Play Ball

This evening Allie plopped a bag of baseballs down and handed me my ball glove. "Wanna go outside and play?"

I didn't hesitate.

If you come to my house and ask to have a catch, we will go outside and have a catch. Period. I don't care if it's the middle of winter, we'll head outside and have a catch. I'm like a dog with it's favorite tennis ball. If you throw it, I'll chase it into the lake.

We started out slow. Allie's still treats the ball as if it's covered in poop and razor blades. I kneel in the grass and gently toss the ball, underhanded, directly into her glove. Allie is about four feet away. As soon as she gets the ball she hurls it back at my face with as much force as she can muster.

Judging from the number of times I almost ate a baseball, her arm and aim has improved over the winter.

Julia showed up a few minutes into our catch. She was doing her best to insert herself into the situation by playing right next to me. Now, I can't say if it was a coincidence or maybe it was Allie's subconscious at work, but every where Julia's skull was, that's where Allie threw the baseball.

Julia would move left, Allie threw left. It wasn't subtle in the least. Fortunately Julia wasn't aware of the five or six times she came close to being beaned. I saved her each time with a well timed snag. Each time I looked at Allie who gave no indication that she was intentionally trying to kill her sister. But after the fourth throw I was pretty sure there was something going on.

Allie still throws like a girl so I'm anxious for her to improve. I'm thinking of making a helmet for Julia with a target painted on it. Allie should become the first female in the big leagues in no time.

There are some Syttende Mai photos in the photostream. Probably more to come tomorrow.

I have to go now. Not sure why, but I have a sudden craving for chives.