I don't understand the way parents are acting over the last year or two. What are they teaching their kids? I have had umps call a bad game but that happens at every level. I just don't get it.
Ugh, I'm sorry. Read on about our game this afternoon...
6/7.
I have a largish pile of 6-8 and/or "small" t-shirts, both short and long sleeved, and just a few pairs of pants. Do you want them? I'd be happy to pop them in the mail.
I'm glad Grandma's doing better.
Thanks.
Apparently we're all cleaning the closets today.
I started putting some shirts away which turned into cleaning out the dresser and my closet.
I didn't get to the closet - yet, anyway. I did go through the boys' clothes, though.
Also the French Open starts tomorrow, and one good thing about my crappy sleep schedule is I should be up at 5am to watch.
Oh, now, see, somehow I didn't know this. Thanks!
Where they will stay
And the Phillies are playing the REd Sox this weekend!
Yeah, this year the Red Sox are an easy win.
I follow them only because that is ALL we hear about, and will root for them as long as they're not playing the Cards. Also, I hate the Yankees, and did even when I didn't live here (NO LL...
)
I will root for them as long as it isn't my Cards they are playing.
Great minds...
T, did you go out to see any of the Tour of California? It's getting me ready for the Tour de France.
Oddly, Woody's been very interested and turning it on most evenings.
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Well, we had 7 kids show up for our team.
The coach and his wife and son were at a wedding, the team mom was having a birthday party for her son (why, on a night when baseball wasn't until 4:30, I don't know), one family is at Disney and I don't know what was up with the fourth.
My kids played great - we just did without a catcher and had just 2 outfielders (it's machine pitch and no scoring) - and the innings did go quick as we batted around most times, which ends the inning. With only 7 batters... The other team had great hitters but no fielding, so...
We then drove through for dinner and I took the boys over to my friend's. We chatted for a bit, and now I'm home totally alone! I almost don't know what to do with myself!
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OK, now I need some advice.
Long, long tennis story, but I'll try to keep it as simple as I can while still trying to make myself clear...
OK. The tennis matches that I play (not the classes) are all sanctioned by the USTA, which runs the US Open, etc. Every player who registers in the league gets a ranking. 2.5 is the starting level (don't ask me why it's not 1
) and then if you do well against other 2.5s you move up. Teams are made of same level players and play against same level players. You can play "up" but not "down."
Because I rarely win
, I'm still rated a 2.5; that was my team for last year and the winter and I'm also on the summer team of that level, but because they need more players per match at the higher levels, I also "play up" on a 3.0 team.
The higher levels also tend to have more players, as it's harder to win consistently and get moved up. Within my club there are two separate 3.0 teams and then also two separate 3.5 teams. I have friends on all of the upper levels teams - for example, I'm on the one 3.0 team, but my co-captain from the winter league is playing up on the
other 3.0 team at our club. So, things can get sticky with who's playing where.
Normally, when a club has 2 teams at the same level, the New England USTA folks keep them in separate "flights" for a season - meaning that they don't play each other. Team A plays in Group A against 4-5 other NH teams, Team B plays against 4-5 OTHER NH teams in Group B.
However, this summer, the two 3.5 teams from my club are in the same flight and played each other this week.
Now, my friend Tara, who got me into all this tennis stuff (and is the one who has my kids tonight) got "bumped up" after the winter season and is now a 3.5. With the two teams this summer, she got on the "new" one - but for next winter's season, there will probably only be the "old" one again as fewer ladies can play during the day. She wanted to win, or at least play well against them this week because she wants to show the "old guard" team that she's good, so that they'll play her this winter, since they'll likely be in charge of the 3.5s at our club. With me so far?
This story is not about her, but two other friends on her "new" 3.5 team. One, Linda, is in the same boat as Tara - got newly moved up, wants to be invited in the winter, so wanted to do well. Her partner this week, Daisy, is a 3.0 on my 3.0 team, but is playing up too and wants desperately to be moved up to 3.5. They played, in the intra-club match, a third friend, Sue, who is also on mine and Daisy's 3.0 team, but who was playing up for the "old" 3.5 team. It was her first 3.5 match.
Linda is fantastic and Daisy's pretty good. Sue is fair. Sue and her partner (whom I don't know) lost. Sue responded by sending a completely nasty email to Linda & Daisy, calling them profane names and saying that everyone hates them and that they played too hard to her and all sorts of weird stuff. Sue is hosting a going away party in a couple of weeks for yet another tennis girl on our team (I'm playing with her Tuesday) who's moving to Zurich. She un-invited L & D from the party, saying they weren't welcome in her house... It's just kind of crazy.
