Baseball and Bullies

C had his first "practice" baseball game today. The "real" games start in 2 weeks. He was so excited to get out there on the field to try to catch balls and then get up to the plate to try to hit. The boy lives and breathes baseball. We watch baseball on WGN - he loves the Cubs and the White Sox! He prefers the White Sox these days since they have a better chance of winning.

While C's team was batting today, I looked over in the dugout and saw C telling another boy (from a team that wasn't even playing that game!) who was much larger, "That's not funny, that's not funny!" I asked C after the game what that was all about. I assumed that the bully was picking on C. C told me, though, that another boy (who had been sitting on the bench near them) had been hit near the p*nis with the ball while playing catcher and the bully was making fun of him. C got really upset because "That really hurts, Mom! They shouldn't make fun of him!" During another inning, the same bully took another kid's hat and C stood up to the bully and told him to give the first kid's hat back.

C is not exactly a big kid. He's really kind of scrawny compared to this bully kid. But, he stood right up to him. In the car, he told me, "Mom, that kid from *** Team is just mean!" I am really proud of my kid. It's one thing to stand up for yourself, but to stand up to a bully for other kids is pretty impressive. C may not be a good reader yet, but he's developing some character.

The closing date on our house in June 16 - EEK! The good news is that the person in the house that we are moving into is willing to let us move in there early if he can find another place to move into. In the meantime, though, we have less than 30 days to get all the inspections, financing, and moving done. Today, I got a lot of the arrangements made. I have to get the house clean tomorrow. This headache thing is a real bummer. I can't just work 16 hours and get a ton of stuff done. I really have to pace myself, even with mental effort, or the headaches really get bad. Even tonight, I'm working on one.

I have had lots of offers to help pack and move. Later this week, I'll be doing more packing. I probably won't be able to do much moving till 2 weeks from now. L's dance recital is in 2 weeks which is a big deal, too. The good news is that we don't have much to do except for taking her to practices and then the weekend of the recital.

So, it is really happening. I have started to mourn my house. P and I picked out all the appliances, carpet, tile, everything that is in this house. I have become rather attached to it. I keep trying to focus the kids on the positive aspects of the new house. I need to focus myself on it. I know I can make any house a home - and we will. But, I'm giving myself a few minutes here and there to miss my whirlpool tub (which was so nice when I was pregnant) and my double ovens (wonderful for holiday baking - of course, I had so little time for baking) and our lovely deck.

The kids are happy that I have suspended school until we are settled in the new house. I haven't told them, but when we do start back, I am going to do 1 weeks of work over 2 weeks until fall. P has my cold. I'm finally not sneezing every 5 minutes, but he is coughing and congested. He needs lots of prayer. He has to be at work and ready to saw lots of pieces of metal at 7am.

Well, I finished reading The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. It is an excellent book. It is a romance set in the late 19th century in upper class New York society. At times, the writing is stilted and over-done, but that captures the essence of that society. Newland Archer is the main character and his relationships between May Welland and Ellen Olenska provide the major plotline. I read this book in high school and wasn't impressed, but now, as an adult, I was able to embrace the emotions of the characters. I highly recommend this book, but mostly for adults, because it may be dry for teens. I got the video from the library and I'm going to watch that tonight.