We have been spending quite a bit of time this month on the ball field. My 5 year old just finished up his soccer season and now we're gearing up for baseball with my oldest. I can't believe how much my boys have learned. Last Spring, all my 5 year old did during soccer was sit and pick the grass. Needless to say, we didn't sign him up for Fall soccer that year. Then, over the winter, he kept mentioning wanting to play soccer (mostly to get a trophy....at this age it's all about the trophy). I told him we would pay for it only if he promised to actually play this year: STAND UP, run, kick the ball and listen to the coach. Well, he did do those things and even got the ball a few times. My boys are not aggressive at all so my 5 year old mostly waited for the ball to come to him. But I consider it a great improvement from last year.
This season will be my 8 year old's third season playing baseball. He has been practicing with his Dad: throwing and catching baseballs. My husband's sport is baseball and he enjoys passing down this love of the sport to his boys. My oldest is also showing quite a bit of growth. He can throw the ball really hard now and he's getting better and better at catching it. He's also not getting nearly as frustrated when my husband corrects him like he has in years past. I'm one proud Mama of both of her boys!
We've also taken in some professional baseball as well. We have a mini-season ticket package for the Durham Bulls, a local minor league team, which we have been doing for the past several years now. This is one of our family time events that we enjoy. The children aren't quite at an age to be completely interested in the game, but my oldest is getting close. We try to get the season tickets that have the "Kids Run The Bases" nights. My husband says it's because the kids love running the bases (and they do) but I think he secretly enjoys it too. The adults are allowed to run with their small children. He's going to be really disappointed when our littlest one is in the "older kid" category!
Speaking of kids run the bases, I have one "Mommy horror story" to tell. When my oldest was 3, he was old enough to run the bases at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, which is where the Atlanta Braves (yes, the Major League team) does their Spring Training in March. So, after the game we asked him if he wanted to run the bases and he said he did. Well, when we get in line, they tell everyone that only the children can run....no adults. Not ones to disappoint their son we told him Daddy couldn't run with him and he still wanted to run so we let him. Well, they had my son in the front of the line and I had a bad feeling it would not go well since my son had never run the bases before and wouldn't know where to go. So, they let the line of kids run, starting from the bleachers at 1st base. My little 3 year old ran with all of his might to the first base and stomped his foot right on that base so confidently, looked back to smile at us and got bombarded by all of these bigger kids running with all of their might to all of the bases. He started crying, not knowing what to do next. I start leaping over seats (my second son, an infant, in my arms) trying to get to him. At that point, I didn't care I wasn't allowed on the field....my son needed me! They led him to me, avoiding a confrontation with those big burly security guards, and we praised him for being so brave for trying. When my second son was 3, we let him run the bases there, knowing he had his older brother to keep up with and show him the way.
On a funny note, at the Durham Bulls kids' run the bases one evening, my husband was in line with the boys waiting to run while I was in the stands, holding our baby daughter. Seeing that they're getting close to the starting line, I get ready to get up to meet my boys at the other end when I realize I can't find the diaper bag. All of the sudden, it hits me.....my husband's got the bag! And this isn't one of those chic bags that could double as a brief case or something more sensible for a man to be carrying. This was a huge neon, can't miss green...quite obvious it was a diaper bag....and here he was running the bases, holding the hand of my 3 year old, huge diaper bag thrown over his shoulder. I was laughing so hard, I was crying. I'm so blessed to have a husband who doesn't care what he looks like or what he's carrying when it comes to having fun with his children!
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