We will ROCK you!

I have found one of the fun things about working for the gov't (or in DC) is the sports teams you can be a part of. While Chris was in Iraq I played for a softball team and we would play games on Saturday mornings on the Mall close to the Washington monument. Each Saturday I would have what my friend Meredith calls an "ah-ha" moment as I stood in awe of the Washington monument and thought about how blessed I was to be an American. Here in Timor the softball games continue! The Japanese embassy challenged us to a game (second year in a row) and we of course accepted. Our wonderful neighbor Brenda agreed to play with us so I wouldn't be the only girl. Then at practice she got pelted with a softball which compounded a soccer injury received earlier in the week, so it was just me... and all the Sea Bees (the military detachment here). You had to have a girl on the field the whole time (I mentioned this was derogatory to women but everyone just laughed). The Japanese fans were out in force with flags, music coolers etc. We had our kids and the Hiemstra's cuties wandering around until they just couldn't take it and had to leave for morning naps. Not before Adrean ate her weight in dirt though.

We had a huge local audience hang about on the outskirts of the field and up on the walls. We took the field first and out Sea Bee's pitcher "Murphy" (man did this bring back memories hearing "murph" be yelled on the softball field) began pitching. Of course he did slow pitch because that is what we were under the impression we would be doing. The inning ends and as we grab throw gloves and grab bats we see the pitcher warming up, with lots of speed on those softballs. What the what? I think something had literally been lost in translation. Thankfully I didn't was number 8 to bat. Chris was excited to try out the "sports" dial on my camera. On the first pitch he caught the getting ready to whined up

The whined up

and the hit

It was a pretty good hit if I do say so myself. I ran to first and then heard someone saying "go! Go! And instead of just listening I turn around and say "Oh hi!" to the first base coach. Yeah I am pretty awesome. But it gets better. After making it to third and staying there the next batter hits a pop fly. I take off running TOTALLY forgetting you need to tag up if they catch the ball. I hear the third base coach yell "Come back! Come back!" and instead of coming back I yell "Why?" What is with me questioning authority? I just need to do as I am told. Of course the ball gets thrown to third and I am out, making it a double play... ughhhh. Anyway we were getting seriously slaughtered and I joke about a Mercy rule until the bottom of the 6th where the Americans made their big come back! The game ended 17-16 with USA the winners!! Woo hoo! Of course they want a rematch when Pacific Partnership comes (a group of ships in the same category as the Mercy but from Japan this time not the US) so we will see what happens. In other news this Thursday was a big movie night at the school. They had 3 different movies playing for the different age groups and your ticket (which was not cheap by the by) included popcorn and juice. Sam and Liam went to Toy Story 3 because Free Willy looked to "scary". The parents got to buy drinks and food from the snack bar and hang out. The next day there was no school so I had mentioned we rented the bounce house from the Embassy and would have our huge inflatable water slide going if people wanted to come by. By mid-morning we had 15 cuties playing in the yard!

I could not get a clear picture because they were all running or biking around like mad people.

Add in the swing set and a slip n slide and everyone was teasing me that we should charge an entry fee and treat our yard like an amusement park. It was just nice to have so much fun packed in a day that otherwise would have been filled with boredom and most likely a lot of whining :) Sammy and Liam have TOTALLY immersed themselves into the art table I had made for them. They are constantly coloring, cutting, taping and bringing us creations and drawing. I am loving it! This last weekend Sam made a ton of pictures and put them all up on the wall with magnets (having metal walls does have its perks!) He then had one magnet outside the door that was the doorbell. I was to push the "doorbell" and he would open the door and let me in to his exhibit. He then took me around to each of his pictures and told me about it and requested I take pictures of him and his artwork.

It was so cute. A lot of his creations he referred to as "prototypes", maybe there is something even bigger in the works I have to look forward to! I am just thrilled he inherited my moms artistic love and I think talent, then again I am only the tiniest bit bias! I have also been wanting to get pictures of the kids with a similar background and get big Canvas prints of them for our living room. Of course Sam was a pro:

Liam was okay:

And abby wouldn't even sit down AND was COVERED in dirt by the time I got to her. I guess we will try again later :) Chris is off in Hawaii this week so it is me and the kids. I really don't mind during the week since it is always super hectic at our house with play dates and two school schedules to keep up with, but the weekends are not so fun. We miss him already and Sammy asked why Daddy hadn't called the computer yet and he only left this afternoon :) But it does mean fun surprises from the states and I am sure Daddy will enjoy his hotel on Waikiki. His job really is so rough :)