My oh my! Almost a full year since my last blog post. How can that be! Mea culpa! So much has happened over the course of the past year. It'll take quite a bit of writing to capture it all here and now. So, I give you 2011, bit by bit. Let's start with Nicholas...
Our youngest spent most of the year in the world of sports. He started the year playing the end of the AAU basketball season. With several of his KN All-Star teammates, the Lil Braves played in many tournaments. With each passing one, they honed their skills and started to gel as a team. Though no championship trophy came their way, they had a great time playing together.
Then it was baseball season! The season that Nick waits anxiously for each year. His favorite! He participated in the annual Baseball Academy and also took pitching and hitting lessons. This year, he moved up to Majors and was selected as the first player in the draft. He played for Coach Jeff Daniels on Sullivan Rowell with some stellar athletes. Although the team started slow (0-4), they came back strong after Spring Break. From cellar dweller to top 2 at one point. They ended the season in 3rd place. During the InterCity tournament with KA, SR was the last KN team to fall out of the winner's bracket. Just one win short of the championship game, SR took 3rd.
Post-season saw Nick on the 11 year old All-Star team (Coach Jeremy Grillo), with 10 returning from the previous year's 2nd place State team). The boys took 3rd place at the Pasco Memorial Day tourney. Sadly, that was the only trophy for this year's team. That being said, Nick had a great personal post-season. Highlights included being the winning pitcher vs. cross-town rival, KA, and pitching a complete game while doing it. He closed out post-season with a batting average over 400 and hit over 600 at the State tournament.
Football season kicked in as Nick moved up to the Rams "B" squad (coached by Mat). Two weeks before the first game, our starting QB decided to quit the team. In doing so, a big whole was left to fill. Nick took on the challenge...and a challenge it was. Although the Rams started out strong with a first game win, it was to be the only win they'd see. Nick got battered quite a bit at QB (where was our offensive line?), with the biggest one coming in the final minutes of our final game. With his elbow swollen to almost twice its normal size, I rushed him from the field to the ER fearful of a dislocated elbow. Luckily, it was only a bad sprain and a swollen bursa sac.
Basketball (again)... The Braves started their new season looking stronger than the previous one. Two changes to the lineup (Kyle Starcher and Chase Grillo). And although they didn't bring home a championship yet, they could see one if they continue developing.
School: Nick finished up his final year in KOG, as well as his final year of elementary school. Like last year, the KOG sent a team to the Regional "Math is Cool" competition. The team came away with a second place finish, qualifying for "Math is Cool" Masters. Nick also came in 4th in the individual category. At Masters, Nick's team came in 4th. Not bad. Not bad at all. In September, Nick headed over to Desert Hills Middle School...the same school that Samantha left in June. He has flourished in his new school, liking the change of teachers with each change of subjects. He now plays trumpet in band (decided not to continue with the cello) and is getting rather good. Enough so that the band teacher asked him to join the 6th grade band (students who just start an instrument don't usually get an invite). He currently has all A's and is more focused than ever.
Misc: Aside for school and sports, Nick is still an avid gamer. He loves playing all sorts of video games. On his Nintendo DS. On the computer. On the Wii. And for Christmas, he received a new Nintendo 3DS. Of course, he couldn't have been more thrilled! He continues to read, both for school and enjoyment. When he finds a series he loves, you'll see it in his hands till it's done. So keep those great ideas coming!
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