First T-Ball Game

As you all know, Ivie's started playing t-ball this summer. Yes, she's only 3, and yes, it's probably too early for her to be playing t-ball (as the description of her first practice seems to indicate). But she's on a team with the kids of a bunch of our friends, so it's more like a family fun outing than anything, a chance for us to get together and chat while laughing at/with the kids. And, as we've discovered, when you're playing t-ball with a bunch of 3 and 4 year-olds, you don't really expect anything close to perfection. Or even understanding or recognition. More likely, it's a lesson for the kids that not EVERY ball is going to come to you in the field, and it's not ALWAYS your turn to hit and run the bases.

So today was the first game, after 2 weeks of practice. Ivie made it to practice #1, but we missed practice #2, due to prior commitments (2 birthday parties, woo hoo!!!). Since she refused to even put on a helmet during the first practice, I wasn't expecting much. But, as you'll see, we actually got her to put one on (though she was selective and would ONLY wear the one that had the interlocking NC sticker - her daddy has sufficiently brainwashed her!).

I think Team "Thunder BOOM!!" (the kids added the "boom" part for the cool sound effect it makes) came out with a victory today. You know why? Because we had more players. In the 3 and 4 year-old division, everyone bats every inning, and everyone scores. And the kids' favorite part, if you ask them when they wake up from their afternoon naps, is that they got to have an Oreo snack cake and juice box, and their mommies and daddies let them play on the swings at the playground before they left the park. Or, wait. Maybe that was just IVIE'S favorite part! It's possible that some of the other children might have actually remembered enjoying something semi-related to the game of baseball? Hey, the Hermans are starting with the helmet and taking it from there. Baby steps.