As in Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
As in stressed to the max trying to get five little bodies (not to mention my own) out the door every night by 6:00.
Which means giving them dinner at 5 o’clock instead of the usual time, which is when Daddy gets home around 7:30. (I like to pretend we’re European.)
Which means having the van and the diaper bag and my bag packed & ready for our departure. (They never are.)
And which means having the house tidied up so that it’s presentable when we stagger home for snacks & showers two hours later. (It never is.)
Etc. etc. etc.
So how are all the rest of you Little League mothers faring? “Soccer Mom” indeed. It’s the baseball thing that has me chasing.
I will say, however, that I am always thankful for the reinstatement of an old tradition, which is to pray a decade of the Rosary on the way to the field for the intentions of the brother who’s playing.
Tonight, for example, was John Michael’s first game (after two weeks of practice). He was concerned because it looked like rain, so I told him to pray to St. Mathias. “Given it’s his feast day, he’s got some extra pull with God,” I explained.
I was backing down the driveway when I heard one of those heart-stopping, give-me-another-8-gray-hairs-to-go-with-the-other-80 shrieks that every mother loathes.
It was John Michael.
Ecstatically whooping.
“It looks like the heavens are opening and Mathias is sending down help!”
At which point Maria sang (to the tune of Handel’s chorus), “Hallelujah!”
I proceeded to invoke the patron saint of annoying children (whoever he or she may be) and we began our decade.
Thus we commence another season of baseball.
Perhaps by the end of it I will have learned:
- To beat my older children with a broom until they remember that they are responsible for getting the smaller siblings’ shoes on;
- To not freak out when my preschooler has to run around the playground in bare feet;
- To overcome my anal-retention regarding my children’s use of porta-potties. (And I’m sure there’s a joke there somewhere, but “there” is where I won’t go, so don’t worry.)
- To be okay with missing most of my sons’ games because of the squirmy girls who’d rather play;
- To not be okay with some of the language I hear among the shiftless middle-schoolers hanging out on the swings, and (in my best “cool older lady” imitation) go over to say, “Hey guys? Could you not talk like that around my kids?”
- To resist the temptation to take far more blurry, back-of-the-head photos than I (or anyone) cares to see.
- And finally, to be very, very proud of my handsome athletes.
Because they are why we put up with this.
Because they are only 21 months apart, my boys this season fall in the same age range. I told them in the winter that they would either both play baseball or nobody would play any sports (the season before, I let Billy play soccer instead of T-ball, because I can’t stand T-ball). They love being on the same team, and I love watching them help each other remember bats, gloves, cleats, etc.
Still, though, we have Tuesday or Wednesday and Saturday games (and the ones on Saturday are right in the middle of the day – grrr), and we’ve been doing Friday evening practices. On Saturdays, Bill watches the younger three at the game, but on weekdays, they are in the dugout with me and the team as I keep the kids in line and remind them who’s up to bat. It’s not that I actually get to see my boys get an out or make a hit, but at least I am aware of the inning and that my guy somehow managed to get on base.
Fortunately, we are half done with the season and we wrap up the week after Memorial Day. By mid-June, I don’t know what I’ll do with myself and all my free time.
Hmmm…maybe I’ll pack up my whole house and move cross country.
Yeah…softball for one and track for one. High-schoolers have even WORSE language (and they are in Catholic school…sigh…) Glad I’m not the only “Softball Rosary Mama” out there. I keep it in my jacket pocket and pray my way through an inning or 2. (Innings are long. Girls never swing the bat in softball. They just get bases–and runs–on walks.)
I just loved reading this post, Margaret. Partly because I love sports and it brings me back to my own family’s crazy ‘soccer game day’ schedule (we actually ended up eating around 4pm on those days!). But, mostly it paints such a nice (and funny) picture of all of the little things that I will have to look forward to when my own children are old enough to be in sports. I would love to join your family for an outing some day. What an interesting bunch!
…and good for you for saying something to those middle school kids. You ARE a cool mommy!
Oh, don’t you know that we only have one in baseball right now because I REFUSED to do 4 nights a week. And most of our games are literally a mile down the road. Next year might be different, but then John Paul and Joey can be on the same team (I think).
We have an early bedtime around here (7:30-8) so for us it’s tough when the game is over at 7:30 and they are all filthy, needing baths, snacks, etc. The next day is tougher because they got to bed late and are tired.
Did our parents go through this? I’m sure we were much easier to handle. Then again my parents only had 3!
What a dedicated mommy your boys have! Just think how you will cry one day because you *don’t* have games to drive to! 🙂
We will also spend the majority of the next two weeks out at the ball parks from 5:20pm until 7pm. We end up eating dinner at 7:30 and getting to bed more like 9:30 instead of 8pm.
