Ethan wanted to play soccer again this season which warmed my heart more than he’ll ever know.  Once again my dad and I are coaching and once again Ethan named the team The Sharks.  I remember being in elementary school and playing against a team called The Smurfs and another one called The Gremlins so I’ll take The Sharks any day.  I’m really amazed at how much difference a few months can make.  He really enjoyed playing in the fall but I wouldn’t have said he was a great player or anything.  But this season is a completely different story.  I think something just clicked in his head about the rules of the game and the purpose of it because he’s on fire…along with about 3 other boys on his team.  He scored his first goal in the first game, and then scored two goals in the second game last weekend.  I love seeing him be so proud of his accomplishments.  When I played soccer in high school and beyond I was the sweeper (defense) so I obviously didn’t score any goals and it was always interesting to me how the players who got the pat on the back were always the forwards for scoring.  So, I’m trying to instill in him that I’m not just proud of him because he scored a goal, but I’m proud of him because he was a good sport and he tried his best.  Who knows if we’ll stick with soccer in years to come, but we’re all having fun while it lasts!

Before the game 
 

On a breakaway about to score

Me reminding the boys for the 73rd time which direction we were going

After the game showing Clay how many goals he scored

We braved the rain and met up with the Davis fam Saturday night at the Rangers game.  It had rained all day long, but while we were driving to the game it stopped and the weather was perfect for baseball.  Will & Cara had been given tickets for one of the luxury suites so we were living the high life up there…and my favorite part was that it had its own bathroom (it’s the small things in life when you have a 2 year old).  The kids had a blast cheering on the Rangers, calling the players by name, keeping up with the stats – oh wait, that was just Jack and Josie.  Our kids were way more interested in the snacks, but we still had a great time.  Thanks Davis’ for a great Saturday evening!

Last night we wrapped up our first season of organized sports and it really was a great experience for all of us.  Clay ended up serving as the unofficial assistant coach/boy wrangler/attention getter/ball chaser, Rachel loved just running around the field, Ethan’s favorite was getting to hit the ball with the new bat Mimi bought him, and I really just liked being at the field every Monday night with hundreds of other parents who were supporting their children and getting outdoors.  I think we hear so many stories of parents mistreating their children or how our society is in a rapid downward spiral that it’s easy to forget how many good people and good families are out there trying to raise their children to be productive members of society.   It was fun going to the Y every week and seeing all of the lawn chairs and younger siblings running around and seeing parents cheering on their kids – no matter how talented or awkward they may be.   Oh, back to the tight pants and tucked shirts – Ethan has informed me that he doesn’t want to play t-ball again because he did NOT like tucking in his shirt or wearing pants (we “discussed” this every.Monday.afternoon)…he wants to play soccer because he gets to wear shorts.  Let’s just hope Poppa isn’t his coach because tucked-in shirts were a MUST if you were on Chris Parker’s soccer team growing up (love you, Dad!).   I still don’t think E gets the point of baseball or even the rules, but we were proud of him for being a good teammate and for following directions and working hard.  I’m sure this is just the beginning of our sports activities…bring it on!

Like father, like son

Mimi brought Ethan a bat, ball, and stand

Fan club

And Rachel proved that a girl can never be too dressed up for t-ball

Clay, Rachel, Nana, Poppa and I spent Monday night watching Ethan at his first t-ball game…actually his first game of any kind. It was a little bit surreal realizing that we have a kid old enough to be playing organized sports, and there we were with our water bottles, camping chairs, glove, ball, etc. As I was getting him dressed for the game he told me that he didn’t want to play t-ball anymore because he didn’t know you had to wear pants AND tuck your shirt in…double whammy. After he scored his first run he said, “I love t-ball!” I had a lot of fun watching him experience something new, and Clay had a lot of fun out on the field reminding all of the boys which way to run…and when. One little boy on E’s team kept shouting to the batters, “Is it my turn yet?” If you’re needing some comic relief on a Monday night, just come on out to the t-ball fields.

Do you see anything “wrong” with this picture?!?

Last weekend we took the kids to a Fort Worth Cats game as a birthday gift to one of Ethan’s friends, Brant.  Despite the presence of lightning and some light rain, we had a great time.  If you live in the area and haven’t been to a Cats game, GO!  The ballpark is so nice, the atmosphere is very family friendly and relaxed, and tickets start at $4.  Here’s a small glimpse into what we did:

Ate…a lot

Climbed on the rails

Got in trouble for sitting up here

Played catch

Suckered other kids into playing catch

Clay entertained Rachel

And of course I dutifully watched the players the game

We loaded up the kids around 10 p.m. and they were so wired that they giggled all the way home.  Fun Friday night.