Baseball

We're starting spring training early this year at our house. Joshua and David have been wanting me to pitch to them at the open gym we attend once a week, and have shown surprising coordination at the bat. The gym floor has lines painted all over it, of course, and so we pretend one of the intersections is home plate. Then I make them straddle one of the lines, which helps them keep their feet properly aligned for their stance. They've been able to adjust their arms when I've told them "put your elbows up" or "hold the bat up in the air" and I'm impressed that they can follow these directions. Finally I remind them to watch the ball - here is a situation where giving Mom great eye contact is actually not so helpful! - and when they do - wow! They can hit it! It's a dodge ball so it's about 6 inches in diameter, and the bat is also about 6 inches across at the fat part, but hey, they're doing great for hitting without a tee! Joshua is taking after Babe Ruth in that when he connects, he really wollops it. (When he doesn't connect, you can feel the breeze from that swing ripping through the air!) David is more consistent but doesn't quite have his form down yet. Anyway, I ramble on because my dad spent years of his life coaching me in softball, and teaching my boys this wonderful old-fashioned American game is definitely nostalgic. I don't follow the major leagues much anymore - without time or a TV it's too much trouble - and I don't care if the boys ever do either. But the joys of playing baseball in the innocence of youth without any commercialization can still be found, and I hope that learning the game serves them well. Meanwhile, the boys and I are bonding. Batter up!