Now, I wasn't there, but I know Linda's completely competitive (she gets overly so even in the fun classes, which I take with her often) and Daisy really wants to win. What Sue accused them of, basically, is playing too good tennis. Keep in mind that this is an official match, not just people getting together to play.
Anyway, her big mistake was sending it in email (though she and her DH also posted some stuff on FB) and so EVERYONE knows what she said. I have it. I shouldn't have anything to do with it, but it's getting forwarded all over. Linda decided (not necessarily maturely - I have to say this was overkill) to send it on to both her team captain and Sue's team captains (both our 3.0 and her 3.5) and all the tennis pros in the club.
Finally, my problem. So, I probably shouldn't have seen this email, but I have. I wasn't there, so I'm not totally objective, but from the tone of the message and from knowing what I do about the people and the situation, I'm totally in agreement with L & D. You play competitively, it's just smart to hit it to the weaker player, not everyone hates them, you don't uninvite people to a party for someone else who's not involved...
Yesterday, both Daisy & Sue showed up for the tennis class. I was civil and polite to Sue, speaking to her when spoken to, but not initiating conversation. I was friendlier with Daisy, but I don't see in any way how I would have been considered rude to Sue, and Tara was the same.
Now Tara & I have both had messages from Sue, saying that she felt we were shunning her
(we both spoke to her, it wasn't like freezing her out) the problems should be between her and L & D, and she hopes that we can still be friends, there's more to the problem than just this week, and so on.
In a way, she's right, but she should have talked to L & D and not been so vitriolic via something that could be passed on. When Linda did forward the message to her captains, both of them said they'd basically never put Sue in a match again, if this is how she reacts. She's shot herself in the foot, and I do think she's in the wrong. Sue & Daisy were actually supposed to play together on the 3.0 team next Tuesday, for example - now that's definitely not happening, and since Daisy's better... Well, guess who's not playing this week?
Tara is better friends with Daisy, in particular, and decided just not to respond to Sue's message. Hers came via e-mail, but mine was on FB - Sue & I are, of course, friends there.
So, it's a bit harder to ignore - she knows I'm on there a lot and so forth.
Should I respond, and if so, what should I say? I can't totally ignore her horrible behavior, but she's right in that it's not my fight, really. Those of you who know me well, know how much I hate conflict and would prefer everyone to get along... But I also think I should stand up for my other friends, whom I do think were right. Linda can take care of herself, but Daisy is probably at least 5 times worse than me about wanting everyone to like her and not wanting conflict, and that's saying something.
And, of course, I shouldn't know all that I do, so no wonder my coolness (if that, and I don't think I was bad, it's just not my nature) would be a surprise, but I DO know what I know...
I don't know what to do. Help!
Yes it is a job but I would not be happy doing it !! I still think you would be great in my field it is sooo rewarding and you are such a caring person !! Just my 2 cents !!
What size does Jimmy wear?
It works I have done it.
Let's go FLYERS. 
He has been collecting scrap metal all week which I think I told you and earned $31 this morning , well this afternoon he goes out in the neighborhood with the lawnmower and earned another $12!!! I think this is awesome at 8 years old !! He needs to inspire his sisters who just wait for a job to pop up!!!!
I've just been to crazy busy lately, I've had ZERO time for any fun. 
Full-time work is just too much for me! Mad props to you working Mom's out there!! 
Good luck with the inlaws, you're one brave woman and wow on the tennis stuff. It was a match, the idea of a match is to win and if that woman can't take that she should give up competitive play and then to ban them from a party I think she needs to grow up. 
to everyone else, I know I'm probably missing something important so sorry!
I paid for everything for the bathroom's facelift, and our Disney trip in July is an ALL cash trip! 
guilty
. I knew they had to get rid of one 1st grade teacher, but never thought they'd get rid of the best. Anyway, Miss F is actually moving to 3rd grade because one of the 3rd grader teachers is retiring. So now none of the 1st grade teachers will get laid off, which is good. BUT... here's the good news.... Miss F took the position on a condition she could "hand-pick" her class, sooo guess who Miss F chose? Yup, she chose Maddie! 
Although I could always have a bon-fire
