It's baseball season again!

With Lombard fall ball not that competitive we

decided to play for DTA (Du Page Training Academy) travel team

in Carol Stream that has professional coaches. All coaches have played

college, minor or major league baseball.

TJ's Thunder coach suggested he play fall ball

and take more pitching lessons to prepare for next year,

as a closing pitcher

TJ has an incredible fast pitch that has been clocked at 67 mph

He needs to work on control and consistency.

Today was his first game, actually a double header in West Chicago.

We won both games 5-4. TJ played very well and had a great time.

He is just getting over a month long bout of Pneumonia, so

expectations were not high.

Today he pitched, played first and third base

I still can't grasp the fact that my little

TJ is turning into a little man

COP vs FIREMAN

Tomorrow night Sept 12, 2009 my older brother Patrick Moran is competing in a pure MMA Charity fight. "Mixed martial arts (MMA) is an intense and combat sport in which competitors use a mixture of forms of fighting that include Jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, kick boxing, wrestling others to their strategic and tactical advantage, in supervised matches"

Charity Fight- Cop vs Fireman

Policeman versus Fireman- it's one of the oldest and most vicious rivalries. On Sept 12, 2009, Pure MMA will feature a charity fight where pride, respect and honor are on the line. In this exciting battle of the badges, Larry Linderman, a law enforcement agent will be pitted against Patrick Moran, a fireman with the Chicago Fire Department. Luckily, for Pure MMA spectators, we're going to be able to watch them battle it out in the ring.

Who will come out with bragging rights?

I am one of the 10 lucky family members that will sit ringside at the VIP table to witness this HORROR. I'm sure I am paying $60 to cover my eyes and scream the entire night.

What I do for charity...

My only knowledge of MMA fighting comes from an old you tube video that show a mans leg being snapped in half. I'm almost positive that I was told this was a boxing match prior to my "in" response. I must admit that while I'm excited

to watch my brother, I am freakin terrified

that someone is going to get hurt. I watched

my sister Christine box through the cracks in my fingers

and damn near had a heart attack.

Is it in bad taste to vomit on the VIP table?
Patrick Moran

Chicago Firefighter

Larry Linderman

Law Enforcement Agent

cop?

Stetson's Restaurant Chicago

Tim and I were in this nice downtown restaurant and he

went to take my picture. As you can see I don't pose well, so

I asked him to say something funny

Tim yells "cop"

"cop?", I ask

No, "COCK!" Tim repeats

First I am horrified, possibly

mortified and

then I laugh...

and laugh

and become hysterical

And I think we got the shot we were looking for

Date night

Tim and I had a Friday night on the town.

We got a room at the Hyatt for the evening, a wonderful

dinner at Stetson's

which was located in the hotel

After dinner we decided to walk over to Navy Pier. I don't think I have been there

in 12 years. It was a beautiful warm clear night and the city

was stunning. We played total tourists and rode the Ferris wheel.

It was pretty cool and the view was breath taking.

There was hardly anyone there

We went in all the little shops around the pier

laughing like teenagers. It was really a good time.

Saturday morning we had breakfast and headed to

Millennium Park

Okay , I'm going to tell you the bean is just FUN!

fun fun fun fun fun

What is better than 1 Mary?

Why, 2 Mary's of course

After hitting State street for more shopping we

had to catch the 12:40 train back to Lombard, pick

our boys and head up to Wisconsin for our final summer

weekend.

I felt like we had a mini vacation after only 17 hours

in the city

(did I mention we had NO KIDS?)

ahhhhhhhhh...a day of nothing

I was overjoyed this morning to be able to

ride Karrick to school. It's okay that Callahan

left 10 min before us and walked alone.

I can honestly see where my 100 lb Pink Schwinn

bike might embarrass him.

After dropping Karrick off and riding a few extra blocks,

I came home to peace and quiet. I love days off

during the week when kids are in school. Mr. Pneumonia

was still sleeping, so I putzed around.

TJ was basically banned from school

for a while (by the ER doc)(2nd ER doc, that is)

Karrick and "turtle" ready to go!

