How 'Bout Those Rangers?!?!?!

Not only did Harris' T-ball team walk away as regular season champions, they also had the opportunity to play in the inaugural season tournament championship game last Thursday night.  Actually, because of the way the double-elimination tournament worked out, his team ended up playing a double header and WINNING both games!

While we ended up spending a very late night at the ballpark, it was tons of fun and very exciting...especially because Harris continued to hit off the coach pitch and slide into home plate every chance he got!  

Even Pop made the trip up for the big night!  Hadley was thrilled.

We started playing at 6:00.  Because both games were technically "championship" games, there was no time limit, which meant we played five full innings...twice.  The last game ended around 9:30 (waaaay past weekday bedtimes), but we still managed to stick around and celebrate for just a few minutes.

Even Sam and Emmy got in on the celebration action!

While Harris isn't completely in love with baseball, he did fall in love with his team and said he'd love to play another season if he could "stay with his same team."  I'm thankful for the friends he made and the fantastic coaches who poured into his life this season.

I'm pretty sure the Rangers will always hold a special place in our hearts.  This boy definitely will:

Can't wait to see what extracurricular activity he picks next!

Ranger Retirement.

Harris has officially announced his retirement from baseball.  He's had a good time playing with the Rangers this spring (and has even made a few new friends!) but is just about ready for the season to be over.  His team is playing for the t-ball championship tomorrow night and I think it's safe to say Harry isn't going to miss baseball  too much once it's finally over.

Although, for the record, he's hit off the coach pitch quite a bit lately.  We've hit up Dairy Queen in celebration after each game.  I'm always looking for a reason to inhale a Peanut Buster Parfait. :)

Last weekend, we were able to spend an evening at the park with his teammates and their families in celebration of the season.  Although it started to POUR down rain after about 45 minutes, we were still able to get in a little playing, eat some pizza and cake, and pass out trophies before everyone made a quick escape for home.

Emmy rocked a ponytail for the first time at the party.  She's always a big hit at the games...she's had such fun cheering for Harris this year!

Hadley's had a good time cheering for her boyfriend, Aaron, who just so happens to play on Harris' team.  Babe and Aaron are in school together and literally hug, blow kisses, and walk hand in hand whenever they see each other.  They were thrilled to spend time together at the party. :)

While the trophies were the hit of the night for Harry, the rest of our family was stoked about the double decker cookie cake from Sam's.

You can't go wrong with extra icing. :)

Or with these cheeks.

We've been so blessed this season with the best rec league coach I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.  He's positive, upbeat, professional, and is able to keep his perspective no matter what.  I loved hearing him talk about each boy as he handed out the trophies.  I also loved what he said about Harris:  no matter what the coach asked him to do this season, Harris always responded with, "I'll try."

Coach Keith was 100% accurate with that statement.

T-ball has been such a great experience for us this season and I am so thankful Harris had the opportunity to have fun and make new friends.  I can't imagine what we'll do with all of our free evenings after tomorrow night but I'm not too worried about it.  Summer of Fun is right around the corner. :)

Go Rangers!

Game Ball.

My sweet, sweet, sweet Harris earned himself the game ball (finally!) last week.

I couldn't be more proud of this boy.  Not because he earned the ball, and definitely not because of his baseball skills (or lack thereof).  I'm proud of him because he's becoming comfortable in his own skin, and that has been such a beautiful transformation to watch.

He's already announced that he's "retiring" from baseball after this season.  He doesn't mind playing, but he doesn't mind not playing, either, and while we want him to find that extracurricular activity he connects with, it's okay with us if he doesn't continue with baseball.  The boy doesn't seem to have an athletically competitive bone in his body.  He loves "getting a hit" but doesn't get upset when he strikes out.  He enjoys playing infield but doesn't complain when he spends most of his time in the outfield.  And just last week he realized the joy of "getting his baseball pants dirty" by sliding around in the grass.  He's awesome.

