Well, we've been back for about five days now and life is slowly getting back to some semblance of 'normal.' I can hardly believe that the last time I blogged was over a month ago! No wonder I rarely get any hits...you all are passing me over to get to bigger, better, or more-frequently-posted-to blogs. I don't blame you in the least. :-)
We spent our time in New York, Cooperstown for the most part, though we did briefly stay in my hometown of New Paltz before heading back to Ohio. We were brought to Cooperstown because John's team played in the Week 4 tournament at the Cooperstown Dreams Park. Their first game, a loss, was a tough one against the team that wound up winning the whole tournament, the Texas Rattlers. They played a few other decent teams, winding up with 5 wins and 4 losses for the time they were there, and making it to the final 36 teams (out of 104). Here are a few photos of our family at CDP that one of the moms took:
Our little Cate at the Opening Day Ceremony. We all wore these brightly colored team shirts, which was a fantastic idea. I was able to keep tabs on my crew in the crowded stadium and the extended Flames Family were able to locate one another quite easily.
Yes, Cate's hat clashes with her shirt, but she didn't care. She was more interested in pin-trading than looking good. She's still pretty cute, though, isn't she? :-)

Matt agreed to smile for the camera, but AJ was less willing. We had FANTASTIC temperatures while we are Cooperstown...mild in the 70s or low 80s. We did have rain...it seemed like every day we were there. However, I only remember having a delay for one game when we were actually already at the fields.
AJ was cold and tired after the final game at CDP. Matt Daddy bunched him up in his jacket to keep him warm and corralled while we waited for the boys' coach to finish talking to them. They played a great game, losing 11-10 to a team from California. Had they won, they would've been subjected to a lengthy rain delay the next day, the final day of the tournament.
When I went to pick up John that final morning, it was pouring down rain with no hint of stopping anytime soon. Since Matt had flown home to Ohio to oversee another tournament, we decided to clean up the rental home, pack our things, and drive south to New Paltz.
Our rental home was wonderful. We stayed close to CDP at Fawn's Lair, a lovely 4 bedroom home set on 12 acres. I highly recommend this rental. Not only was the home accommodating for our large family plus Matt's parents (sleeps nine plus an "infant in crib"), but also it was clean and comfortable and the hosts are welcoming and friendly.
Since they are a young family with children who reside there on the
premises, our children had built-in playmates and guides to the flora
and fauna of the woods. They enjoyed catching salamanders and snakes
in their off times!
Here is AJ looking into a bucket of salamanders the kids had collected. I think there were probably about 15 of them crawling all over one another. He was fascinated and was squealing in delight at the wriggling little things.
Before heading to New Paltz, the in-laws, kids, and I hit the last stop on the Cooperstown Beverage Trail: Fly Creek Cider Mill. On a much nicer day earlier in our trip, I had visited the other three locations on the trail with my in-laws.
Fly Creek was saved for last since it was supposed to be a fun place for the kids to visit. It probably would've been more fun had it not been raining. Still, we went, tested food and drinks, and received our free Cooperstown Beverage Trail glasses. The kids amused themselves briefly by feeding the ducks in the rain.
Our drive south through the Catskill Mountains was pretty, interspersed with thunderstorms. As we got closer to my mom's home, it was fun reliving the memories with my kids. They were excited to see Skytop Tower after we drove over Mohonk, since I have several photos of the place hanging in the den and it was a familiar site. They had forgotten how close to the Shawangunks their grandmother lives. On the 4th of July my mom threw a big family party and many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins came for feasting and fun. It was great to see everyone again and for my kids to meet my extended family.
The day after the 4th of July was nice and clear, so we took a drive over the ridge to catch a glimpse of the Catskills (in the distance) that we had driven through days before. John commented that we should live in New York. I think he liked the mountains. I briefly entertained the idea of taking the kids to MInnewaska State Park to hike a little and see Lake Minnewaska and Awosting Falls. However, it was a holiday weekend and the park was incredibly crowded. Instead, I entertained them with stories from my childhood in the 70s of catching brief glimpses of skinny-dippers through the trees and going skiing at Ski-Minne with my brother.

We left New Paltz on the 6th and headed home through southern NY. We stayed the night in Erie, PA and spent a few moments watching the sunset over Lake Erie at Presque Isle State Park. The kids enjoyed finding a few shells and skipping rocks into the lake. It was one brief moment that made Lizzy remark "Now THIS is what I call va-cay!" To bad we couldn't have spent more time relaxing, though I think everyone was eager to get back home to their own beds and their own routines.
My mom rode along to Ohio with us since Matt had previously flown home. I sure was glad to have another adult present to help wrangle the kids. Not that doing it on my own would've been impossible, just more of a challenge. :-)
She has been staying with us this week and I fear she is coming down with the cold I was hit with upon coming home. She will be flying back home later this week and I'm sure all the kids will miss having her around.
We're winding up baseball and softball season with a couple of more tournaments. John was asked to play with another team for the end of the season as an extra player. He is playing in a local tournament this weekend with that team and then will travel to Toledo, OH for the 12U CABA World Series. Lizzy's team qualified for USSSA 10U Fastpitch World Series in Branson, MO and will be travelling there in a week. She's very excited to be travelling with her team.
And then we move on to football and soccer...sighhhh.