2015 BNGSA

Both girls played softball this summer in the Bloomington-Normal Girls Softball Association In Town League.  Shelby played 12U with the team Pick Me Cups and Morgan 10U sponsored by Stolfa's Pizza.  Both teams where pretty much the underdog in their leagues.  But they had fun and made some new friends.
Shelby missed most of the practices due to soccer and other commitments but it didn't take long for her to bond with the team.  Several of them are missing from this team photo and it was at this point that she decided to start playing in pants instead of shorts.

It was pretty chilly the night of Morgan's picture so she had sleeves on.  This girl doesn't show as much emotion as her sister but I think she had fun and made some new friends too.  During one of Shelby's games she hooked up with another younger sister and learned how to pitch- overcoming her hurt feelings and the decision that she wouldn't pitch because everyone laughed at her the first time she tried at practice.

First Game!

 Violinist by day, Ballplayer by night

 Hollywood - 2nd Game (First with team socks)

 both my girls are good shortstops cause they can field ground balls & throw across the field

 first time pitching in a game!

 pitching under the lights

 hitting

 one of Shelby's games under the lights

 Morgan catching!

Last Day of 5th & 3rd Grades

As we approach the last week of summer vacation, I thought I better post the last day of school pictures from Shelby's 5th grade year and Morgan's 3rd grade year.  Shelby's last year as an Oakdale Panther in 5B and Morgan in 3W.  Both had a good year despite Shelby hitting the brick wall of "3's a crowd" when it comes to girls being friends.  By the end of the year, I felt like I owed her teacher something for free counseling!  For Morgan, she had some friends in her class but missed her BFF Kate being in her classroom for the first time since they started K at Oakdale.  She ran in to the typical evil side of girls on the playground where it was her only opportunity to spend time with Kate all day.  Thankfully she doesn't get too worked up about stuff like that and she also survived sitting between the same 2 annoying boys in the classroom THE ENTIRE YEAR.  I told her she was taking one for the team!  Oakdale daily provides opportunities to build character traits that will benefit them when dealing with people different from you for the rest of their lives.

 Shelby Last Day of 5th Grade

 Morgan Last Day of 3rd Grade

 Shelby & her BFF Teagan

Oakdale Panthers

Carson, Jackson, Shelby, Teagan, Ella, Alex & Connor

 Teagan & Shelby with their 4th Grade teacher Mrs. Brigham

 Morgan & Mrs. West

 Shelby & Mrs. Brandon

 Morgan & her BFF Kate

 The last day was just a half day for kids so we had lunch at Carl's Ice Cream.  Saw the neighbors the Tidabeck's and Kate and her family came too.

Onward to a busy summer of softball, camps for Shelby and theater!

Christmas Tree Decorating with Nonny Moe

My parents came down this weekend to watch Ashley coach basketball, so we fit in the annual tree decorating before they headed home.  Shelby wanted a new bow for her tree topper this year so I took her last night to pick something out.  She first set her eyes on a bow the color of her room, but decided to stick with the traditional red and white to go with the majority of her ornaments.

She would put an ornament on the tree and then back out to her doorway to see how it looked as you walk in the room.

she stole my scarf

She wondered if her tree could be seen from the street so she put on her rain boots and jacket and went out while it was pouring to see

playing in the puddles

done!

When we met up with the girls after church for us and Sunday School for them, Morgan was crying.  Finally got it out of her that she didn't feel good.  She had a headache and her throat hurt.  So she landed on the couch when we got home and stayed there all afternoon/evening.  She agreed to let my mom decorate it.  

With Thanksgiving this week, hopefully this sickness is short lived and stops at Morgan.  It pretty much came out of nowhere so that makes me nervous.  Last year when Nonny came to do the trees the first weekend in December, she fell on our stairs and needed surgery.  So it has been a few years since we have had a "normal" weekend of tree decorating.  

Upwards Basketball & Cheerleading 2014

Upwards Basketball and Cheerleading is where it appears I need to begin my attempt to get this blog caught up.  Shelby played basketball for the same coach she's had all along and Morgan was a cheerleader on a new team with a new coach.  This was the first year Shelby played in the big high school gym and that was quite an adjustment.  Their team was kind of the underdog being over matched in size and overall experience and ability.  Needless to say, watching her games was enough to give me a heart attack while her dad would sit there and not say a word.  I wasn't able to get any good action shots of her playing.

I think she was doing the Tim Tebow here

 And Morgs looks so cute in a cheerleading uniform and isn't afraid of the crowd at all.  It didn't take long for her to adjust and fit in to her new squad which half of them have been together in the past.

Here is a video of a floor cheer.  Morgan is in the back center.  And in true Morgie fashion ends up on her rear at the end.

Valentine's Parties

Valentine's Day brought a big snow storm.  I made the slow, snowy trek across town from work just in time for the parties at school.  Morgan's party was first.  They ate lunch in their classroom and dessert was frosting a sugar cookie.

 This look is how I was feeling after seeing her creation..... YUCK!

Mrs. Tidabeck is a fabulous room mom and plans so many fun things

When Morgan's party ended I waited for Shelby's party to start and headed to the other end of the school.  There has not been and will not be a year that their two rooms have been at the same end of the school.  At Oakdale K, 1st, 4th and 5th are on one wing and 2nd and 3rd are on the other wing.  With the two years dividing them they have always been separated.  The same goes for lining up outside before school.  :(

Candy Heart Bingo

 Shelby and Teagan at the snack station

Ice Cream Sundaes and Juice box

 The crazies of 4B