Baseball Season's End

This week marks the close of baseball/t-ball season for the Orem Rec League and, although we've had a lot of fun, I'll admit that I'm ready to have my Saturday mornings back. A 6-week season is about all I can handle (all of you parents of high school athletes are just chuckling and shaking your heads at me, I know).

Here are a few highlights from the second-to-last game:
Ben masterfully whacks his ball off the tee while Coach Steve looks on. I think Steve has really enjoyed coaching t-ball - we all know he's a wonderful teacher, and 6 weeks of coaching fifteen 4-6 year olds is probably enough to satiate his elementary school teacher instincts for a while.

I love this photo because Ben is simultaneously running madly to first base and shrieking to Steve, "Dad, see that guy over there? That's Sam, he's one of my summer camp group leaders!" Clearly such important news couldn't wait until after he had arrived at first base.

The Skeletons cheer on the Orange Crush after the game. Steve says that the kids originally wanted to be the Skulls but that he vetoed that idea and finally acquiesced to the Skeletons. He nudges them towards baseball-like actions with the cheer, "move those skeletons" and I guess the kids really latched on to the motto!

Sam truly excels at his "ready position" in the field. Since this is still pre-little league, there aren't a ton of balls that make it out to the field, but he's ready for them when they do!

Sam's hitting has really improved throughout the season and he now hits the ball pretty reliably every at-bat. We still have some work to do before he's ready for the majors, but we consider this a foundation-building year :)

Golden locks a-flowing, Sam runs home. If a haircut isn't in his future, maybe we'll just work on getting Sam to wear a hat for ballgames. I still ask him every few weeks if he wants me to trim the hair out of his eyes, but he likes the California surfer look he has going on.

This may be my favorite Sam and Ben shot ever. Ben got Oreo sticks as an after-game treat and there was no way the boys were going to let a golden mock- smoking opportunity pass them by! Sam is pretending to be the Pink Panther and Ben is Hannibal from The A-Team declaring, "I love it when a plan comes together."

I have never been so proud.