Ethan Has Peaked

Saturday night, Ethan's Little League baseball team was invited to be present on the field with the Sky Sox (our hometown, minor league team). Despite the frigid cold and very windy weather, the game was on so Ric took Ethan down to the field.

Well, it was quite the event in Ethan's little life as it turned out. During the introductions, each of the Sky Sox players take their positions on the field and the LL players got to also take the field with them. Ethan requested to be with the catcher. (Ethan has this thing about "donning the equipment." The more gear and equipment the sport requires, the more he's interested in it. Presently, he wants to be a catcher.)

Anyway, after the SS introductions, since Ethan was with the catcher, following the national anthem he got to yell, "PLAY BALL!" into the microphone to the whole stadium to start the game!
Ric was thoughtful enought to patch me through via cell phone so I could here my eldest son kick off this minor league game.

Ric left soon after (we had a date planned, after all) and our dear friend, K was AWESOME to keep Ethan with her and her kid to finish watching the whole game, in the frigid cold. By the end of the game Ethan had also come home with one of the game bats that a player had broken while up at bat!

So this great excitement for Ethan gave me pause. My first thoughts were:
How is it that I am here for all the moments, the daily grind, the developmental milestones, every day, every day, every day. And I miss this? Angry at the awful weather that had us change plans from the whole family going to just Ric. Irritated that I could merely listen on the cell phone to him yell those exciting words. Dissappointed that I wasn't there too.

And then, resolve and appreciation. Ric was here this weekend and was able to share a really cool moment with his favorite first-born. And I imagine it was a little more meaningful for Ethan to share this with Dad than with Mom. I have been there for lots of moments in his little life. Some were great, most were small, but I have been there. I'm so thankful (to Ric) that I have been there every day.

Happy Day, Ethan. I'm so glad for you that this night at the Sky Sox game turned out to be so cool, and that you got to share this with your favorite Dad.