The Boys' Write in Today's paper!

Ballentine runs Warriors to win over Whiting

By HILLARY SMITH
hsmith@nwitimes.com
219.933.3233 | Saturday, October 04, 2008 | No comments posted.

CALUMET TWP. | Darcell Ballentine told his fullback to make a hole just big enough for the 6-foot, 190-pound running back to slip through.

"I told my fullback if he opened up the hole, I'd keep my feet moving," Ballentine said.

His feet, and the football, found the end zone, good enough for a two-point conversion, the difference in Calumet's 14-13 win over Whiting in Greater South Shore Conference play on Friday night.

Ballentine also picked up the Times No. 8 Warriors' other two big offensive plays -- a 43-yard touchdown run and a 36-yard scamper to set up Calumet's second score.

"He's a powerful runner, he's an elusive runner and he wanted the football," Calumet coach Ivan Zimmer said. "You could just tell the determination in his body posture and he's a tremendous runner."

Calumet had lost seven straight in the series and been outscored 292-56 in those losses, but a late turnover helped stop the streak.

Nate Fowler, the Warriors' quarterback who doubles as a linebacker, recovered a Whiting fumble with 1:40 remaining in the game to set up Ballentine's long run to the 1-yard line. Fowler then plunged into the end zone to make the score 13-12.

"After we got that fumble, I knew I had to make a run for it," Ballentine said. "I told my line to step it up and I put my faith in my line."

Whiting's defense held the Warriors (6-1, 5-0) to seven first downs and 143 yards overall, and kept top Calumet threat George Ezell to minus-27 yards rushing.

"Calumet's been noted for big plays," Whiting coach Jeff Cain said. "These guys you're not going to stop, you're going to hopefully contain them. ... I thought our guys did a good job. If you had told me we were going to give up 14 points, I'd have been a happy guy."

Prior to the last 1:40, the Oilers (5-2, 4-2) had dominated the game offensively. With 136 yards from quarterback Dan Macon in the air and another 57 on the ground, Whiting picked up 16 first downs. Alex Leddesma led the Oilers' ground game with 76 yards and a touchdown.

Whiting scored its last touchdown on a 1-yard Leddesma run at 7:23 of the third quarter, but Ezell blocked the extra-point kick.

No. 8 Calumet 14, Whiting 13
Darcell Ballentine plunged into the end zone for the winning two-point conversion with 32 seconds left.

More potty training goodness!

Connor used the potty again this morning! He was laying in bed with us and he said he had to go potty. So Wayne took him in the bathroom, put him on the potty chair and before he could tuck his peepee in, Connor peed a little on the floor. Wayne managed to get him pointed in the right direction(lol) and he went on the potty instead of the floor!! YAY!!! I'm so proud of him. He's definitely doing better than Sophia at this age which is awesome!!!

Woot!! Warriors Win!!

After trailing by 7 with less than a minute left in the game, the Calumet Warriors pulled it out in the end. Final score - 14-13!!! Woohoo! It was an awesome game. What made it even more exciting is that this is the first time they have beat Whiting since 2000!!! I'm soooo happy for the boys!!

Go Warriors!!

Here's an article about Billy's football team helping out the flood victims. The bolded Red parts are about Billy. Dykhuizen is Billy's best friend, Matt.

Calumet players help out without being asked

BY STEVE HANLON
shanlon@nwitimes.com
219.933.4198 | Friday, October 03, 2008 | No comments posted.

Homes, tears and lives were floating down the street in the aftermath of the destructive storms that hammered the Region a few weeks ago. Northern neighborhoods in Munster were under water. Families nervously looked to the sky to see if the sun was ever going to shine again.

Around noon on the post-storm Monday, seven Calumet football players arrived to move sandbags and help in any way they could. This compassionate outreach touched many who saw it.

The players -- Darcell Ballentine, Chuck Carter, Billy Doup, Matt Dykhuizen, George Ezell, Tyler Vanlul and Montrez Wade -- went there on their own. Coach Ivan Zimmer never called them or persuaded them to volunteer.

"Here we have kids who don't have much and they went into an affluent community because those people needed help," Zimmer said. "It almost made the old man cry. I was very happy, pleased and proud of my kids."

For seven hours the Warriors lifted sandbags and put them down, in different areas. Doup was at the staging area, where he said he lifted and moved about 8,000 bags of sand onto payloaders, which were taken to neighborhoods under duress. The bags weighed between 25 and 100 pounds each.

"It was a good workout," Doup joked. "Hey, those people needed help, so what else could we do?"

Zimmer, in his 25th year as a varsity coach, said he preaches "right and wrong" to his players every day. For example, one of his players came into the office to call home for a ride. He said, "Hey, pick me up." Zimmer pointed out that the proper exclamation was, "Please, could you come and pick me up. Thank you."

