Wrapping Up the Regular Season - Moving Forward

Last Wednesday night, Luke's game went into extra-innings because the teams were tied at the end of time, but one team had to emerge victorious...the parents were getting upset by, what they considered bad calls and we were all exhausted when the game ended at 10:15...it started at 7:15. Previously, I'd not seen parents get worked up, but this time, yes. I calmly told one mom that she needed to walk away from behind home plate because the things she was yelling would only serve to antagonize the ump and that would not go well for the kids. Plus, she doesn't want her son (who was playing catcher) to see her acting this way. She did walk away. I also told a father basically the same thing and then we calmly talked and I let him tell me what he was upset about. I told him I totally understood, I saw it that way too, etc. Good grief! When we won the game, our kids were so happy and the other team’s kids were all crying. It was CRAZY. We didn't get home and in bed until 11:00. We have all been sick...upper-respiratory...congestion and tiredness...these baseball games aren't helping either. Luke’s team lost the next game, but I don't think anyone was too torn up about it. They ended the regular season in 5th place (which seeded them into the tournament) and, through tournament play, ended the season in 3rd place, so they moved themselves up. Plus, they exacted revenge on the Yankees and I think that was an important thing to them.

Friday, Ruth had her last tee ball game and Uncle Richard and Aunt Kathy came. Saturday was closing ceremonies at which Richard was the impromptu Master of Ceremonies. Sunday, Luke had to try out for All-Stars because they had 32 kids sign up for 24 slots. Only 20 kids showed up for try outs, so they all made the team (there are 2 teams).  Instead of saying, “See you for practice tomorrow”, they went ahead and took the kids through tryouts, but had NO mechanism for recording data to come up with any way to distinguish the skills of one over the other.  This was highly frustrating for Richard (who is coaching, but not managing).  While Luke and Richard were at tryouts, I took Paul, Ruth and Mary to Paul’s end of the season baseball party, then we all met up at church where Luke and Paul were altar servers.  Then it was off to Paul’s All Star baseball practice (where Paul his a home run during the scrimmage). 

Cub Scout Day Camp started yesterday – Luke, Paul, Ruth and Richard went…Ruth could go because Richard is volunteering.  They came home having had a good time, but were tired.  We made Paul lie down and rest because he had a baseball game at 6:00 – the game was canceled due to rain. They are thinking they'll start the tournament on Thursday now and reschedule all the games. We've been told to expect "multiple games on Saturday and Sunday" - fine. Luke's age group (still haven't decided on teams yet) did practice last night and, according to Richard, Luke did well at practice.

Day Camp was canceled today and tomorrow - too much rain and bad weather possibility from Tropical Storm Bill. The boys (and Ruth) were bummed and they are now ALL home ALL day. They are all wearing their day camp t-shirts and I've bitten my tongue and let them do it...even though that means I'll have to wash them again...I had just washed them to have them ready for this morning. 

Baseball, Baseball, Baseball

School is out.  The boys had their last day last Friday.  We've been attempting to get into a routine, but we are still in the thick of baseball season, so we are at the ball park most evenings.  Richard took the boys (on Monday) up to the field and got out the pitching machine so they could have batting practice.  Luke has been in a bit of a slump.  Poor kid (sarcastically said), his batting average is probably .560 or so....still good.  I pointed that out to him...that the pros have a much lower batting average than he's had.  We threw the ball in the back yard this morning.  I threw him fly balls, ground balls, etc.  He is MUCH better than he was when he started, but he still needs to catch and throw more consistently.  

Paul has hit the ball 5 of his last 6 at bats, so he seems to be doing better with that.  Richard is the manager of Paul's team and he has several players who just don't seem to want to actually play.  It is a bit frustrating for him.  In the last game, in two different innings, two different kids ASKED to play catcher (this is machine pitch and stealing is not allowed, so the catcher is only there to 1) try to catch the pitch and throw it back to the coach at the machine and 2) to try to tag the runner at home).  After a batter or two, we'd look over and there would be no catcher!  Each boy just didn't like it, so got up and left the position!  The even more frustrating thing...the other coaches (one in the dugout or one actually backs up the catcher) didn't even suit another kid up or call time or anything. 

Luke has his last regular season game (thank goodness we had a day off this week - yesterday - these poor kids played 5 games in a row...and we started to lose because we don't have that many pitchers...no team does, but we got especially rooked because of the rain outs and where our games feel) and then the end-of-season tournament starts.  Then - if Luke makes the "B" All-Stars team, we have the All-Stars tournament the next week...which means we'll have a hella lot of All Stars practice in there as well.  If he makes the "A" team, then he'll have longer to practice before that tournament.  

Ruth is getting better at t-ball!  She can hit the balls the coach pitches (the majority of the time) instead of using the T.  Yesterday, she played a very focused game...we were impressed.  She is at science camp in the mornings this week.  She is enjoying all of her time at the ball park.  There are always other little kids around and they tend to play together.  She has discovered that, if she goes to the concession stand and asks for a trash sack, she can go around the park picking up trash and then get a free sno-cone in return.  She sometimes does this twice in one game.

Mary has cut her first tooth and I am trying to remember to feed her!  She doesn't demand it too much, but I need to get her into her high chair for at least 2 meals a day. She is being rather good-natured about all of her time at the ball park (and the lateness of her getting to bed because of it)!