Opening Day

Last Saturday was Opening Day for t-ball. We had to be at the ball park at 8:30 to get ready for the parade. Mary got in into her head, while we're all running around like crazy trying to get dressed and ready, that she didn't want to go. Mary is very much into her routines. Since most of our Saturday mornings are spent waking up kind of slow and relaxing--and with her PLAYING all morning--she thinks ALL Saturdays have to be like that. And it's a world-stopping event if we have any other kind of plans.

It was not pretty.

We got to the ball park with just the typical whining. Then John and Mary headed over to the spot the team was meeting, and Keith, Izzy, and I headed to the parade location. It was a very cold, very wet, very dark and dreary day. I saw tons of SMART parents who had brought their Dunkin' Donuts' and Tim Hortons' coffees, and I was kicking myself for not getting my own (as if we'd really had time in the rush to get there). While we were waiting, I saw Mary's team come down the hill to get ready to get lined up. First I saw John with this FEROCIOUS look on his face. Uh oh. Then I see Mary--with a bright red and screwed-up look on HER face. She was obviously crying. GREAT.

The parade finally starts. Mary's team was probably the third team to walk by. There she was, in the middle of this group of kids holding their team banner, still with a sullen look on her face--and she didn't even look up when I called her. John zipped by without even noticing us. That wouldn't have been a problem--except that Keith was looking for them....

Izzy was being a general 2-year old nuisance and throwing a fit because I wouldn't let her join the parade, and I wouldn't let her wander off towards the fields, and I actually wanted her to stand still beside me. So, I decided to high-tail it out of there before the parade was actually over (so, SO cold out there)--and that's when Keith threw HIS fit. "I didn't see Daddy! I didn't see Mary!" "But, honey, they've already walked by!" "WAHHHHHH!!!" So, I guess even saying, "Look, there's Daddy and Mary!" and calling out Mary's name several times didn't clue him in when they actually walked by..... ARGH!

So, I finally got my two wailing children back to the mini-van (pre-iodiotic wreck, obviously), turned it on, and cranked up the heat. After the tantrums settled down (mine included), we were all pretty cozy. After a while, John calls, looking for me in the crowd. "We're in the van." "So you missed it?" "Missed what?" "The opening ceremony! You were supposed to follow the parade to the ball diamond!" Know what--after the cold, and the rain, and the THREE wailing kids, I DIDN'T CARE. I was snug in my van and did not feel bad ONE BIT.

Mary had it right--we should have just stayed home in the first place! (When I asked her later, she said she was crying because 1) she didn't want to be in the parade and 2) she didn't want to hold the banner because it was so heavy. Oh, and 3) the other boys holding the banner weren't holding it high enough, and she kept tripping on it while they were walking.)

After that was over, we took the kids out for brunch, had Keith and Izzy take early naps, and then we had to rush out the door again for Mary's actual t-ball GAME. Much better performance by the eldest unit this time. It was still very, very cold, and still very, very rainy, but she played, and didn't complain, and didn't cry, and actually seemed to be enjoying herself.

Keeping Izzy entertained while this cold, wet boring-to-a-2-year-old game was going on was not fun. She was driving me nuts! When John told me that in this league they play 6 innings instead of the 5 we played last year, and that the game was probably going to take another hour, I decided to take Izzy for a drive. I couldn't even take her for a walk without crying issues, and I couldn't take her to the little playground as it was so wet. I set out with her to get the Tim Hortons' coffee I'd missed out on earlier. As I pull back into the ball park, I see one of Mary's teammates leaving. Aw, MAN! Sure enough, they decided to go ahead and call the game early since it was so cold and rainy. I only missed 15 minutes of the game, but I missed Mary making a GREAT play from third base (which she played the whole game). A ball was hit her way, she retrieved it, and threw it straight to first. (If only the first baseman had caught it!)

Whew! What a day!