t-ball!

maddux is now a ranger! he had his first every t-ball practice tonight! i think we were all pretty excited about our first step into baseball with the kiddos. we weren't really sure what to expect. the boys are signed up for back-to-back practices/games - maddux' team goes first. 

when we showed up they assigned him to the rangers, gave him a hat and jersey (#7) and told him to line up to run the bases. here is a video of his first trip around the bases.

after letting both teams run the bases twice all together (which was hysterical, by the way), maddux' team went towards second base to work on fielding while the other team practiced hitting off the tee. maddux was very eager and attentive as he was instructed to 'chomp' the ball like an alligator. i think he added the part about putting his arm in the air on his own since he was the only one doing it. (maddux is standing facing his coach in the picture to the right and then the one with his arm in the air in the second picture.)

and then the teams took a water break and switched with maddux' team taking some practice at the tee.

mason was dying to get on the field. he has been asking us every day to practice his baseball. matt and i got him a glove for his birthday and he couldn't wait to use it (matt took him on a 'date' sunday afternoon to pick it out and came home with a full supply of baseball gear). so matt did a little instruction of his own with mason and madelyn in the outfield. 

then maddux' team took another water break before having their first 'scrimmage'. it was hysterical! they put one team (maddux' rangers first) in the middle of the field to 'catch' the ball and the other team hits off the tee and runs the bases. 

maddux actually fielded the first hit! it didn't get by him at all, he got it right into his glove. and kept it there. when the coach asked who had it, maddux didn't answer (you can see it in his glove below). we finally yelled to him to give it to his coach and he threw it back over. when we got home we spoke about it more and he thought that it was like going to a baseball game where you keep it to take home when you catch it! that is what happens when you are always a spectator...

here is an example of the 'fielding'. it is a little like soccer but with a baseball. (notice how the batter runs out with the fielders instead of running towards third.)

manning was starting to loose steam

maddux waving to daddy

taking his ready pose

watching for a bit

then manning moved on to picking flowers.

maddux ran over and said "this is pretty great!" i tried to get him to say it again, but this is what i got instead...

maddux' "aligator chop" ready pose during a water break.

when it was maddux' turn to bat and run the bases, he couldn't figure out the face guard on the helmet.  and then he didn't know that he should stop at first. 

while we were there, the sky started getting very dark and everyone's phones started alerting to severe weather. poor mason wasn't going to get to have his first day of baseball after all. he was so disappointed. but maddux' even had to be cut a little short and we hustled out of there as quickly as possible! the rain has been crazy lately!

our first taste of t-ball was fantastic and maddux can't wait to go back next time! now let's go get some birthday cake! love.