Best event of the week...

We went to my friend's daughter's baseball game last night and I have to say that watching 5 year olds play baseball is extremely comical! Avery is the only girl on the team, and her coaches tell her she is the best girl on the team... she takes this very literally. The kids all get to bat once per inning and they swing until they hit the ball. There are no strikes, outs, umps, or set amount of innings. Avery's team was the first to bat and almost every child forgot to run after they finally hit the ball. They were so excited that they had finally connected with the ball that they just stood there watching the ball soar through the air, well for most kids it was more like watching the ball roll on the ground. The coach would remind them to run and when they did their little bodies wanted to run faster then their legs and most almost tripped over their own feet.

Next Ave's team went out into the field and she was placed as one of 2 short stops in between first and second base. She manages to lose focus before the first player even hits the ball. She does a few twirls and then starts up a full dance routine. But that is okay the rest of the team is also goofing off... building sand mounds, picking at the grass in outfield, conversing near second base, etc. Finally a kid hits the ball and all the kids look at each other to see who is going to run and get it, finally the coach says go get the ball and immediately 3 of them all run to get it. Once one of them picks it up they are unsure of what to do next. The coach says throw it to first and the child makes a nice attempt but the first baseman is not paying attention anyway so the runner makes it to first safely and in plenty of time. The rest of the innings continue like this.

While Ave is out on the field Bella has made 2 new friends. I get nervous, at first, that she is going to wonder away or do something naughty but I eventually ease up. Bella and her friends play in various dirt piles in front of us. I notice both of the other girls throw dirt and was just waiting for Bella to do the same, but instead she tells one of them not to throw dirt... I smile to myself. Then I notice her chewing on something. I say her name, she looks up and I am about to say somthing when I remember she has gum in her mouth. I think by 3 she'd know better then to put somthing random into her mouth, but you never know. When the game is over Bella tells her friends bye and for once does not throw a fit that we have to go home. She was the dirtiest she has ever been in her life, but over the last 3 years I have learned that a little dirt never killed anyone. I think we will be going to many more of Avery's games this summer, it is a great way to put a smile on your face :)