Have a Fun Part 3: Bombers, Fizz, Pops and Panthers:

This Spring Sarah moved up from Tee-ball to softball, and has played on 4 different teams during the year. (Ok, the competetive team at her age level had enough girls for two teams during some tournaments, but still, that counts!). She had an excellent coach during the regular season team (The Bombers), and has improved tremendously! She enjoyed herself so much that she wanted to play on the competition team, even though our vacation coincided with two of the weekend long tournaments. We agreed, partly because of her enthusiasm, and partly because that team was headed by the same coach and his wife, who still holds some State highschool softball records (and they welcomed her despite not being able to attend all the tournaments). The extra practice really helped her skills, and she was still able to play during the tournament hosted by our Little League before we left (on the Pops), and another local tournemant after we returned (on the Fizz). There were so many girls in her age group they split into two teams, sponsored by Jones Soda, hence the team names.

After a few weeks break and a camping trip with some of the softball families, practice started up again for a local fall League. This time though, many of the girls are moving up a level, so everyone will officially be Panthers for the rest of the competitive League, allowing girls to step between age groups to fill in if needed so each team has enough girls to play. What's nice is that even though our coaches are also moving up (their daughter is a year older than Sarah), the two teams are still practicing together. After all, this years team (well, whoever sticks with it) will all be together again in '10, and '12 . Yes, I really see Sarah sticking with it. Nevermind the friends she has made, she loves the sport. When I have told her she looks cute with her hair in ponytails or in one of her many ball caps, she corrects me with "I'm not cute mom, I'm sporty!" She is still my girly girl preferring her skirts, the pinker, lacier, or floucier the better, but just as often now she prefers to wear her practice clothes, slider included. We opted out of the pitching/catching camp for this year, but it is definately something on her list of things to do.

In other sporty news, I am slowly getting back on track with exercise after a long summer of hanging out in the baby pool - SO much exercise potential there! My arthritis, which has not been much of a problem since my first flare up years ago, has been horrible this summer. Still working on controlling it, but at least now I am able to go workout & go for walks. Natasha really wanted this summer to be about early morning walks with Mom before everyone woke up, and early morning (or morning at all) was just not a good time for me. So perhaps we will be doing that this fall before her early morning school start.

Natasha is alooking forward to trying out for Track at the middle school next week already, and of course Basketball later in the Fall. Looking to visit? Plan on attending a game somewhere!