Take me out to the BALL field

Anyway you say it, we are in full swing of BALL season!

I'm officially a car pool mom. I am always in the car driving someone somewhere. Luckily Maddy plays with 2 friends and we carpool to practice and games. Not as lucky with Jack, he doesn't know anyone on his team but his coach is great and when we can't pick him up he takes him home. Lexi also has several friends on her team and her coach is her future father in law aka Tanner's dad!! So it all works out great!

Madison is on the Green Lasers Softball team. Her friend Charity has been playing with Oquirrh Mountain Girls Softball for years, we signed up this year. I wish it were a little closer--her games and practices are in Riverton but so far we are very impressed. She has a great coach, who is very patient esp with Madison. Her first strike out of the year she was in tears, at 9 this is her first year--we should have Lexi playing Tball here but where she is at is great league also. BUT with practice, missing tumbling that is at the same time and day, and lots of hard work she is learning and doing well and working at holding back the tears. I'm afraid she got that from me! 

Found these awesome neon cleats for $6!!

For some reason, in the outfield Maddy is in split mode! She doesn't like being told by her parents how to do something, when I suggested she not be in the splits int he outfield she insisted she wasn't so Mike took her picture and showed it to her. She laughed.

One practice, Mike was showing her how to throw, instead she threw a fit. Minutes later her coach came over and told her the same thing Mike did. Sometimes it's easier to be taught by someone other than mom and dad!

Mike won a $100 gift card and used it to buy her a neon mitt, we found a great deal on a neon bat and added it to the collection.

Maddy plays kid pitch but when she gets to 4 balls instead of walking to first base, the coach comes and pitches her remaining strikes. She has always been at the end of the batting line up and in two games has only batted twice but she is enjoying softball and it's fun to go watch her play and learn.

Maddys first game she was wearing her pink sweats. I didn't know everyone would be wearing black pants. She didn't mind being the only one in pink, a couple other girls were in jeans and grey baseball pants. I found a pair at kid to kid that should last us a couple years. Lexi and jack were provided with a belt, hat, socks, pants, sweet shirt and tshirt with a personalized name. Maddy wishes she had her name on her shirt. I like the price tag of her league much better. 

Next up is Lexi. She is on the Volcanoes Team. She loves to tell people that. She has only had one game but several practices. She loves to be part of the action. She was very excited last week when it was her time to go to the "field" and play ball. All day long she told everyone she got to go to the field today.

Teeball is very simple. It's a learning experience. She could technically by age be in the next age group up, you can start at 3 to play tee ball. Some of the kids are teeny tiny! Lexi is one of two girls on  her team, she is really jealous of Piper's pink helmet. SO crazy how many kids have there own helmets, Maddy even asked when she was getting one. I'm glad they were them but never thought of owning our own.

Tball you practice fielding, throwing, batting and waiting for your turn. She looks pretty darn cute in her uniform if you ask me!

Jack's league is the most demanding. He had try outs in early March. I received a phone call later that day that said he made the White Sox team. ALL of his buddies (6-7) are on different teams, baseball at this age is very big! You can tell by watching what kids are playing for mom and dad and what kids get it and what kids LOVE it. Jack is learning and getting in the LOVE phase.

He has practice 4 times a week, luckily it is at Terra Linda just 1.48 miles away. Sometimes less if he has games during the week. But we usually are in baseball mode for 4 days a week.

Jack is the fastest on his team. He loves to race the others in practice. He loves to play catch with his dad and loves to go to the batting cages.

He has been batting first in the line up. Last night, I cheered him on and said good luck, he said I think I'll do fine. I said you think, you will! keep telling yourself that.

Tonight, is our first night where we are at multiple fields all at the same time! Wish us luck. Mike has taken the role of VP of Tball for Cal Ripken Baseball so we don't see him as often as we'd like to either. And luckily Lilly is in it for the ride and loves to go anywhere and play at any field--esp Maddy's they have a playground in the middle of the diamonds!