Breakthrough joins the Near West Little League

We had a unique opportunity this year with t-ball. Usually Matt helps coach Breakthrough's t-ball in the summer for the "littler" kids (4-8 year olds). However, we usually only  have about 9-10 players total, and the kids have to just play games against each other since it's not really a league.

However, the Near West Side little league is an established league that has been going on for years in our neighborhood, so this year, Breakthrough's team joined up with them. Now we have lots more players and a really great field!

Claire and Sammy were very excited for t-ball last Saturday morning. Matt still helped out with the team, and the field is one that we can walk to. I was less excited because it was about 95 degrees outside.

Matt was a cute coach, as usual, rounding up all the little ones who have hardly swung a bat before. Claire got to practice with the "older kids" and Sammy with the "younger".

To be perfectly fair, I should have taken pictures of both kids, but this year I was just so excited for Claire. She's not the most active child in the world, and she prefers being cool and still to being hot and running (girl after her mother's heart). However, she really got into it this year! Usually, we are having to really coax her out onto the field and she tends to fade from heat about half way through.

But this year, she really put herself out there!

Here she is on her way to 2nd base.

And she's safe.

And here she is telling Matt all about it.

She made it home! I actually didn't see the initial "hit" but another coach told me she hit it pretty far. That's my girl! I just love it when she gets competitive. I'm not very competitive. You should see this girl play "Go Fish" and "Uno". She's a total card shark.

Sammy did great too. Sorry I didn't get more pictures of you Sam-Sam, but we already knew you were our little athlete! Plus, I had the hard job of leaving halfway through to go sit in the air-conditioned car, drive to Target, and pick up a birthday present for another 4 year old. So I missed a little bit of it. I do that sometimes. Bad mommy.