H survives baseball paternity test

I have put H through his paces that last couple of days and he has come out strong. We played a simple game of wiffle ball - you know the game that's like baseball only you use a plastic bat and a plastic ball riddled with holes. For me this was a true test of my paternity. I spent 11 years of my life playing baseball from little league to high school and would have kept with the sport had I not damaged my rotary cuff as a senior. Nonetheless I had to see if H had my baseball genes.

Farm League Fields Hedgesville, WV (Photo: Bonnie Cameron)


Josh at High School Field with Little league field in the background Hedgesville, WV (Photo: Bonnie Cameron) The grass infield was not there when I played - it was dirt!


Our backyard is more of a paved turnaround/parking area than a nice grassy yard. Welcome to SW Medford which is more like Somerville or Cambridge. The homes are triple deckers and occupied by as many families/tenants. I started out tossing a ball to H to hit from about 6 feet away. I found this to be dangerously too close to a 4 year old holding a bat. I moved about 12 feet away and he managed to hit it a few times. Not bad. We then switched it up - H tossed and I hit. We need to work on throwing a bit. This was more like a game of cricket than wiffle ball.

So on day two we again started out about 12 feet apart and H hitting. He immediately began hitting balls around. After a few minutes he asked me to move back, so I went to other side of our yard a good 20-25 feet away. To my surprise he hit better from this distance. I decided to put H through his paces, the competetive father that I am. I threw the ball harder and he handled it just the same. I then threw a few curve balls - granted wiffle balls don't seem to curve as much as a baseball, but he hit those too. He wasn't perfect but hitting about .250 is respectable even for the majors.

I think the time for getting rid of the big red bat has come and H needs to move on to a more streamlined model. A glove may be in the works too. I think we have found something we both enjoy. We'll work our way through pitching and catching as the time comes. For now, I am happy to throw and watch MY son hit balls around our yard.

Happy Mother's Day

What a better way to wish my wife and mother of my 2 children a happy mother's day than to show off a bit of what makes her so special. Lets begin with her creativity in sewing. For those who don't know, she sews alot. Below are 5 representatives of her great ability to take ordinary materials and make them extraordinary.

Ellie's Blessing Dress.

Ellie's Blue Dress
Ellie's Green Spring Dress - this one was recently made famous here.
Ellie's Red Dress.
A work in progress: Ellie's soon to be completed purple summer dress. I stole this away one morning to sneak in this shot.
I should mention that this is just a sampling of what she has done since I've known her. Besides little girl dresses, she has sewn bridesmaid dresses, prom dresses,fashion/designer shirts, quilts, curtains, herbal aroma therapy pillows, baby blankets, and the list goes on.

Sewing is not her only forte. She is also an amazing cook. You don't hear me complaining about food in my house. Since I have known her she has had a love for baking and decorating. I am always impressed with the detail and meticulous nature of her creations. This is expected in her sewing, but it also extends to her edible creations as well. The most recent cakes for the kids birthdays are exhibits 1 and 2. They tasted as good as they looked.

I should also mention that she is not limited to cakes. Her apple pie is amazing and looks the part as well.

I would seriously be amiss if I did not let your all in on her greatest creations. They by far the cutest, irreplaceable, and arguably difficult to contain creations. You can get your fill of her two greatest creations on her blog. I'll give you a bit of a taste below - no it is not Hershey's chocolate.

We love you sweetheart! You are the greatest wife and mother. I apologize if any of this has embarrassed you. Thank you for putting up with all of my goods and bads and loving me in the end. Thank you for loving our children and their own creations (aka messes, rips, art, etc). We are forever grateful for such a wonderful woman in out lives. You are a blessing to us all!

Let me make one final thank you to our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Your heritage lives on. We love you.

Josh, Harrison and Ellie.