Being on time is paramount to the program. Zimmer's saying -- "If you're early you're on time. If you're on time then you're late and if you're late, you're fired" -- has been tested this year and he's backed it up. Five players missed the first half of the North Newton game because of tardiness.

"Kids have to know that they're held to a standard," he said.

Last Saturday the Warriors washed cars for a fundraiser for eight hours. This week, with the homecoming game against Whiting coming and the team set to ride on fire trucks in the parade, the players went to the Lake Ridge Fire Department and washed and waxed two trucks.

"It's sort of a higher calling," Zimmer said. "In today's world rules were made to be broken. Look at the music and movies and videos. But we're trying to teach kids that even if you don't get caught you've got to know that you did something wrong. Life is a lot simpler when you do the right things."

That's what drove the Warriors to Munster. Dykhuizen spent most of his day in waist-deep floodwater. Still, he picked up the bags and put them down.

"I just thought it was the right thing to do," Dykhuizen said. "Coach is always trying to teach character and I guess it's working. The people were very thankful. A lady named Karen gave us food and something to drink and was nice enough to give us hugs. That meant a lot."

He did it!!!

Connor went poopy on the potty!!!!

I can't believe it!!! I was in the kitchen making dinner and he was in there "helping" me. I turned and he had that look on his face. You know the one. The "okay I gotta poop really bad" look.

Me: Connor, do you have to poop?
Connor: go poopoo
Me: okay go to the potty.
C: Go potty

He then runs to the potty, is trying to open the door before I get there. I take off his pull up, put him on the toilet and VOILA!!!! Poopy in the potty!! I'm so amazed! Yesterday I put him on the potty after he said he had to go pee. Sure enough he went pee, but he forgot to keep his peepee(happy now aunt kimi?) pointing in the toilet, so he went on the floor. That's okay. At least he was in the bathroom and not on the carpet.

So after I get him off the toilet and wipe him, he runs to get a diaper. He refused to let me put it on him. He had to do it himself!!! Of course then he was getting frustrated because he couldn't get his foot in it. So I had to help him a little bit with his feet getting in the holes.

All this before he's even 2!!!! I plan on really working with him. If I can get him even somewhat trained by Christmas, I will be a happy mom!!! I see batman underwear in my future. No not for me!!

wow. just wow.

Sophia loves her Uncle Don

So I was going through some pictures today and came across 2 pics of Sophia and my brother, Don. The first is from my sister, Kim's wedding 3 yrs ago. The 2nd is from Jen's wedding on Saturday! wow what a difference 3 yrs can make!!!!

That stubborn streak is gonna be the death of me!

The day went pretty well! I'm so proud of myself because I did NOT cry at all! :) I made her breakfast and got her favorite(mcdonalds) for lunch. In the evening we went to my mom's for dinner and a mini party for Sophia. My stepsister and her family was in town from CA so we went and got cupcakes and celebrated Soph's bday with them. :) All in all it was a good day. :)

Today however, started out as a bad day. I got a call about 9:45 from her teacher. Sophia was being stubborn and didn't want to do her worksheet. So Mrs E. put her at a table by herself away from the other kids. So her teacher called for input. Was wondering how I handled things like this at home. I said well, I do what you are doing now and if that doesn't work, I take things away. She said so you're okay with me removing her from the rest of the class. I said, Mrs. E. It is YOUR classroom. You do what you need to in order for her to listen and cooperate. What ever you decide I will support that decision. So she says to me. Well she's a stubborn girl, but I'm sure that's what helped her when she was in the hospital as a baby. :) Great teacher to remember something that was told to her last school year. :)

The funny thing is that I had a friend warn me that this teacher was bitchy and tried to convince me to put Sophia in a different preschool because of the teacher. I said no, she's going there. I have never had any problems with this teacher. She taught the 3yr old class last year for a short time while Mrs Amy was out after surgery. I think she's nice. She didn't have to call me this morning about the situation, but she did and I appreciate it. :)

8 days til my baby boy turns 2. I can't believe it. Where has the time gone. It seems like yesterday I was getting ready to give birth and now he's almost 2 and potty training!! Yep, he's started showing an interest so I ran with it! Today he told me he had to go peepee, took off his diaper and headed for the bathroom. I helped him on the toilet, went to answer the phone and I hear Sophia yelling that Connor went pee on the floor!! LOL Sure enough. He had gone on the floor but he was still sitting on the toilet. He just forgot to hold his penis down. But hey, he went in the bathroom and not in his diaper!! :) It's a step in the right direction. How cool would it be if he was PT by Christmas!!!

Okay, I'm gonna take my stuffy/runny nose and go read for a bit. I'll post more about Connor tomorrow. i hope.