Day 39: The Doubleheader

For the vast majority of our nearly ten year marriage, we have been a one car household. This has rarely been an issue for us, with the exception of a few minor headaches here and there of "well I can't go to the grocery store because Brad had to run to the hardware store really fast" or "well we need to ask the neighbors if we can borrow a car to take Camden to the Emergency Room for stitches because Ashley took the car and drove to NYC for the day" (that's a true story). 

As the kids have gotten older the need for a second vehicle has become more obvious. They're both in school, we're a lot busier with family activities, and starting this spring, they're both in baseball. On different teams. In different divisions. Which means one thing: schedule conflicts. 

This morning was our first real test of being a one car family with active kids. Calen's game started at 9 (which means arrive at 8:30) at "A park" on one side of town. His games last exactly 1 hour and 50 minutes (or 6 innings, whichever comes first). Camden's game started at 11 (which means arrive at 10:30) at "H park", across town ("across town" is really only ten minutes away. But still). Calen's game ended up starting 15 minutes late because they forgot to put gasoline in the pitching machine (eyeroll). 

See the time discrepancy there? Two kids. Two games. Two fields. Overlapping times. One car. 

Well shit. 

First of all, Calen's game was great. He had an infield base hit and was an absolute all star at third base, making two really impressive snags on grounders, and even though the runners were safe on both plays, he prevented them from advancing further and kept the opposing team from scoring a single run in the entire game. The Indians won 1-0 (a shockingly low score for 6-7 year old baseball). 

The game was over. It was 10:40. 

Suddenly it was a "QUICK! Get all your baseball shit together, stuff it in your bag and RUN FOR YOUR LIFE to the car!!" Then driving mostly safe across town, sliding into a parking spot and flying out of the car, trying to find all of Cam's baseball gear underneath all of Calen's gear that we had just ceremoniously thrown into the trunk, pull it all out, RUN FOR OUR LIVES across the parking lot to Cam's field, and throw ourselves onto a blanket in the grass with five minutes to spare for Cam's game to start. 

Holey moley. 

The truth of the matter is we need a second car. The other truth of the matter is that we successfully pulled off our first big test of spring baseball with one car. 

Camden's game was quite possibly the most adorable thing I've ever seen. I forgot how cute it is to watch 4 and 5 year olds play tball for the first time. It's a brightly colored, slightly organized shitshow of tiny people in ill-fitting uniforms running all over the grass after a single baseball. There is laughter and tears and confusion and HUMONGOUS SMILES when the ball finally comes to them. It's like a full circle of preschooler emotions in a 45 minute game. It's SO cute it just might kill you. 

Cam had the time of his LIFE. They put him at pitcher (defensive position only) and luckily for him that was where just about every ball went to so he got to make a lot of plays, and each time would cheer to the world "I GOT IT!!! I GOT THE BALL!!!!!!" and all the parents on the sidelines would go in unison "awwwwwwwww." And then a few balls went the opposite direction and Cam would still take off all the way to the opposite outfield to get the ball and the coach would tell him to stay at his spot and let others get the ball and he'd get a little mad and we'd all laugh at his expensive for being so enthusiastic. 

It's so cute I can't stand it. 

And now that's it's over, it's time to shop for a second car. 

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