Daytona Beach

Just when you thought the blog was dead forever, we took a Spring Break trip to Florida.  Since we took over 400 photos, I thought I'd better do some blog posts.  Today, part 1 of our trip, Monday in Daytona Beach:

Our first stop was Daytona International Speedway (why is it called "International"?) for the All Access Tour.  We rode in a tram around the track and infield.

 

We got to climb the track at the finish line.  It was quite steep, and this isn't even the steepest banking on the track (which is on the turns).

 

 The flag stand:

 

 These next two give a better idea of the degree of banking at the finish line:

 (No, you don't know these people.  It's just a better shot of the slope.)

 

This gives an idea of the banking on the turns.  The driver took us just a tiny bit up onto the track at a lower slope.  He said you have to be going 95 mph to stay up on the top of the track at the steepest parts.

They had an official photographer taking pictures for purchase in victory lane, but he would also take one with your own camera.

 

 We got to see the garage stalls, which currently were housing Richard Petty Driving Experience cars.

Next we got to go up into the press box (7 stories up).

 

Looking down on victory lane:



 

Turn 3, Lake Lloyd, infield camping:

The last stop was where they keep this year's Daytona 500 winning car, taken straight out of victory lane.  It was covered in confetti, Gatorade, and who knows what else.

 

After lunch at Chick-Fil-A, we headed to the beach!

In Daytona, cars drive and park right on the beach. 

There weren't any bathrooms or changing areas readily apparent, so I did not change into my swimsuit, which turned out just fine, because the water was cold!

The menfolk, however, managed to change discreetly in the van and quickly headed out into the water.

They all enjoyed jumping the waves:

 

 Jeremiah looks like he's conducting an orchestra:

Jeremiah stayed fairly close to Daddy, but he was bravely jumping waves just like the big boys.

There were some decent-sized waves.

 

After probably an hour in the ocean, they all moved out to the sand to dig holes and build things.

 

After a couple hours, we were ready to load up the van and head out on the next leg of our adventure...

 

 



Golden Strip Baseball Tournament

 After the regular baseball season ended, the leagues from three local cities participated in a tournament.  Each age group had different tournament levels so that all the teams within each tournament level were fairly evenly matched.  Joseph's team was in the platinum tournament for 4th and 5th grade, and Joshua's team was in the silver tournament for 2nd and 3rd grade.  The tournament was double elimination and took place over the course of two weeks.  Joseph's team was undefeated the first week, played and won one game the second week, and thereby got into the championship game on Friday night.

(Unrelated, but related:  We had had plans since March to go camping with our community group on the weekend of the championship game--long before we knew it was the weekend of the championship game).

Meanwhile, Joshua's team lost the second game they played, dropping them to the losers' bracket.  This meant they had to play consecutive nights the second week as long as they kept winning.  Lo and behold, they won Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and Thursday night.  Now they were also in their championship game on Friday night.

Now, in terms of our camping trip, we had already given up on Friday night camping earlier in the week.  BUT, if Joseph's team won Friday night AND if Joshua's team lost Friday night (not that we were hoping for that, but we really were surprised they had made it this far), baseball would be over for us and we would head to the campground Saturday morning.

However.

God has been teaching me to hold my plans loosely.

Friday night, Joshua's team played first.  And in the last inning, they came from behind and won.  This meant it was the other team's first loss, and the two teams had to replay each other Saturday morning at 9:30 to determine the actual champions.

And then.

Joseph's team lost when their opponents came from behind in the last inning and won.  This meant it was Joseph's team's first loss, and the two teams had to replay each other Saturday morning at 11:00 to determine the actual champions.

(Where are the pictures? you are asking.  I didn't take any during the games.  They were too intense.  The pictures are coming.  Just hold on.)

Saturday morning Joshua's team played for the 5th day in a row, and they beat the other team soundly.  The tournament had a seven-runs-per-inning rule, and Joshua's team got so far ahead that the other team could not catch up.  The game ended in the middle of an inning.  Very few people had kept track of the exact score and the exact situation, so it took a minute for it to register that we had won and were, in fact the CHAMPIONS!

 (What is Tony looking at?)

(Better.)

