Long time no see! But we are almost back in business for bowling. We haven't been bowling in over 4 months!!! It's insane to think that this is a true fact. But allow me to give you a quick run down on the last 4 months...
I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on April 4th. We bowled shortly before this and I had terrible scores, but Jared rolled over 200 one game. Ever since baby P has come into our lives, we've been incredibly busy. I was on maternity leave for 8 weeks, then started back to work. Thanks to my awesome boss, Fr. Mark, I was able to bring P with me so I could continue nursing her as long as possible.
Just this week, P started "preschool" (also known as "daycare" when you're only 4 months old). So, Jared and I have time again to go bowling without trying to work in a nap for P or nursing her between frames! So keep your eyes peeled for some scores soon!
We'll probably make our way back to the lanes next week!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
I was a Psych Major
Did I ever mention that I was a Psychology major in college? Well, I was. And I find human behavior fascinating. In particular, I find it fascinating to try to observe where everyone's little neuroses rear their heads. I believe that we all have them, some of us just hide them better than others.
So, one of the interesting things I've noticed about bowling alleys is that they are like a breeding ground for neuroses! Bowling is an activity that many people can enjoy for many reasons. For some folks it is truly about the sport: the excitement of rolling a relatively small object down a long lane and knocking down 10 pins is thrilling! For others, though, it is about the comfort of routine and repetition. This is where this guy comes in...
Yes, he is stretching out before he begins his (at least) weekly games. Nearly every Friday that Jared and I have been to the lanes, this guy is also there. If I were the diagnosing-without-proper-information-kind, I would guess that he has a fairly severe case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Although I have no idea if it transfers over to his everyday life, I know that it is fierce at the lanes. He wears the same exact outfit every week. He bowls on the same side of the alley every week, within a few lanes of where he was the previous week. He bowls at the same time every Friday afternoon. And his approach is exactly the same every roll.
The very first time that Jared and I encountered him at the lanes, I also thought that maybe he had some kind of social disorder, but now I don't. He was very odd and awkward. Now, though, I have seen him interact with plenty of folks, including us, and do not believe that he has any other personality disorders. But he's still pretty interesting to observe.
The guy behind him in the picture (the one in the red shirt) is also a strange bird. I think he may actually have some kind of developmental delay or disorder. He's also fairly socially awkward. He bowls every Friday afternoon, too, with the same friend (not pictured). When we first noticed red-shirt-guy, the most interesting thing about him was that he was a fairly good bowler who often changed his own scores. He probably averaged about 160 or so; but whenever he didn't get a mark (a strike or a spare), he would walk over to the computer keyboard and change his score to a mark. It was very strange, almost as though he couldn't handle the truth about his own bowling abilities.
Anyway, recently he hasn't been changing his scores. He's just improved with his bowling. It's refreshing to see growth at the lanes!
All this is to say, though, that consistency is key to being a good bowler. I've mentioned this before, in particular about inconsistency being the worst thing you can bring to a game. But it's almost as though those who tend toward OCD or other disorders where routine and order are favored will be better bowlers than those who do not have these tendencies.
Make no mistake, this is not about control in the sense that everything is rigid and unchanged; but it's about consistency. The fluid movements of someone's approach are consistent, not controlled.
Keeping your body aligned, your eyes focused, your approach the same, your follow through precise is exactly what wins games. When Jared and I are bowling and we aren't being consistent, we often watch each others' form to see where we are off a little.
It's not a very scientifically based argument I'm making, but I would be curious to see if there are any studies out there on bowling being good therapy for some psychological disorders.
Anyway, I hope that someone out there finds this as interesting as I do!
So, one of the interesting things I've noticed about bowling alleys is that they are like a breeding ground for neuroses! Bowling is an activity that many people can enjoy for many reasons. For some folks it is truly about the sport: the excitement of rolling a relatively small object down a long lane and knocking down 10 pins is thrilling! For others, though, it is about the comfort of routine and repetition. This is where this guy comes in...
Yes, he is stretching out before he begins his (at least) weekly games. Nearly every Friday that Jared and I have been to the lanes, this guy is also there. If I were the diagnosing-without-proper-information-kind, I would guess that he has a fairly severe case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Although I have no idea if it transfers over to his everyday life, I know that it is fierce at the lanes. He wears the same exact outfit every week. He bowls on the same side of the alley every week, within a few lanes of where he was the previous week. He bowls at the same time every Friday afternoon. And his approach is exactly the same every roll.
