunderstandings belong to them)

Harrison Ford invented the Ford automobile.
Pre-school teachers need to get alone with parents.
A philanthropist is a type of doctor.
One step in becoming a veterinarian is anathesia.  This is when you clean the animal's teeth.
To be an auto mechanic, you can't be scared of getting greasy or being in awkward positions.
The history of video game design started in 1889 with Nintendo.
One required skill to be a video game designer is rowing.
One important job for a police officer, other than catching bad guys, is delivering babies for mothers that can't.
If you are a vet, your moral convections cannot be at war with your work.
One educational program for nurses is nursing ethnic.
Aerospace engineers make under water vassals.
To be an anesthesiologist, you will defiantly need math and science skills.

Knight-Center Game Highlight

Last night, Lexi got not one, but two hits, her first of the season and her young career.  Her first hit actually left her on second, as the throw to first got away and Lexi advanced a base.  She later scored a run in that inning.  Her second hit was a single.  More to come on the weekend edition of...Knight-Center.

WKNI Sports Round-Up

This was a week that started with a torrential downpour, washing out Lexi's Monday night game and half of Griffin's soccer practice.  By Thursday, though, we were back on track.

Highlight of the Week: Cami got her first hit off a pitched ball.  It was a medium roller down the first base line that started fair, rolled foul, and finally ended up fair again by the time it reached 3rd base.  Everyone thought  it was foul, until the 3rd base coach hollered for Cami and the other girls to run.  She was so excited, she gave me a kiss before taking the field the next inning.

Lexi: Lex is still looking for her first hit, but her swings are getting closer and closer.  Thursday, she made two good plays at 3rd, and on one she even ran to the base for the force out.  She started jumping up and down in excitement.

Griffin: The boy (as reported by his mother) ran around having fun, but didn't display his typical drive.  Maybe his mind was on something else, like philosophy or Star Wars Lego (he only has one more character to unlock and he is a little preoccupied with that currently).  For more of The World According to Griffin, you can follow me on Twitter @bigsandwich6 where I'm trying to tweet his random thoughts on Life, the Universe, and Everything.

Finally, WKNI wants to wish a Happy Mudda's to all you moms out there.

Sportscenter, Knight-Style

Cami - This week, Cami had two games.  She had several hits off the tee, scoring a few runs in the process.  She also fielded several ground balls.  She even played an inning as pitcher's helper, but her cat-like reflexes were not in evidence, as she often was mesmerized by short hits and forgot to move at all.  Maybe she was visualizing what she should do.

Lexi - Lexi had one game and took a few good swings, but didn't connect.  She is really working on her timing right now.  The fielding is coming along, and she loves chanting, "Hey batter, look at me, I'm a monkey in a tree..ooo-aahh, oooo-aahh.

Griffin - Griffin had one make-up game rained out (now we have to make up a make-up?) and one game played.  He really started coming on in the second half of today's game.  He had one field-length dash and scoring chance that looked like it just might roll in, but an opponent stopped it inside the "no-touch" zone.  He had a chance at a free kick but left it a little short.  He also had a few more really aggressive and coordinated rushes with the ball.  You can almost see him developing his skills from week to week.

Finally, the Knights attended what is becoming a family tradition on the 1st Saturday in May: Free Comic Book Day!  We visited the local comic shop and were allowed to choose two comics each from a select group as comic shops across the country celebrated this fabulous day.  If only it had been around when I was a teen.  Sigh.

Fearless by Eric Blehm - Book Review

Fearless, by Eric Blehm, is a moving and amazing true story.  It chronicles the life of Adam Brown, a member of Seal Team SIX, from his youth, through his addiction to crack and a stay in jail, into his training as a Seal, and concluding with his death on a mission in Afghanistan .  I don’t quite know how to summarize this book.  Adam was a fearless, determined kid who exhibited tremendous kindness towards others.  After high school, he began making poor decisions that resulted in an almost overwhelming drug addiction that finally landed him in jail.  While living at a rehab facility, Adam accepted Christ as his savior.  Following rehab, Adam met his eventual wife, Kelley, and made the decision to become a Navy Seal.  This is a very general description, but I can’t do justice to the experiences portrayed in the book.  Blehm interviewed a number of people who knew Adam, including his fellow Seals and commanding officers.  A pretty complete picture of Adam Brown is presented, and he is a tremendous example of a man, husband, father, friend, and warrior.  This is a fascinating story, but the last few chapters are hard to read, due to the emotional content, particularly for this father of young children. 

 

I highly recommend this encouraging story of redemption and courage, and the saving power of Christ.  A warning though, that there is a little bit of “salty” language due to the nature of the men interviewed.  It is never inappropriate, but it is in there.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah’s Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.