AK had his first t-ball game of the season.  Despite being very enthusiastic about the idea of playing t-ball, he was very disappointed at the first practice when he realized that his coaches & friends from last year were not on the team!(I guess he thought they would be coming 400+ miles every week???)  So practices haven't gone quite as smooth as we would have hoped.  Despite the fact that we live in So. Cal., 2 of his practices had been rained out too so he hadn't had as much time to get used to everything.   

So we arrived to find out that the field was frigid cold.  Thankfully, dad thought to grab a sweatshirt as we were leaving the house.  Here he is in his new uniform:

The game started and he was out on the field (with Dad a few feet away for confidence).  The first ball came by him and he ran to get it -- as did almost all 11 of his teammates!!  Someone else got the ball and he was not very happy about it.  (When do they learn the concept of teamwork??)  By the end of the half inning, he was visibly frustrated that others were outrunning him to get the ball. 

But now it was time to sit on the carpet square the coach provided with this name on it and his team was up to bat.  Because the coach decided the batting order would be alphabetical (how's that for strategy!), AK was first on his team to bat.  He had a little trouble making contact and needed a few tries, but Dad & his coach were there to encourage him and his team was cheering him on "Go, AK!  Go, AK!"  He finally made contact and the ball went about 4 feet.  Everyone yelled for him to run!  So he ran -- out into the middle of the field toward the pitcher's mound!  Note to coach:  Go over base running:)  Eventually everything got straightened out and he took his place on first base.  As balls were hit, AK ran from base to base, but definitely not with any sense of urgency. 

Second inning - read first inning.

Third inning - Coach puts him closer to the pitcher's mound.  He's ready to get a ball!

The ball is hit and it's right toward him!  He runs after it, along with the rest of his team, and he throws his glove over the ball and TRAPS it.  About 5 teammates are piling on top of him and he WILL NOT lift the glove off the ball.  Finally, the coaches get the rest of the kids off him and with the biggest smile on his face he throws the ball to the coach (so he was supposed to throw it to first base, but who cares)!!  Wish I had a picture of it, but I was feeding raisins to EF trying to keep her busy. 

So with all the confidence in the world he goes back to his position and squats down.

The ball is hit right to him....bounces up from the ground and hits him right in the nose!!!!!!  The tears start flowing, but thankfully Dad is on the field to console him. (Unfortunately the same thing happened at practice on Tuesday.  Note to coach:  teach him how to put the glove in front of his face:)

He was eventually able to shake it off and was up to bat soon after.  Eventually the coach tried to line them up to high five the other team.  Pretty comical as the coach told them to put their left hand out and then the other left. 

Then the best part of the entire game, perhaps the reason that he may have signed up for t-ball to begin with -- SNACK!!!!  Amazing what a little juice pouch and some cookies can accomplish.  Go Yankees!

-J