Still Here Marching On

Okay so it's been awhile. All I can say is God have mercy on the workin' man!!

It's been one of the most hectic springs on record for us around the 'Ville. Getting ready for a fourth child is enough, but the first three are keeping us on our toes every day.

Coby just turned 12 years old. My son is growing up. I realized this last week when he took his first official physical to play athletics in the seventh grade next fall. His experience with the physical is a subject for another blog, perhaps, but I must decide the editorial content on such a post. It was quite a story. Let's just say Coby experienced a full physical and leave it at that, and he wasn't too pleased about it as most every other pre-teen undergoing the experience.

Melody is currently wrapped up in postseason softball for the local 10-under team. I too am caught up in this to my ears, having volunteered to coach her team this year. We won the local league with an undefeated record and then proceeded to go and win the district tournament last weekend. State is coming up in a couple of weeks.

Melody has what we call "raw" talent. That means she hasn't had a lick of coaching but shows flashes of good stuff on the field. Occasionally. There are lapses of course, which I've decided are my job as coach and as dad to fix. Her biggest obstacle to this point, with all due respect, is her gender. Communication between dad and daughter has been difficult at times this year when it comes to softball. She has her opinions, and I have mine. We had a little discussion last week about opinions, to which I had one simple reply.

It's okay for her to have an opinion, as long as she realizes ultimately that her dad's is ALWAYS the right opinion.

I'm proud of her though. I really am. And you can't get around the following fact -- through league play and into the postseason, Melody's teams haven't lost a single game that mattered all year. That's something we're all proud of, and it's fact. Not opinion.

Then there's Abby, who has less than two months as of today to enjoy being the official baby of the family. And she's enjoying every minute of it. She is talking up a storm now and just finished her first year of day school. Before you know it she'll be right up there with the other ones. It makes her dad more than a little sad.

Lily Ann is still roasting in Mommy's tummy. All signs are good and we are ready to go. Jeannie is enjoying most of the pregnancy as usual with the movements, kicks and punches she's getting daily from the inside. Arrival is set for Aug. 2.

We are still here marching on. Like a little army.