Check Mate

Hollywood smoked the competition at his first chess tourney of the 2010-11 school year. Obe, the chess instructor, has 36 kids on his team this year, far larger than the other schools teams. 23 of them played at the Four Winds tournament yesterday. Hollywood has been honing his skills and looked at each game with a systematic plan. Far more mature and patient than the last two years when he rushed through and made bad moves because he would get stuck on the defense and end up in stale mate or worse.

So first tourney of the year and he won all 3 of the games!!! Great job little buddy! I love you and I'm so proud!

4th Grade

Don't those boys look handsome?! Blondy is in 2nd, Hollywood in 4th!

Hollywood turns 9

Little League

It's that time of year again. Hollywood started Baseball today. Opening ceremonies and the first game was this morning. We got up bright and early to make it to the field my 7:45 and then the game was at 9. Hollywood did great! Blondy had a hard time but luckily one of the players brothers let him watch movies on his Nintendo DS. Coach Stirling is raising some great kids. I'm glad Dante is on our team again. I'll post pictures soon. I didn't get good ones today since we were playing on the softball field and there are too many fences between us and them.

Hollywood hit the ball on the first pitch the first inning and hit the ball within the first three pitches the next 4 innings. I'm so proud of him! He did some outfield work today and just needs a little more hustle when the ball comes his way but he's getting there. A little more practice and he'll be in good shape. We have another game Monday. I hope to get some good pictures then.

Chess mania

Hollywood won this round but lost the next two. He still took home a silver medal and the team placed 7th overall! Great job for having only three tourny's under their belts. Great Coaching Mr. Obe!

and he is so smart!

I am so amazed by my son. He amazes me every day, several times a day. He's doing WONDERFUL at guitar lessons. He is participating in the chess club in school, participating in his first class wide tournament next week. Both his guitar instructor and the teacher in charge or the chess club are amazed by him. Things come naturally to him. School is just hard enough with the challenging teachers he has that he stays interested and looking for more. He still loves baseball, fighter jets and video games. He wants to be like his daddy, but without the guts and gore of a firefighter paramedic. He sleeps with his dog, who's twice as big as he is. He plays with Lego's and acts goofy. He crosses his eyes and sticks out his tongue when the camera comes out. He makes up his own knock knock jokes. He believes in Santa and the spirit of my grandpa (Poppy) and his dads grandpa (Derril).

Last week he said:

"Two wrongs don't make a right but three rights make a left"

too true, and so smart. My little boy is a bit of a genius

gotta cup 'O' Joe?

Hollywood did so good at his baseball game today. For those of you not Little League savvy, when they hit Farm League they are the step up from T-ball. They only get 5 pitches since most of them swing for a good or bad pitch they generally will strike out if they don't watch the ball. they are being pitched to by one of their coaches. Hollywood did so good today. He had a couple warm up pitches then hit them HARD AND FAST every contact. Great Job buddy.

Now for the funny stuff. Hollywood tried out the catching position again today. All geared up and ready to play he went out and did his job. When I checked on him after the inning I asked him how he felt about it. He answered, "I did good but my cup slipped down all the way down my pants leg." I had the think about that for a half a second... being a girl and all. "Um, honey? You are supposed to put the cup INSIDE your underwear." He throws his head back and laughs. "That makes sense!" OHH BOY... the things you learn being the mommy of boys. That and that tadpoles and live indefinitely in the bucket outside your house. We're at 3+ weeks now.