Little League

Little League (AKA Busy! Busy! Busy!) is upon us.  It's time to finally share some pictures.

This season begins with a Little League parade in our town.  Each team creates a banner to say thanks to their sponsor.  It's more important that the banners be made by the children than to be perfectly designed.

This is the banner for Evan's t-ball team.  Derek is the coach, therefore the primary designer of the banner.  I drew it out for him on the sheet and helped the children paint it.  The children also signed their names.  (Yes, I crop out faces of teammates since I din't have permission to post them here.)

 I was about to get a picture of Meghan's team and banner when she ran up to me.  This is her rejoining the team.

 During the very first softball game of the season, Meghan played the pitcher position.  Her team is coach pitched, so she did not actually pitch, but she did a lot of fielding.

 In this division, the girls get six coach pitches.  If they don't hit it by then, a tee is set out for them.  (I think this will change at some point during the season.)

During her first at-bat of the season, Meghan had a nice hit early on.  She didn't run to first base right away.  I think she had seen the other girls get lots of pitches (and then the tee), and wanted more opportunities to hit.

Later during that game she was thrilled to put on the catcher's gear.  (An adult did most of the catching/throwing though.)

 

Evan and Esther found some shade under the bleachers.

Today was Evan's first tee ball game.

 Warming up...

 Coach Dad setting up the tee.

And here's Esther during Evan's game.  Meghan was off playing with a friend most of the time.

Let the fun begin.

Funny Esther

Esther was late waking up from her nap (on a rare day when I didn't have to wake her up to go to
preschool/bus stop).  I opened her door so she could come out when she awoke.  She popped right up, but looked tired, so I asked her if she wanted to rock.  (It seemed the perfect
opportunity to quietly cuddle with her siblings playing outside.)

She and Baby Bunny climbed into my lap.  We talked for a little bit, and then I began to play with her as the voice of Baby Bunny.  We were having lots of fun.  She laughed the loudest when Baby Bunny would shake his head no.

Eventually, Daddy Bunny came to join us from the bed.  Now I was speaking for both.  Esther was giggling at everything.  Every time one of the pink bunnies "talked," her eyes fixed on it.  She was so fixated, I wondered if she understood it was me talking and not the stuffed animals.

Then, Esther took one of the bunnies.  It said to me, "Hi, Mom."  She understood perfectly.  Then the bunnies had a little conversation.  Baby Bunny did not want to read any books.  She even used her hand to turn his head.  Finally, Baby Bunny knew a book he wanted to read.  Goodnight Moon.

Though this may sound like a cute story, it will be a sweet memory of mine for a long time.  It was much better in person.

*~*~*~*~*
Our puppet dinosaur was "eating" my foot.  When I asked if it tasted good, DinoEsther replied, "Yes."

Then I asked if my foot was stinky.

The dinosaur sniffed my foot loudly.  And then it sneezed.
*~*~*~*~*

Apparently, Meghan and Evan have taught Esther what babies say.  Now Esther's baby doll says, "Gah, gah, goo, goo."  It's rather cute hearing Esther say it.

Esther, Age 2 1/2

This morning when Esther asked to go outside, I decided to take the camera with us.  I was excited to test a point and shoot camera tip to have a better photograph with the focus being on the person's face and not the background.  (Someday I hope to have a better camera, because I do love to take photos.  But really, this one works fine.)

All photos are unedited.  Several images would have been beautiful...had they not been blurry.  I didn't bother to upload them to the blog.

I asked Esther to stand by the tree.  She did all the rest on her own.  

This was the very first photo I took today.

Disappointment

Just like any other day of preschool, I picked Evan up at three o'clock.  The parking lot was strangely filled and though I was on time, parents were already leaving with their children.  I thought it was odd but did not dwell on it.

Upon entering Evan's classroom, his first words to me were, "Mom, why didn't you hear me sing?"

OH NO!

I knew the Spring Sing was coming up because Evan had been signing a lot at home.  His teacher and the preschool director even mentioned it.  However, no one ever told me when it was.  I never noticed it on the monthly calendar that I'm sure was sent home...or highlighted in the director's monthly letter.  I don't know if I didn't receive the letter/calendar or if I just threw it away without looking at it.  (I always skim or read them, so I don't think I would have thrown it away.)

I was devastated.  Evan cried.  I cried.

Evan also got over it within a short bit.  I didn't.  As I prepared the children's afternoon snacks, Meghan asked me if I was going to cry.  I explained I already had.  I think that surprised both Meghan and Evan.  All through the evening I was on the verge of tears.

I sent out an email to his classmate's parents asking if anyone had video.  I was able to see some right away.  The following Monday I visited with a parent.  She let me watch on her cell phone.  In this video (unlike the first that I saw, I could see Evan bravely wiping his tears.  Oh, how it broke my heart to see him so disappointed in me.

I don't know how this happened, but I have forgiven myself.  Evan was able to do that much sooner than me.

Evan put on a private show of two of the songs the class sang on stage.  For your pleasure...and mine.  If the videos don't work below you can also view them here and here.  At either of those links you can also see some of our older videos.  (Esther had the hiccups during "filming".)


(I purposely put off writing this.  I couldn't bear to share about it on Facebook or here on the blog until I was over it.)