That picture is us on a warmer day. At one point I had a quilt I was sitting on to block the wind under my chair, plus a hooded sweatshirt and mittens under my jacket and wearing a hat...topped off by a blanket. And I was still cold. We were pretty sure the boys were going to all have pneumonia before summer even started. Jake refused to wear a jacket while playing because he said it was too hard to play in.
Finally the sun started shining in spring/summer and we've been able to actually enjoy the games. Jake's team has done pretty well as of late...they are on a winning streak with only a few games left in the season.
A big difference for this year with Jake has been wearing glasses. He's been sure he hasn't needed them, but we finally convinced him to wear his back-up glasses to try. We assured him that we wouldn't be mad if they broke. He finally admitted they do help some and is thinking about getting contacts later this summer when he goes back to the eye doctor.
Wearing glasses has brought some changes though. On the plus side, he's hitting better than before. On the negative side, he doesn't feel comfortable playing catcher, which was his favorite position. He can't wear his glasses and the catcher's helmet and now he's not comfortable playing the position without being able to see clearly. As a result, he's mostly played 3rd base, shortstop and some 1st base.
His coaches have been great and have really tried to help the kids get better. There are a couple other teams where I'm so happy he isn't a part of them. The coaches are always yelling and are definitely out to win everything. Obviously I get that winning is more fun, but at this point these kids also need to learn how to field the ball better and how to determine the best play; not just get yelled at when they don't make the right choice. Mike has been able to help when a couple of the coaches are traveling and can't make the games.
And Jake has had a pretty consistent cheering team.
My mom and Maddie have been to a few games. Now that the weather is a little warmer they both have taken some time off from attending. My dad likes to watch the games a lot so he has been to a few more. It's really neat to see year to year how these kids improve. The other night one of Jake's teammates had a fantastic hit - but he still only got to first base because the fielders did a nice job of stopping it. A couple years ago it would have been an easy home run. The games are much more exciting to watch now.
I'm loving the nice weather for sure! We usually have to be there about 45 minutes before the game. I set up our spot, umbrella for shade and pull out my Nook until the game begins. 45 minutes of quiet time twice a week!
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