nixtress's Diaryland Diary

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baseball brat

Seems like my main topic lately has been baseball. Anyone with kids who play sports can understand, I'm sure. It becomes all-encompassing, keeps me tied up and running. I talk about it, work around it, ready for it...during ball season, we eat, sleep and breathe baseball.
Today wasn't an exception. Trevor had a game tonight at one end of town, Ryan had practice at the other. I managed to get everyone where they needed to be, when they needed to be. I accompanied Ry to his practice, got done with it and back to Trev's game just in time to see the last inning and go home. *sigh*
I'll be glad when their schedules don't overlap anymore. There are only a few more games with that problem.
There's a boy (let's call him Erik to keep this simple) on Ryan's team that is driving me batty. He's in Ryan's class at school and I'm very familiar with him. His conduct is a little irritating sometimes and baseball isn't any different. The last two practices, Erik's worked hard at pushing the coach's buttons. Coach asked him to turn his cap around, and when he refused, he made the entire team run laps. This continued for half the practice. As soon as they were done, Erik would turn his cap back around and away they'd have to run again. It's a military mentality, trying to teach the boys that they're part of a unit and that their actions don't just affect themselves, but impact everyone. Erik just really enjoys pushing triggers. Tonight, it was batting. Coach asked the boys to swing, drop the bat and hustle to first, running past the base. Erik swung, threw the bat, and scuffed to first, stopping inches from the base and grinning at Coach. He was then instructed to go back and do it again, correctly this time. Erik stepped up to bat, swung and started running WITH THE BAT IN HAND, slowing just before the base and then running AROUND the base. Again, he was instructed to repeat it correctly. This went on for about ten minutes. By the time it was done, the rest of the boys were fidgeting in the dirt, bored and had completely lost focus. I know that the coach walks a fine line but I hope he cuts through this crap soon. Otherwise, we're going to have a long season.
Erik's mother just sat there, watching and shrugged. I got on to Ry for much less tonight (kicking up the dust so that it blew back in the faces of everyone sitting and watching). Guess it's just a difference in parenting styles but it was frustrating.
***
I'm tired. It's been a long week and it's only Tuesday night. There are a few things in the sidelines that I'm processing and it's taking it's toll. I'm toying with a few decisions and trying to keep a proper perspective on them...not sure I'm doing such a bangup job but doing my best.
Can'tEatandCan'tPoop has moved back into the neighborhood. She's called roughly three times a day since they got back and her son has been down nearly daily. I've been firm in my boundaries and have informed him that with as busy as we are, right now, there are going to be days where he's not going to be able to come over and play. Part of that is my patience and tolerance levels, part is because I'm pretty strict and unbending in my bedtime rules and homework/shower/chore schedules.
I just don't want the drama to start back up again, don't want to be tugged back into the mess that seems to hover around that family. And I'm not going to.
Hot shower, here I come.
Happy Tuesday.
N.

9:40 p.m. - 2006-05-09

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