What's Up Wednesday: February 2020

What We're Eating This Week

We've got High School baseball tryouts all week and that means dinner time depends on the ever-changing tryout times and the weather, so we've been on a Trader Joe's kick. Trader Joe's frozen section is a life-saver during these seasons because we need quick and easy. Our go-to favorite dinners are the Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry, the Mandarin Orange Chicken, the Chile Lime Chicken Burgers and the Cauliflower Gnocci with Pesto Sauce.

What I'm Reminiscing About

All of the Facebook memories that have come up in the last few weeks have brought up pictures of Kyle's senior basketball season last year. The season was a prototypical Cinderella story - one in which our team, which started the play-offs with an unremarkable regular season record - ended up powering its way through 8 play-off games to remarkably end up in the state championship. It was one of the most fun experiences our family has ever had. I'm missing watching my boy play since he graduated, but I'm loving watching his former teammates as they make a run for it again in the High School play-offs this week. They had a monster win last night and will head into the Region Semi-Finals Thursday and I simply cannot stay away. There are so many talented players on this team and they are so fun to watch. If you're in the area, head to Freedom High School on Thursday night at 7:00 pm. A win gives the boys a ticket to the State tournament again.

And although I don't get a front row seat to watch my former #2 play, he and his fraternity brothers are apparently tearing it up in Intramurals at the University of Tennessee. I have a feeling the competition is not quite as intimidating and that there is likely a whole lotta hacking going on, but I'm so happy he still has a chance to keep shooting. :-)

What I'm Loving

I saw that Harry Smith on the Today Show had done a New Year's challenge to do 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene. For the most part, the only exercise I've done for the past 15 years is running. That's great except when it's cold and/or rainy which is seems like it has been for the past eleventy thousand months. I know that I need to mix up my exercise routine and I have done yoga at my gym occasionally - you might recall the time I went to Hot Yoga and was certain that I was about to meet Jesus earlier than expected. The Today Show piece made me think that perhaps my re-entry into a yoga practice should be a little calmer and gentler this time. And at home. Near my bed. I'm on day 5 and I'm really loving it so far.

What We've Been Up To

We visited Joe in State College last weekend and had the best time. We were able to go to THON which is a 46 hour Dance Marathon run by the Penn State University Students to raise money for pediatric cancer patient support. It is an incredible event which takes a ton of planning and effort to pull off and I was mighty impressed. This year they raised a staggering $11 million. Do not doubt that our future is in good, capable hands with this next generation. We also went to a PSU hockey game where we sat just a few rows below Joe and his colleagues who were doing the student radio broadcast of the game. Penn State came back from being down 2-0, so it was a really exciting game. Honestly, I don't think I stopped smiling the whole weekend. My soul rests easier when I get my eyes on my boys. I felt incredibly blessed.

What I'm Dreading

Nothing. Pass.

What I'm Working On

Seems like a lot of fear is seeping into my head and my heart lately. I suppose it's this stage of life with worry about parents, young adults, teens, a future empty nest, blah, blah, blah. So, I guess I'm working on choosing faith over fear and that is involving a lot of scripture memorization. Replacing lies and worry with truth and hope is the best remedy I can choose right now. As all the cool kids say, "If you're picking up what I'm putting down", then I'd suggest a bunch of verses in Isaiah. There's a heckuva a lot of hope and truth there.

What I'm Excited About

It seems kind of weird to say that I'm "excited" about Lent as it really is not the happiest of seasons, but I am. I ordered Erin Moon's Lent and Holy Week guide, Every Broken Thing, and I'm really looking forward to reading it during Lent. Last year, her devotional, O Heavy Lightness, was such a blessing to me. You can purchase and download a copy of Every Broken Thing here, but you have to do it by midnight tonight I think. PS I went to Office Depot online, downloaded it and paid for it to be printed and bound and it was ready only 15 minutes after I did it. I heart technology.

