A Sports-filled Week in Michigan!

We planned our trip to Michigan to coincide with what we hoped were two of Malcolm's baseball games, some practices of Dawson, and two soccer games.  One practice worked out for us to see, and it was fun to see Dawson batting, running, catching, etc.  One of Malcolm's Little League games was rained out, but the next one made up for it!  They won the game handedly, and Malcolm contributed with hits, runs, and by pitching two innings.  In the first picture above Malcolm has just hit the ball and is about to take off for 1st base.  What I particularly love about this picture--please click to enlarge it!--is Dawson standing at the front of the dugout in the background, in navy, watching from a position of privilege as son of the coach and brother of one of the Scorpions. 

After getting to 1st, stealing the next two bases, Malcolm then ran in for his first score.   Clicking on this 2nd photo, you'll be able to see his happy face! 

Particularly fun, too, was seeing Malcolm pitch.Malcolm was (to admittedly very prejudiced grandparents' eyes) the best pitcher on either team.  Watching him take the wind-up is especially fun.

Even more fun--and I didn't capture this in a picture--is that Malcolm imitates the pros he sees on TV.  Before pitching, he leans forward and looks hard at the catcher, as if waiting for his signal.  Then he nods sagely and begins his wind-up.  He was the only boy to enact this savvy charade, and it cracked up grandparents and mother watching from the sideline!  I can't resist one more picture, simply because though I am hardly a professional sports photographer, I really like the composition of this photo, with Malcolm sliding in to home and the umpire signalling "Safe"!

Talking Books with Malcolm

While in Michigan in March, grandson Malcolm excitedly told us about a book his teacher had just finished reading to his class.  The book had a "cliff hanger" ending and is the first in a series called the Embers books.  He is now reading the second in the series, called THE PEOPLE OF SPARKS.

His interest in these science fiction books triggered a memory.  Son Rob got "turned on" to reading when he began reading science fiction.  At the time, I was taking a class at Baylor in Children's Literature.  I read about a series by John Christopher called The Tripods, and so I checked out of the library the first in that series, THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.  Reading that book was the beginning of a passion for science fiction that lasted until Rob was about 14 or perhaps older.

 When I got back home in March, I learned that the Christopher series has been in print continuously since they were written in the 70s.  Naturally, then, I ordered them for Malcolm.  Since getting back to Michigan this month, I read that book that Rob had loved so much. Not usually a fan of science fiction, I was captivated by this page-turner. Yesterday Malcolm and I had a long conversation about science fiction literature. I told him enough, I hope, about the Tripods series to inspire him to read THE WHITE MOUNTAINS, when he's finished with the Embers series.  What fun to talk books with my grandchildren!  And any of my followers with elementary-age sons or grandsons, I can highly recommend these two series!