No more Nippers, this summer we'll be playing...

My Manly Seasider.

So, Summer sport.  Having just taken a big deep breath after winter sport wound up, we have been surprised by the amount of sports we can choose from for this summer season.  Or have been offered.  Sarah is in a touch football team, and last week Josh started tee ball.  Yes...tee ball.

We have, thus far, avoided cricket.  And we were given a blanket refusal of Nippers when we asked them if they wanted to do it this year. (Quiet high five of selves)

Teeball is like baseball but instead of a 7 year old pitching a ball at another 7 year old, an activity destined to fail or end in disaster, the ball sits up on this little stand thingie, and the kid hits it off that.  Then they run around the bases and the other team try to stop them etc etc.

I know vast tracts of the USA are completely obsessed with baseball.  I have never seen the attraction myself.  But I am crap at sport and until having kids, avoided it at all costs.  Now of course, I'm soaking in it, like Marge.

Because really, sport is good.  The kids love a bit of running around with their mates, and it does get us out of the house.  We have officially designated Sunday as the day of no commitments (sport wise at least) and Saturday now has teeball for Josh, possibly followed by swimming club for me and Sarah.

So last week Josh and 9 of his school mates all put on their knickerbockers and their caps and their cute baseball shirts and they spent an hour (felt like 2 due to the freezing cold wind) throwing and catching and hitting off the tee.  There were some tears.  There was a bit rumbling for the ball.  There was a great deal of wild enthusiasm.

A bunch of cute little dudes. 

Unless you were a sister.  Then it wasn't so fun. Mike rides on Saturday mornings so most weeks I'm going to do baseball solo.  I do a lot of things solo.  Most weekday things in fact.  I'm totally cool with it.  But when you don't know how long and exactly where you're going you can either overprepare (vastly preferable) or underprepare (which is what I did).  I had no food, not enough clothes for anyone, no picnic blanket.

Just wait til next time when I bring a shed load of food and my bodyweight in fleecy jackets.

Issy reminded me 18 times that I had forgotten to put her in leggings and her legs were freezing.  She spent much of the 90 minutes in my lap hiding under her brother's hoodie.  In between each period in my lap she begged for food...wore me down...made Sarah take her to the sausage sizzle (thank goodness there is always a sausage sizzle)...ate 1/3 of her sausage and egg roll...got back into my lap...complained some more.  The usual.

This week we have Josh's first game.  I am going away to Brisbane with Sarah so I'm going to miss it.  Mike is going to step up and be baseball Dad for the day.   I wish him luck (cue evil laugh).