to say the least.
Veeeery Interesting... Did she really know he wasn't there? This makes me wonder... Did she keep him around for political reasons after all? Hmmm... Like I said. Interesting. Veeery Interesting.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Why is it softball when the balls aren't soft?
I apologize for the randomness of this post. It is not my best work. I know. I don't care.
Not the Momma has been playing softball. This is a big deal for a guy who is anti-anythinghavingtodowithteamsports. His team is called the Spherical Chickens... Yeah, I don't know either. It has something to do with physics, and everything being a sphere. You might understand if you're a physicist or a geek or a big nerd or something. I'm a geek or a nerd and I still don't get it. I guess it makes sense for a team name, since they are made up of mostly physics and math nerds.
The rules are kind of weird, but hey, it's intramural softball. We've gone to almost every game. They started playing to have fun and get some exercise, and it's working. The guys have progressively gotten better every game. The first few games were lost due to "Mercy" rules. (15 points ahead in the first 5 innings ends the game.) Gradually they got to the point where they were playing a full 7 innings. The last couple of games have been crazy. There have been wins,and HOME!RUNS! and cheering and catching pop flies and everything. But they haven't gotten big-headed or stopped having any fun. They lost last night and knew it was no big deal. They are the kind of team I'd like to see Little Monster play on when he gets older. They are really there to have a good time -- and they do. They see the humor in a dropped ball, the fact that some of the team shows up to play in jeans, suspenders -- and once dress clothes (he forgot about the game).
The problem (and the reason why Not the Momma and I are anti-anythinghavingtodowithteamsports) is that not every team has that philosophy. There are teams that care about winning. They care so much that if someone catches their hit, or they get tagged out before hitting first base, they throw a temper tantrum. They get irritated with their own team when mistakes happen and then begin to throw a fit that puts my nearly-two-year old to shame. In fact, their fits put almost any child to shame. The obscenities flow from their mouths like water from an open fire hydrant. They shake their hands, and turn red. It's embarrassing. They must have forgotten that this is intramural softball -
not the major leagues.
Nope, sorry folks, there are NO scouts sitting in the bleachers watching you play hoping to catch the next Babe Ruth or Darryl Strawberry. No one is hoping to find the next Nolan Ryan or Jose Conseco. But the people who are in the stands are even more important. They are the children that belong to the players. They see this behavior, and think it's okay. Want to know why your kid throws a temper tantrum? Start looking at how you behave when you don't get your way. It's bad enough to see a kid throw a temper tantrum, but to watch a grown man throw one over a silly intramural softball game? That's a bit disgusting.
I will be on the look-out as Little Monster gets older and wants to play with other kids. I don't think I'll be too excited to let him play somewhere when the male role-model in the house behaves more like a kid than the children do. I don't think I'll be happy to let him join a sports team where fun, exercise and just doing your best isn't good enough for the coach or any other parent on the team.
Last night's ordeal got me thinking a bit. And now it has me laughing. I know I've thrown temper tantrums -- I'm not perfect. But I think I'll be a little more careful in the future about where I throw them in the future. So, if you see some crazy lady laying in the grocery store holding her breath while kicking and punching the air because there is no lemon juice -- remember that most certainly isn't me. Can you think of a time you saw a grown adult throwing a temper tantrum?
Not the Momma has been playing softball. This is a big deal for a guy who is anti-anythinghavingtodowithteamsports. His team is called the Spherical Chickens... Yeah, I don't know either. It has something to do with physics, and everything being a sphere. You might understand if you're a physicist or a geek or a big nerd or something. I'm a geek or a nerd and I still don't get it. I guess it makes sense for a team name, since they are made up of mostly physics and math nerds.
The rules are kind of weird, but hey, it's intramural softball. We've gone to almost every game. They started playing to have fun and get some exercise, and it's working. The guys have progressively gotten better every game. The first few games were lost due to "Mercy" rules. (15 points ahead in the first 5 innings ends the game.) Gradually they got to the point where they were playing a full 7 innings. The last couple of games have been crazy. There have been wins,and HOME!RUNS! and cheering and catching pop flies and everything. But they haven't gotten big-headed or stopped having any fun. They lost last night and knew it was no big deal. They are the kind of team I'd like to see Little Monster play on when he gets older. They are really there to have a good time -- and they do. They see the humor in a dropped ball, the fact that some of the team shows up to play in jeans, suspenders -- and once dress clothes (he forgot about the game).
The problem (and the reason why Not the Momma and I are anti-anythinghavingtodowithteamsports) is that not every team has that philosophy. There are teams that care about winning. They care so much that if someone catches their hit, or they get tagged out before hitting first base, they throw a temper tantrum. They get irritated with their own team when mistakes happen and then begin to throw a fit that puts my nearly-two-year old to shame. In fact, their fits put almost any child to shame. The obscenities flow from their mouths like water from an open fire hydrant. They shake their hands, and turn red. It's embarrassing. They must have forgotten that this is intramural softball -
not the major leagues.
Nope, sorry folks, there are NO scouts sitting in the bleachers watching you play hoping to catch the next Babe Ruth or Darryl Strawberry. No one is hoping to find the next Nolan Ryan or Jose Conseco. But the people who are in the stands are even more important. They are the children that belong to the players. They see this behavior, and think it's okay. Want to know why your kid throws a temper tantrum? Start looking at how you behave when you don't get your way. It's bad enough to see a kid throw a temper tantrum, but to watch a grown man throw one over a silly intramural softball game? That's a bit disgusting.
