So This is Forty Plus One Day
May 6, 2009
Thank you all for all the birthday wishes. Especially those of you who said how young I look and are evidently blind. I love you most of all. I think maybe I need to work on graciously accepting compliments in this next decade of life.
Today I am going to have my eyebrows threaded. I have never had my eyebrows threaded before. I have always had them waxed. Since moving I have been plucking stray eyebrows myself. It isn’t pretty.
Wow, scintillating writing. Does anyone even care? Maybe this is going to be the decade of being boring.
*****
Have I mentioned how competitive sports are down here? Yeah, thought so.
Last night my oldest son had try-outs for an incoming high school freshman, summer, baseball team. About 60 kids vying for 12 spots, give or take. You do the math.
He was very nervous. The past couple of weeks he has been in a serious slump. The night before last he pitched in a game and it was cringe worthy. It is a good thing that his younger brother is an agile catcher. His batting hasn’t been great. He has made errors. Just a general overall bad streak that has left him near tears and frustrated, with the rest of us at a loss for how to help him.
We had several conversations over the course of the day yesterday about the try-outs. Basically it boiled down to me hammering into him that he could only do his best and leave afterward with no regrets. Good advice for most things in life, right? Tough lesson for a 14 yr old. Heck, it is one most grown-ups still struggle with.
I left the house with my 4 yr old and 10 year old, both of whom had games. My 14 yr old set off with Rob who gave the final bit of advice upon their arrival at the field. “Kick some ass, son.” Also appropriate advice for most things in life.
While he was at the try-out, I got to watch this adorableness (is that even a word? it should be) and fret from far away.
Miles was the “pitcher” which in t-ball means he pretends to throw the ball. And then when the ball is hit he scrambles to get the ball, tackling all the other boys and grabbing it out of their hands, if neccessary. Too bad they don’t do this on the highschool team too.
Miles also choses to keep the pitcher’s mound very clean.
High school boys also do not call out to all their team mates, “Look that is my mommy! Do you see my mommy? That is my mommy!” Like you are the very best thing since sliced bread or Pokemon. They also don’t scream, “I love you, Mommy!” repeatedly until you are forced to yell back, “Yes, I know! Now pay attention to the game!”
Sometimes I worry that it isn’t as fun anymore for the older kids. That all the joy has been sucked out of it replaced by this high stakes pressure.
Alternately I worry that my 4 yr old son will never have the attention span longer than a gnat. We had to yell his name to make him pay attention to the ball so many times that soon the other team was calling to him BY NAME to “pitch” the ball.
Then I see this serious little face coming off the field after sliding into home, and realize that he looks an awful lot like the older kids. He is ready to kick some ass. You know once he is old enough not to greet all the other players with hugs. Or fall asleep drooling in his car seat.
Late last night my eldest son arrived home with a huge grin on his face. I gave him the, “Soooo?”
“I did what I wanted to do.”
“No regrets?”
“Nope.”
The smile did not leave his face for the rest of the night. Truth be told, mine either. He hasn’t lost the joy.
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I had my eyebrows threaded last year. It was in a group setting wherein a nice Indian lady came to the house and we all took turns getting them done. I watched everybody else and they all said things along the lines of “oh, it feels so neat” and “wow, that feels really cool.”
When it was my turn I sat in the chair and said “shit, this really hurts.”
May 6th, 2009 at 3:14 pm*sigh* Miles is adorable
May 6th, 2009 at 3:17 pmThat’s all you can do in life. Kick ass and take names later. Excellent advice you can take into adulthood.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:19 pmRun away from the threading!! RUN I say, RUN!!!! Painful is not an accurate word for what you are going to experience. Childbirth may seem dull in comparison. I did it once and will stick with the waxing from here to eternity! May the force be with you.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:20 pmNOT going to look up threaded eye brows - someone fill me in! Enjoy - I think/hope?!
I hope you had a wonderful birthday!
What a poignant post this is! That Miles! It’s good it is not a co-ed team, that smile would make all the girls faint! Oh he is SO adorable, and hearing about his playing makes me literally lol (well chuckle heartily, if everyone is asleep!)
SO happy for your 14 year old!
May 6th, 2009 at 3:29 pmWe are at the begining of the baseball journey for our boy, machine pitch this year. I hope he enjoys it as much in the future as he does now.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:32 pmI have a set of pictures I took of my niece visting the Houston Zoo, complete with the zonked out picture at the end of the day. Kids that age have so much energy.