I figured I had better toss in a photo

of Karrick wearing his

helmet-which he always does

"Geez, Ma, can we just go now?"

says Karrick through clenched teeth

disguised as a smile

I took the time to

clean "MR. Turtle's" tank. Out of all

our pets (Patrick is a family member, not a pet)

Mr Turtle is my favorite. I just love watching him

Are you kidding me?

My poor TJ has been fighting Pneumonia for some

time now. Thursday he had a follow-up

with his Pediatrician. His lungs were clear,

but he still had that cough-til-you-gag, so

he was prescribed an additional 10 days of antibiotics.

If he still was coughing in a week, Steroids would be

the next course of action.

Friday he felt good, went to school, but still coughing.

By dinner time he was complaining of chest pain and

I could hear a little wheezing in his chest. I had the

doctor paged and she said bring him to the ER.

The triage nurse took one look at him, got a wheel chair

and took him back.

He was immediately given a breathing treatment and Steroids.

A chest x-ray confirmed Pneumonia in the Right Lung

An hour later TJ was complaining that he was starving

and when could he eat? My teenager was feeling better!

He was discharged with a new antibiotic, a new in-haler

and a 2 day dose of Prednisone. He is to have have a follow-up

with his doc and a repeat x-ray in a week.

TJ missed his travel baseball party on Saturday, he was

not feeling 100%. He rode his bike 1/2 way to Burger King and had a coughing fit.

This week we will mix things up a little. School

will be on a day to day bases. Private pitching lessons

cancelled. Tue and Thur baseball practice cancelled

until further notice.

When little kids get sick they lay on the couch, whereas

teenagers are able to go on with their day.

An old mom can learn something new...

TJ went on with his life for the last 3 weeks, he went to school,

practice and played in 2 games. He beat himself up

because he didn't have stellar games or practices.

HELLO! the kid is sick

Mom is now on the ball and will treat him as a little boy with

Pneumonia.

1 st day of kindergarten

The foggy first day

Karrick had his first day of Kindergarten on

Wednesday. He loved it. This week was half days

and starting Monday he'll have all day Kindergarten.

After the 1st day each child was assessed individually.

When it was Karricks turn to go in the classroom,

I heard him say, as the door was closing

"I'm just letting you know, I can't read yet"

I couldn't make out what they were saying,

but I could hear Mrs. Misar laughing

When they were done Karrick showed me

his classroom...every last

detail including the

"bathroom right in the classroom, mom"

Mrs. Misar said Karrick did very well

(they don't share until conferences)

but, she did say:

"he is a very funny child...I love funny kids"

Well, then she is going to love Karrick!

he has that innocent little kid honesty

that just cracks everyone up

He had homework the first day

when I told him, his reply

as he made a face and threw his arms up in disgust

"come on, I gotta do homework, what the..."

(he knows better then to add the "HELL" on the end)

and proceeded to do his "all about me bag"

to share with the class

He was clearly mimicking his older brothers

response to years of homework,

but he loved it

F-ing Hornets

All I need now is a pair of white stiletto's

Karma is a bitch

We have been so busy this summer that our beautiful deck

has been neglected. We had 4 very large hornet nests

2 under the hot tub lid flap and 2 under the deck

railing. I took pride using the Hotshot

wasp spray. You could stand back 5 feet and just blast the little suckers.

It took a couple days and a couple shots, but the nests were gone!

Today I decided to cut our 12 inch long grass in the back

yard (another neglected area)

Something pinched my leg and I reached down to

pull out the little thorn that pricked me.

HELLO...no thorn

A wasp stuck in my leg and all of the sudden

I was being stung under my arm.

Much to my horror, I was covered in hornets.

They were stuck on my shirt, I started screaming

because they stung my t-shirt so the stingers were

trapper in the fibers.

I had no choice but to run screaming to the house

discarding articles of clothing along the way

I ran up to my room half naked

and of course Cal had a buddy over.

