Two Man Game

In the prior seven games the boys played on this team, they never played together at the same time. The rules of Upward Basketball require each player to play at least every other six-minute segment. There are six segments per game. Our team had 10 players which created two complete platoons of players with Davey and Benji on separate squads. This was done by design because the twins often focused their competition more on each other than the other team. This season finale game started the same way, but with one teammate out sick. When another of our players became injured Coach Steve Hume brought Benji off the bench to play on Davey’s platoon. Sandy captured this photo of Davey throwing the ball in bounds. He has a shorter opponent guarding him feverishly and the referee breathing down his neck, but his concentration was focused intensely on his brother whom he soon fed the ball.

Blue and Gold Banquet

Tonight we attended the boys first Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. The Boy Scouts of America organization was founded on February 8, 1910 and this dinner is held annually to celebrate that anniversary.  Sandy was a very accomplished Girl Scout and really looked forward to boys becoming involved in scouting. In addition to the considerable work done in their weekly Den 10 scout meetings lead by their scout leader Pat Bowlds, Sandy has worked with the boys at home to earn goal after goal. Davey and Benji were honored tonight with the presentations of both their Bobcat and Tiger Cub badges plus a whole passel beads and discs to hang on their uniform.

Leader in Me Family Night

Sandy and I joined the boys at their school tonight for the Leader in Me Family Night. Sutton Elementary School has chosen to adapt a curriculum based on Steven Covey’s book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, one of my very favorites. Covey clearly communicated that by following his philosophy one can make the most of their abilities. This “Leader in Me” program is a whole school transformation model that equips students with the self-confidence and skills they need to thrive in the 21th-century economy. The presentation was very impressive. While all students participate, some were chosen as outstanding examples, and Benji was his class’s representative.  Reading his citation filled us all with much pride. 

Casey Jones

Watching our boys develop is fascinating. When they play with classic mid-century toys like Hot Wheels, Legos and Lincoln Logs, it takes me back to my childhood and fills me with warm memories. But, when I see them engage in new technology and create their own experience entirely themselves, it fills me with pride. Their latest discovery is a TV series called “Casey Jones”, which they found on YouTube. I had never heard of this series, nor introduced them to YouTube. They found it on their own. “Casey Jones” is a children’s Western series that ran during the 1957-58 television season, based around the pioneering western railroads. It starred Alan Hale, Jr., who later played the Skipper on “Gilligan’s Island”, one of my all-time favorite shows. This discovery makes me feel both proud and warm inside.

Upward Tooth

Rather than practice, the boys played a makeup game Tuesday night for the one cancelled Saturday due to snow. Despite his best effort, Davey couldn’t concentrate very well at the beginning of the game due to a loose upper tooth. When he was in the game, Davey was often guarding his man with his left hand while wiggling his loose tooth with his right.  This was not very effective basketball, but by halftime Davey scored his goal by pulling the offending tooth free. He happily delivered his tiny prize to his mother, who wiped the blood from his mouth and sent him to the locker room. In the second half, Davey’s concentration was restored to the game and his play greatly improved. Benji, who was already sporting four missing teeth, had another fabulous game. 

Destination Day

The boys were encouraged to wear destination t-shirts to school on Monday. If I had to guess, Disney World was the most common destination chosen in our elementary school. We have those too, but the boys wanted to pick something unique. Each picked a train shirt from our travels. Benji’s souvenir came from the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, which we visited in the fall of 2013. Davey chose his t-shirt from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, which we visited in the summer of 2012. This was the site of one of America’s first railroads. They’ve got plenty to show and tell today. 

First Practice

A Super Layout

Sunday was the boys’ ninth consecutive day out of school. That’s four snow days, two weekends and a holiday if you’re counting. Much of this time they had been sick, and on this day too they were coughing too much to go to church. Sandy and I had much to do in our offices, so after lunch we went downstairs to work while the boys played peacefully upstairs. Sandy took the monitor to listen for trouble, but heard none. In fact, she said, they seemed to be playing together very cooperatively. When she went upstairs later to retrieve them for supper Sandy discover a super GeoTrax layout had been built covering almost the entire family room.  Seeing her, they enthusiastically explained their layout’s design depicted the completion of the transcontinental railroad just outside Promontory, UT (the western town on the white train tables) and began illustrating scenes from the latest Lone Ranger movie set in that location at that time. Very Impressive!

