Trophies & Travel Plans

So, as is the case with the rest of the country, it’s stupid hot here, and yesterday it rained for the first time in about a month. Not a lot, but I can see a little color perking back  up in the grass this morning.

I’m really grateful that the heat wave held off until my kiddos were done with their baseball and softball seasons. I was pretty proud of my crew – M’s squad never ended up winning a game all year, but they learned so much, and by the end of the season, you could see the pieces coming together. She worked so hard this year, and it showed. Also? This girl can RUN!

Sis with her participation trophy after the final game of her year.

E’s team had a great season, and ended up in first place for regular season. The tournament that they play is double-elimination, and we got to the championship game without a tourney loss. Sadly, that final night, we fell twice to a great team, and ended up runners-up. 

This was E’s first year in kid-pitch, and I think it was pretty intimidating to him. He was a solid hitter at the coach-pitch levels, and this year he just seemed really off his game. We worked hard on it, and by the end of the season, he was making solid contact with the ball again.

 

Mr. E showing off his First Place Regular Season and Tournament Runner Up trophies.

 

J’s league was really small this year, and only consisted of 3 teams. I’m not sure who all worked to split the kids into those teams, but they couldn’t have divided them any better. Technically, we ended up last in regular season play, but the records for the three teams went like this: First place finished 6-5-1, second was 6-6, and third was 5-6-1. Had we beaten the first place team instead of ending up in a tie? All three teams would have been 6-6. Yeah, we watched some really fun games!  And, after finishing “last” in the regular season, we came back and beat both teams to win the tournament championship!

 

J, trying to not burst with the pride of winning the championship.

Outside of a few select incidents with “adults” over the course of the season, I think we really had a great time. It’s been really strange these last few days to not have to take someone to practice or a game. I’m incredibly grateful to the guys that give so much of their time and money to teach our kids, and encourage and support them, so a bit thanks to our coaches!

In  a few days, we’re taking our first trip flying commercially with all three kids! We tend to drive when we go places, and when I fly, most often it’s for work, so it’s sans kiddos. The kids have flown before, but they were lucky enough to get to do that on a private plane, and I’m afraid they’re going to be a bit disappointed by the lack of amenities on Southwest. At any rate, we’re heading out west for a few days for a wedding, and we’re really looking forward to it!

Obviously, the kids are older, and hopefully the travelling won’t be to difficult, but if any of you have flown recently with kids, do you have any good suggestions on ways to make the trip as easy as possible? We will have to change planes (just a short 45 minute window for that!) and my plan right now is to check luggage, but we may revisit that as we pack and see what we really have to take. We’ll just see how it goes!

What tips do you have for flying with kids?

Speak up, or Let it Ride?

The first time I ever saw the term, I knew immediately that we all knew a few of them. We all hope to avoid them, but it’s inevitable. We’re going to be stuck with one or two (at LEAST) in our years as mothers.

We pray that we never find ourselves being one.

Motherbitches – a term coined by Shell at Things I Can’t Say.

Here’s the deal. My girl plays softball, and due to a variety of circumstances, the leagues are set up this year with kids from 5-8 years old on teams together in one league, and then 9-12 plays in another league. Last year, there were four leagues – 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12. My girl is on a 5-8 team. That means that there are girls on the team who have never played softball and are only 5, and there are girls who are 8 and in their fourth year as players.

HUGE skills gap.

No biggie to me- my daughter only started last year, and while she’s made huge strides in her skill set, she still has a lot to learn, and honestly, she’s picking up a ton by just observing when they are working with the younger girls.

I have a couple of those big 5-gallon drink dispenser cooler things. You know – the kind you see on construction trucks and stuff. It can get crazy hot here in the summer, and I bring a jug of ice water to every game. Hydration is important! I provide cups for every girl, they’re welcome to help themselves, I clean up the cups after the game, yadda yadda. The point is, I make sure that there is water, enough for everyone, if they want it.

So, my daughter has made a couple mentions of how a pair of moms who help in the dugout “were mean to so-and-so, and yelled at her that she had to pay attention” after a little girl didn’t catch the instruction of a base coach and ended up tagged out. I shook off the comments, having not heard the exchange, and wondering if instruction was just being misconstrued.

Then, at a practice a couple weeks ago, the littlest girl on the team ran up and hugged me and said “I’m so glad you’re one of our coaches again!” (I had helped in the dugout a couple times when we were short-handed.) I didn’t think much about it, until she said something about liking me a lot more than the other ladies, and even then, I shrugged it off.

This last week, though, Sis was talking to me as we were driving home after her game, and she said to me “Mommy? “A”’s mom said tonight that she didn’t know why you kept bringing that jug since most of the girls bring a drink, and “L”’s mom laughed, and she sounded really mean about it.”

Really?

You want to gossip about other moms, and don’t even have the sense to do it when the girls are out in the field? You’re going to do it with them in the dugout with you?

Motherbitches.

So, now I’m trying to decide – if I say something to them, or to the coach, what do I say to not be a motherbitch? How do I approach this? The coach thanks me after each game and each practice for bringing the water, and I think he’s sincere, but if it’s an issue, it’s not like I *have* to lug 5 gallons of water to each game. Do I say anything at all, or just let it go, knowing we  only have a few weeks left? What if they’re talking about other moms in front of their daughters too? Or if they really are being mean to the girls, instead of being supportive and helping them learn? Am I over-reacting? After all, I’m working off a story told to me by an eight year old.

Hopefully, I’ll decide on something, even if the something is to do nothing, before 5 or so because we’re headed to the ballpark.

sigh.

Linking this up with Shell’s Pour Your Heart Out, because, well, that seemed doggone appropriate, since I stole her word! And because, frankly, I knew you guys out there would probably have some good ideas as to what the heck I should do, and this is really bugging me.