T-Ball

Last spring, the kids played soccer, mostly because Jillian really wanted to play.  She'd seen an episode of Dora, I think, where the characters played soccer, and she had it stuck in her head that she wanted to play soccer. I also think she liked the idea of the jerseys.  So, they played soccer.  They didn't love it.  By the end of the season, we were forcing them onto the field to play, partly because I believe in finishing what you start and because there were barely enough kids at each game to field a team, and partly because Rick was the coach and it doesn't look good if the coach's own kids won't play.  So we made them play, as we counted down until the end of the season.

 

So, no more soccer for this family.  What Jake really wanted to do was play t-ball, and this season he was finally old enough.  He was so excited leading up to the beginning of the season.  Rick signed up to coach the team, and Jake was thrilled!

Coach Rick and his star player at the first game of the season.

Our friends' son, Jameson, and his two cousins Danny and Nick, also got to be on our team, so Jameson's dad signed up to be Rick's assistant coach.

Number One, baby!

The boys (and one girl!) getting their pep talk from the coaches before the first game.

Jake was up to bat first, and he knocked the ball hard!  Off he ran to first base - and then he kept running straight past it!  The kids were playing in the grass instead of on the rain-soaked field, so the bases were hard to see, and the coaches hadn't really covered that part in practice, so Jake didn't know to stop.  It was so cute!!

As the season went on, the kids got to play on the real field, and Jake became the starting first baseman.  He loved playing first base, and was NOT HAPPY if he didn't get to.  First base gets all the action in t-ball, and Jake loved it!

Giving daddy "five" after a good play!

I love this picture of Jake.  Someday when he's playing high school baseball or is a famous player, I'll pull this picture out.  I think he looks like a baseball player here.  He's just got the stance, and the expression on  his face, and the tilt of his head - its all so cute!

Fielding the ball at first base...

and throwing it back to the pitcher!

Up at bat.

Running the bases!

Jillian didn't get to go to many of Jake's games, because she was cheerleading for her school's football team on the other side of town, but once in a while the timing worked out and she got to watch her brother.  She usually spent about ten seconds watching her brother, and the rest of the game playing at the field.   Here she made me a bouquet from the fall leaves.

My favorite t-ball picture of all!

And this is what I would have been doing at Jillian's age too.  She was reading and writing and drawing pictures in this book.  She just entertained herself while she waited for the game to be over.

Good game, boys!