Author Archives: jeb

A Good Day for Baseball

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Danny’s blue all-star team put up a good fight, but lost to the red team 3 games in a row. The odds were against them with the other team having players from the #1 Cardinals. The Cardinals had fudged the assistant coach rules to get 4 #1 draft picks at the beginning of the season. And the villainous “coach” Pat Swindall didn’t help matters coaching from third base his team to bend every base-running rule.

The blue team played with honor, though, and lost the last game by a slim difference of 15 to 14. Danny made us all proud the whole season. He learned a lot and applied what he learned. He has an excellent throwing arm and the fiercest most determined batting stance in the league.

In the 9th inning of the last game, down by 5, with 2 men on and 2 outs, Danny stepped up to the plate. His mother began saying prayers that the season would not end on Danny’s bat. SWING. Strike 1.

Danny had some terrific stats. He almost always got on base. And I was amazed at how often he would get a hit on the third strike. He has nerves of steal. The praying continued. SWING. Strike 2.

Kathy started jumping up and down in a kneeling position. I started gritting my teeth. Certainly it hadn’t all come down to this? I was afraid he had used up all the 3rd strike hits any kid could expect in one season. SWING. CRACK!

He hit one of the longest balls he had ever hit out to left field. It dropped between two red-stars. One blue-star scored and Danny landed at second base.

I was relieved. Kathy immediately went to the restroom after climbing down from the fence.

The next bat would be the moment of glory for the blue-stars when terrible fielding allowed the batter, Danny, and the other base runner to score. Pat Swindall looked exasperated. The game was tied and the blue-stars were delighted. They wouldn’t win the game, but it was a good day for baseball.

Star-Spangled Banner

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Opening day for the all-stars featured a field decorated by Kathy and Marian and the Star-Spangled Banner sung by our own Nicole Cashel.

Nicole had been practicing all week. The original plan was for her to sing along to the music blaring over loud speakers. When we arrived at the field, though, we found out the speakers had blown. The commissioner offered a bull horn if Nicole was willing to sing sans music.

Our brave and confident Nicole, with a full year of drama training fresh under her belt, did the carpe diem thing and said “sure.” The commissioner took her behind the backstop to practice towards the woods.

A combination of nerves, of having to sing one of the most difficult songs in the world, of having to set her own pitch and beat without music, and of having a lack of backup from a bunch of t-ball boys, led to a rough start for Nicole. She started too high, making it impossible to reach the early high notes. Standing at home plate behind the bull horn, t-ballers up both base lines, I was helpless to help her. Her eyebrows went up in desperation. But she had gotten the crowd singing, so she paused through a line or two, and found her proper notes. She finished well, and held back the tears until she cleared the field.

It was a tough moment, but Kathy and I told her we were proud of her for doing it, and I told her I was proud of her for not quitting and having the guts to finish.

Nicole and Danny both have a lot of character. You don’t always get that by getting the most points.

The Birds and The Bees

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Danny asked Kathy if Gramalie adopted a baby. Kathy said no that she had all her babies and asked him why he asked. Because she has so many. (I guess 3 is normal as far as Danny is concerned.)

Kathy said that we could have four babies if we wanted to. Then Danny asked how do you make a baby.

Kathy told him that Mom and Dad had to love each other a lot to make a baby. Danny decided that if Mom and Dad loved each other a whole bunch and bunch, we could have six kids.

Then Kathy decided to explain how it worked.

By the time she was done, Danny had his hands on his ears, his face was red, and he was on the verge of tears.

Robbery at Harland

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Our next door neighbor, Desire, gave Kathy four tickets to the Braves game. Kathy called me, and we decided she could bring me some clothes and pick me up after work with the kids for the drive downtown.

Since I can see anyone drive up from my office window, I told her to drive up front, wave to me, and I would come out.

When Kathy drove up in front of Harland she looked in my office window, but saw my office was empty. She drove a few more feet and looked down the steps to the front doors and saw a man crouched down by the doors with a ski mask on and a gun! It was after hours, so Kathy had no idea what to do, except get the kids away fast. Was I being held hostage inside? Did I even know that man was there?