I will be on the look-out as Little Monster gets older and wants to play with other kids. I don't think I'll be too excited to let him play somewhere when the male role-model in the house behaves more like a kid than the children do. I don't think I'll be happy to let him join a sports team where fun, exercise and just doing your best isn't good enough for the coach or any other parent on the team.
Last night's ordeal got me thinking a bit. And now it has me laughing. I know I've thrown temper tantrums -- I'm not perfect. But I think I'll be a little more careful in the future about where I throw them in the future. So, if you see some crazy lady laying in the grocery store holding her breath while kicking and punching the air because there is no lemon juice -- remember that most certainly isn't me. Can you think of a time you saw a grown adult throwing a temper tantrum?
Friday, September 05, 2008
Friday Fun
Average is better than below average. But maybe I'm not as big of a geek as I thought I was.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Crazy Randomness
Normal evening conversation with Little Monster:
Mommy: Do you want to go to bed?
LM: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!!!!! NO BED! CA-AAHS?! (translation: cars) NAAAAAAAAAH? (translation: Snack?) MEE-OOOUUUUU? (translation: Milk?) Bwooock? (translation: he wants to ride his bike around the block) WOOOO? (he wants to play in his room) CHOOO-CHOOO!! BAAAAA? (Bath?) DAANCE?
In other words, normally he's willing to do anything so long as it doesn't require getting into pajamas, followed by going to bed.
Tonight's conversation with Little Monster in the car on the way home from Daddy's Softball game:
Little Monster, upon seeing us get close to our neighborhood: OOOOHHHM?? (home?)
Mommy: Yes, we're almost home. Are you ready to go to bed?
Little Monster: YEEES!!!
As we were getting out of the car:
Mommy: Are you ready to get into bed?
LM: Bed? YES!!!!
As we were going upstairs:
Mommy: Are you ready to go night-night?
LM: Yes! Nigh-nigh!! YES!!!!
Hmmm.. Turns out keeping him up an hour past bedtime makes bed time a little bit easier.
Not the Momma is grounded from playing softball. His team won a game (YAY!) for once. You see, they're a bunch of science and math nerds playing a bunch of really serious people who go out for matching uniforms. We've had people playing in dress clothing, suspenders, you name it. They normally lose badly enough that the "mercy rules" apply. Tonight they were one player short, and they were threatening to make me play in my flip flops. I owe a big thanks to some guy named Dennis for playing for me. He saved my hide. And my feets. Not the Momma's feets on the other hand aren't faring so well. They were playing so well someone actually had to run through the bases, and twisted his foot a bit.
My friends, it was above 70 degrees for the third day in a row here! I cannot begin to explain how happy that makes me. Because, did you hear what I wore out of the house today? FLIP FLOPS! That doesn't happen often. I've got quite a bit going on the next few days, but I hope to be back to share with you what happens during the 'summer' here on the California Central coast!
Mommy: Do you want to go to bed?
LM: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!!!!! NO BED! CA-AAHS?! (translation: cars) NAAAAAAAAAH? (translation: Snack?) MEE-OOOUUUUU? (translation: Milk?) Bwooock? (translation: he wants to ride his bike around the block) WOOOO? (he wants to play in his room) CHOOO-CHOOO!! BAAAAA? (Bath?) DAANCE?
In other words, normally he's willing to do anything so long as it doesn't require getting into pajamas, followed by going to bed.
Tonight's conversation with Little Monster in the car on the way home from Daddy's Softball game:
Little Monster, upon seeing us get close to our neighborhood: OOOOHHHM?? (home?)
Mommy: Yes, we're almost home. Are you ready to go to bed?
Little Monster: YEEES!!!
As we were getting out of the car:
Mommy: Are you ready to get into bed?
LM: Bed? YES!!!!
As we were going upstairs:
Mommy: Are you ready to go night-night?
LM: Yes! Nigh-nigh!! YES!!!!
Hmmm.. Turns out keeping him up an hour past bedtime makes bed time a little bit easier.
Not the Momma is grounded from playing softball. His team won a game (YAY!) for once. You see, they're a bunch of science and math nerds playing a bunch of really serious people who go out for matching uniforms. We've had people playing in dress clothing, suspenders, you name it. They normally lose badly enough that the "mercy rules" apply. Tonight they were one player short, and they were threatening to make me play in my flip flops. I owe a big thanks to some guy named Dennis for playing for me. He saved my hide. And my feets. Not the Momma's feets on the other hand aren't faring so well. They were playing so well someone actually had to run through the bases, and twisted his foot a bit.
My friends, it was above 70 degrees for the third day in a row here! I cannot begin to explain how happy that makes me. Because, did you hear what I wore out of the house today? FLIP FLOPS! That doesn't happen often. I've got quite a bit going on the next few days, but I hope to be back to share with you what happens during the 'summer' here on the California Central coast!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Summer!
Dear Friends,
Summer has finally arrived here. Yes, that's right. While the rest of the country is mourning the loss of the warm days, we're finally getting a few.
I am sorry blogger friends, but I'm out soaking up the heat while I can. Little Monster is playing in his wading pool, having friends over to play with him.
When the fog returns, (or maybe when the baby naps and I have something to complain about) I will too. Until then, I'll be here part time.
Love you & Miss you!
Momma Mary
Summer has finally arrived here. Yes, that's right. While the rest of the country is mourning the loss of the warm days, we're finally getting a few.
I am sorry blogger friends, but I'm out soaking up the heat while I can. Little Monster is playing in his wading pool, having friends over to play with him.
When the fog returns, (or maybe when the baby naps and I have something to complain about) I will too. Until then, I'll be here part time.
Love you & Miss you!
Momma Mary
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