The Scotts Valley Purnells brought James home this weekend for a little R&R. I was so so excited to see him on Friday I felt jittery as I left work.
Mostly we took it easy this weekend. We had lots of cups of hot tea and several sessions of “barn inspection.” This is where we walk around the barn and make decisions and lists and nudge our way toward the finish line. We spent time at Tom’s Toys and watched a movie and read lots of Calvin and Hobbes. We walked our favorite Bob Jones trail and Nate rode his two-wheeler for the first time without training wheels, all the way to the beach. We had a beautiful lunch at Ocean Grill.
James seems to be doing pretty well. He’s on a mostly liquids and Advil diet, but his spirits are high and we feel like we’re nearing the home stretch, knowing that the weeks after treatment may be the toughest yet. And speaking of the home stretch, baseball starts this week.
It took me over two hours to get both boys’ practice and game schedules added to my calendar last night. I’m not sure if I was tired or the third night of NyQuil is affecting me… logic and patterns be damned! Nate has practices on Tuesdays and sometimes Thursdays and games on Wednesdays and sometimes Saturdays… at four different locations. Some of these locations come up as “tennis courts” on Google maps. Meanwhile, Jake has practices on Mondays and Wednesdays and games on Saturdays, and sometimes Wednesdays and Mondays. Maybe whoever made these schedules is also on NyQuil.
With baseball starting, it reminded me of the amazing season we had last year. James was the best tee ball coach on record. And Jake’s team had an unbelievable roster of names destined for the major league. I loved to announce the line-up in my best Renel Brooks-Moon voice: Car-son Feathers, Colin Fiiinley, Eli Rrrrios, Evan Escobar, Gavin Neilson… Jake Fucillo and Jake Telucci, Llluca Papoulias, Ossi Carrico, Stuart Raaawnsley, and Micah Mack.
One day we most certainly will see that Micah Mack in the Majors.
So baseball has started and ends in 45 weeks. Although the schedule has my head spinning, there has been zero, I repeat zero veiled oral or written threats about required Snack Shack duty and requisite nacho cheese. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. I’m cautiously optimistic, yet wary. Can I finally hang-up my plastic food safety gloves?
2017 may just be looking up…