I Love Me Some "Beesball!"

In the Sutton household, there is baseball. We are baseball fans. Not the kind who paint our faces, slosh beer on people in the stadium and fight strangers if they disagree, but we do enjoy the game. Specifically, we are St. Louis Cardinals fans. We start early with the little ones and we train them up in the way they should go -baseball - so when they're old, like us they won't depart from it. . . . Okay. . .okay . . keep reading. I know that doesn't pertain to baseball, just kidding but truly we do love the game.

Confession? I think I love it more than the rest of the family. Maybe Scott simply tolerates it the way he tolerates all my other quirks but he seems to enjoy it as well. If he didn't, he'd be a baseball widower for sure! Sorry Honey! Daughter Ashley gets it from her momma. We love Albert Pujols (we really do!) and well, I have a secret baseball crush on Yadier Molina. I know, I know - first of all, I'm married to the best husband a woman can have and secondly . . whose fav player is a catcher anyway? Hmm? Told you I was a bit quirky but it's the truth! The man of the hour as far as I'm concerned doesn't have to be the best hitter with the highest averages. He doesn't have to knock out lights or run like lightening. He simply has to be good at what he does, solid, consistent, with good follow through and be there when it counts. Isn't that what every woman wants? Isn't that what Yadi delivers? Of course it is . . .thus, my fav player is the catcher . . 'nuff said.

So, last night, the All-stars game was played at St. Louis. Won't happen again probably as long as I'm alive, so it was an exciting time at our house. Nope, we didn't fight the hours of traffic and the tight security, shoulder to shoulder with thousands of people and paying way too much for tickets. We opted for the family pile in the family room, stuffing our faces with fast food and yelling so loud the neighbors probably thought we were fighting - but we didn't care. We had a good time. No, National League didn't win. AL got it again, but just barely . . .and I do mean barely. That's okay - get'em next year. Great players on either side, no bottom of the batting order on either side, huh? No poor outfielders or slackers far as I could see. . . and I know, we really needed that HR but you have to give credit where credit is due . . . Good Catch Crawford! I'm mean really . . . good catch (too bad it wasn't for the other side).

Anyway, as I said, watching the game is family fun and a family pile. Kids everywhere with adults under them. Sometimes you wonder whether they are paying attention at all (the kids I mean) but I must say, Brody has come to love "Beesball" about as much as his Ninny. If you can't find us, we're off in the bedroom, faces glued to whoever is playing at the moment. Though he is fairly consistent about watching and has quite a wind up with the remote (Oh, God, please don't let him throw it at the television!) I've never really thought he gave that much attention to who was playing. After all, he's only two and a half.

We always talk about the players, their hits, misses and home runs and of course our fav names pop up at least once every five minutes. So, last night as we were watching, I was doing my usual, attempting to get the babies to chant Yadi's name over and over when Brody who is leaned back on his haunches give me his famous all-teeth, cheesy grin and says "No, Ninny . . . Abut Peehoes!" Well, there ya have it! We all agree on baseball, our fav team and even what to eat while watching but as far as fav players . . . well, even the pint-sized fans have their own opinions! I'm jus' sayin' . . .

No Nap For Ninny!

So, today was nice. We had a family BBQ. We do that alot. Scott has a Traeger grill and looks for any excuse to fire her up. The occasion? It was for my baby brother. Some of you Jed, my "baby" brother who happens to be nearly 30 and 6 1/12 feet tall, but my baby brother nonetheless.

The day began rainy so we decided to move everything inside at our house. The food was yummy, the conversation was great and it was nice to have everyone together, though in a really close, careful not to eat too much or we won't be able to slide past each other sort of way. I don't live in the biggest, fanciest house in town. Yeah, I know, that surprises you all but really, it's the truth. We had nearly 35 people and on short notice seating for about 10. And did I mention, I didn't clean the house? Oops!

Oh, well, I think we did fine. It was, as I said, a good time. Still, as with any function where the main goal is to stuff your face as full as you can as fast as you can, when it's over, well, that's good too. Time for a nap. Curl up next to the hubby 'cause we're old like that. That's what we old folks do right? Or not . . .

Oh, no . . the grandkids came today. Well, Josh and Miley I mean. The others were already here. Josh and Mimi haven't been here for a few days though. They kind of wander in and out at will. You know, when they get tired of mom and dad or mom and dad get tired of them - they come to Ninny and Pops. They actually live about twenty miles away and were coming for the cookout today but guess what - come time to go home, I drive twenty miles to drop them off and they're not staying. "I no go home Ninny, I stay wi-choo! I go see Pops! I go to you house." Nearly fifteen minutes of persuasion didn't change his mind. He had decided. He was going home with Ninny.

Was I surprised? Of course not. Were you? Of course not. Not if you are one who has seen a grandchild at work. Something about the mop-headed, grimy-faced little curtain climbers that you simply cannot say no to. I knew it was going down that way. I planned to put up a good fight. I had a good argument. Am I a bad Ninny? No, it's just that tomorrow is Sunday, I'm married to the pastor, I need to be in service not manning the Nursery which seems to be where I log most of my church hours these days. No, I cannot take the children tonight. They need to go home tonight. I'll get them Monday. Monday is good right? Not much goes on on Mondays - good day for grandkids to come and stay.

Okay, whatever, not happening. Why do I try? So, as I write . . .

They are running crazy around the house. They want pizza, they want wah-wah, they want left over cheesecake! Now that should settle them down just fine, don't you think? They have taken turns trying to poke each other's eyes out and Miley, the pint-sized girlie, girl of the bunch is in most instances, the aggressor! They are fighting over the remote and turning over the kitchen chair and yes, peeing in my floor! What is it about this potty-training thing? Do I need to get puppy pads or WHAT! I swear I'm gonna super-glue those diapers on if they don't stop that! Or would it be better just to chain them in the back yard? I don't know, I'll have to ask the grandparenting experts about that one . . . .

Anyway . . at the end of the day, those babies really do bring us joy and we really are pleased to have them here - even when it means missing a much coveted ate too much this afternoon nap. As much as we all sometimes annoy each other we really are a happy little group. At the end of the day, like a pile of puppies we curl up on the couch, in the chair or wherever. Though I really did want that nap this afternoon, I guess I'll have plenty of time for sleeping when they're grown. Right now, I think I'll join the puppy pile in the pic above . . . I'm jus' sayin' . . .

Naked DS Bandit . . With Bad Eyesight!

Roughly twelve hours from my last post and I find fodder for the baby fans of the world!

B-man is smack in the middle of potty training. Early or late training? I don't care - I'm the grandma - I just want him to stop peeing on my bedroom wall! But, that is not the subject this morning. I made note of that, to say this; naked butts under three at our house is not an odd thing. In fact, the majority of my pictures must be carefully cropped so as not to show toooo much flesh (too many crazies in the world, ya know).

B-man has his morning routine already set. He scales the prison wall we like to call a crib, finds his way to MY bathroom, climbs to the bathroom counter, sits in my sink, finds a toothbrush, usually NOT his own and brushes his teeth. After that, he climbs down, sheds his nighttime diaper and climbs onto the potty. I only wish I could show you a picture of THAT! Anyone ever seen a cat who uses a real toilet? Well, I have and Brody reminds me of that cat! It's crazy! But right now, anytime the urine goes into the toilet, however it gets there, I'm a proud grandma. This though, also not today's subject. . .

After his morning routine, he joined me in the family room. Me on my computer, him on the couch. He had managed to steal his Uncle D's Nintendo DS (he KNOWS he's not supposed to touch the thing) and was playing away! I guess he decided the screen was too small and but he soon found exactly what he needed; one of Ninny's pairs of reading glasses.

So, as I looked over my shoulder this morning, my eyes beheld a completely naked grandson, wearing reading glasses, playing a stolen Nintendo DS. Thanks to my relatively new iPhone, I snapped a cute little pic I thought I'd share with you . . . naked bottom excluded. Do you think he's headed for a life of crime or just a nudist colony? I'm jus' sayin' . . .

Knee-Hi Computer Tech

Okay! Here we go!