She drove around the corner to a dry cleaners, rushed in, told them what was happening, and borrowed the phone to call the police and me. Her heart was pounding. When she got me on the phone, I told her everything was ok and that none of it was real. Some people in marketing were making a security film!

The timing was uncanny. I heard a bunch of noise in the lobby as the filming was being staged, so I left my office to go see what was going on. When I saw the actor with the ski mask and gun posing outside the main doors, I said that could end up scaring my wife who was about to drive up, so I would go outside and wait for her.

I went to my office to get my things, and that was just when I saw Kathy’s car pulling away from my window. I ran as fast as I could to the front door to see Kathy speeding away!

[Update: Kathy got a free address stamp from the guy who was managing the film as an apology for the panic. Free tickets and free stamp. Not bad.]

Memorial Day Loss

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5/31/93

The Orioles lost their memorial day game, but had a great rally inning where they almost pulled from behind. Nicole won a game ball for all her help in the dug out and scoring during the season.

Best Imagination

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Tonight Danny’s class sponsored a Fathers’ Dessert. Danny and I went to Ms. Wys’s classroom. I got to sit in a small chair.

Ms. Wys read quotes from the kids that described their fathers. The dads were supposed to guess if the description was of them. However, “My dad likes to tickle me. My dad likes steak. My dad snores” are pretty broad clues.

I was one of the few fathers able to guess. My description was “My Dad makes checks and writes checks. He tells jokes and I forget them. He likes to play catch with me.” I won two M&Ms for guessing.

Then there was an awards ceremony. Each kid won a different award. Danny was awarded “Best Imagination.” The two of us were very proud of him as Ms Wys put the medal around his neck and the crowd applauded.

Each kid then prepared his or her dad an ice cream dish with lots of toppings.

I got a tour of the classroom from Danny, and he read me his journal that he had kept the entire year.

How to Torture Your Sister

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Nicole’s drama group put on the show they’ve been rehearsing all school year. Gramalie and Gradad showed up for the production which was all the way in Marietta. It took longer to drive to the show that the show lasted!

I video taped all the skits. It was very entertaining to everyone except Kelly who either didn’t like the dark or the singing.

Nicole starred in “How to Torture Your Sister” and “How to Be Sick”. She also made several appearances throughout the other skits, including the introduction line, “How to fight injustice.”

Several girls dropped out of drama before the end. We’re proud that Nicole stuck it out. She was rewarded by being in a very entertaining performance.

A star is born.

Kelly Update (8 months)

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Kelly has gotten very good at entertaining herself. One of her favorite things is the fireplace hearth. She can pull herself up on the bricks and stand, scratching the bricks. Kathy and I are convinced that her personality is much like Danny’s. She gets very focused on things, and will quickly complain if you deter her from her current mission.

Her favorite mission of the day is attempting to get on the top of the fireplace hearth. She can just reach a toe up on the edge. Almost enough to hoist herself up. She hasn’t quite gotten the move yet. But she will stand at the hearth and chat with the chimney, scratching on the bricks, searching up and down the length of the hearth for a stray wood chip to play with.

She also likes to stand at the windows that face the driveway and backyard. She especially likes spying a kid or parent that she can yell to.

Like her brother, she will not be long for a crib. She already has attempted to climb out. I caught her reaching over the side, exploring the diaper holder.

Another favorite activity is climbing around our feet during dinner. Since the weather has gotten warm, she has enjoyed her discovery that Dad has hair all over his legs. Often I must pry her little fist from a handful of leg hair during dinner. She gets very tickled and laughs at this.

She also likes to climb under our chairs and get trapped.

She is sleeping through the night with only occasional outbursts. She still insists on getting up in the morning and having me bring her to Kathy. She won’t even think of skipping breakfast. When I pick her up from her crib, she immediately turns herself toward our bedroom door, almost climbing out of my arms in mid air.

Today at church, she was presented Dad’s watch and a doll to play with. She threw the doll on the floor, and explored every side of the watch. I’m sure she would have taken it apart if her mouth would only work like a screwdriver.

Her hair is getting longer. She even has some over the tops of her ears. She’s looking more like a little girl. She has no teeth and is still in diapers.