When you're rushing to get things ready for an early evening baseball game and 2 yo nonchalantly dumps a teensy container of bubbles into the turtle tank.

You know it's one of those days when you lightly dismiss the bubbles, given the size of the tank in proportion to the teensy size of the bubble container...even though there is bubble foam beginning to adorn the top of the water.  As you quickly grab some paper towels and skim the foam off, vigorously washing hands to avoid turtle germs, you firmly admonish 2 yo...no more bubbles in the turtle tank.

You know it's one of those days when the coach benches a player for the rest of the game due to his not hustling in from the field in the top of the first.  And you definitely know it's one of those days when the ump is informed that the player has left and will not be in the batting lineup, and when the ump's response is that the player will be considered out every time he should be at bat because he did not leave due to injury.  You know it's one of those years when no parent can get a copy of the rulebook to study in order to better understand/explain/teach the rules to their children.  And you know it's one of those days when the ump is unnecessarily harsh with coach, who asks for explanation.  "Not one word," snaps the ump.  You really know it's one of those days when dh, knowing that the ump attends a Christian church, exhorts from the dugout, "Hey, let's be Christians!" only to be told by the ump that this is not the place  for religion.  Ump is correct...religion is about rules, and the religion of baseball rules here.  Relationship, on the other hand?  This is the place for Christians to represent relationship with Christ in how they behave toward others on the ball field. 

Yep, it was one of THOSE days.  Coach let the ump know in no uncertain terms that the game was being played under protest.  And again when the missing player was called out...reiterated the protest.  DH  held his tongue through the remainder of the game, as he didn't want to get coach suspended.  Afterward, off the field, he was able to address things with ump...and another Christian official in the league.  No comment on how that exactly went.  As for the game, our team was ahead 8-6 at the end of the fifth.  In the final inning, the teams are not limited to 5 runs maximum as they are in preceding innings.  The opponents let loose and scored a bunch.  With only 7 minutes or so left, we were up with a long way to go to even catch them.  There were only 2 out, we hadn't scored any runs, but the time on the game ran out.  Since we didn't complete the inning, the score reverted to that of last completed inning, meaning we won.  Another obscure rule, this one working in our favor. 

You know it's one of those days when the next game is running a half hour late because ours started late, and the next team is literally taking over the space before your kids can clear the dugout.  Did I mention the reason for the late start?  NO UMP.  The Ump didn't know he was officiating.  Whether or not he had been informed or checked is questionable, but this has been a year of poor organization and antics when it comes to schedules and the Umps have had their share of difficulties.  As it turns out, the rule that caused the ill will was incorrectly applied.  It the player never came up to bat, he should not be considered a part of the batting lineup, even if he played on the field.  Again, parents can't learn because nobody can get their hands on a rulebook of their own to study.  We've asked.  Aren't you glad that God isn't like that with us, his word is available in ample supply and format?  Can you imagine how much more challenging the life of the Christian in a persecuted land where it may be difficult and dangerous to posess even a portion of God's precious word?

You know it's one of those days when you arrive home from the game to find this: