Ice Cream and Trane

I took two of my kids for ice cream yesterday and on the way home John Coltrane's My Favorite Things came on Sirius Radio. I said something akin to, "It really gets going on his second solo."

My eldest, who plays piano and viola game me an inquisitive look. 

So I decided to drive around so we could hear it - the song is around 13 minutes. 

My son got into listening, even to the point of humming parts of the solo after hearing a passage. 

AWESOME.

It gets better.

During COVID, I would often take the kids to nearby Goddard park just to get out of the house...but we did it so often it got to be a "Not Goddard again!" kinda thing.

I could think of nowhere else to drive so we could hear the tune so I drove to Goddard. The song was ending just as I pulled up so I was just going to turn around and head home but get this: they wanted to go to Goddard and just pick up shells and skip rocks. 

AWESOME.

I don't have to many parenting wins but this was one. I'll take it. 

Baseball Ray! Baseball Jose! TV:(

Both my boys, ages 12 and 10, looove baseball. They've been in little league since t-ball and they currently are in Spring ball. 

I've tried to impart some things to them along the way though I was an average little leaguer and didn't play at the High School level. 

One thing I've talked about, especially with my 12 year old, is attitude, approach, mindset, and hustle. 

This is hard to get at below 12 when there are just so many walks and few chances to drive a good pitch or field a hard-hit ball, but now at 12 pitchers have more control and the baseball improves. 

When I grew up I was able to watch the Indians (now Guardians) on channel 43 for every game. The team stunk but I still remember watching Len Barker's 1981 perfect game with my mother from our tiny 8 inch in the kitchen. 

My boys rarely get to see baseball on tv because television has changed so much. We don't subscribe to cable and don't have an antennae for Red Sox games. 

Apple TV has a Friday night game (too close to bedtime), ESPN has a sunday night game (too close to bedtime) and MLB will occasionally have a free game.

Well the free game paid off...BIG TIME. And I am more than happy to report that it is because of José Ramírez of the Guardians. (I think I helped a smidge:))

He hustled (like his hair was on fire - something I like to tell the boys) to first base to prevent a double play and score a run. We watched the game together and I was excited when he prevented the double play and make a big deal about his hustle. 

Now cut to the little league games this week and check this out, both my boys hustling to first a la José Ramírez. It doesn't get better:

How can you not love this? Two youngins hustling to first like a pro.

Maybe MLB could offer more games so that kids can learn from the like of José Ramírez.