Our baseball year is officially over.  Well, minus one team party left to attend.  It'll be so nice to have so many more nights free again but we've had a great year with it.  I do love going to the games and seeing my little people out there in their adorable little baseball pants.  At first I bemoaned the need to buy so many extras - special baseball pants, cleats, the right color socks, even a belt - as yet another expense. I mean, when I played softball as a ten year old, I wore denim shorts and sneakers and my older sister's braided leather belt that went around my waist almost twice.  But it is really adorable to see them all decked out in their uniforms, I must admit.

  

It's been such a great experience for both of them and so interesting to watch them play with a team under the supervision of someone else.  I love that games are really getting exciting to watch now at John Paul's level.  If you hear me talking with a lisp it's probably from the tongue bites from getting a little too into the game and striving hard not to be that parent.  It's all for fun but it's easy for me to get caught up in a game!  So I knit and chase little people and watch and bite my tongue and chat with the other moms there.  David is itching to play next year.  I have no idea how we'll do that with three on separate teams (and eventually four!).  I guess somehow we'll figure it out, though.  I'm in awe of families with more children who do sports and other extracurriculars for each.  We have said no to travel league invitations because that is just way more of a commitment than we're willing to give.   Rec league has really been the only regular outside extracurricular that we've stuck with and I think it's good for all of us.

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John Paul was one of the pitchers for the team in their first year of kid pitch.  He loves that and catcher best.  By the playoffs they had him pitching two innings which is the max you can pitch in one game.  He's still pretty inconsistent but he's getting better and better.  I love how these two shots turned out.  

Michael wears the best smile when he plays.

Except here apparently... when he's very serious about being ready to run to second.

His body moves like it should be running much faster than it really goes.  It's quite cute.

This boy would play all day every day if he could, I think.

Happy as catcher.  After one great game, coach Mark gave him their extra catcher's mitt to keep which was so nice.

Last game of the season.  "Who had fun this year?"

We found out about half way through the season that another boy on Michael's team was home schooled!  Unfortunately, the day after their last game, they moved to Minnesota so we won't be able to be on the same team again next year.

Going in for the cheer...so adorable!  

Both their coaches were so so great this year.  John Paul's team, especially, I wish we could clone.  It's hard because they draft now at this level.  We requested that John Paul stay with the coach he had last year and were grateful that happened along with a new assistant coach who was just as great.  The boys on his team were so sweet and kind and respectful.  Even the boys who had a harder time were encouraged by the other players and they really looked out for each other.  The coaches really set the tone and some of the other teams...well, I'm very glad those weren't ours.  I would have a very hard time if our coaches were as competitive and as hard on the kids as I see from some of the other teams.  Ours were so encouraging, so patient, and while they played competitively, it was never at the expense of honor or tender little boy hearts.   

And these two?  They alternatively played their own games with other kids there, watched the games, ran the bases, and ate snacks.  But please look at those ridiculous shorts all folded over.  No, shorts, you are not size 18 mos. no matter what you say.  They were falling down the whole game but we were in a rush to get there and they were the first pair grabbed...  But they do look stunning with a pair of rain boots.  All the rage in two year old fashion.

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