And he's smart.  And funny and quirky and (mostly) kind.  And he's himself regardless of his situation or circumstance and my heart is so full of love for that boy that it hurts.

He was so proud of that game ball, especially because he'd already (and matter-of-factly) let us know that he was pretty sure there weren't going to be enough game balls to go around.  He's now the owner of one, though, that he's chosen to display in the arm of his R2D2 robot.  It's actually a pretty perfect illustration of my pretty perfect boy.

Go Rangers!

An Afternoon at the Ball Park...

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

Harris is playing t-ball this year.  I'm talking for real, rec league, with practices, t-ball.  Up until this point, all of our athletic experiences have been through i9, where teams meet once a week, at the same time every week, for one hour.  Perfect for our family.  We've played soccer, t-ball, and flag football with i9, but now that Harris is in school we decided to bite the bullet and move up to the big leagues so he could play with his classmates.  I was nervous.

And then he had practice and I remembered what it was like to spend Saturday afternoons at the ballpark as a kid.  My family practically lived at the ballpark, especially during football season.  We played hard on the playground and cheered on our teams and spent time with friends and ate those suckers that are like sweet tarts on a stick from the concession stand.  And it was so much fun.

And so I embraced t-ball.

And Harry has, too.  Now, my Harris is not what you might call the athletic type.  He's just not.  (His strengths seem to be much more intellectually-based.)  But he enjoys playing sports and always has a desire to be a part of something, so we go with it!  In fact, Ben gave him three rules for this season that we recite before every practice and every game:  "Be brave.  Have fun.  Try your best."  And so far, Harris has.

We've been blessed with the most reasonable, kind, and patient coach.  He's been a perfect fit for Harris.

And so, at least for this season, we're a baseball family.  Granti, Auntie, and DB have made it to both games so far and Cody, Mo, Raven and Sam came out for the first one.  Hadley is in her element on the playground and Emmy practices walking all over the place during the game.  Thatch just hangs in his car seat, but I love the excuse to do something together, outside, as a family.  At least on the warm days.

On Opening Day, Harris hit the ball twice off the Coach's pitch and once off the tee.  The second game didn't quite produce the same results, but he didn't seem to notice...

In fact, when I told him he played well (after he struck out!), he responded with, "Yep.  I played good, alright."

I love his innocence.  And his self-confidence.

And I love him for trying something that's out of his comfort zone.  He's got courage, that kid.  His timidity is so often in direct contrast to the aggressiveness of sports, but he gets out there anyway.  I admire that.

And I love what this season is going to teach Harris...and me.  We're going to enjoy the journey and work hard to remember Dad's three rules, even if we're not the best on the team. :)

(That statement is so much more for me than him.  My Harry could care less about being the best.)

This boy has my heart.

Stellar Season.

Harry and Babe finished up the 2011 t-ball season on a high note.  Although Hadley never once played in the field, she took her turn at bat the majority of the time and ran proudly around the bases as often as she could.  Harris enjoyed hitting the ball and playing first base and Ben and I enjoyed seeing his confidence and ability improve 110% from last year.

They definitely earned their trophies this season!

We're gearing up for soccer season now!

Easter Eve.

We really couldn't have asked for a better Easter weekend.  We filled that bad boy up with food, family, friends, eggs, candy, naps, movies, and Jesus.  It was pretty much perfect.

While we spent Good Friday apart (Ben worked Passion's Good Friday service and the kids and I headed to ReCharge at The Way), Saturday morning brought us all back together bright and early for our pre-tball Waffle House breakfast.  After filling up on eggs, waffles, bacon, hashbrowns, toast, and grits (it's the All-Star Breakfast all the way, baby), we headed out to the ball park to watch the kids play a  double header!

We had some very special fans this week:  Granti, Auntie, Double Ben, CoCo, and Baby Sam all came out to cheer for the Dodgers. 

Auntie brought a sign, of course, and sweet little Harris checked every two seconds to make sure she was holding it "high in the air."   

