Having a Ball

Hello there-
There were no Mardi Gras balls for us over the weekend, but we did enjoy some family time in Mobile. We caught enough beads to share with friends at school and enough moon pies to make the moon pie bread pudding recipe that I spied when planning Frank's office party.
It is always nice to be with my mom and to see Aunt Anna, Uncle Bill, and Sarah. My pictures aren't great. In fact, they are quite bad, but they at least prove that we got to see Vernadean. The children had a ball and Walker keeps telling everyone we went to a "rade" - gotta love the way a barely three year old speaks.

I don't know about you, but where we live ball season is gearing up. This is our first experience with a child playing ball. We didn't play last year... With a new baby and being displaced from our home, this mama just couldn't do it and have NO regrets on delaying our entry into the world of the ballpark. Lots of people will tell you that children need to play a team sport in order to learn how to work together. I hear them, and I agree that being on a team sport promotes working together, but so do lots of other opportunities. I tend to agree with John Rosemond when he says that the best way to learn how to act as team is in a family. Besides we are only 6!

I have all kinds of hesitations and reservations about Mary Frances playing softball. Mainly, 7:00 is WAY too late to begin practice! But I think it is time. For lots of reasons, I think this is a good thing, and I'm willing to load everyone up after bathing and eating in order to take Mary Frances to practice at the high school. After all, it will only be a couple of times during the season. Surely! Also, we live in a neighborhood full of children so there will be others to share the drive. It takes a village!

We have been struggling with Mary Frances whining and turning on this exaggerated {obnoxious and annoying} voice when she talks to adults. In my mind there is nothing more unbecoming than a child who whines. Particularly a six year old who is your own! Most of this is just a bad habit that we have allowed to form. Some of this stems from a lack of confidence. I hope it will be good for Mary Frances to be around a group of other girls. Older girls. The first grade league includes second and third graders, and I think we have a sweet team. Hopefully they will be good role models. The best part is that we know and love the coach, and Frank is going to help out. That should ease the sting of those 7:00 practices.