The very first time that Jared and I encountered him at the lanes, I also thought that maybe he had some kind of social disorder, but now I don't. He was very odd and awkward. Now, though, I have seen him interact with plenty of folks, including us, and do not believe that he has any other personality disorders. But he's still pretty interesting to observe.
The guy behind him in the picture (the one in the red shirt) is also a strange bird. I think he may actually have some kind of developmental delay or disorder. He's also fairly socially awkward. He bowls every Friday afternoon, too, with the same friend (not pictured). When we first noticed red-shirt-guy, the most interesting thing about him was that he was a fairly good bowler who often changed his own scores. He probably averaged about 160 or so; but whenever he didn't get a mark (a strike or a spare), he would walk over to the computer keyboard and change his score to a mark. It was very strange, almost as though he couldn't handle the truth about his own bowling abilities.
Anyway, recently he hasn't been changing his scores. He's just improved with his bowling. It's refreshing to see growth at the lanes!
All this is to say, though, that consistency is key to being a good bowler. I've mentioned this before, in particular about inconsistency being the worst thing you can bring to a game. But it's almost as though those who tend toward OCD or other disorders where routine and order are favored will be better bowlers than those who do not have these tendencies.
Make no mistake, this is not about control in the sense that everything is rigid and unchanged; but it's about consistency. The fluid movements of someone's approach are consistent, not controlled.
Keeping your body aligned, your eyes focused, your approach the same, your follow through precise is exactly what wins games. When Jared and I are bowling and we aren't being consistent, we often watch each others' form to see where we are off a little.
It's not a very scientifically based argument I'm making, but I would be curious to see if there are any studies out there on bowling being good therapy for some psychological disorders.
Anyway, I hope that someone out there finds this as interesting as I do!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
I was right!
Well, it turns out that I was correct in assuming that our last trip to the lanes would be our last trip for a while...
We were blessed to give birth to a precious daughter on April 4th!
She's waking up from a nap now, so this will be short and sweet.
She's amazing and incredible and perfect. We love her more than we ever knew we could. And I am sure that we will continue to discover new and different ways that we love her in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.
We are so grateful to all of our family and friends for all the prayers, love, and support you've given us and our "Spare." Please continue to pray for us as we transition from being a family of two to a family of three (plus our fur babies, of course!).
Not sure how often I'll get to blog, but hopefully we'll be back at the lanes soon!
We were blessed to give birth to a precious daughter on April 4th!
She's waking up from a nap now, so this will be short and sweet.
She's amazing and incredible and perfect. We love her more than we ever knew we could. And I am sure that we will continue to discover new and different ways that we love her in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.
We are so grateful to all of our family and friends for all the prayers, love, and support you've given us and our "Spare." Please continue to pray for us as we transition from being a family of two to a family of three (plus our fur babies, of course!).
Not sure how often I'll get to blog, but hopefully we'll be back at the lanes soon!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Our Last Roll...
... for a while, at least!
We went bowling on March 23rd, and I have a feeling that will be our last trip to the lanes for a little while.
Jared had another great day bowling. I had an alright day bowling.
Here are our scores!
We went bowling on March 23rd, and I have a feeling that will be our last trip to the lanes for a little while.
Jared had another great day bowling. I had an alright day bowling.
Here are our scores!
Game 1
Game 2
During Game 3, Jared rolled 4 strikes in a row!
And that resulted in another 200 club moment!
Game 3
Game 4
So, at least I won the first game. I have been winning only 1 out of 4 lately, but that's okay, because I am very pregnant at this point. My fingers don't fit inside my own bowling balls anymore, so I am rolling house balls. Not to mention, my center of gravity changes almost daily. That, and I have my very own 7-8 pound bowling ball in my belly that I carry around all the time.
Hopefully the next time I post scores it will be of our first family trip to the lanes with our little Spare!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Let's make like a baby...
... and head out!