I think we take our sports here a little too seriously here. Or maybe, I was just overwhelmed by the cuteness factor when my nephews were Miles’ age.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:37 pmI get mine threaded, I used to have them waxed. I find the difference is the length of the pain. Waxing is the same amount of pain, but it’s all at once like a punch in the gut. Threading takes longer, so it’s more spreadout - like Chinese water torture. I prefer the threading - and not just because it’s cheaper.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:38 pmMiles is so adorable I just want to smush him up!
Glad tryouts went well for your oldest!
May 6th, 2009 at 3:39 pmOh, the cuteness.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:43 pmAwwwww! You should write a book with your kids called: Everything I Know I Learned from Baseball. I hope I can do such a great job teaching life lessons to my kids!
May 6th, 2009 at 3:50 pmEyebrow threading is the BEST!!! I have just started doing it, and I don’t think I will pluck or wax ever again. Also, those t-ball games and your son are adorable!
May 6th, 2009 at 3:56 pmMiles is absolutely adorable!!! I just put up a baseball post too! The “pitchers” for our t-ball wear helmets and so do first base players. My son chased the ball after he hit it instead of running to 1st (we are working on that). I completely understand what you mean about the older players. My 13 year old wants to stay in this league next year instead of tryout for the high school. The pressure is immense.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:57 pmWhat adorable pictures of Miles! And you gave great advice to your 14-year-old. Fingers crossed he makes the team!
Also, I have heard about threading…would like to know how that turned out.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:57 pmOK that has got to be the cutest kid on the planet. He is so full of life!
May 6th, 2009 at 4:06 pmAs for you 14 yr old, what a tough age. Good luck to him. I know he will either do his best or kick some ass or both!
I’m first!
May 6th, 2009 at 4:20 pmI’m also in love with Miles…
how seriously, incredibly, adorable Miles is.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:27 pmSure hope he makes the team. Watching one’s children weather disappointments is just like weathering them yourself, almost equally painful, in spite of years of experience.
I’m a day late with the birthday wishes, but will send them anyway and say, as others must have yesterday, that you must be one of the youngest looking 40 year olds I’ve ever seen! Hope all continues to go well for you and yours in the Lone Star state.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:32 pmIs your 14 year old going through a growth spurt by any chance? I think I read somewhere that, during a growth spurt, teenage boys lose coordination because their brain is struggling to adjust to the body’s new size.
Or, perhaps he has met a girl?
May 6th, 2009 at 4:37 pmGood for him. I hope he makes it.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:41 pmThese photos of Miles are OVER THE TOP in cuteness! Sounds like your oldest made the team. That is so cool!
May 6th, 2009 at 4:52 pmMy son is 5, and I’m getting my first little taste of it all: feeling helpless *and* finding him freakin’ adorable as he takes the field.
Two questions for you, oh wise one:
Do they always look like babies when they’re asleep? Even when they’re 14?
Chris says: No,sadly, they look like men.
and
How the hell do you keep baseball pants clean? We in Chicago have MUD in the outfield, and it’s going to be the death of me.
Chris says: I use bleach. Because I love bright white clothes more than the Earth.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:53 pmBest of luck and enjoy the games…
Words of wisdom from a three-year-high-school-baseball-mom!
May 6th, 2009 at 4:56 pmThose dimples!! He is so stinking adorable! I just love the chubby little hands at that age.
Okay. When you get your eyebrows threaded- moisturize! If your skin is anything like mine (which I pray it isn’t) it gets drier as the day goes on. When I get my eyebrows done at night it hurts so much worse than if I’d done it in the daytime when my pores were more forgiving. Also, the first time you go hurts the WORST. But I promise it gets better. I was in tears the first (few) times I went and couldn’t understand why I’d put myself through that pain.
(By the way, not tears from the pain, but just because the skin is so sensitive right above your eyelid and I couldn’t help it.)
May 6th, 2009 at 4:58 pmHoly Toledo!!!!!!!! I was 49 before I tried contacts and 52 before I ever got my eyebrows and upper lip waxed. (used to tweeze both myself) But, threading? had never heard of it before. Google helped me understand how simple an idea it is and easily done. I may be hooked.
Sue
May 6th, 2009 at 5:06 pmOhhhh….those pics are just too cute!!!! My Amber is also on a t-ball Yankee team and I think those are just the cutest little uniforms ever. We even have the striped pants.
