pay off

Sometimes as parents, well mostly the days when you are covered in vomit and other stinky unknown substances that are regurgitated by little munchkins that you promised to love and care for forever, you stop and think....really? Is this all worth it?  Could I be saving my pennies and traveling the world, living in exotic lands, eating fancy foods and experiencing a better life with some other destiny that isn't so down and dirty?  The answer is yes, yes you could.  But, you wouldn't get this....this pay off....BIG pay off.

The moment you see your children, running around with excitement for well, chasing a tiny ball in herds, making no real sense and I can't even call it playing a "game".  Because honestly speaking at 4 and 5, it's no game, it's just fun, and controlled chaos.  Tonight for all the parents lined up watching their babies, in their oversized, orange shirts, it was priceless.  It was all the sleepless nights, covered in puke and spit up, spending every last dime on the crane machine to finally win a cheap peace of crap toy, we do it all and for what? Nights like this....

Our favorite team mascot, decked out in orange and clapping all night long!

Daddy is the Head Coach and Nolan is learning some tricks of the trade

Pre-game pep talk, very important....

You see that field kids...that's where the magic is going to happen...ummmm or something like that!

It was a night of learning all around.  About how to wrangle 14, 5-6 year olds, a daddy's first time coaching, our babies first time playing Tball and my heart filled with pride for all of them.  They were pumped, about it all, to be "real" baseball players.  To eat the chips and Gatorade, to run the bases and chase a tiny ball, all of it equally exciting.  And although it was rather chilly and Nolan a happy camper, managed to spill a green gatorade all over our blanket and kept dried boogers or crackers on his face regardless of how many times I WIPED IT!  The night was a success.

Get your positions, umm, that means 14 kids in about a 12 x12 space!

Graham in his perfect batting form...and not so perfect way too big baseball pants!

Little Miss Audrey on 1st base!

A fellow mama there cheering on her boy, said it perfectly tonight, "I just remember driving by baseball fields seeing little kids playing and I couldn't wait to be there one day!"  Today was the day and I too remember those days where it was only a dream and today it came true.  Full circle mama moment.  So fun and so fulfilling, for all of us.

Good game, good game, good game, learning sportsmanship even when it's a TIE! :)