Monday, January 28, 2008

Softball Madness

I guess by the time I began this blog last year, we were very nearly done with the Little League season. Only Rachel played, and frankly, I found it completely irritating. Too many games a week, always at night (since school kids play it has to be late in the day or--horrors--on the weekend, which I hate even more) where we were constantly freezing--because let's face it, Long Island nights are not warm at all before June. Even in the summer we can get lows in the 50's, so imagine standing out at 10 pm in April and you'll see what I mean! It was a complete hassle to get to the field by 6:00, because we had to have dinner of course before that--although many families brought fast food to the game or stopped by a drive thru when the game FINALLY ended at 8:30 or 9:00 (10:00 or 11:00 if you had the dreaded Late Game...)I absolutely refused to do that to my family twice a week. Insanity.

And then June came, Little League was over for the season, I breathed a sigh of relief and thought, I won't have to think about that for a long time! And yet, now is the time to register for the spring. I asked Rachel casually if she wanted to play again--at 12 this is her last year for Little League (last year was her first, in fact)--because although I think she enjoyed playing, she wasn't the star of the team by any stretch. However, she does want to play, and Ben overheard and remembered that last year we told him he was too young to start, he has to be five...so he piped up that he wants to play T-ball.

To add insult to my injury, we had to ask Julia if she wants to play too. Julia is extremely athletic, maybe more so than Ben. She plays with Matt and Ben in the yard, and she can smoke the ball over the fence. She's fast and strong and can throw quite well, too. So it would have been terrible not to ask her....but I'll admit I was secretly happy when she said no right away. Then Matt had to go and do the touchy-feely parenting thing and ask her why....it turns out that she's scared she won't be good, that the coach would expect her to just know all the rules, and that she'd let her team down if she made mistakes. Which of course meant we were obligated to reassure her and tell her about teamwork and learning and that coaches are friends......

If I sound grumpy--it's because I AM!!! Honestly, 3 kids in Little League? Hello! We'll be at that field every single day of the week, except possibly for Sunday if we're extra lucky. I absolutely cringe at the thought of it. And this would be from mid-March till June--not even in summer when we have "nothing else to do..." I want to be a good mom, and honestly I wish I had been more athletic as a kid, so if they want to play sports I want them to---but the selfish part of me just wants to run howling into my padded cell. Because that is exactly where you'll be able to find me if I have to suffer through three Little League teams.

And, incidentally, my butt will be three sizes bigger too! Last year we were informed that we "didn't have to pay for uniforms..." except coincidentally, we had to sell 50 candy bars for the team! We just paid the $50 and kept the darn candy, because we'd already hit friends and relatives up for Girl Scout nuts, candy and cookies--we thought, 50 candy bars in a family of 6 people isn't such a huge deal. But 150 candy bars? Sheesh! Now we'll have to go hawking candy bars in the street, just another fun job to get accomplished when I'm not hanging out watching kids play ball. So if you read my blog because you know me, and you don't want chocolate in your life, you should avoid me like the plague from March to June!!

--Jen

3 comments:

MamaBirdEmma said...

Poor thing... I plan on telling my children that there is no such thing as sports played by children... I have no problem being a bad mother. ;)

Kelly said...

Keep 5 candy bars a person and give away the rest? Maybe to a food pantry? I mean if you'd have to pay that much money for the unifors anyway, you'd be out the money either way. But it would be easier on you than having to eat them all.

I so understand the whole sports thing! Last year when Collin was 5 he could sign up for soccer. He found out about it during out first days here. I signed him up in July and for a team that didn't start till September! And I heard almost daily "Does soccer start yet?" And I was so hesitant to sign him up. I kep thinking "Do I really want to commit myself to the next 13 years of this????" The answer is no, not really. But then you feel guilty and all that. And that whole 'be a good mom' thing kicks in and well you know.

The good news is, by the time Emma is old enough to play, Rachel will be almost done! Oh wait, I just did the math, so maybe not. Wow that is somewhat depressing. Sorry to bring it up!

My condolences!

PS - Chocolate would melt on the way to Okinawa! Otherwise, my husband the chocoholic would be glad to help you out!

Chloe [-headbang-] said...

I would sooooooo buy some chocolate, but it'd melt on the way HERE, too...

So sorry.

--Chloe [[<3]]