Glory Days

Get your Gregor Mendel hat on.  This one is going to take the long road home.

For those who wish to mock the unathletic side of the Holman family (and there's plenty of well-deserved mockery), I remind you that the other half was a scholarship athlete in college. 

Genetically, there's still a chance.

If you look at the kids, you can see that Erica's 23 chromosones totally dominate my weak, underachieving, largely blase set of 23 chromosones.

With the exception of Joey, the obvious signs of Erica are everywhere.  Blond hair.  Blue eyes.  Cute kids with positive outlooks.

Me, not so much.  I'm everything doughy.  Even at the nano-celluar level, I am the Peter Griffin of genetics.

A cartoon characterization of my genes.

If there's ever going to be an athlete in our wolfpack, it will come from Erica's genetic code.

We recently learned that Erica's alma mater, St. Mary of the Woods College, was playing in the USCAA national softball tournament in Akron, Ohio.

Feeling at though I was in the company of greatness, we decided to show our support for the Pomeroys.  After all, Erica was an OF with SMWC for 3 years while in college and a scholarship athlete.  If you didn't know that, all you need to do is play catch with the woman.  She doesn't know a gear less than full speed and she throws at you like she's trying to throw through you. 

It can be brutal.

I knew she was the one for me when we used to have dates at the batting cages, though.  There's nothing sexier than trying to outhit each other in the cage.  You can make that into a double entendre if you like.  I didn't mean it as one, but I can see where it could be.

Anyway, back to the game.

The Pomeroys finished as the national runner-up after losing two games to the eventual champion, Rochester College.  Bummer for them.  Still a good time for us and a special moment with the kids who got to see their mom as more than a domestic do-it-all hero for a change.

Yes, kids.  She was pretty awesome then too! 

The alumni section was sufficiently manned by the Holman clan.

Little Erica and Will the Thrill appreciate the irony of Dad's Hartford Whaler cap.

The Pomeroy bench through the lense of a former OF icon.

My favorite softball oddity of the day. 
The SMWC hurler sported a scary looking facemask while delivering a pitch to Penn State.
Thought she might have been the killer from the Saw movies.

The Crooked River Walkers

Yes, folks.  We are back behind the desk here in Poogieville.

I'm happy to report that the travel schedule that kept yours truly from my obligation to assist our blogwriting duties is over -- for the time being.

That was DC, Cincy, Philly, Baltimore (twice), Chicago and Hartford in four weeks time in case you were scoring at home.

Some of it was fun, some of it was scary (see: landing in Cleveland during high wind warning).  All of it kept me from being home.

Therefore, keeping it in perspective, I'm glad to be back.

Plenty has happened in that span of time.  Seriously.  My beloved Indians have won 13 consecutive home games and reside in first place.  The Browns haven't lost a game since January 2nd.

Yeah, I know the Browns haven't played a game since January 2nd.

Things are good.

Getting back home during spring is usually a much-enjoyed time for the Poogsters.  The sun is out.  The leaves and flowers are out.  We catch a few nice weekend days.  We hike.  We bike.  We get outside.

This spring has been tough, though.

In a few words, this spring has sucked. 

On the rare occasion that I have been home and the weather reasonably accommodating, we have made the trip out to our favorite Cuyahoga Valley National Park haunts.  We managed a few pictures a couple of weeks ago for your viewing pleasure.   

Will the Sheikh.

On the trail with a happy five month old.

What bears dream about when hungry.

Any other year, you wouldn't get a shot like this on the Towpath in late April without being run over.

The aspirational profile shot.  Eat your heart out Derkacy.

The kid slobbers and drools like a happy, leaky faucet.

Caroline thinks the Cuyahoga is too curvy.  Stupid crooked river!

The only trail competition for the crew was a turd-happy bunch of Canadian geese.

We got 'em.

Will Goes Jiggy for Mother's Day

Erica: "You know you haven't blogged in awhile?"

How rude of me.  Here's Reason #3,457,201 to keep me from the keyboard.

Will? Irish? No. from Rob Holman on Vimeo.

There's more to come, Poogie fans.  Hang in there.

The Jimmy Leg

Will has an overactive right leg.  He's either communicating in jimmy-leg Morse code like Joe Bonham or he's just happy to see us.

I'd prefer to think he's just happy to see us.

Cue the Metallica. 

Time to Play Catch-Up by Jumping Around the Camera

Amazing what you find when you get fifteen minutes and finally unload your digital camera.  We had a trip to Terre Haute and Bloomington for the Mayor's birthday, another visit to the Kendall Hills sledding spot (but I refuse to post pictures of snow in April), a gymnastics outing with the kids, intense potty training sessions, and Josephine's third birthday -- all hidden on the digital camera.

I'm pushing overtime so here it goes.

Joey's throne.

A little Mario DS.  A little turd dropping.

The following video is the answer to the trivia question we posted on Twitter.  Joey had her big birthday bash and was unable to make it through a rendition of Happy Birthday without crying.  I think when that happens that it means six more years of some kind of social anxiety disorder.   

Caroline and her cousin Sydney at our favorite Terre Haute pizza parlor.

Will meets Buddy.  Quickly impresses Buddy with his sleeping ability.

Caroline takes the helm of a farm implement.  No word on whether corn is officially stupid.

A Rapunzel-themed birthday cake for Lil' Joe.

As close as Joey would get to her cake before the singing started.

Campbell makes the neighbor boy (Will) drool.

Proof of drool.  The pediatrician can check the box on Will's healthy salivary glands.

The Hankster discovers the joy of being raised by a teacher.