Play Ball!

My love for baseball began when I was 10. It was the World Series, and "our" team was in! Admittedly, I jumped on the bandwagon, but there began my love for the game. It wasn’t long before I had a meager collection of baseball memorabilia, and I proudly brought it to school for show and tell. My brother and I watched Johnny Bench on the "Baseball Bunch" every Saturday, and we enthusiastically collected and traded baseball stickers for our baseball books.

Looking back, I see that God was preparing me even then for my life today. I’m married to a huge baseball fan, and each of our boys love the game, as well. Our summer months revolve around Little League...games for one son on Mondays and Wednesdays, games for another son on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a practice for each of them scheduled sometime in between. But the truth is...I love it!

Last year we were buying a baseball hat for my husband’s Father’s Day gift when our boys spotted a pink one. They adamantly declared that I had to have that hat! When I noted that we weren’t buying anything for me now...we were buying a gift for their dad...our oldest pushed all the right buttons and sweetly replied, "Mom, you don’t know how much it would mean to me to look into the stands while I’m playing baseball and see you sitting there in your pink baseball hat." Now how could I say "no" to that??? Needless to say, my husband and I got matching baseball hats that day...his blue, mine pink.

With all that said, it must be known that today is a holiday at our house. It’s Opening Day of baseball season, and we are celebrating! The boys and I are using Amanda Bennett’s "Baseball" unit study to learn more about the history and legends of baseball. We read "Casey at the Bat" and watched the McGee and Me video "Take Me Out of the Ballgame." Later tonight the boys and I will watch one of my all-time favorite movies, "The Rookie." But the highlight of this day was when my husband came home for a late lunch/early supper before returning to work. We created our own ballpark and feasted on brats, nachos, peanuts, Cracker Jack, and popcorn while rooting for our home team. Ah, it’s gonna be a great season! Play ball!