I love the comments on Miles pointing his mommy out to all the kids. My two are also still at that age when they think my husband and I are just the greatest things. I cringe to think of 10 years from now when we will have two hormonal teenage girls in our house instead.
Love your blog!!!
May 6th, 2009 at 5:08 pmI don’t speak teenager, did he make it? Now I am in suspense.
My husband picked up a form for when our son is old enough for sports, which won’t be for 2 more years. I am going to go just to watch my husband’s head pop off at the sight of a bunch of little kids making chaos on the field.
May 6th, 2009 at 5:14 pmNow that I have the entire post past the threading, what a beautiful and heartfelt post. That Miles is just ,IDK, scrumptious? too cute for his suit? mine and I want him back? one absolutely delightful child….that is it! Congrats to the high schooler, but I still love the hugs and the drool..
Sue
May 6th, 2009 at 5:18 pmReally enjoyed this post; especially with our first boy about to start T-ball. Sounds like lots of laughs, joys and nail-biting await us!
May 6th, 2009 at 5:26 pmThank you so much for the adorableness!!
May 6th, 2009 at 5:52 pmHow do manage not gobbling him all up?
nice post!
I grew up in Texas and have lived it! crazy stuff, especially football… Now that I’m grown and have moved away, with boys who play every sport under the sun…I kinda wish they could experience sports, the Texas way LOL
kudos to the 14 year old!
May 6th, 2009 at 6:30 pmHope the 14 year old makes the team! AND Miles is ADORABLE and I know he would rather be told he looks like a super hero on the field (he did) but he is so adorable.
May 6th, 2009 at 6:55 pmGlad he felt good about his tryout! And I think you are correct…it’s super competitive here in Alabama and my oldest is 12. He’s the clean up hitter on his travel team and has already decided that if he doesn’t hit the ball well, they lose. He stresses about it all well past the point of enjoying himself anymore.
May 6th, 2009 at 7:15 pmMiles is too cute for words, and oldest son, way to kick ass.
May 6th, 2009 at 7:34 pmIt’s tiring work being that goshdarned cute!
May 6th, 2009 at 7:37 pmHappy (belated) birthday. You look AMAZING and you damn well know it.
I loved this post so much, I shared it with my entire baseball league. I hope you don’t mind. Truly a classic.
May 6th, 2009 at 7:46 pmLittle boys playing baseball cracks me up. It’s like a rugby scrum when the ball is hit into the field. And there are quite a few little dirt piles near the bases. At least it’s mercifully short.
May 6th, 2009 at 7:49 pmSo when will he find out if he made the team?
Chris says: Early next week!
May 6th, 2009 at 7:56 pmGreat post! Happy Belated Birthday!
And as I always say you look awesome! You would never know that you had 7 kids, you look young and are super skinny!
May 6th, 2009 at 7:57 pmThere must be something wrong with my son or his T-ball coach.
May 6th, 2009 at 8:09 pmMy son is just turned 5 and his coach is dead serious about winning games. He even had some complaint’s filed against him because he wouldn’t rotate the players. My son has been to 4 games and has gotten to play twice. I wish he could have an experience like what your kids have. Needless to say this will be the last year for T-ball unless my son really want’s to play.
great pictures. Miles is adorable as you have heard a million times by now. good luck to your oldest. we’ll be on pins and needles… how long is the wait?
May 6th, 2009 at 8:37 pmI must have missed something . . . so does that mean he made the team? That little Miles certainly has “joy for life” written all over his adorable face!
Chris says: No, we won’t find out until next week.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:00 pmOhhhh, I hope he makes the team. At the same time, I am sad for all the others who don’t. It is so hard to see our kids not make the team. I had that experience for the first time this year when my oldest entered high school. He was cut from football tryouts. To my surprise and to his great credit, he immediately went over to the cross country coach and signed up for the team. He did this before he even came out to the car to tell us he was cut from football.
Now, he has the guts to try out as a sophomore. That tenacity is going to get him a lot further in life than making the football team. I couldn’t be more proud. I wouldn’t have the guts to try again.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:10 pmJoy for baseball should never be lost.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:13 pmMy favorite sound in the early spring is a baseball crack on a bat. Pure joy.