How long did it take for the grands to give me new material? Well, only a few minutes after the sun rose but I'm going to pick a special one tonight. I am typing only because I've spent a painstaking hour and a half replacing the keys on my laptop keyboard. Sound like fun? Well, it isn't.

Which one? The two year old. Brody. He's cute as a angel, cupid has nothing on him but he is a rowdy little imp. I know better than to leave a computer in a room that isn't filled with adults at all times, yet I did it anyway. Go figure. Brain lapse I guess. I've got some paperwork spread out in a corner of my living room (make shift office), which is not where I normally place my computer, except that I recently got my wireless router working and thus, I am more mobile. A good thing right? Apparently not tonight.

Did he crawl up to the computer and not so gently pluck 10+ keys from the keyboard? Yes he did. He caught everyone otherwise occupied. Grandparents, a set of parents, an uncle and a cousin in the house and not one person discovered his evil plot to destroy my only means of communication with the outside world until well after his hot little fingerprints had cooled!

My laptop, more affectionately nicknamed by my daughter "my favorite child" is very near and dear to my heart. I could sooner go without food than without my computer. I'm sorry. I'm looking for a 12 Step program but until then, some things simply are what they are . . .

Okay, I know you're wondering, did I yell? No . . I couldn't. Ever been too distraught to yell? Well, I was but I did run through a series of teeth-clenched, Oh, no. Oh, no. No, I know you didn't. Oh my God! I know you didn'ts and even though I didn't yell at him, I think he got the picture. Ninny was a little miffed!

What makes a two year old crawl up into a chair in the corner and say "I sorry, Ninny, I sorry," and then come back an hour into your computer reconstruction surgery and lean over the back of the sofa and say "I nice, Ninny. I nice"? Only the realization that he's willfully done something horribly wrong. He's two and a half years old and nothing will convince me that he didn't absolutely know Ninny was NOT going to be happy when she discovered his work, yet he did it anyway. Why? I'm guessing because he could . . . and because he knew, the minute those big blue eyes and shiny white baby teethed smile flashed my way, I would turn to mush. . .

Okay, so maybe I didn't turn to mush instantaneously but now that he's in his little bed with his pj's on and those big blue eyes shut for a few hours of battery recharging . . . I'm about as mushy as I can get. . . I'm jus' sayin'.

Shop-Vac Shenanigans!

I am convinced that I would be a millionaire if only I knew the right person to contact regarding a reality tv contract. There are times I look at what goes on around me and I think to myself - you can't make this stuff up! The kids are running wild, the house is a mess and all is utter chaos!

Oh, I know. You've heard that before. Maybe even seen it if you've popped in on a friend when she wasn't expecting you but you haven't seen anything yet, I promise . . .at least not the way we do it at our house.

Case point. The other day I walked into my family room and as usual, the shop-vac was sitting in the middle of the floor where my two and three year old grandsons were "wapuming". All good, I'm used to the noise and the dirt that remains after they've cleaned. As a matter of fact, I'm accustomed to them dumping what was already in the vacuum out onto the semi-clean floor. It's how they help Ninny clean.

But today? Today is different. I entered the room to find my shop-vac lid off and two little boys, pants down, pointed and aimed to pee in the machine! No, I'm not kidding! Yes, I did yell out! "No, No, No, No! Stop! Don't Do it!" Okay, so, the good news is . . .they stopped. Usually, when I yell, they don't.

So, it was a good day but I'm not always so fortunate. Okay, truthfully, I'm rarely so fortunate. I have five grandchildren, two of which live with me, two others who are always with me and one which I rarely see. Yep! You guessed it. She's the good one!

Sometimes the stuff they do is simply too cute. Sometimes it makes me want to run screaming into the night, pulling my hair out. Stuff happens so much that I often post on my Facebook, MySpace, etc. accounts just to share the crazy things they do but then I realized. Some things can't be explained fully in 140 characters or less - so I find myself here.

Whether it is as I hope, entertainment and support for those who share my plight or simply therapy for a stressed out Ninny, hopefully you will see or hear something that will make you chuckle or at least sigh in relief that you are not alone! Thanks for stopping in!