Baseball practices have started. I'm the head coach of Kate's team this year, and Jack is essentially an assistant coach, since he's come to both practices so far and helped out. This is a little weird because several kids on the team are in Jack's grade and were his teammates last year. But because he's a little older and better at baseball, he's moved up a level and they've stayed to be joined by his younger sister moving up a level.
Yesterday was our first outdoors practice. It's going to be a challenging year for Kate, and me as her head coach, since a lot of the kids on the team are close to Jack in age and ability. But so far, so good. One of her friends is on the team, which helps (it's the age and level when a lot of girls start to drop out and it becomes a snowball effect -- girls drop out because their friends drop out, and so on and so forth), and there's mostly pretty good kids on it, some of whom know Kate a little, and were on the team a year ago.
Kate, from us playing in the back yard, is better at throwing, catching and hitting than she was a year ago. Plenty of room for improvement, which is true of everyone. Mostly I want two things: for her to try all the time, and for her to enjoy herself.
And she is. She'll do the right things in the fielding drills. Every once in a while she'll squawk about something or act like it's a big deal (or gripe about some minor ache or pain). But she generally does it with a smile; she's been having fun.
Jack, as an assistant coach, gets a little full of himself sometimes. He offers instruction which is way above the level most of the kids are ready for. And of course, he wants to show by doing: "Let me hit one?" That kind of thing. But he's been gamely playing first base while the kids are throwing the ball all over the place, loping to get this one, diving for that, without complaint.
Yesterday, at the end of practice, Jack pitched to some of the kids when my other assistant coach had to leave early. Kate, who'd got a hit off the other coach, came up and I could see her putting a pout on her face: "Jack's going to throw too hard. Jack's going to hit me." For a few pitches she stood as a statue, saying they were too high or too hard, while Jack threw both good and bad pitches and gaped at me in protest when Kate didn't swing. (Jack, that was too high. Jack, just keep pitching.) I went up to Kate and said, Kate, you can hit these. Just get in your good stance and put a good swing on it. And he threw one and she swung and hit it, and it was a slow roller that thank heavens stayed fair. And she got to first, and smiled, and Jack pitched to the next kid.
Practice ended with smiles all around. They played a little on the playground while we waited for other parents to collect their kids, and we got in the car just before rain and lightning started that would have cancelled practice immediately; lucky. Picked up a pizza, ate it at home, and the kids danced around the kitchen to their favorite song these days. Jack's always happy after baseball practice. Kate, I don't always see that, so it was really nice that she was. Made me proud.
There will be tough days coaching Kate and this team, I'm realistic about it. But for one night it was pretty awesome. Looking forward to playing ball.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Wednesday, March 02, 2016
Disney
Went to Disney last week. We'd gone a couple of years ago and had so much fun; just had to go another time before the kids got older, Jack was in middle school, and such a trip away would be less feasible. So we went ahead and did it.
A couple of days were better the first trip. The newness of it all. The fact that our weather at Universal wasn't quite as good this time. On the other hand, we didn't make some of the mistakes we made the first time, and no doubt Universal was way less crowded with the lesser weather. We got to do all the rides we wanted to do, AND got to do them more often because the lines weren't as long. And when we went back to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, Kate asked at the counter if our waiter from that trip, a colorful, charismatic guy named Vegas, was working. And he was. We were seated in his section, he charmed the kids again, and I seriously thought about getting a picture with him before we left. But that one we'll just have to keep in our minds.
Our best Disney day was Thursday, our second one in Magic Kingdom. Started at Chef Mickey's, where the food was just ordinary but the character meetings were fantastic. Goofy got the whole room swinging their napkins and clapping, us included. Minnie was as beautiful and charming as a giant mouse could possibly be. Mickey and Donald and Pluto gave and received big hugs all around. It was awesome.
After breakfast it was off to the park, where we began by standing in an hour-long ride for the Mine Train. Too long, but a great ride and so worth it. Then it was off to another roller coaster, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and a ride the kids were more into than us, Buzz Lightyear, where basically you're just trying to shoot things with lasers. Strangely addictive though, and while Kate got frustrated at times, when she had a good game, she was very excited. Those rides pretty much consumed the morning, and after lunch, we did them all again.
