Play by Play

This is an account of what it is like to attempt to play a sport with a frilly dress wearing, hair-bow adorning, My Little Pony loving, dancing princess, also known as Ava.

Friday evening after dinner, we headed out back to play basketball.  Five minutes into the game, Ava decided that she needed to change the clothes on her Webkinz, which were sitting on the patio table.  This, of course, left me without a teammate, and I was getting rather beaten up by her Daddy, who shall remain nameless (HA!).

So...I convinced Ava to put down the Webkinz and head into the yard to play soccer with Mommy.  After running all over the backyard for, oh, say, another five minutes, Ava headed for the patio, once again, because her Webkinz also wanted to play soccer.  After being told that Webkinz cannot play soccer because they will get dirty, she decided that we should play "catch ball" instead.  And so, Ava and I played catch with her rainbow ball for another five minutes.

At that point, Daddy and Lukas decided they were missing us and decided they could play something with us instead of basketball (because, really, Ava and basketball are just not a very good mix yet).  We were going to play a family game of soccer but decided to teach the kids to play kickball instead.  Of course, there are only four of us, so we had to make up some of our own rules.  It was us against Daddy first.  When it was Ava's turn, she kicked the ball and ran to first base.  Then she wandered into the garden to look at the strawberry plants that have taken over the entire plot(and they are blooming already...strawberries here we come!).  We reminded her to go back to her base.  When the next person kicked the ball, she ran...to the swingset because her feet hurt(this is her currant favorite excuse) and she wanted to rest until it was time for her to run again. 

After this, we switched roles and it was everyone against Lukas who really wanted to throw the ball and get us out.  While Ava was waiting her turn to kick again, she picked some pretty purple violets that were growing in the grass and gave them to me.  Then, she kicked the ball, ran to first base and decided that she wanted to be the one to roll the ball.  After giving Lukas two more throws, it was Ava's turn.  I think she rolled the ball three times before deciding that she needed to, once again, tend to those needy little Webkinz (she got two new ones this week, a Yorkie and a pink cat).

Eric (oops, he was supposed to remain nameless), Lukas, and I did work up a sweat and get some exercise in the midst of all this.  Ava, of course, did not, but we had a great evening and made some wonderful family memories.  While basketball, soccer, and kickball are not Ava's thing at this point, she is so graceful on the dance floor (well, she's only 4, but she's pretty graceful for 4).  We are so looking forward to her first recital at the end of May.  I'm sure that you will have the opportunity to come back to my blog and read all about it, and there will be pictures.  Of course!  Aren't there ALWAYS pictures? 

Go spend some time with your cherished ones and make some great memories of your own.  They'll never forget it.  You'll be making an investment that will last forever.