Santa Zach

4 Years Of Santa Visits

O Come All Ye Faithful

Zach recently had a starring role in his school Christmas show.

See if you can guess what part he played.

Ready For Christmas

Mommy and Daddy, with a little help from Zach (who was sick with strep throat and the flu) got the house ready for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving.

This year we have two Christmas trees, along with an assortment of inflatables from Spongebob to Surfer Santa in front of the house and twinkling snowflake lights on the patio.

Zach says the house "looks beautiful." We agree.

Check it out.

Dear Santa . . .

Zach mailed out his very first letter to Santa on Monday morning.

Clown Face-Down

Zach faced down the "meanie clown" at our local fair recently.

The Art of Being Zach

We have been hosting an ongoing gallery exhibit featuring the the works of artist-in-the-making and preschooler Zachary Lee Batten. Guests at the opening night reception last Friday included Mommy and Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa Batten and neighbors Paul and Sandy.

Family and friends are strongly encouraged to attend. Admission is free:)

Very First School Photo

Officer Zach

Here are more images of Zach from Halloween, courtesy of our good friend and photographer extraordinaire Annette.

More Halloween Fun

Lil' Lawman

Mommy and Zach went to the store in search of an Incredible Hulk costume, but he quickly changed his mind as soon as he saw this one.

Name That Tune

Zach learned this song in school.

We have no idea what he's saying, and apparently neither does he.'

Sounds like Frere Jacques, but without the French.

Star Wars Theater

Video: Zach The Playmaker

Zach's the little guy in red running the ball:

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Aqua Man

Zach recently completed his last swim lesson.

He did swimmingly in every category.

The teacher gave each student a nickname, which was written on their report cards.

The nickname that was written on Zach's report card: Zach Attack.

No kidding.

Check out this video of Zach swimming after jumping off the diving board:

Second Family

Ever since he was a year-old, Zach has been under the near daily care of a wonderful woman named Yanira and her family. What was supposed to be a temporary arrangement after Zach's day care unexpectedly closed, has turned into what will surely be an everlasting bond between both of our families.

Zach was immediately welcomed into their home and was treated like a member of their family, even going as far as including him in their family photos. Family members back in Cuba know all about Zach and regularly inquire about him.

Under their care, he learned Spanish, and according to them, speaks the language as well as any boy his age in Cuba. He also developed a hearty appetitite for Cuban food, preferring Yanira's beans and rice to pretty much anything Mommy cooks.

With Zach starting preschool in August it's been a huge adjustment for him. No longer is he doted upon and adored by his second mommy, Yanira. He's a small fish in a big pond with other kids competing for the attention of the teacher.

We recently had a party at our house to thank Yanira and her husband Joe (Poppy) and their kids Kiki and Heather, who Zach loves like a brother and sister, for all that they have done for Zach. We all had a great time.

Brent and I are hopeful that they will continue to be in Zach and our lives for a long time to come.

Labor Day Weekend Fun!

Labor Day weekend was full of big fun.

We went to the beach, where Zach picked up a coupla bathing beauties and built sandcastles with Daddy, while Mommy caught some rays and splashed around in the surf.

First Day Of Preschool

Here's Brent's column on Zach's first day of Pre-K today:

By BRENT BATTEN

The sun shone brightly on Grace Community School on Monday morning as students arrived for the first day of the new school year.

Birds chirped a song of optimism, warbling the possibilities and promise that lie ahead.

Then Zachary showed up.

I’m not a big believer in omens and such, but one could hardly ignore the symbolism of the moment when my boy, with boundless energy and mischief to match, began his public school experience Monday, his first day of voluntary pre-kindergarten.

No sooner had he taken his seat than the skies opened up in a morning deluge that would have given Noah pause.

It was as if the heavens were sending out a warning to the school staff — “Something ornery this way comes.”

It’s not that Zachary is a bad kid. Quite the opposite. He’s willing to share his M&M’s. He rolls them around in his grubby mitt for a few seconds before extending the offer, ensuring that it’s rarely accepted, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

He always says “please” and “thank you.” Lately he’s been prefacing requests around the house with a polite, “Can you do me a favor?”

When he interrupts your conversation he does so by saying, “Excuse me.”

But he has about him an air of irrepressibility that doesn’t lend itself to the classroom.

A few days ago a friend asked, “Do you think Zachary will have a problem sitting still for four hours?”

“No. He won’t have a problem sitting still for four hours. The teacher will have a problem with him not sitting still for four hours.”

Zach’s been looking forward to school in the same way that a person who’s never flown might look forward to a coach flight to Atlanta. You get to go fast, take off, look down at the ground from 35,000 feet. How do you explain to that person that after the novelty wears off, you’re left cooped up with no leg room, a metal bar under scant padding in the middle of your back and a person in the aisle seat who hogs both arm rests? You don’t.

You hope that the novelty never wears off. You hope the panorama through the window is exciting and its composition varied enough to keep the mind occupied through the entire trip.

Each first day of school carves out a place in the heart. Every year there are new teachers to meet, new lessons to learn and new friends to make. But can any first day of school be as special as the first, first day of school?

