Buckeyes are everywhere

I thought I would post a quick story Jill put on facebook last night, some of you will like...

So, we're driving on the highway the other day and see a car with Nevada plates and a Buckeye license plate cover. As we are passing, Brian does O-H! and the lady in the passenger returns with a big I-O!! It was great!! Buckeyes are everywhere! Can't wait for Thursdays game...Go Bucks!!

Reno Aces ballgame

Last week we took the girls to one of the final Reno Aces baseball game. The Aces are the triple A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. This was our first triple A ball game and as a matter of fact it was Addison's first baseball game. We all had a great time and it was fun to see the different things triple A ball games do to make the game more interesting. One minor detail is that I picked the 5:00 game because we were trying to get the girls used to going to bed earlier (for school)....well, 5:00 is before dinner and dinner at a ball game is expensive. Oh well. On top of that, it's not like my girls are exactly interested in every minute of a baseball game...but alas, triple A ball field to the rescue. Amidst all the give aways and contests in between innings, we found the playground and bouncy house in center field!  Of course, I paid $12 a seat, but the lawn seats in center field were only $6 and right next to the playground and bouncy house (which were free)! Oh well, everyone still had a great time, especially Jocelyn & McKailyn since they got to run the bases at the end of the game (video below). Addison attempted to run the bases, but had a meltdown at first base.

Jocelyn's Daddy-Daughter date

For the last couple of years, I started taking the older two on special "daddy daughter dates" for their birthdays. Just the two of us, and they get to call the shots. They get to select whatever they want for our activities that afternoon & evening. Usually it consists of shopping, movie, and dinner, but that's entirely up to them. I get dressed up in nice clothes and a tie, they get in to one of their new outfits/dresses and I show them how a gentleman treats a lady. Usually I "pick" them by ringing the front door with flowers, greeting them and talking to their mother. The night consists of me opening doors for them, paying for everything and conversating with only them the entire evening.

Last night was Jocelyn's "daddy daughter date". She decided to go shopping at Target, then to a movie, and then dinner at Red Robin. Some of my favorite quotes on the night.......

While driving to Target....
Me:  "Joc, what do you want to get at Target?"
Jocelyn: "I don't know, we can just walk around and we'll find something."
Me: "Your mother has trained you well. The shopping force is strong with you."

While driving home from the night while we were taking turns yawning back and forth....
Me: "Joc, maybe I should just pull the car over and we can both take a nap."
Jocelyn: "Or, maybe I could drive. Well, wait. Surely, if I drive, I'll get a ticket, or even worse crash into everything. So I would just pull the car sideways so we could take a nap."
Me: "Good thing we're almost to Grandma's house"

Haircuts at Snip-its!!

Jocelyn's 8th Birthday!

On Tuesday, August 17, Jocelyn turned 8!

Hiking in the mountains

Sunday lunch

Lunch today on the porch-81 degrees, no humidity, blue sky, few puffy white clouds, mountains all around. Exciting new life!! (click on the picture for a larger view)

Schuckman Family Blog: Nick

Schuckman Family Blog: Nick

What is up fools

Addison saying her name

Reds win!

My dad got us front row seats directly behind the Red's dugout to the game last night (Reds won 6-3). We sat directly in front of where the players walk into the dugout. It was me, my dad, Jocelyn & McKailyn.

Before we even sat down in our seats, one of the on field employees flipped a baseball to Jocelyn.

After warming up, while walking into the dugout right before the game started, Aaron Harang tossed his baseball to McKailyn. My dad & I were really hoping for a perfect game, a night that turned his career into a hall of fame career so that ball could finance McKailyn's college tuition, but alas, no cigar, his perfect game was ruined in the second inning :-)

Right before the game started after the Red's took the field and the infield warmed up again, coach Billy Hatcher walked into the dugout and tossed Jocelyn another baseball. All on her on initiative, Jocelyn looked at me and said, "Dad, I"m going to give this ball to that little girl because I already have two and she doesn't have any." She turned around and shocked the little girl and her dad by giving her the ball. I was very proud.

At the end of the first inning, again, as coach Billy Hatcher was walking into the dugout, he then tossed McKailyn another baseball. Again, all on her own (I'm sure it helped as she watched her big sister), McKailyn told me she wanted to give her second ball to another kid. She walked up 3 or 4 rows, found a little girl and gave her the ball. I turned around in time to see the girl's mom's eyes get real big and appreciative. A moment after McKailyn sat back down in our seats, the little girl walked down to thank McKailyn. I was very proud.

I told my girls, "In 33 years of coming to Red's games I've NEVER gotten a baseball and you two get 4 before the second inning!"

Then my dad chimed in, "In 58 years of coming to Red's games I've NEVER gotten a baseball and you two get 4 before the second inning!"

Now they expect to get balls every time they go to a game.

Also, in true baseball fashion, the girls went through a bag of peanuts, a bag of licorice and 2 cotton candies.......by the 4th inning.

For the Red's fans out there:
In between one of the innings, the jumbro tron showed Billy Hatcher's highlights from the 1990 World Series (he hit a still standing World Series record of .750). He got a spontaneous standing ovation. He acknowledged the crowd as he jogged to coach first base. It was pretty cool.

One of the camera workers spotted Pete Rose sitting maybe 10 rows behind home plate. They put the camera on him and showed him on the jumbro tron, again, another spontaneous standing ovation. A couple minutes later, a bunch of applause broke out where Pete was sitting......he was joined by Joe Morgan. They put Joe on the jumbro tron, and again, another spontaneous standing ovation. It was kinda awesome.

End of 2009 - 2010 School Year Videos

McKailyn receiving her PreK diploma from Cornerstone Christian Preschool:


Jocelyn receiving end of 1st grade awards at Cincinnati Christian School. She received the following awards:
1. Outstanding achievement in Science
2. Outstanding achievement in English
3. Outstanding achievement in Social Studies
4. Spelling Award (104% average on all spelling tests)
5. All Star Reader (successfully completed all 6 months of Book It!)
6. Accelerated Reader - most books read (81)
7. Accelerated Reader - highest & average on tests after each book (95.2%)
8. Honor Roll all year
9. Bible Award - 100% on all Bible Memory work



We are very proud of both of our girls!!

April '09

Random pics of the girls....

Jocelyn's first soccer practice

McKailyn at preschool....

Spring break day at CoCo Key indoor waterpark

Neighborhood Easter Egg hunt

Easter

Jocelyn's first soccer game

Building our new backyard playset

March Madness

McKailyn's ballet


Baby rockstar!
Jocelyn in the newspaper!Addison turns 1!


Jill and Traci at the Billy Joel -Elton John concert:


Jill, Jocelyn and McKailyn seeing "Annie"







Our good friend, Jen, helped Jill, Jocelyn, McKailyn and Jill's mom get tickets for the American Girl Fashion show. Upon arriving, Jen informs Jill that they are three girl models short and asked if Jocelyn & McKailyn would like to model. I think it took our girls all of 2 seconds to think about it. They both enjoyed it and did a great job performing in front of 500 people!






Mommy & McKailyn dinner date and horseback riding

February Fun

Date with Joc

Bowling with the Fam

Cute Baby Bear

Christmas Videos

To turn off the music player (probably playing "Brown Eyed Girl" when you first visit the page): If you scroll down the page, you'll see what looks like a music player on the right side of the page (it should be right above the "About me" section), press the Pause button.