Taking Flight 2014, 2.0

I don't think it's fair when they leave two at a time!


Princess Artiste graduated from high school in June, and after being pursued because of her grades and athletic records, she is our first to leapfrog over community college and right into a 4-year school.  With her part-time public school, part-time homeschool education, we had to jump through a couple of extra hoops, but they weren't too bad.  

She was actually accepted into 2 private, Christian colleges, but only one of them had the draw of participating in collegiate sports.  As a runner and swimmer, the school athletic director was having a hard time deciding in which sports to use her.  Her available options were cross country, indoor track, outdoor track and field, swimming, and the new team he wants to start for triathlon.  It's long been her dream to try a triathlon, but that team hasn't been started yet, so at least it was off the list for this year.  

She teaches swimming and does lifeguarding for the YMCA, but doesn't feel in any shape to compete in swimming, so chose cross-country for fall, and in the spring, hopes to run the 400 meter dash and throw javelin in outdoor track.  She may try indoor track, too, since her cross country season was cut a little short by illness at one end and a stress fracture at the other!

First things first...
Ginormous poster goes on the wall!

Yes, her departure was a bit delayed.  She was supposed to move to school 2 weeks before classes started, in order to train with the cross country team.  But 2 days before the move, she was feeling just awful...The 'cold' she'd had was worsening, her throat was killing her, and when she tried to run, her legs felt like lead.  Diagnosis: Mono.  Prince Go-for-It had had it in May, so evidently the germs were around the house, and he shared.  It can take 2 months to incubate after exposure!


She went up to school, then, on the regular appointed day.  It was sad she'd missed the training and bonding time with her team, but that meant we got her at home for a bit of additional time.  Moving day was sunny and bright, and a great day to start her new adventure... and she was bonding with teammates, already, when we left.  The next day she attended a church she's loved ever since.


She is growing and learning.  She competed in a few meets, but missed going to the national meet, because of her broken foot.  She'll get the 'boot' off of that in a week, and will jump into preseason practice for track, and hope that season goes much better!  She also has 2 jobs... swim instructor/lifeguard at the YMCA, as mentioned, and, added just this week, an afternoon job in the school library.


She still wonders if she's chosen the right school.  This one is small...Only 250 students, which is about 1/10 the size of her high school.  She enjoys the small classes, and the interest and passion passed on by her professors.  But she had to choose a different major than she'd intended, because this school only offers 15 degree programs.  She may transfer to the Big City next year or the year after, and join her brother, Inventive, but not in the same classes.  She still is deciding between a career in nutrition or a career in interior design.


The princess has accomplished another big thing, unintentionally and indirectly.  The path to college by attending community college first, because of the lack of a public school diploma, was an easy and successful route for her older siblings.  In jumping to a 4-year school, and participating in sports as well, she has broadened the horizons for her younger siblings.  Already, Prince Go-for-It is planning to run cross country, starting at a 4-year school, and he has 2 with which he plans to open a dialogue.  He, a natural born salesman, also plans to major in Business to study marketing, but with different career goals in mind than his brother.

We now have a household of 5...plus the 3 over the garage.  It's odd to have so few!  Because the younger kids seemed to draw around the older kids, they are now somewhat at loose ends, and still missing their buddies.  Thank goodness for texting and cell phones.  How much they rely on each other, even when not in the same house, is more evident (and heartwarming) than ever.  We have new dynamics to grow accustomed to, and new bonds to build within the house.  A whole new adventure for everyone.

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Off to the East Again

Oops!  This one was supposed to be published yesterday, and yesterday's post was supposed to appear today, but something got fouled up... I think it was someone, and it was me! 

Prince Go-for-It's last, big tournament was in Moses Lake, WA.  This was during Princess Bossy's visit, so she came along!  Since we didn't get the schedule until that week, so thought we might be playing first thing in the morning and it's a 3 1/2 hour drive, we arranged to arrive the day before.  As it turned out, the first tournament game was at 8 PM.  That meant we were there about a full day and a half early.

The coaches were glad to hear that, because the 18 year-old team was playing in nearby Ephrata, and needed some extra support.  The prince ended up sitting the bench the first day, but started the game on the second day, several hours before his own game that evening.

The team always warms up for up to 2 hours before a game, so Bossy, CuddleBunny, and I had some time to kill, and drove to get snacks, water, and sunscreen.  (We also got just a little sidetracked at a quilt fabric store and someone forgot we had a schedule to keep!) Prince Go-for-It thought the game started at 1:00.  Unfortunately, it started at 12:30, so, according to the report from his coach, we missed 2 amazing plays our prince made in center field.  But we were there for his first at-bat.