Game Postponed

Due to inclement weather, all Upward Basketball games scheduled for today were postponed. That was a good call as it is currently sleeting and raining on top of all the snow on the ground and the driveway and street look like an ice rink. Also, the boys are coughing non-stop. I took them to the doctor yesterday and she believes the coughing and runny nose are allergy related. Given all these issues, it’s another good day to stay home….I suppose.

Back on Track

Sometimes a parent needs to get their child’s attention. We use various techniques and one of the most effective is removing the favorite toy as punishment. Last week, Davey made a number of poor decisions at school and his behavior was documented and shared with us by his teacher. Everything he did was relatively minor and easily correctable, but this strong-willed child needed an attitude adjustment. After a long discussion we decided to close the door to the train room for a week and add his Legos to the off-limits area. As he always does, Davey came around and was an angel of good behavior the next week and earned his toy’s liberty. To celebrate he built a new train out of Legos with a 7-window passenger car pulled by a steam locomotive. 

Frozen

The temperature at dawn this morning was -6 deg. F with a wind chill around -20. The city school superintendent suspended todays’ classes without hesitation early yesterday morning in anticipation of this cold front’s arrival. Local event cancellations were abundant as organizers expected attendees would elect to stay home rather than brave the cold conditions. Our Scout meeting on Monday and basketball practice on Tuesday were cancelled and I fully expected swimming lessons to be postponed as well, but the YMCA surprised me by not backing down to the weather. We were so happy! Four days of cabin fever needed to be vented and back to back swimming sessions would do the trick. The inside of the Family Y was comfortable and the boys said the warm water felt great. This photo illustrates that they got a little cold afterwards in the locker room, but I dried them out with a hair drier, bundled them up and got them home safely where they crawled in warm beds and slept like babies.

Still Connected

While school may not be in session today due to snow, Davey is not missing out on learning. Sandy set up the boys’ personal computer with several learning applications options. Today Davey chose Raz-Kids, an interactive reading site that offers him countless books at his reading level. If he doesn’t know a word, he can click on it and the site will read it to him. Once Davey has finished a book, he takes a quiz. His results are available to his parents and his teacher. With each book read he earns points and progresses to higher achievement levels. Today Davey completed 6 books. He still trails Benji’s score but is using his snow day to close the gap. 

Snow Angles

The twins haven’t seen much snow, except on TV. They were really excited by all this accumulation and had big plans to build igloos, snow forts and a huge snowman. Unfortunately, this was a very dry snow and didn’t pack well enough for their desired projects. Still, Sandy helped them find fun sledding in the driveway and making snow angels. I expected their outdoor play to last no more than 15 minutes, but they played hard for almost two hours. I guess they were having too much fun to get cold. 

President's Day Snow Storm

Having returned home early from our vacation, sleeping in this morning was on my agenda but surprisingly not Sandy’s. She wanted her babies back home safe and sound before the snow got too deep. Outside, about three of the expected twelve inch accumulation had already fallen and the power was coming down fast. On days like this I miss my old 4-wheel drive Jeep Cherokee. Bundled up, we proceeded outdoors to clean the driveway and warm up the car.  Once our path was clear, we set out in our minivan quest. The streets were unplowed but passable. The biggest challenge were the slopes and turns in my parents’ Forest Hills subdivision. They had the boys all ready and after a brief visit, we started back, but couldn’t climb the hill from their driveway. We drove to the bottom of the hill and began again with a running start, which worked wonderfully. Once on the highway the visibility was much worse as we were driving into the falling snow, but fortunately not many others had ventured out yet that morning. We were home sipping hot chocolate by 9 am. 

Heart's Desire

I had big plans for this Valentine’s weekend. Cupid’s day fell on Saturday and President’s Day was on the following Monday, creating a long weekend with the holiday. My parents were willing to watch the boys for the duration so we could escape for some rest and recreation. Sandy has a big project approaching filled with lots of overtime, and we might not have another opportunity like this for some time.  We planned to leave after the boys’ basketball game Saturday morning, but then found the hotels on our short list already booked. Instead, we enjoyed an intimate dinner at the Campbell Club and left the next morning for Tennessee to visit our good friends Al and Lisa Bell. After listening to weather reports during the day, we cut our plans short and headed back to Kentucky just before the hard snow began around 10 pm. Our very special time together didn’t unfold as I planned, but we had a wonderfully spontaneous time anyway. 