Chris–You and I live nearly parallel lives — from the turning 40 (last Dec. 30), to young boys playing baseball to eyebrow threading. Love reading about your boys’ sports so I can both compare and anticipate (my boys are twins-9 and a seven year old). Happy (belated) birthday! For me, turning 40 has meant a newborn on 03.01.09, a need for reading glasses and a faltering memory.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:38 pm1. Good luck w/ the whole threading thing - my eyes are watering for you!
May 6th, 2009 at 10:53 pm2. Wouldn’t it be amazing if everyone (including scary baseball/soccer/4-H/science fair/______ parents) just enjoyed what they/their kids were doing as much as Miles?
3. Good luck to your oldest son. I am sure that early next week seems like an eternity . . .
Glad you’ve made it through your first days of 40. It’s a good place - and even better when you have little kids to make you feel even younger, albeit more tired.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:26 amWhat is eyebrow threading? Have never heard of it.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:58 amI get a little stress-y myself thinking abut high school teams. Live in super competitive area. have heard that coaches pick faves when selecting players. We’ll see how it goes when my daughter enters 9th grade. She’s in 7th now.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:02 amI read this post on my Blackberry while I waited for the bus after work. It made me chuckle out loud. Miles is just too darn cute, bless him!
Sending good vibes the way of your older son for the results of his try out
May 7th, 2009 at 1:54 amI forgot to mention that if you think Texans take sports seriously, wait until you experience football season!!
May 7th, 2009 at 3:11 amI really hope your son makes the team. This weekend is my
May 7th, 2009 at 3:13 amson’s last swim meet… Oh, it makes me soo sad to think of
it. He is off to college in August. Enjoy all these
moments. And, Happy Birthday.
I love these photos, so gorgeous. Happy birthday! I turned 40 two years ago, and denied it for 6 months leading up to it. Now I am embracing it!
May 7th, 2009 at 6:18 amThat Miles is one adorable ball player !!
May 7th, 2009 at 6:24 amThreading..fantastic..i wish they had it here in FL…i had to go back to the waxing..i am SO overdue!
GREAT JOB with your oldest. somedays when small things like that happen, all you can do is smile to yourself and say, I guess I am doing this parent thing right!
and tball..was the most frustrating sport for me and my middle child. The only one to ever play it. She would scoop the dirt into her glove and watch it fall through the cracks. OMW..how I hated tball. Now she rocks..but has chosen soccer!
xoxo
May 7th, 2009 at 6:52 amronee
Happy Belated Birthday! Just think - you have the rest of the month to celebrate. I agree with the others - you DO NOT look your age - maybe tricky mirrors or lenses in the camera, hmmm? lol
May 7th, 2009 at 7:42 amLove the baseball pics, but the last is my favorite. I miss those days when they are small and most huggable. Although my youngest will be 7 next week - he is not one for hugs so I sneak in them when I can.
Your eldest will do fine - he had great advice from the people who cares about him the most. I hope he makes the team.
Oh that Miles… He’s one to steal your heart…
May 7th, 2009 at 8:57 amHooray for no regrets! I hope I can help my kids live that way - esp when it comes to things they love, but that are competitive/results oriented, too - that’s everything - music, sports and even learning.
May 7th, 2009 at 9:09 amI see we have two things in common, baseball and birthdays!
May 7th, 2009 at 9:31 amI am one day after 44 and tonight is the second night of tryouts for my daughters softball league. I love it every year getting to gether with the girls from last year and the parents. Have a wonderful day!
I worry that the joy is replaced by pressure as they grow in most things…the trick is teaching them to hang on to the joy, hard lessons. Good job mom!
May 7th, 2009 at 10:11 amI always think you have such an amazing perspective having kids ten years apart…also they are awfully cute.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:20 amLoved this post…
May 7th, 2009 at 10:31 amI too question whether the pressure of competition eventually sucks some of the fun out of soccer (in our case), but all it takes is the look of pure joy after a tough game to tell me there’s still plenty of fun
Question: Isn’t baseball a spring sport or is that different way down in Texas? Or is there a fall team at his school?
May 7th, 2009 at 10:48 amfirst time i visited you blog, and i liked this post. brought back memories of my own oldest son playing t-ball. he would wander off if anything caught his eye. the rest of the team would be screaming for him to come back. so cute.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:17 amWe too are a baseball family although I only have one son - our lives at this time of year are comsumed by it. I don’t know you do it with multiple playing. I love watching them and the little ones in particular are so cute to watch at t-ball. Miles is adorable & the last picture is priceless after a long game. I will say, I think I’ve seen Red Sox caps on your kids in past pictures & being from Boston, my son would probably consider not trying out for the team if he had to wear Yankee’s gear! Seriously…
May 7th, 2009 at 11:35 amA. Happy Belated Birthday!
