'Nother One James

Owen played baseball for the first time yesterday.

I didn't think it was going to take, initially. We tried a few days ago, and whenever he managed to get the bat in his hand he would just walk around with it pointed at the ground pretending it was a vacuum cleaner. He's getting more like his big brother in some ways. He totes around James' toy Dyson with the same look of intense concentration that his older brother used to have as he pretend-vacuums the downstairs, and as soon as the weather turned nice he was all about bubble-mowing the back yard and driveway with a serious "James-face" on.

I didn't think I could get him interested in baseball. James wanted to play, though. He pitched to me for a bit and I went through our usual routine of leaping in the direction of his erratic pitching, trying to get close enough to make contact with the ball, and then running the "bases" in our backyard while James ran to retrieve the baseball, stood at home plate, and then ran out of the way as soon as I came towards home.

Owen finally showed some interest in playing too during the second game. (James had to put his glove away in the garage temporarily because it got "too sweaty.")

I helped him hold the bat and stood over him while big brother made encouraging looking gestures from the pitcher's plate. I warned James not to throw the ball too fast. Owen wiggled his behind and did the same tap-the-plate routine that James does with a bat. The pitch came and it was a good one. We swung together and made contact, and then I looked down at Owen.

Oh, to have that moment forever.

To say that Owen is happy about something is nothing extraordinary. But hitting the baseball was extraordinary happiness. He shrieked, and then took off "running" to first. It took him the better part of a minute, but after falling down and picking himself back up, he made it. James insisted that Owen round all the bases, and I managed to coax him towards second, but he lost focus and made a big zig-zag back to home plate after that.

"Owen, we're playing baseball toGEBBER!"

It was a great day.