Breaking into the Game

Benji’s basketball skills are emerging. He’s beginning to get the basic idea of the game, but hasn’t fully mastered the execution. It’s fun to watch him improve every week. At this point, he understands which basket belongs to his team and that shooting the ball through the basket results in points. Both boys play excellent defense, but until recently haven’t had a clue what to do when they got the ball. The last few games Benji has begun to instinctually take the ball to the basket. Unfortunately, he can’t quite dribble as fast as he can run, nor can he hit a running layup. When he stops to shoot, his shot gets blocked. This will come in time and soon he’ll be a point guard who can score.

Card Giving Family

Whereas my family on both sides resided almost entirely in Owensboro (especially in my childhood), Sandy’s family has always been scattered all over the United States. Probably because they didn’t see each other very often, her family has always exchanged greetings cards often to just say I’m thinking of you. Consequently, we are very fortunate to receive many cards for every holiday and Valentine’s Day is no exception. Since we had plans this weekend, we took the opportunity to open cards Friday night. The boys really enjoy this tradition and can now read most of the words themselves. We truly appreciate how much we’re loved on Valentine’s Day.

Get Lucky 13

Nothing shouts L O V E like Cowboys and Trains if you are a boy in the First Grade. With Valentine’s Day falling on Saturday this year, the school’s holiday celebration will be tomorrow. Sandy has everything prepared and ready. All the valentines for each boys’ class are ready to distribute and she created personalized bags for Davey and Benji to receive all their new Valentines cards. It should be a lucky Friday The 13^th for them both. 

Our Cheering Section

Sandy spontaneously captured this tender family moment at Sunday’s Pinewood Derby, and I only wish we had thought to ask someone else to take this photo to rightfully display her here as well. I am so proud of how supportive our family and friends have been of our little boys. Whatever these very busy twins are doing, they know that when they look in the audience Sandy and I, and usually my parents, are there cheering. This kind of family support is common, but not typical these hectic days. One can find better entertainment, and our boys are not the team’s stars, so this attendance reflects true support for Davey and Benji’s efforts. What’s more, other family members and friends come these events too. When Sandy’s Florida-based parents are here visiting, they go with us and cheer enthusiastically. My Uncle Richard and Aunt Linda Edds have also joined our bleachers to encourage their great nephews. Even the boys’ Sunday School teachers, Byron and Kim Carmon, have turned up and shown twin spirit. Thanks everyone for being there, we appreciate it!

Fireman Davey

Davey and Benji’s Cub Scout troop visited the Owensboro Fire Department Station No. 4 last night. Located at 25^th and Breckenridge Streets, this facility was built in 1973 to provide quick service to the city’s southeast side. On January 3, 2000, an F-3 tornado touched down in Owensboro and its path went directly through this fire station. In the aftermath, the station was substantially rebuilt and expanded. Just after the Tigers arrived a call came into the station and the fireman had to go on a run. While they were gone, their guests were shown the fireman’s quarters and kitchen facilities. A fireman’s shift is 24 hours long, so they a place to eat and sleep. After the fireman returned, the boys were allowed to climb around on the trucks and try on the firefighting equipment, which they loved! 

Benji Injury

“Daddy and Mommy don’t make rules to be mean. They make them in an attempt to keep you safe. If you make bad choices, you can get hurt!” I suppose all children hear their parents repeatedly say a variation of this, and their young minds don’t begin to comprehend it until they make bad decisions and get hurt. It’s a process that requires repeated testing until the message sinks in. Our household’s latest bad decision came Saturday afternoon. It was an unusually warm February day. I was in the garage packing away the Christmas decorations and Sandy was in the house working while the boys rode their bikes in the driveway. For some unknown reason, Benji decided to climb the Dogwood Tree in the front yard, an activity he knew was off limits. He is a very good climber on playground equipment and easily climbed the tree, but miscalculated his escape. At this point, we are not sure how this will affect his basketball or swimming lessons.

