peanuts and cracker jacks

He gets it from his father.
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This passion (bordering on obsession) for baseball.

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Gearing up for Toby's first real Opening Day had me walking down memory lane...

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...the boy loves the game SO much that he spent the first few months in TZ attempting to teach the neighborhood kiddos the American past-time. It was super cute watching Toby's little tow head bobbing in a sea of black curls.

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Giving in to the nostalgia...I dug these pix out of my archives. Sadly...most of the really good ones are on our big computer. In Tanzania.

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And I know you'll be bummed...but...there're none of me in African garb.

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But I like this one (above). That's (the non tow headed little guy) Toby's best friend ever - Kevin.

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Toby & Kevy were trying to teach the big boys proper batting stance!

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We used to live there! That was our home! *sigh* I miss that house!

And then I remember the power cuts...

and it doesn't hurt quite SO bad! *wink*

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I'm tellin' you. My man loves baseball SO much that he was teaching these kids how to play in serious sun & humidity!

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Bravin' heat stroke to bring the game to a new continent!

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Now, that's passion!

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and by the end of the day...they were actually gettin' the hang of it!

Although we laughed SO hard at all the awkward swinging!

(Much like they did the time a group of visiting whities tried to dance in the village)

That was SO much fun!

For everybody!

Actually...we got an email the other day saying the kids were talking about the *party* at our place!

It's nice to know we're reminisced too...

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Baseball in Africa is WAY different than baseball in the States!

For one thing, it was always easy to spot the kids in a crowd over there!

Here I about pulled an eye muscle trying to find Toby in the mass of uniform clad, rosy cheeked kids!

In frustration I just aimed & clicked...

but I'm sure he's in there somewhere!

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Trevor just tagged along for the snacks!

And this being Toby's first real Little League experience...we were ALL excited about the uniform thing.

You know what they say about expectations, right?

We were thinking REAL teams!

Maybe Dodgers?

If we're unlucky - Redsocks...

If we're super lucky - the O's!

So you can imagine how we felt when coach pulled out a big T-shirt (somehow they're always 10 sizes too big for T) with the team name...

Yep...

Waste Management?!

Toby doesn't care...

And I think it'll make for some great posters!

Like "We take out the trash"

or

"Here comes the sweep!"

or

well...feel free to add your own non-tear inducing (these are only 7 years olds!) ideas...

It may just end up on a poster at the next game!

(btw...today's was rained out & the little ones are napping & I'm obviously bored...thus the lengthy post...and photo-shopped pic *grin*)