Zachary took in the bustle of the first minutes of his first day with wide-eyed aplomb. He was uncharacteristically quiet as he met his teacher and she led him to his classroom, his mother and I trailing behind with cameras and a sense of bittersweet transition.

He took his seat at the big table with the confidence you’d expect from a kid who hollers, “Watch me,” to no one and everyone all at the same time before doing a cannonball off the diving board.

He looked back long enough to give mommy and daddy a reassuring smile and a wave before turning his attention to the paper and pencils being passed out to classmates.

The jet engines on that coach flight to Atlanta throttle up and the plane begins its roll down the runway.

Had Zachary turned again from his seat he would have seen mommy and daddy, trapped on a porch by a diluvian rain on a sunny summer morning, peering through the window at him.

Let us consider this downpour not a portent of gloom on your poor, unsuspecting teacher or a sign of turbulence ahead but rather a precursor to the growth that is to come. The sun and the rain combine to nourish the seeds of learning — or something like that.

With no let up in sight, mommy and daddy were eventually forced to flee sans umbrella down the path and back to the main school building, the good drenching we received in the process having masked any tears that might otherwise be apparent.

Godspeed little man. Have a safe flight.

Pirate Zach

A Day At The Park

Jumping Zach Splash

Move over, Greg Louganis.

Zach took his first jump off of a diving board over the weekend.

He seems to have fallen for it.

At first, Mommy didn't think Zach was ready to take on the "jumping board," as he calls it, but as soon as she saw kids younger and smaller than Zach doing it at our local water park, she relented.

Zach's first jump was a success and led to dozens more. He urged his fellow jumpers and nearby spectators to "Watch me jump," and every time his turn drew closer he directed Mommy to "Get ready" to take his picture.

Mommy and Zach closed down the water park after six hours of jumping, splashing around and way too much sun.

Zach slept on the ride home:

Petey

Zach has a new dog. His name is Petey.

The animal rescue group told us he's 3 year's old, but we suspect he's 2 years old.

That's OK. He's a sweet boy who just wants to be loved and be around people.

He's found a new best friend in Zach.

Watch Zach and Petey on video:

Full Medal Zachy

Zach wrapped up another basketball season at our local YMCA.

This season was special because Daddy was the coach.

The season was also notable because Zach's teammates kept dropping out one by one each week.

Only Zach and two other teammates showed up for the final game and medal ceremony. That's OK because the opposing team only had four players.

Zach's teammates abandoned him during the final minutes of the game; one was tired and the other had "a boo boo." So it was Zach against four other kids. Despite being outnumbered, Zach managed to score several baskets, largely due to the kids on the other team being easily distracted.

Check out the video of Daddy handing out the medals to Zach and his team:

Zach Honors Our Veterans

Here's Brent's Memorial Day column:

Memorial Day made simple
By BRENT BATTEN

A running conversation with Zachary, age 4, on Monday, May 31, 2010.

“Daddy, where we going today?”

“Let’s go to the Memorial Day ceremony.”

“Where?”

“Naples Memorial Gardens.”

“They have a tree house there?”

No, you’re thinking of the Naples Botanical Gardens.”

“Oh, they have slides there?”

“No.”

“What they have there?”

“They have a band. You like the band, right?”

“Oh yeah, me been there before.”

“You have. We went last year, remember?”

“Who going to be there?”

“There’ll be Army men. Like last year.”

“They gonna have guns?”

“Yes, they’ll have guns. But we’ll leave before they shoot them. I know you don’t like when they shoot them.”

“Daddy, too loud.”

“Yes, too loud.”

(Later, upon arrival and seeing an aged man in veteran’s garb, walking with the aid of a cane.)

“Daddy, who’s that old man?”

“He was in the Army.”

“Why?”

“To fight bad guys.”

“Why?”

“So the bad guys wouldn’t get us.”

“The bad guys no get us?”

“No they didn’t. Because that man and his friends fought them.”

“Where his friends?”

“All around us.”

“Daddy, what are those little flags?”

“All those little flags are for men who were in the Army.”

“There’s a lot of them.”

“I know. A lot of men were in the Army.”

“Why?”

“To fight bad guys.”

“Fight bad guys like in Star Wars?”

“Not exactly. They were different bad guys.”

“Who?”

“Nazi bad guys and communist bad guys and terrorist bad guys.”

“A lot of bad guys?”

“Yes, a lot of bad guys.”

“Daddy, what now?”

“The band’s going to play.”

They gonna play (places hand over heart)?”

“Yes, they’ll play the National Anthem. Will you remember to put your hand on your chest?”

“Yes.”

“And take your hat off?”

“Sure. Then what?”

“Then the man is going to talk for a while.”

“Then what?”

“Then they’ll set a wreath down by the flag pole.”

“Then what?”

“Then they’ll fire the guns.”

“Daddy, let’s go. Me no want to hear guns.”

“I hope you never have to, son.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Zachary. I love you too.”

Better Home Run

Home Run

Zach at bat

Game On!

T-Ball

Coach Daddy

Newspaper columnist, card-carrying Republican and newly minted AARP member are some of the hats Zach's Daddy wears. Now add little league coach to the list.

Check out Brent in action as he makes his debut as coach of Zach's Mighty Mites basketball team, the Bears.