What I'm Watching

I had watched the first couple of seasons of Jane the Virgin which is sweet and kinda corny around Christmas time. Then I took a break from it to watch You which is dark and kinda creepy, so now I'm back to Jane. It's all about balance.

What I'm Reading

I haven't been reading much lately which always means that I've been on my phone too much. I still haven't finished Sarah Bessey's Miracles and Other Reasonable Things: A Story of Unlearning and Relearning God, so I plan to get back to it this weekend. She is such a gifted writer.

Soon after that I will read Melanie Shankle's new book, On the Bright Side: Stories About Friendship, Love, and Being True to Yourself, which just came out yesterday. Melanie is one of my favorite authors. Reading her The Big Mama Blog was one of the reasons I was inspired to write my own blog. Melanie has a gift for finding humor in the every day and bringing light into a dark world. I can't imagine a better title for her book. 

What I'm Listening To

I recently listened Jen Hatmaker's interview with Max Lucado titled The Beauty of Disagreeing Agreeably on her For the Love Podcast and I was clapping my hands and nodding my head and saying "Amen" aloud like a weirdo. It was a such a great episode. You can listen or read the transcript here.

What I'm Wearing

I've been spending a whole lot of time in pajamas lately because it's winter and also, it's a free country. I got these black floral printed pjs for my birthday and I love them so much. The fabric is so soft. I tend to button all of the buttons on the top unlike the model, but again, free country and all that.

What I'm Doing This Weekend

I am hoping we'll have a High School basketball game to attend, but I'm not thinking about that yet because we are only allowed to think of the next game. I also will be attending our Women's Winter Retreat at my church. If you are in the area check out more information here. We'd love to see you there!

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month

Both college boys will be home for Spring Break so I can't wait to have a house full again. They will only overlap one weekend, but I'll take it.

What Else Is New

This week I have a new piece that I wrote about the ways that Baseball sneaks up on us when we're not quite ready yet over at The Northern Virginia Travel Baseball League. Take a look if you want some advice on handling those days when you're begging for someone - anyone - on either team - to make the last out before you turn into an icicle.

Well, that's all that's up this Wednesday. Have a great day!

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.

Are You Ready for Some Baseball?

Are you ready for some baseball?

Not quite?

Me, neither. Too bad.

As I write this, we are one week into College Baseball Season. Little League evaluations have already happened. MLB teams have started practicing. I have already forked over my credit card to pay for the travel ball uniforms. And we are only three measly days away from High School Baseball Tryouts.

And yet, it's still February and the high temperature is 40 degrees today. We literally had the last regular season basketball game three days ago.As usually happens this time of year, I'm thinking, "Hey, Baseball Season. SLOW YOUR ROLL, DUDE. Can we just take a breath, please?"

Since I've been through this transition more times than I can count, I know what Baseball's answer is.

READ THE REST HERE.

5 Friday Favorites: February 14, 2020

It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love, and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote or Bible verse, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

1. Shoes I Don't Need

Will you please just look at how these Nikes have a tortoise swoosh??? What??? I cannot buy these because I don't need them at all and it's so annoying when paying for college education is deemed more worthy than buying cute shoes. GAAHHH. However, maybe you, dear reader, have found yourself with a flourishing money tree in your backyard and maybe you also really need a new pair of running shoes? Or perhaps you're just someone who doesn't have a swoosh that matches your tortoise shell sunglasses. That would be so sad. Go get these.

