stuff

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We started our final tournament of the season tonight in Lynwood. We didn't win, in fact we only scored 3 runs

BUT..

All 3 runs were scored by TJ, he hit a 3 run homer. A beautiful swing of the bat, a nice crack and that ball just sailed right over the right center field fence.

I gave up Bunco with the girls to go to TJ's game...FATE!

Hopefully tomorrow and Sunday we will play better baseball over-all

Life isn't complete without seeing my Callahan dissecting a sheep heart. I received the IMSA disk in the mail with some 700 shots from camp. I really think I need to shoot next years camp...

Driving home from the game, the sky was just amazing when the sun was setting. These shots were shot by my TJ through the car window on 294 North.

Very nice Grasshopper

IMSA Season 4, a future doctor?

2011

Callahan completed his 4 year at The Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora. This was my 1st year not going to parent day (only day to get inside the school). I had a photo shoot, so Tim was able to see the school for the 1st time and was not disappointed. The annual photo disk is on order. The school takes many photos of the kids in action. 

This year was Medical Mysteries, which was medical school crammed into 1 week. Cal dissected a sheep heart, learned to read a ECG and a chest X-ray. He learned all about the body systems ie respiratory, skeletal/muscular, cardiovascular and Nervous 

They also learned about infectious diseases . On the 1st day each student received a patient medical chart with 7 pages of different diseases. Each day the budding doctors were updated on Patient X's condition (test results, new stats, signs and symptoms) The goal was to eliminate all disease but 1, the patients diagnoses.

The kids couldn't bring home chart and the instructors made it impossible to go home and Google the answer just by the way the daily info was given. 

How intense is this for 12 year olds?

Needless to say, Cal was so intrigued that he now is considering Medicine as a career path. He never would have thought of a career in Medicine without this  program. He always wanted to be one of the worlds great Physicists 

Thank god for programs like these that can spark the minds of gifted children. It is a huge struggle for Callahan to enjoy school as they are not equipped to handle this small percentage of kids. Cals middle school does try as best as they can. He was able to skip pre-Algebra and go straight to Algebra ( he passed the test w/o ever taking an algebra class) I am the only advocate for him, his counselor is great and I am in constant contact with her. I  got a personal phone call from the Asst Principal saying how unorthodox skipping Pre-algebra is even for the smart kids! 

Callahan's latest test schools have him at a college freshman level. His dream is to attend IMSA for high school, this next year is the start of his process. He has the test scores, but so do all the kids going there. Cal needs to step up his leadership role and get involved in extra-curricular activities. He is also taking the SAT this year (at age 12) to establish a baseline and see how he ranks. IMSA requires the SAT for enrollment and kids generally out-score the average college bound student. I've been told some kids take the SAT up to 5 times...nuts! I am really nervous for him, this has been his dream and only passion since 3rd grade. To think he may not get in terrifies me as there are no guarantee's in life.

Next year his summer camp is residential...he'll live there for a week. It will give him a taste of IMSA life and he can see if that life really appeals to him

   7pages of possible diseases

The diagnosis?  Hantavirus

Cal's IMSA experience in pictures

2010

2009

yes that giant eye is from a cow

 2008-what a freakin baby, he was!

Um, Yeah...that is my Callahan on the cover of IMSA catalog

the little car that could

With TJ's tournament canceled we had another free day. Tim and Callahan fixed my van, then they pulled the Miata out to fix. They fixed it last year, but then the bottom half was submerged under flood water in the garage (last years flood).

Great dad/son bonding time, not to mention learning a great skill. Tim can fix just about anything. As reward for his help all day, Callahan got a lesson in driving stick shift and got to pull the Miata into the garage. For a 12 yo that is 5' 6 already, he sure does look tiny behind the tiny car. It is like sitting in a go-cart.

 SUCCESS !

1 down and 1 to go

 Have you ever been so busy that you can't even squeeze in a haircut for 1 kid? No joke over here. Today we drove to Roselle for our tournament just to find out it was canceled, Booyah!

Haircut time!

TJ's hair was so long that he missed catching a ball in the outfield.

 I asked him "was the sun in your eyes?"

"no, my hair got in my eyes and I was blinded"

That was 2 weeks ago

TJ went short and I think he looks adorable and I forgot how pretty his hazel eyes are. He wants to go shorter, but that needs to be cleared with his agent first. 

 Now, if I can just get Callahan in...

this boy drops 10 lbs with each cut

happiness is....

waking up to find a little bunny next to you

It's football season

With only 2 more travel baseball tournaments and summer high school baseball a fond memory, it is safe to say "it's Ram season"

TJ is smack dab into his second week of a 3 week football "camp" it has to be a called a camp due to ISHA rules on practicing. I drop TJ at the high school every morning at 6:30am for practice that ends at 9:30....it's HOT! One more week, than a 2 week break before "actual" practices begin or in other words "2 a days" BRUTAL

coming up next:

Callahan  finishes his week at IMSA

Family photo shoot

 Yesterday I had the honor of shooting the Walsh/Moran family portraits at

 Cantigny Gardens in Wheaton .

Three generations came together from Arizona on the west, McHenry on the East and a smattering of in-between. I never shot such a large group and was a little nervous....not like I can gather them all together next week had I messed up. The weather cooperated as rain was in the forecast on and off through out the week. It was hot and my eye lids dripped sweat but

I really had fun and the kids were just adorable.I think the shots came out fantastic...when it's all said and done I captured hundreds of amazing pictures of every possible family grouping including many candid shots.
Thank you Walsh family for trusting me with your family memories

grandma and girls

grandpa and boys

grand kids

2 weekends in a row in Wisconsin

 4th of July weekend Tim, myself, Cal and Karrick went up to the lake in Whitewater WI, our cute little summer "cottage" is really a trailer with a built on screen porch. It's nestled in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. We left TJ behind...all by himself (except for Patrick). This was TJ's 1st extended weekend alone (4 days). He didn't want to miss any baseball so we gave it a go. A teammate on the next block, father picked up and dropped TJ off all weekend. We did however, call the girlfriends father prior to our departure. TJ did get lonely at night, he said.
My Baby missed me!!! He's not so grown up after all!!
 Just cause you look 18 and act 18 doesn't mean you are 18, my still little 14 year old!

 Tim and I dug up around the screen porch....like freakin cement I might add and planted flowers, put in boarder, mulch and lights. Can't even believe I didn't take before pictures. Karrick and I scrubbed the entire outside on trailer and screen porch...It's like a new place

 a

This past weekend I made TJ skip his tournament and come with us. He did excellent while home alone, but Thursday he had his playoff game for high school and when that ended (lost by 1 run) we had to get to his tournament in Winfield that had already started. TJ was dragging getting to the car, felt sick driving there and proceeded to puke out the window. When we got to the park he rolled out of the car and was on his hands and knees retching in the grass next to the car.. Some water and he hopped up and played the remaining 5 innings of the game...in the 90 degree heat and hot sun. 

I had to make a motherly decision that this was his body telling him he needed a break. The coach was cool about him missing the next 4 games and we took off  for the weekend. TJ had some much needed R and R.

High School baseball is over, we have 3 more travel tournaments and high school football camp started this morning at 7am -9:30 am for 2 weeks, Then it is 2 a days(2, 4 hour intense outdoor practices a day) all through August

 TJ fell off and Karrick was the victor 

Cal and his good friend Ryan. Ryan's familyhas a place next to ours in Whitewater and they have become good buddies. They are attending IMSA this week together, Cals 4th year and Ryans 1st.

Oh, and Cal had a giant growth spurt...can you tell?

in need of a haircut?

This child has more hair than anyone!