Getting Closer …

I suppose every state (or country for that matter) has their own weather quirks. Here in Michigan, the weather is a subject of humor almost daily. There is a plethora of funny cartoons/memes about that very subject. Here are a few of my favorites:

Alas, Spring is trying to get here. We had a few nice days this week, but it was still a bit chilly. All the kids had to see was that it was sunny and they wanted outside.

Before they went out, they had been playing in the “dress-up” bin. Ella was in her Skye from Paw Patrol outfit, while Andrew was Cat Boy from PJ Masks. They wanted to go out and ride their bikes, scooters and electric car. They didn’t even take off their outfits. Instead, they played out in the front of the house in them. One can only imagine what folks thought as they drove by.

The Cat Boy mask has a see through blue plastic window. I am almost positive that Andrew had it twisted upside down because the mask didn’t look like it fit him properly.

Another sign that spring and summer are coming is that the baseball teams are practicing out on the field behind our house. I love when they practice. The kids usually play on the swings or in the sandbox while I watch the practice.

I don’t remember seeing it last year, but they actually have a pitching machine this year. It’s kind of funny to watch because the coach acts like he is going to throw the ball and when his arm comes down, he drops the ball in the machine. I thought this was weird until I heard him tell the batter “When my arm get’s up here, that’s when you gear up to swing.” Ok, makes sense now.

In all the years I have watched the practices, the batters have always used the aluminum bats. Summer is full of the “Tink” sounds of the ball hitting the bat. At this particular practice, I was surprised to hear the sound of the ball hitting a wooden bat. Oh, how I know that sound!

When we would play ball every day in the summer as kids, we never used aluminum bats. We’d have 10-12 wooden bats of different lengths and with different players autographs etched into the bat. When the ball would hit the sweet spot, it made such a glorious sound!

There were about 4-5 kids out of 15-16 on the field that used a wooden bat to hit with. When they connected, that ball would launch over the fielder’s heads. I am anxious to see just how many use them in games this spring/summer.

Whether we decide to take a trip out of town or just sit in lawn chairs watching high school baseball, I am SO looking forward to nice weather.