 Lining up for their 1st place medals

 Getting his medal from Coach Dad

 INDIANS! one last time

Ready to watch his brother's game

Now it was time for Joseph's game.  Our starting pitcher had pitched the night before, so he couldn't pitch.  Our 2nd pitcher, who is also our 1st catcher, was playing an early game on a travelling team and wasn't there for the start of the game.  Our 3rd pitcher and 2nd catcher had a hard time getting in sync with each other.  After the top of the first inning (27 minutes long), we were down 7-0.  By now, the 2nd pitcher/1st catcher had arrived.  Our 4th pitcher and he got into a good rhythm in the second inning.  Fast forward to the bottom of the last inning.  We were down 10-3.  If you're doing the math, you know we have to score the maximum 7 runs we're allowed in order to tie things up.  And that's just what we did.  In the extra inning, the other team scored two runs.  (Or maybe it was one.  I think it was two.  Joseph and Tony aren't home right now to check with.)  Then, some guys got on base and some things happened (it's a blur by now).  Then Joseph drove in the tying run.  Then the batter two after Joseph drove in Joseph, and we WON the game.  CHAMPIONS!

 Getting his medal from Coach DeVaney

 Champion brothers (and their little brother running the bases in the background)

Yes, Tony changed shirts and hats between games to reflect the proper coaching allegiance.

If you're wondering about the camping trip at this point, congratulations on actually making it through all my storytelling.  It was 1:00 by the time Joseph's game finished.  We grabbed lunch at home and headed to the campground, where we enjoyed boating, wading, eating dinner, playing corn hole, sitting around the campfire, and eating S'mores with our friends.  Then we drove home and slept (well) in our own beds!

Hot Wheels Painting

Critter Keeper Party

Joshua turned 8 on Saturday and celebrated with a Critter Keeper birthday party!

He decorated his own cake with licorice strips and Skittles.

(Any pictures where the color is a little funny came directly from my phone and were not edited.)

The Critter Keeper brought more than a dozen snakes, lizards, and bugs.  He came a little early and started right away for the birthday boy and any early arrivers.  He had Joshua get right in this lizard's face in an attempt to get it to put its frill up.  Apparently Joshua wasn't scary enough, because the lizard didn't comply. 

(I realize now that I should have taken notes on the various creatures, because none of us can remember what some of them were, including this guy.)

 Charlotte, Indonesian blue-tongued skink.

 Mr. Beasley, bearded dragon:

The Critter Keeper had stopped at a reptile show earlier in the day and bought fresh butter worms, so Joshua got to feed one to Mr. Beasley.

It was interesting to watch the kids' reactions to the various animals.  Apparently the lizards were the least threatening, because notice how close up the kids are sitting.

(I don't know if Jeremiah is asking or answering a question.)

Once the bugs came out, the kids scooted back to the edge of the couch.

Madagascar hissing cockroaches:

I think this might be the vinegaroon:

(I love the look you can see on Joshua's face despite being out-of-focus.)

I'm not sure what he has in his hand here, but notice that the kids have climbed up on the couch to get away from it. : )

As the birthday boy, Joshua got the first opportunity to hold pretty much anything that could be held.  The emperor scorpion was the one thing for which he was not interested in being first.  The Critter Keeper wisely chose Joseph, the oldest kid at the party, to break the ice.  After that, almost everyone (but not Jeremiah) held it and was rewarded with an "I held a scorpion" sticker.

There were quite a few magic tricks as part of the presentation.  Joshua reached into this bag and pulled out a rubber snake, then reached in again and pulled out Leche, a (live) Pueblan milk snake.  Joseph was amused at the snake's name.  No one else got it.

Gladys, crested gecko

I don't remember what kind of snakes these were, but there were two and the guests who wanted to got to wear them.

Joseph was the only one who got to hold both at the same time.

Check out the expressions on the Critter Keeper's face in the next three pictures, and you'll get an idea of how good at his job he is:

Everyone except Jeremiah held the ball python.  Since it just stayed curled in a ball, it wasn't quite as scary.

While Jeremiah did touch several of the creatures, Julius Squeezer, the albino Burmese python, was the only one he "held."  (If you count holding the tail as holding.)

The final creature encounter was everyone getting his picture taken with Julius.  I printed the pictures and mailed them in the thank you notes.  (The woman in pink is the mom of one of the kids.)

Oh--Joshua did open some presents, too.  : )