Learning Curve

This week has flown by at warp speed. Of course, when we're busy, we don't notice or even get dizzy -- until it's suddenly Friday and we're TGIFing.

Carter had baseball practice Tuesday and Wednesday, then had his first league game last night. He's on the Phillies this year -- another red team -- and Daddy is not coaching so we are going to sit back and watch for a change. I say "we" since hubby won't be calling the plays and I won't be recording any in any scorebook. The Phillies beat the Mets by the 10-run rule. It is so much better to be at the giving -- rather than receiving -- end of one of those for a change!

Carter did OK in that game but was moving pretty slowly. "Why?" you ask. Well, I'll tell you.

He was limping down the hall Wednesday morning (the day he went to work with us) and I asked what was wrong. He said he was sore from "working out" on Tuesday, his first day of summer vacation. What did he do exactly? It turns out he did some toe raises -- you know how you raise yourself up on your toes and it works your calves. Well, he did 10 toes raises... on each step going from the basement up to the main floor. Uhm, that's over a hundred stressful stretches to his otherwise non-engaged calves! No wonder he could hardly walk.

Today, Friday, is 3 days later and he is still struggling. Poor kid. It's a learning process.

He is also sore on his back and shoulders today because despite parental warning, he did not think he needed sunscreen while spending the afternoon at a pool party yesterday. Ouch. It's a learning process, right?

But wait, that wasn't the most costly lesson he learned this week...

Today he was home alone and had to do his own laundry so he'd have his baseball gear clean for tonight. The good news is he was quite independent and washed his own clothes. The bad news is he forgot to take his iPod out of his shorts pocket before he did so.

Groan. That's gotta hurt.

"It's just another day of being an idget," he said.

Uffda. Sure would have been nice to erase all the bad with a baseball win tonight. But that didn't happen. Close, but not quite. We are holding the tournament in Rapids this weekend so there are 54 teams involved between the multiple age groups. At least it's close to home -- 5 minutes away.

Carter's team played Marshfield at 5 p.m. We were behind 0-2 and came back to tie it in the 4th, then went ahead 3-2 at the top of the 7th. Marshfield came back at their last at bat to beat us 4-3. Bummer. Carter connected a few times but did not get a hit. On defense, we enjoyed one inning where he was playing 2nd base and got all 3 outs. That was fun to see.

I guess if he's improving, he's learning something. I bet all these lessons this week were not in his plans for summer vacation, though! At this rate, he'll be pretty smart by high school.