“The summer is going by so quickly.” I hear this comment frequently -- at the library, at one of the boy’s baseball games, waiting in a check-out line at a store and eavesdropping on a conversation. I look at a calendar and see that the end of July is approaching, that school is just another month away, and am tempted to agree. But then I review what has transpired so far this summer, and the end of the past school year seems remote. On the evening of the last day of school, June 3rd, the boys and I (and Meaghan) traveled to County Stadium to see the Brewers play the Braves. In my mind, that’s already a long time ago, certainly not a dim memory yet but there’s so much to go back over to get there.
It has indeed been a full and active summer so far. There are a lot of highlights to recall: Andy’s first baseball tournament, helping Ron and Julie put together their deck and then a couple weeks later christening it with a sheepshead party, small-town parades and distributing campaign literature, the 5th of July bocce ball tournament and cookout at Lance and Sue’s as a warm-up to the Rhythm and Booms fireworks display, a trip to one of the water parks at the Dells, our evening at the American Players Theater, the Bastille Day Party (perhaps the peak of the summer season), lots of visits to the pool, and baseball baseball and more baseball. We've been having a great summer.
I think all the activity, combined with a later bedtime, is starting to take a toll on Andy. He is beginning to develop the art of sleeping in. This morning, he was still asleep at quarter to nine. Eddie had been up for at least an hour. Cartoons are still a strong enough incentive to get him out of bed. Since I wanted to get to work, I told Andy he could walk to Sauk Trail school, where his Camp of the Trails program is based, whenever he felt ready. He decided to get up, but I was perfectly happy to let him sleep in longer if he wanted. He was a select team practice tonight, his final Little Buck League baseball game on Friday, and another tournament this weekend which will involve two games on Saturday and at least one game on Sunday. Fortunately, the tourney is being held on the east side of Madison so there’s no travel to speak of. The kid’s going to be exhausted by Sunday evening.
Eddie played his final game of the season last night and showed some noticeable improvement in his hitting. Last Sunday the boys and I went miniature golfing at Vitense Golfland in Madison. Afterwards, we hit some balls in the new batting cages area there. Eddie tried the slow-pitch softball speed and connected with almost every ball. This experience obviously made a big difference in his confidence at the plate yesterday. I even got into it, swinging the bat and ripping the balls into the net and remembering with fondness all those crazy softball Tuesday in Oshkosh.
I missed most of Andy’s game, including the two innings he pitched. According to JoAnna’s report, he worked his way out of a bases’ loaded jam in the 1st and struck out the side in the 2nd. His team, the Road Kill, won 2-1, a real squeaker. The team’s last three games have all been 1-run affairs. They won the previous two 7-6 and 4-3. Not as much hitting during the second half of the season. Every team’s pitching (and fielding) has definitely improved.
Did Al and Cyndi leave an address with you? If so, make sure you relay it to us during your next phone call. I have some pictures from the Bastille Day party I want to send to them.
My mom is eager to see the boys. We’ll be leaving for Pennsylvania on either the 2rd or 3rd of August, depending upon the results of Andy’s baseball tournament that weekend. I stay in Warren until Friday. On the drive back to Wisconsin, I’ll be stopping in Lorain, Ohio, to attend the bat mitzvah of a very good friend of mine from high school. She underwent a bone marrow transplant last year, and after that harrowing experience I guess she decided better late than never. JoAnna will accompany me the following weekend to pick up the boys. During the week that I’m there, the boys and I will be staying at Lar and Kim’s cabin, located about 5 miles north of Warren along a narrow, tree-shaded road and next to the proverbial babbling brook. It’s a very picturesque setting. Remind me to send you some pictures when we get back.
Thanks again for helping to make our Bastille Day party such a special event. We really enjoyed your
company.
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