When there were two

It's interesting to see how the activities that fill our days change given the individuals who happen to be around.  Yesterday was such a day.

My daughter was off to play with a friend who broke his elbow and was in need of play time that was slightly less physical.  While Jaelyn can be very physical (she's counting down the years until she can play tackle football, and she already has the makings of a great linebacker), she also can be calm and gentle and understanding.  That left Nicholas, Astrin and I, and we made the most of our time together by heading to a ball diamond that also had a tiny playground nearby.  Astrin toddled over to the swing while Nicholas got out his bat and took some swings while I pitched to him.

I must admit, I was a little nervous how our ball practice was going to work out with a toddler in tow.  Astrin is the type to be right in the thick of it, wanting a turn to swing the bat and stand out in the field.  And she did indeed want to play with us for a bit, after the swing and the slide got old.  We obliged by letting her wear Nicholas' helmet and swing the bat, and occasionally helping her when she wanted us to.  When she was in the field, I asked her to stand directly behind me, and for the most part she did.  Eventually, the monotony of pitching and swinging got to be too boring and she wandered over to my ball bag.  That is where she was free to take what was left in it out and pretend it was a bed.  Honestly, she can fit right inside!  She also found the pouch where my cleats are hidden, proceeded to put them on and then tottered onto the diamond once again to show off her new shoes.  Funny girl!

I imagine how our ball practice would have played out with three children.  Everyone would have wanted a turn to bat.  The pace would have slowed dramatically.  I likely would have gotten frustrated, and my son likely would have too.  It would have been harder to occupy my littlest one.  Her older sister may or may not have wanted to play with her at the playground.  In short, it would have been more difficult for me to give each child the individual attention he or she wanted when the others were vying for it too.  Which is often a lot like any other day.  So today we were given a true gift.  Jaelyn's bucket was filled up by visiting with a friend.  Nicholas and I shared an activity that he is interested and asked to do.  Astrin had space to explore and time to be with us.  Everyone won.  Grateful for today!