Here’s another milestone for you. Forget walking, talking, toilet training, or kindergarten; nothing is quite so satisfying as when your littlest child first dons a t-shirt that hangs down past her knees and becomes part of a sports team.
Was I proud of how she ran up to join the rest of the group? Of how she ran all the way to the back fence to field a ball and then tried to throw it in, the ball soaring a full four feet from where she stood, hitting the ground and coming to a dribbling stop? Of how she only lay down in the grass and looked at the clouds once during the entire session?
Sure, I guess. I mean, she was mighty cute.
But the key milestone moment here — and the only reason I am even able to recall such sweet details from her “game” — is that for the first time EVER, I didn’t have to chase a small child around on the sidelines. That’s right, I was able to sit back and give the child on the field my undivided attention. (All right, fine. I could have given her my undivided attention if I wanted to. As it happened, I found dividing my attention between the playing field and my phone was sufficiently loving.)
It has been seven years, guys. I’ve put in seven years of trying to cheer on one kid standing in the outfield while keeping a toddler from falling off the top of the bleachers. I’ve chased runaway two-year-olds up and down snowbanks and through fields of dandelions. I’ve stopped to cheer on a t-ball at bat only to find a preschooler climbing a tree and the baby in a mud puddle.
I’ve missed singles, doubles, runs scored, and plays made. I’ve been that mom who shows up halfway through the first inning, screwing up the entire batting line-up for the game, because the chicken fingers took longer to cook than I expected, the baby had a blow out, and the preschooler didn’t want to wear shoes.
But not this year, my friends. Not. This. Year.
Well, not on Wednesday nights when it’s the four-year-old’s turn to take to the field anyway. It’s just me and her. Oh yeah, the ten-year-old’s around here somewhere, too, but I’m 75% sure he’s not going to run out into traffic.
And even when it’s not the little one’s turn to play, things are much, MUCH calmer than they used to be.
3 replies on “Milestone alert! My baby joined a team and it’s the best thing ever”
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Yes! I only have two here, but by the time the second (now 8) joined tball, then rookie ball, ringette and all the rest of it, boy it was so much easier to actually pay attention to what her older brother was doing in his baseball and hockey! Plus, I can ignore either kid much better now when the other one is doing their thing. Milestone for mom, too! :)
This is so awesome!!! Congrats!!! Definitely a milestone worth celebrating, and all it represents!
I totally get how big of an accomplishment this is, and I only look forward to the time when I too can enjoy this beautiful milestone, instead of trying to keep the baby from crying and the toddler from taking the field while I too, try to crane my neck for just one look at the four year old playing t-ball! :D