baseball boys

I found out I was pregnant with my fourth (and last) baby when my third baby was eight months old. It felt a little crazy and overwhelming. But since these two brothers were following twin sisters, I was at least a little prepared for double everything. Here we are, seven years later and these two boys have grown into the best of best friends. I’m so glad they weren’t spaced out any more than they were. They share a love of baseball, that goes well beyond just mere love. They are constantly swinging imaginary bats at the dinner table and nodding to imaginary catchers about which pitch they’re going to throw next. They go out in the backyard and throw balls to each other, practice batting, have home run derbys and catch pop ups until the sun is too hot for them. Then they come in and beg to play on their franchise (a video game version of baseball) and when they’re out of screen time, they pull out one of the SEVERAL board games of baseball where they best each other with pitching and batter cards and pine for extra rally cards (“Full Count” is their favorite). Then they go back outside and repeat the whole cycle. They’ve got baseball pants and batting gloves (they used to use garden gloves until we got them each a real pair) and change out hats and jerseys depending on what team they want to be. Their cancelled spring team had a shortened season in the summer and my boys couldn’t have been more thrilled. Major League Baseball is starting games again next week and my household is counting down the hours (go cubs!). Their passion and dedication inspires me. It is insatiable and constant. It brings out anger and frustration and pride and elation in them. And then next day, they are back at it again, getting better and better a little bit at a time and unapologetically pursuing the thing that they love. And I am watching them and taking notes. ❤️⚾️❤️[“Love is: A Good Coach” 6x6, available: https://www.stephaniehock.com/original-paintings/love-is-a-good-coach]