2. Dr. Death Podcast

I drove to Knoxville this week to spend a few days with College Boy #2 which meant I was in the car for 7 hours each way. Thank goodness for podcasts which make road trips so much more fun. Dr. Death came out a few years ago and people have been talking about it ever since. It is about a neurosurgeon in Dallas who completely botches surgery after surgery, even paralyzing and killing numerous patients. The failure of Dallas area hospitals and the Texas Medical Board to stop this guy from practicing is unbelievable and infuriating. I listened to the entire six episode series which means that anyone who happened to be driving by me on I-81 and glanced in my car would have seen this:

So, if you are facing surgery anytime soon I highly recommend that you do not listen to this. After I mentioned You on Netflix last week and now this, I think next week I might recommend that we all binge watch Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

3. Scarf Hair Ties

I know a lot of Americans are worried about the direction in which our country is headed and I would like to add the return of the scrunchie to the long list of things that are going horribly wrong. However, I am seeing these scarf hair ties around. They're more of a scrunchie with some class and I think they're really cute. I got the one above from Anthropologie for exactly $3.92 during a sale so I feel like I should be in the Guiness book of World Records for finding the least expensive item at Anthro in the history of time. Sadly, that one is gone now. Although they're not on sale, Anthropologie does have this cute set right now. I also saw lots of options on Amazon. I think they'd make a fun gift for a daughter or girlfriend.
PS Anthropologie is having  50% off sale items today. Maybe you could join me in the Guiness Book of World Records. Godspeed.

4. Anne Bogel's Valentine's Day RomCom/Book List

modernmrsdarcy

Anne Bogel tells us all about the best books to read at her blog, Modern Mrs. Darcy. This week she has a post listing the best romantic comedies and corresponding books that follow along similar themes. This is a great resource to have to decide what to watch/read on this Valentine's Weekend or any weekend for that matter. It sure does make me miss the days when every single movie at the theater wasn't about blowing up an asteroid or superheroes. (Insert Old Lady Incessantly Talking About the Good Ol' Days.)

5. A Visit with My Boy

Winter is hard for a lot of people. Especially me. I also think that no matter how great your kid might have adjusted to being away from home at school, this might be just about the best time to get a visit from Mom . . .both for your heart and the kid's. It is my experience that a kid might not admit it, but when you know you know, am I right? 

I think we are all walking the line when we let our kids go. As much as we read about landing the helicopter and backing off, sometimes we just need to look them directly in the eyes and Face Time ain't gonna cut it. (Also, I look like death on Face Time. It doesn't help my Winter Mood AT ALL.)

I understand that I am lucky that my schedule and the age of my kiddo at home allowed me to leave and drive the 7 hours to Knoxville for a few days and I know that some people aren't able to do that. But, if at all possible, for those of you who have a college kid, I highly recommend it if you can make it work. It might look different for you, but for us it looked like sharing popcorn and watching a basketball game. It looked like walking the aisles at the grocery store at 10:00 pm and loading him up on snacks for his dorm room. It looked like taking him out for an enormous steak and talking about big things and little things and laughing a whole lot. It looked like me sharing only 1 of the 4 Bible verses I wanted to share with him and dialing it down on the Coach Eric Taylor quotes so that I ended up listening as much as I talked. It looked like sitting in my hotel bed watching Netflix on my Ipad while he typed away at the desk writing an English paper. (And I did not once look over his shoulder to try to help him. Please, acknowledge how difficult this was for me. I need praise and congratulations. Thank you.)

In conclusion, this stage of parenting is wonderful and scary and fun and difficult and there seem to be so many opinions out there on how you're doing it wrong or right. Just listen to your kid and listen to you heart.Your heart and his will thank you for it. 

Next up: I'm coming for you State College. I already have 3 of my 4 Bible verses picked out for Boy #1. See you soon. :-)

Happy Weekend, Friends!

  

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.

5 Friday Favorites: February 7, 2020

It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love, and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote or Bible verse, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Hi! It's February. It's pouring rain and grey and ugly outside. So let's start with this:

1. On the Bright Side by Melanie Shankle

One of the first blogs I ever read was The Big Mama Blog written by Melanie Shankle. She's a Texan, a mom, and a Christian, and her words often make me laugh out loud and want to meet her for queso and chips. She finds the joy and humor in just about anything and I'm here for that every day of the week, especially given the dumpster fire we find ourselves in of late. *big sigh* I've purchased every book she's written and I was quick to pre-order her newest one, On the Bright Side: Stories about Friendship, Love, and Being True to Yourself. The book doesn't officially come out until February 25th, but if you order now, you'll get it on your doorstep that day. Also, you will get the lowest price offered on Amazon by that day, no matter what day you order. I haven't read a word of it yet, but I'd bet all my money it's going to be great. Guaranteed.

