Take Me Out to the Ballgame

You know right now that football is what rules my life and rocks my world (I know, I know...but I do totally love it that much!), but the Fall season also means we are into softball and baseball as well.

Along with Delaney playing travel ball with her new 14-and-under team, Sydney is playing Fall ball at our local girls park with her team that Gary coaches. Sydney loves softball more than we ever imagined (how we could get another daughter that loves it like Delaney does, I'll never know!) and she really loves her Fall team.

She is already doing great and is going to develop a lot as a player this Fall (which is the purpose of the Fall season, which is really designed as a developmental league). And she loves that she is a regular infielder now, too. So far she has played first base and in the circle!

This last week, the team had their first game of the season...but it happened on a night when the rain came pouring into our town and it looked like a storm was really on its way. Before the game, Gary told Sydney that the game might be rained out. Her response? She cried and cried and cried. Her game could not be rained out!

I tried to explain that we can't help what the weather does. "Besides," I said, "rain is good. God makes it rain so that the flowers and grass will grow."You would have thought I said the worse thing in the world. Sydney looked back at me with a look that could have only said, "You mean, God doesn't want me to play softball?"

Well, I guess God decided that He did want her to play softball (or something like that! LOL), because we were able to start the game. Still...the field was gross and the lightning came back after the bottom of the first inning. Sydney didn't even get to bat, which made her really sad.But, she got to play some first base and circle. And got to hang out with her softball bff, Jordin...

The other sport we love this time of year is major league baseball. We are all huge Atlanta Braves fans (and Delaney loves the Red Sox), and we were so excited because we got tickets to go to this weekend's game between the Braves and the Phillies. The Braves are 4 games out of the wildcard race, so there are still some possibilities to get into the playoffs, so we were really excited to be going during this time of year.

But, more importantly, Delaney has never been to a Braves game...and you really have no idea how much she loves baseball and this team!

A week or so ago, however, we realized that we had a family conflict and one of us (either me or Gary) would need to stay at home for the day and evening. After a discussion over who should stay home and who should go, we decided that it was more important for Gary to go to the game. He said to me, "I really don't want to miss Delaney's first major league baseball game" and Delaney said to me after that decision was made, "Mom, don't get mad. But I really do want Pop to go."

I'm all for father-daughter bonding and, although I'm sad to not be there tonight, I'm glad that Gary will get to experience it with the girls!

And here's proof of how much Delaney loves the Braves (and Chipper Jones and Yunel Escobar, in particular)....


(yes, she's carrying a couple of signs to display during the game.)

She's already texted me several times and the game hasn't even started...that their seats are awesome, that the stadium is awesome, that everything is awesome.

That, I think, is just (you know) Awesome!

I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend as well. Fill it with awesome things and times and friends. I'll see you all again real soon!