I feel like it's no great shocker for me to say that my
daughter prefers the great outdoors to the mediocre indoors. Probably something
to do with the combination of fresh air and sunshine. Also, I've noticed in our
time outdoors that nature is home to fewer stairs than what our house contains.
Therefore, it's much, much easier for Ellie to run, frolic, and play without
needing to worry about proper descending methods.
Of course, the great outdoors is also host to some of
Ellie's favorite things whether it be swinging in her swing, lounging in the
hammock, going on walks, playing at the park, or even sitting on the road bank
while watching traffic pass. Side note, do you find that last one as relaxing
as I do? There's something about watching cars pass without having anywhere to
be that I find very relaxing.
I still maintain that all of those activities are awesome
but there is one thing in particular I've always been excited to do with Ellie.
That activity is to teach her to play catch. After all, I can't let my daughter
live up to that old stereotype of throwing like a girl (even if it's her mother
that has to teach her to not do so). Ellie is obviously still a ways from being
able to throw a baseball around successfully, but that doesn't mean she can't
play catch with a different style of ball.
Flashback to Saturday with me. As you may know, Ellie loves
to spend a lot of time standing at the front windows, gazing at the streets
that lie before her. There are always lots of things for her to see during
these times. Folks walking, dogs on leashes, lawnmowers flinging grass
clippings out from behind them. She even makes a big production out of seeing
our octogenarian neighbor, Roy. She will seriously run to Bethany or me asking
for help and when we follow her, she'll inevitably point out the windows to
Roy, followed by simply muttering his name.
On this occasion, something new that drew Ellie's attention:
a rainbow-colored basketball sitting by the mailbox. From the second she laid
her little eyes on it, it was all she could think about. "Ball, ball,
ball." That single syllable would be repeated over and over again until
Bethany finally, in all her wisdom, took Ellie outside to play with said ball.
For the next half hour, Ellie ran back and forth, chasing the ball up and down
the driveway. She also would practice throwing the ball to her mom as well.
 |
| I'm too lazy to take a real picture of the ball. Therefore, enjoy this stock image from the internet. |
Finally, the time came where we needed to take Ellie inside
to get ready for our Royals game that afternoon. Despite her boisterous
protests, we left the ball next to our mailbox where we found it. As we told
Ellie, we thought it possible another little kid was canvassing the street
while looking for that very ball. Therefore, we made her a promise. If the
ball, which originally showed up in our driveway on Friday afternoon, was still
there that night, we would then allow Ellie to keep and call it her own.
Saturday afternoon, as well as the Royals game, came and
went with us arriving home just in time to eat some dinner. Therefore, that's
exactly what we did. After completing said dinner, we helped Ellie out of her
high chair just to see her sprint to the front window to look outside. She then
saw that her treasure was still out there and began responding, "Ball,
ball, ball" accordingly. As I remembered the promise we made her, I then
headed outside to claim Ellie's ball in the name of the Holts once and for all.
Now, after a few days of Ellie happily playing with said
ball, I find myself hoping one thing. That being that no sad little boy shows
up seeking his favorite ball. If that's the case, I'm not sure how I'll be able
to calm my daughter's sad screams.
The truth is that I'll probably just have to pay off the kid
for the ball. After all, cold hard cash might be the only thing strong enough
to sever a relationship between a boy and his basketball. #DaddyWrite
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