May 7th, 2009 at 11:43 amB. Miles is adorable.
C. Good for your son. I hope he makes it…and even if he doesn’t, good for him for going all out.
keeping our fingers crossed in ct
Love the pics of t-ball
and last but not least you will have to let us know what threading is and how it went.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:51 amHe is the cutest kid
May 7th, 2009 at 11:57 amShouting “I love you, Mommy!” from the pitchers mound? Does it get any cuter!?
May 7th, 2009 at 12:32 pmHow do you not just sit in the stands the WHOLE time Miles is out there. Holy hell he’s cute.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:08 pmummm..ok, my last comment made zero sense…..I meant to say how could you not be smiling the WHOLE time in the stands.
Obviously, Miles cuteness has caused me to lose all brain function.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:09 pmMiles is just too freakin adorable in that ball uniform. And I’m glad your older son hasn’t lost his love for the game. It’s a sad day when adults take that from a kid. I hope it never happens.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:29 pmThat 4 year old is all kinds of cute!!!!
I worry so much about the competetiveness of high school sports - even swim team is a contact sport here in Texas.
May 7th, 2009 at 3:26 pmThis post almost makes me wish I could replace my little girls with a boy or two. Miles is just so darn cute! How can you stand it?
May 7th, 2009 at 3:57 pmHappy (belated) birthday!!
Miles is way too adorable in that uniform!
May 7th, 2009 at 5:42 pmHe is so adorable. Happy Birthday!
May 7th, 2009 at 5:43 pmI love reading your posts about your boys. As a Mom of two very young boys I love hearing the perspective of someone who has older boys also. Although I’m not sure I want to believe that my son will one day not be screaming “I Love You Mommy” from the Tball field.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:33 pmOh that one made me cry. It might be the PMS.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:58 pmChris (1) Belatedly, very happy birthday, would like to hear about this (there must be more to it than threading). (2)Threading vs waxing no contest - waxing hurts much more and threading gives a much more elegant result + grows back slower. (3) Your kids are gorgeous, you are so obviously bringing them up very, very well. Don’t ever listen to anyone who suggests otherwise. And you have a great sense of humour! When does the book come out?(4) Sport is clearly much more serious stuff where you live than almost anywhere else, which I didn’t think was possible (it is virtually a religion here.) I thought it was already extreme that little kids played organised team sports, Milo Cricket in summer and Auskick in winter. However in both cases it is a bunch of very little boys in ill-assorted bits and pieces of “uniform” running around more or less at random while Dad-coaches try not to piss themsleves laughing. Yours are clearly learning actual skills. Go Miles!
May 8th, 2009 at 5:22 amWe’re a ball family too. Softball is our poison though. My 4yr old son just started tball this year and this post put a lump in my throat. Maybe I’m just PMSing, but watching my kids grow is like a march that tears me up. I’m trying to just keep having kids till my oldest can give me grandkids…did I just say that? I’m kidding. Really. Should I post this as anonymous? Probably.
May 8th, 2009 at 9:26 amUh-uh - no way are you 40 -
well okay if you say so - but you do look fabulous and in respone to your email of a while ago - I would look at you with your family in a restaurant and assume that you brought friends as well because you don’t look like you could have carried 7 children. My assumption would be based on jealousy … not trying to be rude.
Happy Belated Birthday and I (we?) will be looking to find out if oldest son made the team! Good luck to him!
Miles is award-winning in his cuteness - no really!
Did they all get the family dimples?
May 8th, 2009 at 9:33 amNow I’m all verklempt.
Happy belated birthday! So far, I’m loving 40 and I hope you will too.
May 8th, 2009 at 11:27 amEveryone knows my 4 year old by name, too. And it’s 3 syllables! Esteban has the same attention span as Miles.
May 9th, 2009 at 7:35 amgosh how i love reading about your family. you are so talented.
May 9th, 2009 at 7:13 pmSpeaking as a brow waxer, I’d love to hear precisely how threaded differs. I have to be honest, I am intrigued but it frightens me. Sounds so enigmatic.
May 9th, 2009 at 8:54 pmMy god, that Miles is SO cute - how can you stand it??!!
May 12th, 2009 at 6:00 pm