Machine Pitch, Word World & Speed Racer

Just a short little note today, I hope. A lot has been going on this week, some of which has been horrible, but by the end of the week all seems promising. I'm never going to talk about horrible stuff here, but here's a clue: April 15th fell during this past week.

Yesterday was one of those great days. The weather didn't look promising to start. In fact, there was blowing snow in the morning and the temperature turned cold. I spent some of my workday dealing with little league admin stuff, and I didn't get to go for a run. Then I had to leave work early because there was an early game. Cyndi had tacos ready at home. At Jackson's request, I ran by the storage unit to pick up a tent I bought a few years ago from a neighbor's garage sale for $1.

Got home and Rylee ran out the door with new pajamas, still on the clothes hangers. He doesn't often get new things. He was so excited. For several evenings now, whenever I dressed him for bed and struggled to convince him to wear clean pajamas, I made a deal with him that we would get him new pajamas: at a minimum they had to have numbers on the them and they had to be "ssschort-sschleeved". A race car on them would be an extra bonus. Sure enough, Cyndi found him new short-sleeved pajamas with a number on them AND a racing car. When I cuddled with Ry later yesterday night in his new pajamas, we found out that he was wearing Speed Racer pajamas, a new kids movie about to come out.

Ry has also been talking about his birthday in early June, when he turns three. He's very interested in the theme. He talks about the birthday cake and the candle on it that he will blow out. At one point, he talked about Thomas the Train on the cake, then Handy Manny, but more and more he talks about Word World, a PBS show he and Jack watch in the morning before Jack goes to school and they are eating organic toaster waffles with Trader Joe's maple syrup, cereal, usually Fruit Loops, in bowls with straws, and fruit, banana or apples, and drinking chocolate milk in sippy cups. They love the show, but it is so new that I'm afraid there's very little in Word World toys or birthday party supplies yet.

This reminds me that the boys are very good at picking out funny lines and snatches of dialogue from movies and then saying them over and over at funny moments, with much laughter and delight. Wish I could remember them. The classic is the gingerbread man, who says "Do you mind? BORING!" You had to have been there, I know. It comes complete with an imitation of the voice and inflection and all the gestures.

Jackson had his second machine pitch game. He did great. The weather got sunny and warm just before the start of the game. The wind died down. The kids did so good, and I was glad to see that everyone was letting the kids play and hit and encouraging and congratulating both sides. Our team was really hot at the plate and Jack got a hit at every at-bat, then ran around the bases, one at a time, and when he reached home waved to Cyndi and Ry in the stands while everyone cheered the run. In the field, he is so enthusiastic, chattering away, hustling for the ball, involved in the game even though I found out he didn't know why the pitcher fields the hit ball, throws it to first, and the first baseman throws it right back to the pitcher. We play our players at all the positions and so far have worked out "rules" with the other team's coaches that let everyone play and have a good at-bat.

When we got back home, after collecting all the equipment and putting away the field, I pitched the tent in the boys' room. That was a dream come true for them. It was like that day at the toystore: pure joy.