Tj heard me scream and ran upstairs,

no 13 year old needs to see their mama naked

(another dollar added to the therapy fund)

Welts, I have welts and I hurt

and anyone who claims Hornet stings don't hurt can kiss my ass.

Did you know the Hornet will alert the entire nest

and they will all go into attack mode.

• Hornets are more painful than a typical wasp's due to a large amount (5%) of acetylcholine.

As in all stinging wasps, hornets can sting multiple times—they do not die after stinging a human,

Those little fuckers got me and got me good.

My lawn mower sits all alone at the end of path of

freshly cut grass...where it will stay

My clothes are where they will remain...on the deck

I know those little buggers are still alive in my

discarded clothing....just waiting

Another Wisconsin weekend

We headed up to the lake for another

weekend.

My poor TJ has been fighting something for

2 weeks. Friday morning as we were ready to

leave, something just didn't seem right with TJ.

I called the doc and she said bring him right in.

Pneumonia!

He was given a strong antibiotic and an

inhaler. We decided to go up to the lake anyway.

Some R and R in the sun on the lake is as

good as any place to recuperate

This is my art work and I'm kinda proud of it

My poor sick little trooper

TJ did very well, he felt better except for the awful

coughing fits

OR

unless you asked him to do something, then it was

"but mom, I have pneumonia"

For 14 years I have passed this sign and I ask

"how can 1 person do it all?"

Here's my Tim...bringing sexy back

(he's only allowed to wear wife beaters in the back hills of Wis)

Hard to believe we had to forcibly put Karrick in the kayak

We get the morning sun and in the afternoon the other side gets it

So pretty

We had some nice hot sunny weather, we

expected 70's and rain, but

I hear Chicago and Michigan

had the less than perfect temps

I officially feel like I had a summer. We crammed

a whole lotta summer in the 3 weeks

we had after baseball

TJ will make his 1 hour of school tomorrow, he is

still coughing, but that will linger on for a while.

He is also excited to bring Karrick to his 1 hour open

house in his Kindergarten classroom.

I have to work because I took Wed and Thur off to

bring Karrick to his first 2 days of class which are

only 1/2 days. Next week he will go all day

With a blink of an eye TJ is a trusted

teen bringing his little brother to meet his first

elementary school teacher

(and Emma went to sleep away camp)

I swear this was yesterday

TJ-3, Emma -2

Happy Birthday TJ!

13 years ago on August 17, 1996 at exactly 7:11 pm

a beautiful baby boy came into this world.

The 1 st boy on both sides after 7 nieces

TJ McGinty 8 lbs 2 oz

He came out smiling and has been smiling ever

since.

An extremely easy baby, that once my

best friend Erin asked me when TJ was 5 months old

"do you think something is wrong with him, he's

always happy"

TJ has always been a very sweet child and very

protective of his brothers. at age 2 when

Cal came into the world, TJ would guard his bassinet

and not let anyone get close.

Today he and Karrick share a special bond that is apparent

through out my blog.

9 months pregnant and all baby

TJ 30 min old

This framed photo has been on TJ's dresser since birth.

My delivery was so easy that the nurses jokes about

me not even breaking a sweat

6 weeks old

TJ in Maui at 9 months old

(Betty and Chris' wedding)

At age 3 TJ went 200 ft up para sailing

I still remember at age 3 TJ's teacher at The Academy of Music and Movement

called me to say an older boy that had some problems

socializing was being removed from the 5 year old class

and put in with the 3 year olds. This shy little boy in tears

walked in and TJ went up to him, put his

arm around the boys shoulders and said

"stay with me, I'll take care of you"

Age 5 he discovered baseball and

has been playing ever since

Today TJ is a sweet, nice and honest

young man. He still wears that infectious smile

that lights up the room.

While he has many friends and a goofy side, he is mature

beyond his years and

prefers the company of adults.

I can't believe you are a teenager, a 5' 7" teenager!

seems like yesterday...

We are so proud of you! Stay sweet and true to yourself

and continue being the nice kid that you are and

always have been.

HAPPY 13 TH BIRTHDAY

Love,

Mom, Dad, Callahan and Karrick