"Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet..." The GM giant submitted this little ditty back in 1975. The jury is still out on the nutritional value of the wiener, and with the big three bail-out debacle, I don't think Rick Wagoner will be on anybody's Christmas list this year. As for baseball, it has always been a staple in the Stoehr house.
For almost 15 years of everything from teeball to Varsity coaching, the end of and era has come. My youngest announced last week he was retiring from the game. In an effort to pursue better grades and his love of music, he will hang up the spuds and gloves.
This news came with a barrage of mixed emotions for me. The first of which was, thank God it's over. We have worn out vehicles driving to and from practices and games, spent hundreds of dollars on equipment, tournament fees, uniforms, coach gifts and sunflower seeds. Parents spent what seemed to be every summer weekend at tournaments and all we came home with was sunburn and dehydration.
The true reality of this decision came to me later in that day. I actually had to choke back a tear. Thinking about seeing your kid all decked out in his jersey and funny socks...parents wait (some longer than others) for weeks for the moment their little star makes that amazing catch, or drives an inside pitch over the left field wall to end a game, just to utter those words..."That's my boy!". I'm going to miss that.
If you go back and read past entries in the Basegasket Blog you will find a pattern to some of my archives written. It seems the changes that come from a child changing from child to adult, cut me to the quick at times. We have encountered many challenges and changes as our babies mature, but one thing has always proven itself time and time again; they still continue to amaze us. Even though they are not on a diamond shaped field anymore, our babies continue to provoke us to utter those words... "That's my girl!"... "That's my boy!". What more can one ask for?
Maybe I will continue to attend baseball games and watch my Yanks on TV. I might still fall victim to the hotdog cart outside the west town Home Depot again. Maybe someday I'll drive one of Rick's electric cars. Who knows what will happen next in this crazy world...? Well one thing I do know will happen; I will eat Mama's apple pie again. Hold the cheese please.
For almost 15 years of everything from teeball to Varsity coaching, the end of and era has come. My youngest announced last week he was retiring from the game. In an effort to pursue better grades and his love of music, he will hang up the spuds and gloves.
This news came with a barrage of mixed emotions for me. The first of which was, thank God it's over. We have worn out vehicles driving to and from practices and games, spent hundreds of dollars on equipment, tournament fees, uniforms, coach gifts and sunflower seeds. Parents spent what seemed to be every summer weekend at tournaments and all we came home with was sunburn and dehydration.
The true reality of this decision came to me later in that day. I actually had to choke back a tear. Thinking about seeing your kid all decked out in his jersey and funny socks...parents wait (some longer than others) for weeks for the moment their little star makes that amazing catch, or drives an inside pitch over the left field wall to end a game, just to utter those words..."That's my boy!". I'm going to miss that.
If you go back and read past entries in the Basegasket Blog you will find a pattern to some of my archives written. It seems the changes that come from a child changing from child to adult, cut me to the quick at times. We have encountered many challenges and changes as our babies mature, but one thing has always proven itself time and time again; they still continue to amaze us. Even though they are not on a diamond shaped field anymore, our babies continue to provoke us to utter those words... "That's my girl!"... "That's my boy!". What more can one ask for?
Maybe I will continue to attend baseball games and watch my Yanks on TV. I might still fall victim to the hotdog cart outside the west town Home Depot again. Maybe someday I'll drive one of Rick's electric cars. Who knows what will happen next in this crazy world...? Well one thing I do know will happen; I will eat Mama's apple pie again. Hold the cheese please.
