Baseball Season has begun!

For the last two years, baseball season means that, in order to feel like our kids are in a safe environment, Charles or I, or both of us, need to coach the team that our boys are playing on. So, with a bit of trepidation on my part we signed the boys up with the local Sandy Cal Ripken League. The only reasons that I didn't demand to be the coach of one of the teams is that this seemed to be an, get ready for this, organized league (meaning: trained coaches with real experience and a passion for kids), and I was tired of being Mom, Teacher, and also Coach. It just gets to be too much of me with the kids. They really need a break from me in charge! So, we signed them up, they had their try-outs, which were skill evaluations in order to place them on a team that will fit them best. We had been told that every kid plays and it's really all about learning here. I thought, "yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it." Well, tonight I saw it. Nathanael's age bracket teams were chosen last night, and we got the call from his coach telling us that we had a quick team meeting and short practice tonight at one of the local schools. And, would you believe it? One of the first things he said was the "First, baseball is about having fun. Second, it's about learning the game and skills. Third, if we win then great, and if we don't, we learn. It's still all about having a good time." Now, I can see from what he said that it may sound like it's all about making the player feel good, but that's not what he meant. He meant that it's about the right attitude and always giving 100%, never giving up, being a good sport. Then he said another thing that threw me for a loop. He said to the kids, "The most important thing is minding your Mom and Dad, doing your chores, and definitely, do your homework. School is really important, and if your parents come to me and tell me that you can't play because your grades are down, then I will respect that, and you won't play." No kidding. This guy really seems to be a good guy and a great coach. As I was driving back to Starbucks for coffee to warm me up while the kids finished practice, I was thinking just how refreshing it was to feel like my son was in a situation that wasn't imminently harmful, mentally or spiritually. What an amazing gift from the Gift Giver Himself! Here we are in a place where we know relatively few people, needing to have an outlet for the boys to meet other kids and continue in their chosen sports, and then God just happens to heap blessings on us by providing a league that truly does seem to emphasize learning skills, not punk attitudes, fair play, not steal it home if you can, and respect for your parents and coaches, not foul language and constant disrespect. Over all, it seems like the good of the player comes first. Now, look at that, "the good of the player." That doesn't mean the good feelings of the player, but what is truly best for them. Just like God does with us, He gives us what is good for us, even if it doesn't feel good, but it has our future best interests at heart. I'm thinking I can support this team philosophy!

School? Playtime? P.E.? Crafts?

Today the sun is popping in and out of the clouds, and the boys wanted to take advantage of it. So they dug around in the garage and found their own little camp chairs and took them out across the driveway into the grass where the sun shines when it does come out of hiding. After playing a bit of soccer, Nathanael continued drawing a map he had begun earlier, busily adding the legend and details. Mikael decided that he should be doing something too, and since he's not particularly artistic, he chose to run inside for his knitting. Both boys participated in 4-H knitting last year, and Mikael never really got rolling on his scarf, so he's still in progress with it. Well, the next thing I know the boys are sitting out in their chairs, Mikael prepared for the wet grass and exploring in the nearby creek with his big rubber boots, waiting for the sun to shine down some warmth, and busily working on their projects. So, I think they've already had a pretty well rounded morning, even if we aren't "schooling" in any traditional sense!

"It's so quiet"

We've just finished a busy, but very enjoyable, non-structured weekend with friends. After they left this afternoon and Charles and Nathanael had gotten back from baseball try-outs, we were all sitting around in the living room and Nathanael said "it sure is quiet now." And I knew exactly how he felt! When people share your life, your home, with you for a time, you feel their absence when they're gone. Nathanael just expressed those thoughts from the perspective of sound. We all had to figure out what to do with ourselves since we didn't have John and Sandi there to share our time with us anymore.

So, Charles and I took a long nap. The boys listened to a new Adventures in Odyssey.

It was a good sort of quiet, one that helped us remember the importance of friends, and helped me appreciate what a quiet Sunday afternoon can do to bring healing for frazzled nerves and not enough sleep. (I'm not implying that John and Sandi brought about my frazzled nerves. I did that all myself!)

So, maybe God really did know what He was doing when He commanded us to rest one day out of seven! I'd say so.