Pinewood Derby Day!

This was the primary reason the twins joined cub scouts; to race in the Pinewood Derby. With Great Uncle Richard’s assistance, Daddy “helped” the boys over the last month design, build and decorate their entries, and today was the moment of truth. Both cars were beautiful and fast. Had “the luck of the draw” been with them, each car might have made the finals, but unfortunately the brothers drew each other in heat eliminations, twice, and twice Benji’s “Eagle” defeated Davey’s “Hot Dog” to qualify for the finals. Today was Benji’s day! He made a podium finish taking home a third place trophy and his car won “Best of Show” for design and appearance. Davey was very excited for his brother but added “wait until next year!”

Better Each Week

Benji’s (13) starting to grasp the concept of basketball, and he’s improving every week in all areas of his game. Both boys are eager to please and willingly execute the drills in practice to develop their skills, but when the game’s frantic pace begins, like most of these first grade players they often forgotten what to do. Davey is currently playing with clueless joy. He loves the running and activity, but doesn’t yet grasp the game. Benji, on the other hand, is emerging as a leader; one who other players look to pass to and take charge. For the second straight game he scored a basket, had several steals, led fast breaks and played strong defense. He’s not a star yet, but Benji’s stock is clearly on the rise and I suspect Davey will soon follow.

Guppies No More

The twins graduated yesterday from Guppies to Minnows. They have taken a lot of swimming lessons and have advanced steadily. The YMCA has two divisions for children. For children 3 to 5 years of age there are four levels; Pike, Eel, Ray & Starfish, we progressed through each of these. There are six levels for youth swimmers ages 6 through 12 years old; Polliwog, Guppy, Minnow, Fish, Flying Fish and Shark. As the levels increase it becomes increasingly more difficult to advance, so I was pleasantly surprised today when the instructor informed me that both boys had passed their exam. Guppies have to feel comfortable with their face in the water and are able to swim 15-20 feet without a floatation device. They can do front, back and side strokes, some rotary breathing and beginner’s breaststroke. Davey is an especially strong swimmer, but both boys’ bodies have benefited from this excellent exercise. They are cut!

Benchmark Photo

Now 7 years 2 months old, the boys are happy and healthy. In January they were actively engaged as first graders at Sutton Elementary School, each working hard daily to advance academically in their individual classes. Recent episodes of showing off and silly behavior have been the only blemishes on Benji’s stellar school performance.  He is an excellent artist and has radically improved his reading. Davey’s highly creative tangents and short attention span prevent him from his full academic potential. However, he is a very extraverted boy overflowing with charm and enthusiasm who is a favorite among both his fellow students and his instructors. These boys are not passive or boring and the joy of our lives.

Goal Achieved!

This week the boys each achieved their First Grade AR (Advanced Reading) goal of 50 points just one month into the second semester of the academic year. At this age, each student may take a five question test on a book a parent or teacher has read to them and if they pass they receive one half point. Typically Sandy will read the boys two books every night just before bedtime and help them reread the books the next morning. If a school administrator has time to offer two exams per student that day, each boy may earn a full point. Davey has excellent recall and usually receives perfect AR test scores. Benji sometimes suffers from question over-analysis and will commonly miss one, but has read extra books to make up the difference. They have easier read-every-day books that they read themselves, but those don’t qualify for AR. Sandy and I are so pleased with this program and our boys’ success. This curriculum is way beyond the simple “Dick and Jane” books we had in first grade.

Baby Priceless Too

Sandy’s sister Kristen delivered her second baby this morning at 9:23 am local time in Park City, Utah. Even though this baby girl was 4 weeks early, she entered the world at a healthy 6.9 lbs. and 19 inches long, close to the size of her twin cousins born 5 weeks early 7 years before. Her parents Wes and Kristen chose the name Camryn Hayden Price, Cami for short. Hayden is a Roe Family name. It was the maiden name of Cami’s 3^rd great grandmother Martha Lee Hayden Roe, known to friends as Mattie. By coincidence, Mattie was born on the twin’s birthday December 5, in the year 1855 in Millersburg, Kentucky. Hayden is also the name of a favorite area in Idaho were Kristen and Wes would often go fishing. Mother and Baby are doing great!