Two Home Run Stories

1. Yesterday I get a text from my husband as he is sitting on a plane, I think, on his way out of town. "Julie, promise me you will take Ben (5) outside and pitch  him some balls. He has a game tonight." This is what my husband the wheeler and dealer, the business man of Clayton, is thinking as he is heading out to check on his next deal...Ben's baseball game - and this is why I love this man by the way. In Ben's league the batter gets 5 machine pitched balls, then if they miss those they get to hit it off of the tee. In the last game Ben did one of each. So, I dutifully take Ben outside and pitch him probably 50 or so balls. He does pretty well, not super, but pretty well. I am thinking, it may not have really helped that much. Since my husband is out of town, and since my sitter is sick, I have an evening of running everyone everywhere all at the same time. Tricky. Because of this I am 15 minutes late to Ben's baseball game (he was on time because I found him a ride). "Mom! I hit a homerun!" I am all at once thrilled and crushed. Mostly thrilled, but so sad to have missed it!!!! Coach tells me after the game that he actually hit the outfield wall on the fly. Wow. I text my husband. He is ecstatic and totally bummed to have missed it. Ben however is absolutely fine, happy as a clam and eating his skittles he bought with the dollar he gets from the coach for playing a great game. (everyone gets a dollar...pretty funny)

2.  Tonight I had a softball game and my two big boys got their homework done early so that they could come cheer me on...aka, play with their friends on the playground. First time up to bat, base hit up the middle.  Not bad. Kids are no where to be seen. I am just hoping they are playing safe and staying out of trouble wherever they are. However, second time up to bat, I smacked one to left center and started rounding bases. As I am heading home I hear a lot of cheering. I come into the dugout and my team mates are smiling and cheering and saying, "You should have heard your kids!" My son runs over to high five me about 10 times, tell me how awesome that was and begins to explain how I am faster that he would be on the bases even if he had a motorcycle. My 10 yr old is yelling, "way to go mom!" and giving me thumbs up. So sweet. It is nice to have someone there for you.

We HAVE to find a way for at least one of us to be at the entirety of Ben's games for the rest of the season.

Also don't want to forget:
-Pulled out the plastic pool and the sprinkler today. Are there people too snooty for plastic pools and sprinkler play? If so, they are missing out. Really so fun to watch them play this way.
-I got to go to Little Sprouts at the Botanical Gardens today with Charlie. Man he is funny. He gets very excited about everything and takes things quite literally. During the storytime, the teacher kept showing pictures from the book and saying, "Do you see the robin? Do you see the acorns? Do you see the trunk?" Each time, Charlie had to get up out of his spot and run up and point to them on the page and say, "Right there!"
-Charlie made  up a word - Cuggle. A  mix between a hug and a cuddle. He says he is cuggling me when he takes his cheek, and rubs it up against my cheek and closes his eyes. Seriously adorable.