It as kind of a slow day today.

While Alex was at school, Phoebe and I went on some errands. Among them, we stopped by one of the home improvement meccas so I could photograph a shed that I like. Ray is going to design on up for us to build and it will be the pool shed. Nothing but pool supplies, chemicals, toys, and off-season pool storage. Hopefully, we can arrange power into it so we can have some tunes out there as well.

Other places we went: the oil change place, the pool store (pool opening is coming up quickly!), and the grocery store.

Alex stayed after school for the dress rehearsal for the talent show (she’s working stage crew). Therefore, she missed chess club, volleyball practice and any hope of making a bit of the softball (team purple) practice.

Sadly, she lost her iPod in the auditorium. She, a few friends, and the teacher in charge spent over half an hour looking for it to no avail. I suspect it was more of a five-fingered-liberation than an actual misplacement of it. Either way, she is quite sad about it.

Hopefully, someone will find it and turn it in to the office. Or, feel so guilty that they will turn it in. I have the serial number, but what good does that do for such an item?

It rained a lot today. It wasn’t always a downpour. We didn’t seem to experience any thunder and lightening. We certainly did not have any power issues.

What we did do, was have a soccer game in the the rain. The field was soaked when we arrived. It wasn’t raining right then, but into the second quarter, it began drizzling again. Golf umbrellas went up. Little umbrellas went up. Parents went to cars (to their defense, they were mainly parents with babies in tow) to wait out the rain and watch if they were lucky enough to be parked facing the field.

The kids loved playing in the rain which stopped just after the fourth quarter began. It would have been better if the temperature was higher. It was 56 when the game started. I didn’t even look to see what it was when the game ended.

Personally, I had on layers. THREE layers of fleece that I wore. My winter shoes were worn also. A golf umbrella and a fleece blanket I had as well and used. And the gloves! I was not going to freeze tonight. After all, you know how the temperature is drastically different at a soccer field than anywhere else, right?

After the game, Phoebe and I went home to have dinner. We watched the hockey game last night and we watched the Red Wings lose. Their playoff winning streak is over. On the bright side, they go to a game five, so now my parents can watch the game too (they don’t have Versus on their cable). I guess it was just a rainy, glum day all around?

Ray and Alex were out planning and building and something for a robot event they are doing with some friends of Ray’s. THEY got to be dry and warm doing their thing tonight. Nevertheless, I cannot believe Phoebe’s soccer season is nearly over. Two games left. Maybe the weather will be nicer?

Today, Alex had volleyball practice. There wasn’t really anything special about today’s practice.

Phoebe had ballet class. I am still procrastinating on her recital costume! She has her photos taken on this coming Saturday, so it will need to be done by then. Oh! and she needs new shoes. less than five weeks until recital and her shoes are smooshing her toes! Why couldn’t she have grown so much over the actual summer?

When we got home after volleyball and ballet, I attempted to help Alex practice her pitching. After getting lots of help at practice on Friday, she really hadn’t had a chance to practice since then. I had watched and listened to what the coach (and their star pitcher) was telling her and the corrections they were helping her make. So, tonight when she twisted as she brought her arm backwards, I could tell her. She actually took it as I meant it and did not go into a tizzy (like she usually does with any critique or criticism). he needs to get more accurate with greater consistency, but that will come with practice. The problem with this is, that with these small corrections, or tweaks, made with her by the coach, her pitch has become unbelievably hard and fast compared to what it was. So catching for her is painful. Very painful. I guess I need an actual catchers mitt and body armor. It’s scary.

While Alex was practicing her pitching, Phoebe was dancing around. Some of the time, she appeared to be practicing some of her recital dance, but she was mostly just dancing and twirling.

When it was too dark, and my hand hurt from catching (yes, with a mitt, with padding added, and a glove) and I took a ball partially near my wrist on my other arm, we retreated indoors. The night of practicing continued with Alex playing her sax (for a long, loud time) and Phoebe continued dancing (to Alex’s playing).

Meanwhile, Ray had gone out to his parents house with our tiller and our chainsaw to help them out. The girls were in bed by the time he got home. I guess you could say he was practicing with the chain saw in preparation for all of the down trees and such around here that need to get cut up and dealt with. Right?