I am glad that I homeschool them, as we just start our days about an hour later when we have late nights like this. I don’t know how the other families with small kiddos do it! Mine would be so grouchy if they didn’t get the sleep they need!
Baseball is such an all-American thing to do, and it’s outdoors where you can breathe in the fresh, clean spring air. It is so worth the effort. Despite the screaming for concessions from the other little fans in the fan club, despite the fact that moms don’t always get to see their future major leaguer for his each “at bat”. Ultimately, it’s about THEM anyway, and not US parents–at least that’s what I keep reminding myself. John the Baptist’s words become my mantra somedays…He must increase, I must decrease.
Iowa Mom
OH, Margaret, I can relate so much to this post today. We, too, eat late, 6:30 or 7 and they just aren’t hungry at 5. (mostly because those days I also have to work on eating lunch early, so they are hungry) Pancakes are easy on those days, breakfast foods, even cereal and milk, yogurt and fruit! Fast and easy. I just tell those older kids at the park to please not do that while small children are there. Last week some bigger kids were throwing rocks at eachother.(pea rocks) They were respectful and stopped and stayed and played. We are done in 3 weeks and I did not sign them up for anything else this Summer. It will be a Summer of parks, lakes and Sun! (my oldest is only 7 though)
With you all. the. way.
Games this week are Thurs. Fri. Sat. We skipped practice today. 🙂
And Kristen, you are right. Except in my family, people still play sports all through college (and beyond…) And my dad still goes to my brother’s games!
🙂
I’ve been a Baseball Mom for MANY, MANY years now. It’s a huge part of our spring and summer evenings – I love it!
With six boys (and two girls) and ten years now of baseball season, I just had to take aminute to comment on it all. I love watching the boys play! This year we only have two teams, but that means baseball games, often in two different towns, 3-5 nights a week. What I don’t like is having to have dinner at 4pm or 8;30pm, or both!! I do enjoy the time with my youngers at the field – usually – but sometimes wish I could just watch the game! Our boys look forward to baseball season all year-and despite the chaos, business, laundry, etc – I do too!!
How fun to see the back of his sweet head! Seriously, though, it’s time to shiver through a few games up here, too!
We too are a baseball family!! We just moved up from t-ball, and I am seriously considering moving the mailbox down to the park.
Fortunately, our local park has a wealth underwriter, and it’s not for profit. This means the hot dogs are still $1.50, and cheeseburgers are $2.50. The other food is cheap as well. So, when I don’t get dinner done by 5:15, which I often don’t, we eat at the park. 🙂 It’s not in the budget for often, but occasionally we can go for it! After all, aren’t nitrates a food group, lol?
I am a baseball fan from my youth, but I don’t think I would have your stamina for the constant upheaval that baseball season brings. I saw a friend of mine totally stressed out by it last summer, and vowed it would not happen to me. I’d rather play with them in the back yard!
My son played ball from the time he could stand up and hold a wiffle bat. He’s now 24. 🙂 So I did a lotta LOTTA baseball in those years (T-ball, community ball, travel teams, international ball, high school ball, college ball). There’s NOTHING like a day a the ball park. Nothing in this world.
And then we went right into football season…and then into basketball season, because while I had only one son, I had a three-sport man in high school. He had one week off per year. 🙂 (And Mom has the “bleacher butt” to prove it! :-D)
And we loved every minute of it.
And take it from a mom who knows, it’s hard not to get a lump in the throat every spring (or every fall!) when he “should” still be playing ball. (sigh)
🙂 Enjoy these years to the hilt–not just because they’ll never come again, but because, on the positive side, they give you memories you and your son will relive with lots of laughter for years to come.
My take,
Janny
P.S. When they’re 9 or 10, they can also be taught how to wash their own uniforms…and make sure the things are dry, they have their gloves, their spikes, and all their equipment ready to go in the car. My son actually got to the point where he apologized if he had to ask Mom to wash his stuff for him (I had to do it maybe three times?) in high school because he simply couldn’t get to it with homework and/or other stuff. Yes, he’ll make some woman a great husband. 🙂
Nice to see I’m not the only Catholic homeschooling mom blogging about baseball these days. 🙂 Our oldest son plays on a select travel team, so our ‘season’ started waaaayyyy back in March! His two little brothers are playing on the same T-ball team that DH coaches.
Fortunately, most of our games are on the weekends…t-ball on Fridays, select occasionally on Fridays, then usually double-headers on Saturdays, and sometimes a Sunday afternoon game.
Our middle daughter plays soccer, so, and her games are on the weekends, so, obviously, I can’t get to everyone’s games. Glad they are so understanding.