An Overscheduled Life...

It's that time of year again, baseball season.  Parents in the area are dusting off their kids cleats and playing catch to get ready for player evaluations and the first team practice.  Boys and girls of all ages will be sorted and eagerly anticipate what team they will be on.  Some just want to be on a favorite MLB team, like the Reds, some just want to be on their friends team. 

For the first time since my oldest son was 3 we will not be playing baseball this summer.  I don't know who is having a harder time with this, my son or myself.  When I think of summer, I think of warm nights under the lights listening to the chatter of the boys in the field and the ping of the bat.  Double headers on a Saturday afternoon and hamburgers at the concession stand.  Buying drink tickets to hand out to thirsty players after the game and being the Team Mom.  The Little League parade up Old Meridian and getting ice cream at Mrs. Curls after a big win.  I have enjoyed every minute of this over the years and even though we have spent countless hours at the Greenwood Little League fields I wouldn't have changed a thing.

I knew the day would come when he decided that he didn't want to play baseball and swim at the same time.  It seemed like the natural thing to do.  Every January we get the enrollment form, we fill it out, he gets evaluated and he plays.  Same routine every year.  We never stopped to think that maybe it all was a little too much.

Last summer my son swam 3 mornings a week at the Greenwood YMCA with our swim club from 7-8:30 AM.  He then had evening practice from 5:30-7 PM and sometimes after he had a baseball game at 8:00.   This made for a busy day but I thought, this is summer vacation.  We can sleep tomorrow, right?   Combine this with Saturday games and weekend long swim meets out of town and the weeks go by in a flash.  I never wanted to see what was probably very obvious to everyone else....we had over scheduled our child's life.

In August I asked both of my kids what their highs and lows of summer break were.  I got the usual response from my youngest child.  My firstborn looked at me with a weary expression said "Mom, my break is over and all I did was go from practice, to games to meets and back home again."  That really hit home with me.  I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt that I had robbed him of a break.  Everyone needs to "disconnect" every once in a while, children are no exception.

I don't know if we were afraid that if we sat out a year of baseball that he would never go back or if I felt some responsibility ,for some reason,  to expose my kids to anything and everything I could in that 2 and 1/2 month time period.  It's not like he was the next Derek Jeter.  He is a good ball player and he loves the game but over the last few years the increased activity level of our "vacations" were taking a toll.  Summer should be about lazy days by the pool, catching lightning bugs, fishing in our pond and trips to state parks.  Not maintaing a schedule, bags packed for long days at the ball fields and missed opportunities to have fun.

The decision this year to skip baseball was an easy one and we aren't looking back.  We will miss the families that we have gotten to know over the years and we will certainly miss the game.  But what I won't miss are the smiles on my kids faces when I say we have a day with no plans.  No errands to run, no places to go.  The biggest choice we will have will be what I make for dinner. Sidewalk chalk or bubbles, go to the lake or sit by the pool.

We will get to have lots of highs and hopefully not many lows.  I will do my best to respect the fact that they, like us adults, need a break too.  I will create more "down time".  I have found that as my kids get older that my favorite time of the day is when they sit at the table in our kitchen and watch me cook.  We have long, rambling conversations and without knowing it they have told me so much about their day and what is going on in their lives.  They fill me with happiness and I listen to them, love them and nourish their hearts and souls.



This quick dish is a favorite in my house. Best part is it can be made in 15 minutes




Creamy Mini Shell Pasta With Bacon and Peas

10 slices bacon (I cut into strips with kitchen shears)
salt/pepper
1 pound mini shell pasta
olive oil
a pat of butter
2 Cups frozen sweet peas
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 lemon, use the juice of 1/2
6 ounces Parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta in a large pot.   While it is cooking add the olive oil and butter to a large skillet on medium heat.  Add the bacon and cook until browned.  Drain a little of the bacon grease if you want to and turn  the heat down to a low setting.
As soon as the bacon is golden add the peas and saute for 1 minute.
Add the cream and stir, gently.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta liquid in case you need it to thin out the pasta in the end.
Add the hot pasta to the peas/bacon.  Squeeze the lemon over the pasta.  Stir this together and let it incorporate.  Remove from heat and add the cheese.  Give the finished pasta fresh ground pepper and salt if you need it.

Peas, bacon and pasta are a child friendly combination