Rix - Our Next Griffey

Okay, not really. But who knows?? Maybe in a few years he'll surprise us all by excelling in baseball! But for now he is still learning the game, and loving it. We signed him up for T-Ball this year. It was the only league around here that allows Pre-K kids to play! But the team is really fun and all the kids are learning together. Rix even WANTS to go to practice (for those who remember, swimming was not his thing and I'd have to fight him on going to practice). He still doesn't catch the ball well. He hold his mitt out and then, when the ball doesn't magically fall in the mitt, he chases after it. He also isn't terribly awesome yet at aiming the ball when throwing, but he can throw pretty far and hard. Hitting is coming along. His swing changes like crazy, so it's hard for the coach to predict how high to place the tee, but Rix hits it well when he can connect the ball with the bat. :) Bryce also loves T-Ball and he takes his own mitt to practice with. The coaches are supernice and let Bryce practice with the rest of the kids. They even let him hit the ball and run the bases! Rix had his first game last Saturday and it was so fun to watch! I thought Bryce would be bummed that he couldn't play in the game, but he was content to watch in his little chair and eat his lunch. Phew! Bryan couldn't make the game (he was way sad!) but my parents came to help me with the kids and watch Rix play. T-ball is so great! When the ball was hit, all the kids, even some of the "outfielders" ran to get it. Kids missed bases or kept running all the bases instead of one. Other kids were putting the mitt over their faces so they couldn't see and others were picking the grass. In T-ball here there are no outs. Each kid gets to bat, with the last batter doing a "homerun" so all the kids can run home. There are also only 3 innings so it doesn't drag out and the kids get bored. It only lasted about an hour, which was perfect. In the second inning Rix was the "homerun" hitter, and, I don't know where he learned this, but he did the "homerun" run around the bases. You know, where you exaggerate your moves and run really slow. He did it because he was tired and didn't want to run, but all the parents thought he was being funny. I'll just let them think that, when instead he was just being naughty. Rix has about eight or nine games. I hope he gets better and I'm excited to work on throwing and catching with them this summer (Bryce calls it all catching, as in "Mom, catch me the ball!"). Here are some pictures of his game last weekend:

Rix played right field, short stop, and first base. My dad was so awesome to help Rix pay attention and know when to run for the ball.

Rix and his friend Nathan goofing off while waiting for their turn at bat.

Rix running home. In this picture he is actually running.

Cole was happy as a clam (they're happy, right?) sitting in this camp chair.

Bryce taking another famous photogenic picture.

At the end of every practice (and now game) they put their hands in and yell "1-2-3 Kinder Sharks!" and if the coaches forget the kids get all mad at them. Seriously mad.