2. The Shirley Temple King on Instagram

I don't know if y'all have noticed it this week, but it appears the world has lost its ever-lovin' mind. Not sure that is different from last week, but sometimes it just slaps me right in the face. Earlier this week, my phone was blowing up with messages from my husband about all manner of news events including, but not limited to, our great democracy resorting to a COIN FLIP to determine a winner of the Iowa Caucus. I thought he was kidding. He was not. *Second Big Sigh* Also, the Twitter was World War III with all the arguing about JLo's crotch and/or the State of the Union and/or Nancy Pelosi's paper shredding and/or someone making a reference to Scripture who has clearly never read Scripture. *Third Big Sigh*. This is why I bring you The Shirley Temple King on Instagram. This little munchkin reviews Shirley Temples at various restaurants. What else do you need? He's a delight machine. This is the content I am here for. Carry on, Mad, Mad World. I gotta go buy some grenadine, ginger ale, and cherries.

3. You

Okay. to be honest, I already want to take this one back and tell you not to watch this show under any circumstances. My son, who might not really love me, watched it while he was home from college over the holiday break and told me that it was really good. Now, all of the sudden, I'm hooked on this madness and I text him every other day with exclamations of panic in all caps because the main character is ten kinds of crazy. And even though he reminds me that he told me that guy was bananas, I am still lying awake at night questioning my parenting skills and also wondering if someone is stalking me and also curious about why I am kinda cheering for this freakshow. I absolutely cannot stop watching it and I'm already on Season 2. So, I'm not telling you to watch it. I'm not. But if you do, call me because I have some feelings about this one.

4. Oventure Key Rings

Lately, I can't remember why I walk into a room and I'm not sure when the last time was that I got in my car and left without having to go back in the house to get something. This is why finding my keys has become a mountain that seems practically impossible to climb. Then lo and behold I found these key rings at Living with Landyn's shop in Nashville and I haven't lost my keys since. (It's been a week, so don't hold your breath.) They can fit around your wrist, so that you don't have to dig through your massive Mary Poppins tote bag to find them while you're in the parking lot with the ten bags of groceries. And even if they're in your purse they are easy to find.

5. The Magic of 15 

I have often lamented the crap-show that is Middle School and the difficulties of 14 year olds. Although it's not a hard and fast rule, for some reason, 14 is well-known among boy moms as one of the hardest years. I actually wrote about that here when Kyle turned 14. I also saw this tweet this week which pretty much sums up how I felt about 14 around here.

Of course, all kids are different and all that stuff . . . OF COURSE. However, for those of you who are on this particular crazy train right now, I urge you to just hop on off, take a seat on a comfy bench near the tracks, grab a beverage and a book, and just wait that madness out for a year or so. In other words, we do not negotiate with terrorists.

For some reason, 15 is magic around here. For the most part, Drew at 15 is a delight. He's funny. He's affectionate. He doesn't (as often) act like I'm asking him to donate a kidney when I ask him to pick up his shoes. His friends are becoming more and more engaging and fun. I am especially loving getting to hang out with some girls around here. It is such a joy. Last night some of his basketball teammates cheered on the Girls' team and then some of the girls stuck around to cheer on the boys. My heart grew ten sizes.

Molly & Drew: buddies since they were 5 years old. *4th Big Sigh* :-)

Drew is not close to perfect and neither is a single one of his friends. But they seem to be making a turn of late. So if you're wondering when this whining, arrogant, banana-sandwich-crazy-pants nutjob that lives in your house will turn into a human being again, let me speak a word of hope over you, Sister. It happens. It really does. Hang tight.

Have a great weekend, Friends!

  

 Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.