This was the night we were going to stay at Disney to watch a nighttime electric musical parade and maybe fireworks. They had them every night, but it made for a long day if we'd been there early, as we were. But our plan was to go back to our hotel to relax for a little, then return for the night show.
Trying to leave the park, we were delayed -- by another parade! In front of us, were dancers, and a huge dragon (the one from Sleeping Beauty) and other dancing, singing Disney characters. We rode a boat home, relaxed for an hour, watched a hilarious episode of Gravity Falls, then went back to the park for hotdogs (the baseball-themed Casey's, Jack "helped" by getting way more ketchup than any hotdog needed) and the parade.
It ended, and it was 8 p.m. Two years ago, we'd have just gone home -- did just go home. But this time we said, hmm, let's see how long the lines are at our favorite rides. And they weren't too bad. So as darkness fell (staved off by all the lighting) we ran about the park doing rides. Buzz, the Barnstormer, and more, after which Kate would say "Again! Again!" And then we rode the People Mover around the park, which was basically a train that went across the top of all the different rides. And then, as we ran from ride to ride, the fireworks started. And the Speedway was zooming off to the edge of the noise.
We ran from ride to ride as fireworks crashed overhead and park music played and Kate said "Again." Did this until around 9, but it seemed like forever. And then it was time to go.
Walking home, after catching the monorail to our hotel, I said to Kate -- neither she nor Jack will ever admit to being tired -- "You look like you'll admit to being tired." A little glassy-eyed, she said, slowly "I am tired." And that was the end of the day.
A couple of days were better the first trip. The newness of it all. The fact that our weather at Universal wasn't quite as good this time. On the other hand, we didn't make some of the mistakes we made the first time, and no doubt Universal was way less crowded with the lesser weather. We got to do all the rides we wanted to do, AND got to do them more often because the lines weren't as long. And when we went back to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, Kate asked at the counter if our waiter from that trip, a colorful, charismatic guy named Vegas, was working. And he was. We were seated in his section, he charmed the kids again, and I seriously thought about getting a picture with him before we left. But that one we'll just have to keep in our minds.
Our best Disney day was Thursday, our second one in Magic Kingdom. Started at Chef Mickey's, where the food was just ordinary but the character meetings were fantastic. Goofy got the whole room swinging their napkins and clapping, us included. Minnie was as beautiful and charming as a giant mouse could possibly be. Mickey and Donald and Pluto gave and received big hugs all around. It was awesome.
After breakfast it was off to the park, where we began by standing in an hour-long ride for the Mine Train. Too long, but a great ride and so worth it. Then it was off to another roller coaster, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and a ride the kids were more into than us, Buzz Lightyear, where basically you're just trying to shoot things with lasers. Strangely addictive though, and while Kate got frustrated at times, when she had a good game, she was very excited. Those rides pretty much consumed the morning, and after lunch, we did them all again.
This was the night we were going to stay at Disney to watch a nighttime electric musical parade and maybe fireworks. They had them every night, but it made for a long day if we'd been there early, as we were. But our plan was to go back to our hotel to relax for a little, then return for the night show.
Trying to leave the park, we were delayed -- by another parade! In front of us, were dancers, and a huge dragon (the one from Sleeping Beauty) and other dancing, singing Disney characters. We rode a boat home, relaxed for an hour, watched a hilarious episode of Gravity Falls, then went back to the park for hotdogs (the baseball-themed Casey's, Jack "helped" by getting way more ketchup than any hotdog needed) and the parade.
It ended, and it was 8 p.m. Two years ago, we'd have just gone home -- did just go home. But this time we said, hmm, let's see how long the lines are at our favorite rides. And they weren't too bad. So as darkness fell (staved off by all the lighting) we ran about the park doing rides. Buzz, the Barnstormer, and more, after which Kate would say "Again! Again!" And then we rode the People Mover around the park, which was basically a train that went across the top of all the different rides. And then, as we ran from ride to ride, the fireworks started. And the Speedway was zooming off to the edge of the noise.
We ran from ride to ride as fireworks crashed overhead and park music played and Kate said "Again." Did this until around 9, but it seemed like forever. And then it was time to go.
Walking home, after catching the monorail to our hotel, I said to Kate -- neither she nor Jack will ever admit to being tired -- "You look like you'll admit to being tired." A little glassy-eyed, she said, slowly "I am tired." And that was the end of the day.
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