Bragging rights

There is nothing to get me blogging again like an opportunity to brag about my kids.

We’re knee deep in baseball season and both boys are doing great.

Let’s start with Thomas. He took his first crack at T-Ball last year when he was 5 and it didn’t work out too well. He just wasn’t ready. Ever since he was a toddler, he was never one to go off and play with a group. He’d always want to stick close to mom and dad if he could. We signed him up for T-Ball, but we couldn’t even get him to stay on the field. We wound up quitting after a few games when it became apparent that it just wasn’t going to work out.

What a difference a year makes. We signed Thomas up for T-Ball again after he insisted that he really wanted to play this year. So far he’s been doing fantastic! He hits the ball and runs where he should, he stands in the field and waits for his chance to field a ball and he goofs around in the dugout with his teammates. He really seems to be having a great time.

He may not have been ready yet last year, but he sure is now. It’s great to watch him having fun.

Then there is Nolan, who has become Mr. Baseball lately. After two years in Single A, this is his first year in AA – where the level of competition goes up a notch. We’re now officially keeping score and for the first time the kids get to pitch.

Nolan loves playing first base and never wanted to do anything else. But about a week ago, his coach sent him to the mound to pitch. Nolan was nervous. I was a nervous wreck. But in his first inning, he got two strikeouts and caught a pop-up. He’s pitched for one or two innings in every game since.

He’s hitting the ball pretty well too. So far he’s gone 7 for 11 this year, including a double and two triples (Note, there are no walks in AA. After ball four, the coach takes over pitching until the batter either strikes out or puts the ball into play.).

Nolan also took part in a pitch, hit and run contest and qualified to advance to the sectionals next week in Saratoga.

So both boys are doing great and loving America’s pastime. And I’m having a blast watching them. Standing on the field, helping to coach their teams and watching them do so well and have fun is heaven on Earth.