Well Yanks, move over cause this Mama's got a new favorite team!
My son woke up thrilled this morning, "Mommy today is Thursday May 27 and it's my very first big game." We went about the busyness of the day all the while the 'big game' on our minds. It rained on and off midday the conversation turned from "I can't wait" to "I hope it won't be cancelled." Soon enough the clouds began to part allowing yellow rays to dry the earth. "I think it's going to be okay," no more worries.
My son was beyond excited, over-the-moon, he had the biggest smiles I've seen. Putting on his uniform he yelled, "I'm a Dodger!" Then carefully instructing me, "You've got to remember to cheer for me, well not just me, but my whole team. Okay mommy, promise you'll root for my whole team, the Dodgers."
"I promise." (I might have been the loudest one.)
There were moments of confusion at first, after all this was the first time many of these kids had actually played a game of baseball. It is a confidence boosting league at this age so they all get to bat each inning and a game is three innings long. If they get out they can still run the bases, they are still little tykes after all. It's coach pitched, but if they miss 3 or 4 then they can hit off the tee, so pretty relaxed.
I was very proud of my little guy, he might be small for his age but he sure packs a punch, he hit two into the outfield! One at bat he had some trouble and didn't like it when Coach Dad brought over the tee but he pushed through it.
All in all it was a fabulous evening even with three trips to the porta-potty with my two year old. Yes, three excessive trips to the most germ infested place on the planet in one hour. I am so grateful there was a potty within twenty yards! Thank you God! (Oh and please protect us from all those germs, thank you!) Hearing her little cheers for her brother, priceless!
Turning the world back a day.....
So we're all together now, it's yesterday. I'm usually pretty lenient about messes that are in bedrooms, as long as it stays there and doesn't spread to the rest of the house. A couple times a week I'll enforce a clean up or I might ask them to pick up a common item (dress up clothes, duplo blocks) if it seems out of hand. This was one of those times. I sent my son upstairs to clean up his legos. They had spread dangerously out of the corner where they are most often dumped and were oozing into the area where they become likely to damage a parental foot or heaven forbid knee at bed time.
It was one of those days where we didn't have much to do in the afternoon; I did some chores, played with my daughter, chatted with my husband and though it was taking my son awhile to clean up. I'm sure snack time will motivate him to finish up. In a fairly loud voice I call for anyone who wants a snack that has finished their chores. He pops his little head out to let me know that he is indeed cleaning but also getting distracted (his words not mine) and having trouble staying focused (again his choice of words). I decided to see just what would motivate him.
The verdict: nothing. He was so involved in Lego creation that he missed snack time, reading his favorite book, playing games, playing outside and the beginning of dinner. Dinner and hearing us pray was when I began hearing handfuls of legos clanking into the side of their bin. His creation was indeed something, and he said that he had WAY more fun picking up the legos and building with them rather than just dumping them into the bin.
I suppose this could be looked at as being inconsistent since I didn't enforce what I sent him up there to do. I did however enforce that he couldn't do anything else until his task was completed. Like I said it was an experiment, he is so slow moving and easy going about some things I just wanted to see how far it would go. Now I know, dinner. He won't go without dinner.
With full tummies we went up to admire his house and flying car. He was making some final adjustments while I snapped some shots. It seems all the booklets of directions are haphazardly strewn about as it has become much more fun to ‘build something from his very own head.’
Dear God,
I LOVE THIS BOY! His ability to make us laugh, his positivity, his hugs, snuggles and kisses. His interest in dirt and all things buggy and his willingness to dress his sisters dolls for her. His laugh is infectious, his strong will makes mine stronger and his rough boyness (while I don't always understand it) can be very protective of me and his baby sister. His smile amazing, his eyes show each sky and sun, his view and desire for learning and his personality are such a miracle. Thank you so very much for blessing our family with him. He rocks!
Yours,
Heidi