See that ball in the last picture, headed for the plate?  


Turns out it wasn't headed toward the plate, but toward Go-for-It's hand!  The ump was sure he'd hit a foul ball, since the ball landed somewhere past first base.  But it hadn't.  It struck the bone on the top of his right hand, leading from his ring finger to his wrist.  The knuckle below that finger seemed to have disappeared into his hand...Not good.  

Amazingly, the little town of Ephrata has its own hospital, so off we went to the ER.  The bone was broken, and they splinted his hand and gave him pain meds.  Once we were back home the following week, we consulted with his own doctor, then saw an orthopedist and it was repositioned...OUCH... and put into a cast.... A cast that stayed dry for about 1 1/2 of the 3 weeks it was supposed to be on.  But I digress...







Meanwhile, the 16 year-olds' tournament began...


Princess Bossy was a little taken aback that 3 days of her stay would now be spent, sitting in nearly 100 degree temperatures, watching kids she didn't know play ball. But we knew them, we'd paid for the hotel, and Go-for-It was still a member of his team, who wanted to, as he should, support his buddies through their games.  

He had great fun serving as first base coach, and again, they finished in a very respectable 3rd place.  They could have done better in that one... Maybe with their starting center fielder?

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WSU Tourney

I've lived and worked on college campuses, and have yet to see an ugly one.  The atmosphere is so positive and energetic, and the grounds so parklike. WSU was no exception.  

And being and playing in the stadium was no less "big time" feeling than at the Husky ballfield.  It just lacked the urban surroundings, which is the more relaxing environment I prefer --without the fuss and fury.

My niece, who now works at UW, is a WSU
alum and highly recommended the Cougar Country Drive-In
for a burger and one their famous Cyclones
(like a Dairy Queen Blizzard...Ice cream and candy, basically)

Independence Day fireworks over the city.
...from the WalMart parking lot! :-)

Even further from any urban hustle and bustle were the tournament games held on a field in nearby Colfax.  One of the moms went into the local grocery store, and the checker thought she was from the new family moving into town.  Everyone knows everyone else there, apparently, and a new face attracts attention.  

The field itself was on the far edge of town, beyond it, only a narrow road along a river.  But Hubby (the only time he was able to come with us to a tournament), CuddleBunny, Eager, and I had time to kill during team warmup, so enjoyed a leisurely ride and took some photos.  

It was interesting to note wildlife and bugs that are different from those we see on our side of the mountains. 

The boys did well, and finished 3rd in the tournament.

-- And I should have mentioned previously, that almost all baseball photos, particularly action shots, were taken by Prince CuddleBunny.  Princess Eager, an avid photography buff, was often behind her camera, too, and she supplied a lot of individual shots for the team members to share on their respective social media options.

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Eastward Ho!

The next big tournaments for Prince Go-for-It's team were in Eastern Washington.  In fact, we left immediately after the championship game at UW to head to the cross-state rival stadium at Washington State University in Pullman.  








The drive was long, but beautiful.  It's always interesting and nice to change environments, and enjoy scenery unlike that we see everyday.  















I am convinced, for whatever reason there may be, that the clouds on that side of the Cascades are just different.  They seem so much more dramatic, and with more depth.  Awesome.

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Tournament Time

One of the boys' first (and favorite) big tournaments was one in which they played against premier teams in University of Washington's brand new Husky Baseball Stadium.  It felt 'big time!'

They had some skill clinics, then played tournament games in the afternoons and evenings.  It was HOT, and the competition was fierce.  They weren't expected to do well, and did lose their first game,   but not badly.

  

The next day brought better things, and Prince Go-for-It got to feel a big part of their success. 

 Game 1 that day went into the win column, with a good scoring margin for our boys.  The 2nd game, a night game, so under the lights, was more of a battle.  

With 2 outs in the 9th inning, the score was tied.  Prince Go-for-It had 2 strikes, and 2 balls, but then he smacked a good one, and was on base.  2 hits by teammates later, and he was the winning run, taking the team into the championship game on the final day!














Because this tournament was in the Big City, we commuted, and the prince's siblings, nephew, and dad were able to come watch.  But being in the new stadium was more of a family affair than just who was in the cheering section, or even playing on the field...  

First of all, our niece works on campus, so we got to see her.  But also, my older brother had hauled the steel for framing the stadium when it was built, and our eldest prince had wired the lights over the stadium seats!  

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