No, we aren't having our baby right now. But the baby is definitely getting ready to head out, literally. The past couple of weeks I have been feeling "lightening." Within the pregnancy/birthing community this basically means that the baby is descending into the pelvis; and as s/he does so, there are many sensations that are reminiscent of "lightening," like little shocks throughout your pelvis. It's only been straight up uncomfortable once or twice, but the rest of the time it kind of feels like pressure, especially on my bladder!
So, anyway, I would like to clarify something about the photos below. Last week (week 37), I discovered just how strong my stomach muscles are. I knew I had been experiencing some lightening and I could feel my belly getting lower, but I couldn't actually see the difference in pictures. So, I made the conscious decision today (week 38) to relax my stomach muscles- hence there's a very noticeable difference in the height of my belly from last week to this week. In order to walk around and carry this baby without killing my back, I unconsciously flex my core muscles (even though they are crazy stretched out); as a result, I don't appear to be carrying as low as I am in reality.
Anyway, enjoy the photos!
No, we aren't having our baby right now. But the baby is definitely getting ready to head out, literally. The past couple of weeks I have been feeling "lightening." Within the pregnancy/birthing community this basically means that the baby is descending into the pelvis; and as s/he does so, there are many sensations that are reminiscent of "lightening," like little shocks throughout your pelvis. It's only been straight up uncomfortable once or twice, but the rest of the time it kind of feels like pressure, especially on my bladder!
So, anyway, I would like to clarify something about the photos below. Last week (week 37), I discovered just how strong my stomach muscles are. I knew I had been experiencing some lightening and I could feel my belly getting lower, but I couldn't actually see the difference in pictures. So, I made the conscious decision today (week 38) to relax my stomach muscles- hence there's a very noticeable difference in the height of my belly from last week to this week. In order to walk around and carry this baby without killing my back, I unconsciously flex my core muscles (even though they are crazy stretched out); as a result, I don't appear to be carrying as low as I am in reality.
Anyway, enjoy the photos!
Week 37
Week 38
Monday, March 19, 2012
St. Paddy's Day Boil
Some of our friends hosted a St. Patrick's Day crawfish boil on Saturday!
It was so much fun to see folks we hadn't seen in a while, plus the crawfish were delicious, as was the sausage, corn, and potatoes!
Here are a few photos of our delicious fare.
It was so much fun to see folks we hadn't seen in a while, plus the crawfish were delicious, as was the sausage, corn, and potatoes!
Here are a few photos of our delicious fare.
The boys stirring up the crawfish
Buster, Guardian of the Crawfish Boil
The spread
This was my first crawfish boil of the season! And, unfortunately, it may be my last. Every April, my church hosts a crawfish boil as a large fellowship event; but this year, I will be on maternity leave. Plus, the boil is only about a week or two after our due date, so I don't think that I will be up for it, even though maternity leave does not mean that I can't show up. I just know I won't feel like going.
Anyway, I am so glad that I got to have some. And because there is so much sodium in crawfish boil (the actual boil, not the crawfish), I didn't have a whole lot. But what I had was delicious!
Thanks, Michael & Laurie!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Bowling with the Hubs
This past Friday, we went bowling! Although neither of us really wants to admit it, we are nearing the end of our time bowling, at least for a little while. And any of these trips to the lanes could be our last one until after the baby comes. So, we are trying to take full advantage.
We both did relatively well on Friday. It was a day where we both got turkeys!!! It was exciting!
Here are some photos to show how our potential last day of bowling went...
We both did relatively well on Friday. It was a day where we both got turkeys!!! It was exciting!
Here are some photos to show how our potential last day of bowling went...
Game 1
Game 2
During Game 2, I got my turkey! Jared was able to capture the moments following!
Game 3
Game 3 was the game where Jared got his turkey! And he was very, very proud...
This was the strike that landed him the turkey.
Strutting his stuff
A little more stuff strutting
The final strutting of stuff
And the fun graphic of Jared's turkey
At some point during Game 3, this sweet little girl came over to us and smiled at me and pointed at my belly. After a fun little exchange that involved the words "baby," "big," and "belly," her dad came over and apologized for the distraction. She was super cute and sweet! Based on the photo of our scores, I think it happened right after the 4th frame!
Game 4
Overall, it was a great day bowling! We ended up spending the rest of the evening with our good friends Chris and Amy! They came over to our new house for the first time and ended up staying and talking about all the fun of living in SE Louisiana!
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