That's my "words of affirmation" boy. :)

After t-ball, Ben, Harris, Hadley, and I headed home to decorate our eggs. 

The kids did a great job with their eggs this year.  The process didn't last long at all, but they were interested and engaged the entire time.  I'll take that any day.

We finished up just in time for the rest of the family to return for the Donaldson Family Easter celebration.  Both Auntie and Granti brought Easter gifts, and the kids could not have been more excited.  Granti gave Harry and Babe super cute bath towels, and Auntie simply sugared them up.

They loved it.

In addition to candy, we also shared our annual "bring whatever dish you want to the Easter lunch" meal.  This year's menu consisted of ham, rolls, asian slaw, sweet potatoes, cake, and buffalo chicken dip.

Cassidy finally got the recipe right.

We parted ways just in time for nap.  Poor Ben couldn't even make it upstairs before collapsing.

We finished off the evening with our first family movie outing.  Ben and I had a great time spending an entire paycheck taking the kids to see "Rio."  Seriously, taking a family of four to the movies is expensive!  It was tons of fun, though, and even Harry, who took a little convincing to make the trip, ended up really enjoying himself.  Perhaps a trip to the movies might become a new part of our Easter tradition.

I'm all about tradition, you know.

I also love me some Easter.  The kids put their baskets by the front door, left carrots and water for the Easter bunny, and listened to the Easter story before heading to bed Saturday night. 

Sunday morning sure did come around quickly...

Oh, My Heart.

DH

Hadley has worked her way into the Designated Hitter position on her t-ball team.

We'll work on fielding next season. :)

We were so, so proud of Babe yesterday!!!  No whining all morning (except for when she shook hands with the other team at the end of the game and kept saying, "he hit me...") and she took her turn at bat every inning!

I think we've decided that an early Waffle House breakfast is our new good luck charm.

Both kiddos played so well and with such great attitudes yesterday.

Haddie A. even earned the special team medal!!!

She wasn't too big of a fan.

I, on the other hand, am a huge of fan of these guys...

Warm Up.

T-ball is beginning to look promising for Babe.

A couple of Saturdays ago, during the second game of the season, Hadley actually decided to warm up with her team!

The phrase "with her team" might not be completely accurate.  She did warm up at the same time as her team, though.  She practiced hitting the ball off of the tee and running the bases, and had a fantastic time!

We thought she might actually play in the game, but nope.  She still refuses to put on her glove and play in the field, and when I attempted to put the batting helmet on her big head, all was lost.  She spent the game on the sidelines.

Harris, however, had another great game.  He even got to play first base, which meant he was able to touch the ball on every single play.  Which, in turn, meant no crocodile tears.

And to top everything off, Big Cooper and his entire family (and Andy!) came out to cheer on the kids, even in the rain! 

It's hard to beat Saturday mornings at the ballpark. 

Actually, a start time later than 9:00 would be nice...

T-Ball, #2.

Harris continues to excel at t-ball.

I guess "excel" might be a bit strong of a word, but both his attitude and performance on the field are light years away from last season. 

He talks to his teammates, he warms up with the coaches, he can't wait to bat, he runs his little heart out, and he's become a pretty decent throw-er.



It's so much fun to watch him give his best to something and know that he feels good about it.

Of course, he still turns on the big crocodile tears when the ball isn't hit directly to him, but he's sooo much better at sucking it up and hanging in there.  He's even running after the ball, although he's still not super eager to jump in the dog pile and fight for it.  He's getting closer, though.

My sweet boy was even awarded the very first medal of the season!

I didn't get to see him actually receive the medal (I had Babe in the bathroom), but the smile on his face when we connected spoke volumes.  I'm one proud mama.

Babe, on the other hand, spent the game like this:

She's still not crazy about getting on the field, and even freaked out over having her picture taken (nothing new there, though...the girl hates being the subject of pictures).  In the end, it wasn't worth the battle, so her team picture looks like this:

She sure did rock her uniform, though, and to her that's all that really matters.

She owns the most expensive jersey I've ever purchased.