The Cup and the Scotch Tape

My Mom always tells me if she got stranded on a desert island the one person she would want to be stranded with is my eight year old, Blaine. He always has an answer for everything and if he can't figure something out he will come up with ideas on how we should try something.

Being divorced and going to their Dad's house a few days each week makes it hard on the boys to keep up with their things. There is never a visit that goes by that we don't have to call and ask their Dad to bring something home. One day one of them may get up and be completely out of socks or underwear. They might have a ball game in 15 minutes and realize they don't have their cleats. Or hat. Or Glove. You name it...they have forgotten it.

Saturday we were supposed to be at the ball field at 9:30. I usually get up early. That morning I decided to sleep in and didn't get up until 6:30. No big deal. That was plenty of time for us to all get ready and be at the field in time. You would think. We ate breakfast and I sent the boys to get their uniforms on. Keep in mind they had already made time to play the playstation.


We don't want to have withdrawals now do we?


Everyone is getting ready and Blaine comes in and informs me that he doesn't have his jock strap. He had his cup but nothing to hold it in place. I told him to call his dad and ask him to quickly bring it over. He called and of course he can't find it. That was no surprise. So we looked again at our house to make sure we had not overlooked it. It was no where to be found. My husband informed me that it was gonna take him catching a line drive right in the "boys" to keep up with his jock strap. I told him we didn't have time to do anything else. It was already time for us to leave and he is still standing there in his underwear.


You know that look that your kids have on their faces when they are up to something? You know the look I am talking about.


He had that look.


"What are you up to, Blaine?"


"Nothing." (With the look all over his face.)


"Okay...I taped my cup on."


"You what?"


"Can you hear me crinklin'?"


He wasn't kidding. He did a little wiggle and yep...he was crinkling. I asked him if he was seriously going to wear a cup taped to his body. What if it didn't stay? What if he is running to home plate and it falls out his pant leg? It was only scotch tape. Not duct tape. He demonstrated how it would stay in place and ran down the hallway and back.


As moms we have to choose our battles, right? I decided this would be a good lesson in how you should listen to your mother sometimes. Maybe I needed to let him get embarrassed when his cup fell out his pant leg. Hmmm......this could be interesting.


It didn't last long. He said the crinkling was getting on his nerves and we were back to square one. Stephen told him to just stick it in his underwear. Blaine looked at him like that was the weirdest thing anyone had ever said to him.


But scotch tape wasn't weird?


He ended up wearing another pair of undies over the other pair with the cup sandwiched in the middle. He told me that was the best idea ever. I don't wear cups. Not there, anyway...Thanks Stephen!


We had a good day at the ball field. It was the last ball game for both of the boys and now we can have our life back! Until basketball starts in a couple of weeks. The weather was nice, so I fried because I forgot to put on my sunscreen. It doesn't take much ya know. Blaine got walked a couple of times and that is all I remember since I am also chasing an 18 month old at this point.


Brayden has always either pitched or played short stop. This year he has been in the outfield and has gotten really discouraged. My husband has explained to him over and over that it is completely different than playing in the infield. He missed a few balls this season and is really hard on himself when he messes up. He got to play third and first base this past Saturday. Maybe other places too, but remember....18 month old. He was part of a double play the last play of the game and was so excited! What a way to end the season!


Then I find out we have a tournament.


Oh well...it was nice while it lasted.


Sara