#42 on the Lake

I turned 42 in August, a momentous occasion that needed to be celebrated to the max! Well, it didn’t need to be, but Lauren made sure that it was! I took three work days off that week—Thursday the 22nd for a “mental health day” which I dearly needed; Friday the 23rd for the birthday festivities; and then Monday the 26th for legitimate catching up on errands and appointments. We have an unlimited PTO policy at work, but all that really means is that no one keeps exact track of how many days off we take. What it actually means is, with no set limits, a lot of people wind up taking less than if we were given a finite amount of time. I unfortunately was overcome with guilt being out those three days, despite teammates encouraging me to disconnect and relax. That’s the trouble with it!

Anyway, Lauren went to great efforts to rent a double-decker party boat to take friends out onto Lake Austin on the 23rd. With the kids in school, we had a built-in sitter for the day. It was a big ask for friends to take time off work and hang out with us in my honor that day, but quite a few did! The Megos were there, with Brian sharing the birthday honors. The Marrs, Plumpes, and one each of the Wilkersons, Glaesers, Silvas and Heards were the other guests. The boat buzzed us around the lake for a bit before docking at “party cove” with some other boats, and we swam and frolicked in the warm water over the course of four hours that flew by. Good times!

#10 gets rowdy

Days later, John turned 10. For the second year in a row, he chose to celebrate with a raucous sleepover at the house with six of his closest friends. He had plans to invite even more, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Three of his friends I would describe as quiet and reserved, while three others were quite the opposite! Three of the boys went shirtless for the entirety of the sleepover, whipping the shit out of each other’s backs for hours and hours. We set them all up in the dining area with blankets covering the floor and a TV to entertain them, with our new PS5 and Nintendo Switch. It was utter chaos all night long, with Lauren and I each going downstairs multiple times during the night to try to calm the boys down. Some of them were actually trying to go to sleep, but the group wouldn’t allow it! Anyone who fell asleep had a bucket of ice water poured on their head. At 4am, I got a knock on the bedroom door from two boys who desperately wanted me to find them somewhere safe to sleep. John and two others wound up staying awake the whole night, well into the next morning. By the time the last kid was picked up at 11, John collapsed into bed and slept the day away. As much as we all like these boys, I think next year we’ll find something less destructive and noisy.

Kids Back 2 School

For the only year of their lives, the kids both go to the same school—Edie in kindergarten, John in fifth grade. It’s blissful being able to walk them to school and be home by 7:30 with the whole day in front of us. That’s 45 minutes I just got back every single day. I can either get a workout in, start work early, get some chores done, water the plants, or just sit and enjoy a coffee before work.

Edie’s first few weeks of kindergarten have gone well. She was very excited to start her first day, but a little shy. As much as John and Edie bicker at home, they sure do look after each other when out in the wild. John held Edie’s hand and walked her to her classroom the first day. Somewhat surprisingly, Edie did not quickly make friends. Most of the other kids seemed to know each other from pre-K the year before. Despite being the ringleader in preschool, she had known all of those kids since birth, so the idea of being thrown into a classroom with all new kids was no doubt a new and daunting experience.

Baseball Coach, Round 7

After last season, I said “no more!” to coaching John’s baseball teams. I like coaching, but I feel strongly that my expertise ends at 10u. John was set to age up to 12u, but the league decided to change rules and go by a new age cutoff date, which means summer birthdays repeat 10u for a third year. And so, despite my proclamations and Lauren’s wishes, I’m back on the diamond for the seventh straight baseball season (Twins, Rockies, Mighty Mussels, Marlins, Cardinals, Orioles). This year, we’re the Giants. I could not be present for the draft, so my team was selected for me. The new slate of players is a big change from the spring—the kids are largely new to 10u, having come up from Coach Pitch, with hardly any holdovers from last season.

For John, it should be his one opportunity to lead and, perhaps, dominate. He’s always been on the very young end of every team he’s ever played for. This time, he’s one of the oldest. After two practices, it’s very clear he’s the top option at pitcher. I am not one to play favorites, but for the sake of the team being moderately competitive, we have little choice! Oh well, I am not in this for the accolades of winning championships in four-team fall leagues.