Jackson Scott Babcock: T-Ball!!

We started t-ball! Jackson is part of the "small stuff" league at the YMCA. It's a cute little league--they have "practice" on Tuesdays. They don't really play games yet...it's really just a fundamentals league. It's coach lead, parent taught...the dads play catch with them, play positions with them, etc. There are only 3 kids on the team that really know what they are doing...Jackson, his best bud Ryan (who calls himself Benny from the Sandlot and even wears the LA Dodgers hat to every practice!) and Christian. There are 14 kids on the team, 2 of them being girls.

The first week, we had just been through an entire week of preschool and the "I don't want to go to school! I just don't want to go!"....and t-ball was no different. My poor Jack Jack had some extreme separation anxiety! :( He doesn't like the unknown....he's very much like Adam. Adam was the same way as a kiddo...myself, not so much. Our plan was to go to practice and just check it all out before we had anyone join us to watch...well, that plan changed when we couldn't get Jackson in the car to go. He really thought we were going to leave him there. So I called Memaw and Papaw as re-inforcement and they met us up at the fields. Once he was there, he was fine, but the entire car ride was rough.

We get there and he played catch with Daddy-O. They learned how to stretch, they ran the bases, they stood in line and waited for their turn to bat (and by bat, I mean holding the HEAVIEST bat ever with a Tee that was WAY TOO HIGH for most of them...I learned from the first round of batting that this idea of watching them hit the freaking tee was going to piss me off, so I waddled my big belly over and stood there while I informed the coach, "Have then choke up. That bat is too heavy for them." "Can you lower the tee down. If they are hitting the tee, it's too tall for them. The point is to have them happy that they are hitting the ball!") The coach is a young guy...and the dads were being nice...but for what I paid for him to play as a non-YMCA member, he's going to hit the ball. The next day, I went out and bought him an official t-ball bat!! :) Yes, I'm that mom.

Water Break!

Team Meeting

Ryan a.k.a. Benny

So the following week, he found his friends and they lined up to play catch with their dads and learned how to field grounders! I chatted with all the moms...the ones that I WANT Jackson to hang out with...isn't that sad. There are about 4 kids on the team who are BRATS. They don't pay attention, they cry that they want to go home, they run around and don't follow directions...and the parents just stand there. Really, I don't want Jackson hanging out with them....sue me.

I have to say, though, that there is nothing more fun than watching him play and follow direction and learn the game! I'm super proud!! I just wish that I could get out there and play WITH him...it's very hard for me to sit and watch!

FYI: the coach sat the kids down after the first practice and asked them what they wanted the team name to be....the result: Robot Elephants!! I'm still a little confused by the name....but it's cute!! :)