Alayna's Game

"Come on over to the ball park.  Alayna's having a game at 5:30."  

Rusty bid us come, and since it was his birthday, we decided to honor his request.  Besides, we're old.  We don't have anything better to do, right?

And that was re-emphasized when we rounded the corner of the bleachers full of young things laughing and waving to their ball-playing darlings in orange team t-shirts.  We weren't them.  We were the grandparents, sigh.

Anyway, this Pony Baseball game was for 3 & 4 year olds.  

Their heights were tall and short and miniature, LOL.

Their skills were adept, "I got it, I got it.  Get away, I got it!" 

And, inept, "Where'd it go?  I can't see it!"

Of course, they can't see it.  When you're short, when you're diminutive, your baseball cap is oversized, so you have to tilt your head to look out from under your ballcap bill.  By then, birds flying overhead are awe-inspiring.   

Can't you just hear it, "Game held due to UFO sighting."

Depending on the batter, the ball goes 10 feet, and EVERY PLAYER, that's 18 munchkins, ru-u-un after the ball.  It's a pile up!

But wait, there's a kid down.  Flat out on his belly, he is.  What happened?

Mom goes onto the ball field, she's rescuing little Johnny.  He's having a meltdown.  And that was after the meldown in the dug out earlier, "Someone took my helmet.  One of them!" and he pointed to the whole two teams on the baseball diamond, LOL. 

Oh my, have you ever watched 3 year olds play ball?

There's always one overachiever.  You've seen 'em.  They were in your math class, they were the royalty of the prom, and they got all the scholarships!

#3 chased the ball out of bounds, he came from first base, the ball fouled over third base, but he crossed the whole field to chase the ball until it stopped in crabgrass!

Alayna grabbed the ball using her un-gloved hand.  They all picked up the ball with their un-gloved hand.  One little boy looked at his left hand in the glove, looked back at the ball in the dirt, then picked it up with his right hand!

What a hoot!  

So, Alayna grabbed the ball, did a twirl of "what do I do now" when #3, (Remember #3?  He's daddy's trophy.) came up and pointed, "Throw it over there."  And heaved it she did.  

She has a good little throwing arm, and the ball almost landed on first base, almost.  10 feet left, but still, almost.

No matter what, no matter if you're in the midst of performing Shakespeare, or clanging out the 1812 overture, or saying your wedding vows, if you hit the ball and it goes 3 feet, and ALL your teammates scramble to retrieve it, you have to go to mom and dad to get a high five!  Smack!

Her team was back up.  It was her turn again.  She hit the ball, CRACK! went the bat.  It was obvious she knew what to do, she ran and ran and ran.  Now if little brother was running from her, she'd get him!  But here she ran and ran and ran.  Going for first base, she ran.  

Who won?  Who knows.  

Who cares, there's treats. 

And that's game!