Daddy trip 2010

Well, it has been a really fast year! It seems like just yesterday I was taking caytie to tampa for last springs daddy trip. For those of you that are new to my blog,daddy trip is a 2 or 3 day event where I take 1 of my kids somewhere. It really doesn't seem to matter where we go because they each will tell you it is their favorite week of the year because it is all about them. When I take caytie,like I am now, I will spend my day telling her how wonderful she is and doing whatever she wants. We eat and drink whatever she can think of and we swim in the hotel pool even if it is after midnight. We have a great time because we are forced to talk to each other and we both can agree on at least one thing , that she is fabulous!

This years trip is actually starting out pretty funny. I never tell the kids where we are going and try to keep it a secret as long as possible. With my 10 year old, that normally is the second we hit the gate at the airport if not before. He can read and is well traveled so he knows where to look at the airport. This trip is starting different. I slipped once and told caytie ( she's 8) that we would get into florida around 6pm. I quickly covered that up and she was back to guessing. You might find this hard to believe but we are currently somewhere over alabama and she still doesn't know where we are going. Every time the flight attendant was about to say where we were going,I would ask caytie a question. She thought she heard california but realized that was wrong. Soon I am going to become concerned with her problem solving skills. She could always ask someone else on the plane. Everyone would tell her,except me.

We are going to orlando for 2 days. we are staying at the animal kingdom place. Beyond that I have no idea what we are going to do. Whatever my baby wants ,my baby gets. At least for 48 hours a year.

We won again last week in hoops !!! 12-4 then 11-5 the last 2 weeks. You 100.00 players, ask yourself how much you would be up with a 23-9 record over the last 2 weeks. We are making money and having a great hoops season.
If your betting on the games,get signed up today. Its a huge month.

Btw, we are on midwestern airlines new direct flight to orlando. Big new planes,on time and only 2 hours gate to gate and the tickets were cheap!!! I think they also go direct to tampa bay. I highly recommend them.
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Little league update

I am sitting here watching my 8 year old daughters basketball practice and waiting on the games to get started tonight and it dawned on me that we just completed my sons basketball season and I did not submit one single blog entry about the season. Not one. Could it be that the only time I feel the need to talk on the blog about little league sports is when I have something to complain about? Surely I am not one of those guys that sits quietly when things are going well and the first sign of an issue I run to my computer to vent to the readers. It is true that negative news is often the most interesting but I am going to do my best to write about the positive season just as much as when I am bitching.

The 5th grade hoops season was awesome! I could not have been happier. The boys are so much better at the fundamentals then they were at the start of the season. Unlike last season,they learned plays, they passed the ball and this same group of kids that 13 months ago couldn't throw it in the ocean actually scored some points. They lost in the finals of their league to a team of 6th graders that apparently couldn't compete with any of the 6th grade teams so they came down with the 5th graders to play(another story). The drastic change in this basketball season vs. last season was our 5th grade coach. He is the father of one of the kids and over the last 2 years has become much more involved in his kids lives. When I first met him he was a dad that was coming to more and more of the games so I asked who he was. Then after a couple of seasons he started being our score keeper on the baseball team. During football season when we started talking about who was going to coach hoops he immediately threw his hat in the ring. Since most of the other dads weren't excited about taking on our group of "monkeys" for another hoops season, dennis got the job. It was the best thing to happen to this group of boys! He was great. Not only does he know a lot about basketball, he had a new and fresh approach to the game. The boys thrived under his leadership. I think he also moved a little more from a parent trying to get more involved in his kids lives to a leader of his children and someone that all of our boys could look to as a positive male roll model. In some ways it was the best season yet and had nothing to do with winning and losing but much more to do with the qualities and benefits that little league sports were meant to have.

Thanks dennis!!! You are the man!!!
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Thoughts on the olympics

The olympics are over and daytime television is back to its normal routine. I for one loved the olympics. This is the first time I can remember looking forward to each days events. Here are my top 3 favorite events.

3. Ski/snow board cross- this is where the athletes start at the top of what looks a hot wheels track and race down. I am sure this sport was invented by a 14 year old and is exactly what little boys around the world do on just about anything that moves fast. From skis and snow boards to skate boards,bikes and roller skates 14 year olds have been racing for years and it is nice to see it is finally paying off in the olympics.

2. Short track speed skating- this event is for anyone that was ever undersized,a little weak or just was able to weasel their way into tight spaces growing up. Remember that kid that always found a way to cut in line when it was time to go in after recess? That kid would be great at this sport. It is a little about speed skating but is more about finding a weakness in your opponents skating style. If your kid keeps getting in trouble for cutting in school, you might want to get him a pair of speed skates.

1. 4 man bobsled- this is an event that before this year,I didn't care about and frankly looked like a sled competition that was not much fun to watch. But after watching this years things changed. The usa won the gold metal and the driver looked like half the guys I play poker with! The only difference is he was wearing a unitard. This guy looked about 5'5, 40 years old,hat a pot belly ,was bald and looked like he was suited for a wing eating contest! His team mates would rub his hear after each run. I think he comes from a long line of sleaders but I am pretty sure my body type would work in that sport. I am also positive they went to the pub for burgers and beers to celebrate the gold.
My kind of sport.

Sorry the olympics are over and am excited about the summer games in 2012. Maybe they will offer wing eating. That seems like a summer sport.

12-4 last week in hoops. We are really on a roll and ready for a big march!! Get signed up if your betting on hoops.

Btw, happy 40th birthday to keith stitt.as a lot of my friends turn 40 it is interesting to look at each of our experiences. Keith has lived a lot for a 40 year old man and is a great friend.
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