with JT.
When we get to the theater, the movie I’d planned on taking him to see has already started. Since there isn’t really anything else appropriate for a five year old, we end up driving around for a while. Eventually, I see a fun center off the highway and pull up to check things out. Once I find out they have a batting cage, I know I have to take him to try it.
I’ve always loved sports. In high school, I was on just about every team I could manage until I had to start working full-time. When I had to cut down to one thing, I chose football because that’s what I was best at. If I was being honest though, I’ve always been more of a baseball fan.
Once we make our way to the cage on the end, I help him get his helmet on and hand him the small, aluminum bat.
“Okay, you have to stand like this,” I start, showing him where to put his feet. “Hold your bat right here and keep your eye on that spot.”
“Am I gonna get hit in the face?”
“Not if you pay close attention and stand where I tell you,” I tell him with a smile. “Just don’t take your eyes off that spot. If you move in front of the plate, you might get hit so just stay right here and you should be fine.”
“Okay.”
“Alright dude, I think you’re ready,” I tell him. “Remember, feet like this, bat up high, keep your eyes on the ball and swing when I say.”
“I feel weird.”
“Well, stick your tongue out,” I tell him. “It’ll help you balance.”
“For real?” he says in a disbelieving voice.
“Yep,” I nod, laughing when he does it. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” he says and I step just outside the cage, causing him to glance over his shoulder. “Uncle Jack?”
“Keep your eyes ahead, Buddy,” I warn him, watching him immediately do as he’s told. “What’s up?”
“Am I doing it right?”
“Yep,” I tell him. “Just keep your bat up there and swing when I tell you, okay?”
“Okay,” he says, keeping his feet glued in place.
When the first ball launches out, he swings and misses.
“Aw man,” he grumbles under his voice, making me grin.
“That’s alright,” I tell him. “You’ll get it.”
Eventually, on the third ball, he swings and hits it. If the surge of pride I’m feeling isn’t enough, he jumps up and down in excitement.
“Uncle Jack! It worked!”
“See? You’re already awesome! Get ready for another one!”
“Okay!” he responds, still shouting.
We spend the bulk of the night at the cages and once he’s got the hang of it, I’m thrilled to see he’s pretty good. After turning his gear back in, we stop off for some supper and head back to the hotel.
“Did you have fun?”
“It was awesome!” he says, still shouting and making me grin. “Could we go again tomorrow?”
“Well, I don’t know about tomorrow,” I tell him. “We’ll have to talk to Aunt Sophie, but I promise to take you again real soon. Deal?”
“Yeah,” he says immediately, nodding his head.
As we pull up to the hotel, I help him out and we head up toward Ana’s room, where he’ll be staying for the night.
“Where’s my Aunt Sophie?” he asks once we walk in the opposite way of the room they’re staying in.
“She knew I wanted to hang out with you, so she went to have supper,” I tell him.
“Did my Uncle Chase go, too?”
“Yes,” I say quietly, still childishly jealous of the way he refers to Sophie’s boyfriend. “Hey, is he pretty nice to you? Your… uh… Uncle Chase?”
“Yeah,” he says immediately with a grin. “He’s really funny.”
“And he’s nice to your Aunt Sophie?”
“Yeah,” he tells me, running his fingertips across the wall as we walk. “He’s always kissin’ her, though. Ugh! It’s really grody.”
“That is pretty grody, dude,” I agree, internally groaning but knowing I brought it on myself. “Ugh is right.”
“Hey,” Ana says with a smile as she pulls the door open to greet us. “I thought I heard some handsome men out here.
When we get to the theater, the movie I’d planned on taking him to see has already started. Since there isn’t really anything else appropriate for a five year old, we end up driving around for a while. Eventually, I see a fun center off the highway and pull up to check things out. Once I find out they have a batting cage, I know I have to take him to try it.
I’ve always loved sports. In high school, I was on just about every team I could manage until I had to start working full-time. When I had to cut down to one thing, I chose football because that’s what I was best at. If I was being honest though, I’ve always been more of a baseball fan.
Once we make our way to the cage on the end, I help him get his helmet on and hand him the small, aluminum bat.
“Okay, you have to stand like this,” I start, showing him where to put his feet. “Hold your bat right here and keep your eye on that spot.”
“Am I gonna get hit in the face?”
“Not if you pay close attention and stand where I tell you,” I tell him with a smile. “Just don’t take your eyes off that spot. If you move in front of the plate, you might get hit so just stay right here and you should be fine.”
“Okay.”
“Alright dude, I think you’re ready,” I tell him. “Remember, feet like this, bat up high, keep your eyes on the ball and swing when I say.”
“I feel weird.”
“Well, stick your tongue out,” I tell him. “It’ll help you balance.”
“For real?” he says in a disbelieving voice.
“Yep,” I nod, laughing when he does it. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” he says and I step just outside the cage, causing him to glance over his shoulder. “Uncle Jack?”
“Keep your eyes ahead, Buddy,” I warn him, watching him immediately do as he’s told. “What’s up?”
“Am I doing it right?”
“Yep,” I tell him. “Just keep your bat up there and swing when I tell you, okay?”
“Okay,” he says, keeping his feet glued in place.
When the first ball launches out, he swings and misses.
“Aw man,” he grumbles under his voice, making me grin.
“That’s alright,” I tell him. “You’ll get it.”
Eventually, on the third ball, he swings and hits it. If the surge of pride I’m feeling isn’t enough, he jumps up and down in excitement.
“Uncle Jack! It worked!”
“See? You’re already awesome! Get ready for another one!”
“Okay!” he responds, still shouting.
We spend the bulk of the night at the cages and once he’s got the hang of it, I’m thrilled to see he’s pretty good. After turning his gear back in, we stop off for some supper and head back to the hotel.
“Did you have fun?”
“It was awesome!” he says, still shouting and making me grin. “Could we go again tomorrow?”
“Well, I don’t know about tomorrow,” I tell him. “We’ll have to talk to Aunt Sophie, but I promise to take you again real soon. Deal?”
“Yeah,” he says immediately, nodding his head.
As we pull up to the hotel, I help him out and we head up toward Ana’s room, where he’ll be staying for the night.
“Where’s my Aunt Sophie?” he asks once we walk in the opposite way of the room they’re staying in.
“She knew I wanted to hang out with you, so she went to have supper,” I tell him.
“Did my Uncle Chase go, too?”
“Yes,” I say quietly, still childishly jealous of the way he refers to Sophie’s boyfriend. “Hey, is he pretty nice to you? Your… uh… Uncle Chase?”
“Yeah,” he says immediately with a grin. “He’s really funny.”
“And he’s nice to your Aunt Sophie?”
“Yeah,” he tells me, running his fingertips across the wall as we walk. “He’s always kissin’ her, though. Ugh! It’s really grody.”
“That is pretty grody, dude,” I agree, internally groaning but knowing I brought it on myself. “Ugh is right.”
“Hey,” Ana says with a smile as she pulls the door open to greet us. “I thought I heard some handsome men out here.
Similar Books
