The Game Ball (week 223)

With only two games left in the Tee Ball Season, I was starting to get nervous that I wasn't going to get a game ball. Typically, one game ball is given to a kid on the team who has a big game. Sometimes it is because they had a giant hit or a great defensive play...other times it is because they hit the ball for the first time ever or they didn't tackle their teammates in the course of the game.

Until this weekend, I had never been chosen to get the game ball even though I have a lot of good games. Daddy says that the most important part of awarding the game ball is that a player does something new or different--or maybe something that is hard for them. Generally, I always hit the ball pretty hard and make a few good plays on defense but my biggest goal has been to maintain my cool and not get upset about the position that I want to play on the field or the order that I get to hit. This week, everything came together. I hit one ball to right field in the air over everyone on the Yankees. Also, I made a couple good plays on grounders that I fielded and threw over to first base. The big winner though was that I supported my team mates and didn't get upset about the position that I had to play. At the end of the game, Coach Jeff chose me to get my first-ever game ball. It was a good thing too because next week is the last game of the season!

As a reward for giving my whiffle balls and bat to Cousin Eli so that he could practice, Daddy and I went to Big 5 after Church today and picked-out a set of new, clean, white Tee Balls. We also got a Pitch Back. The way that it works is that you throw the tee ball at the netting and it fires the ball right back to you either as a grounder or a pop fly. Once we set-it-up, Daddy worked on putting-up the gutters on the back of the house and I played pitch-back by myself for over three hours. Daddy says that it is a steal for only $24 and that not only is it good for my hand-eye coordination, but it also keeps me occupied for most of the day.

We are definitely going through a transitional period that includes both positives and negatives. On one hand, I am now able to dress myself and even put-on my shoes. On the other hand, I get into fights with mommy because I want to wear the same basketball shirt and shorts for three consecutive days. On one hand, Christopher now demands to feed himself yogurt, spaghetti, and other snacks. On the other hand, feeding himself means that he gets most of his food in his chair, hair, and the floor. While this is probably just the first of many stages and transitions, mommy and daddy are hanging-in there.