After at least a year of playing ball in the front yard, Cody is finally old enough to start playing on a team. It’s kind of a pre-Tee Ball version of baseball called Blastball. Kids ages 3-4 hit off a tee and run one base (although, I believe they’re going to go ahead and add in the other two bases). The base honks when you jump on it and when you “catch” a ball you’re supposed to yell “Blastball” (not sure what the point of that is).
So, here’s how the first practice went. Cody was so excited when we told him, the night before, that he was going to play ball with other kids. He woke up Saturday morning and immediately remembered our plans and didn’t stop asking to go play ball until we actually arrived at the field. That’s when it fell apart. He got nervous. We walked up to the field, he saw the other kids and immediately asked me to hold him. Jimmy walked him through the gate, which didn’t make him happy. Cody is the smallest one out there. Not only is he not quite three (will be at the end of the month and before the official games start), but he’s small for his age. I believe there’s one other 3 year old (with the same birthday, in fact), but all of the kids seem to a foot taller. Cody is also not an aggressive kid. He seems to be outgoing, playful and fun, but in new situations or with new people he gets shy. His first time up to bat, he refused to hit. We let him go back to the “outfield”, where he watched balls roll by him and at one point let a ball roll onto his shoes and off again, never budging. The other (older) kids were going after the balls and I think it freaked him out. In fact, when we got back home and were talking about it, Cody even mentioned that he let other people have a turn. We had to explain that sometimes it’s his turn. Anyway, once all of the kids had hit, and Nana showed up to give him a little coaching, he was much happier to hit and did a great job! The bat is too long for him, so we’ll get him one that’s his size and hopefully that will help him out a little more. Once practice was over and we got Cody back home, it was clear that he enjoyed it and he’s looking forward to playing again!
Later, that same day….
Just before Cody’s nap, we told him that we’d be going to see Elmo after he woke up. (Cruel, I know, but it does seem to get him to go to sleep more quickly.) This was especially exciting for him because he had seen a commercial for Sesame Street Live and loved it.
“Ah! Look, Elmo! Is that Cody’s Elmo? That’s a sweet Elmo!”
I knew after that reaction that we needed to get tickets. When he woke up from his nap, he was ready to go and talked non-stop the whole way there. I told him that we’d get cotton candy, which I’m sure he didn’t have a clue about…didn’t seem to matter though, because then the excitement was about getting “hot candy” and seeing Elmo. Before the show started, he ate his Hot Candy, danced to the music playing and giggled a lot. Once the show started - nothin'. He got very quiet, wouldn't eat or talk. When we left (with a spinning Elmo flashlight, program and Elmo balloon - courtesy of Grandma) he talked the whole way home and cried to go see Elmo again. Looks like he loved it and we'll have to make this an annual event! Yea!
