Surviving My Boys of Summer

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Baseball season has begun. Along with the peanuts and Cracker Jacks come endless days and nights at the ballpark and an aching crimp in my back. The bleachers at the fields are either getting harder or I’m getting older, more delicate.

As the manager of this baseball family, I’ve had to learn how to affordably and comfortably survive the dog days of summer at the ballpark. Here are few tricks of the trade that I’m sure could be translated to surviving other summer sports as well.

On Deck
Baseball in Iowa means one thing for sure: you’ll wear both your winter parka and flip flops in the same week. Always keep multiple layers on deck for when the weather changes in an instant. A 6 p.m. game that starts at 65 degrees will most likely end up in the high 40s after the sun goes down. Keep extra blankets, jackets, hats, and gloves in your vehicle at all times.

Aiden Baseball

Hydration
Small water bottles are good for bike rides and sitting poolside, but for a day at the ballpark hydration is key. We’ve discovered that bringing a mid-sized water jug (for each player) is much better for a day full of activity. Find something 
like this with an easy to carry handle, flip-top spout, and gallon plus capacity.

Ballpark Snacks
If you’re a family that spends any amount of time at sporting events, you’ll realize how quickly concession stand food adds up. Especially when you’re buying meals like hot dogs, walking tacos, beef burgers, and nachos. (I may have possibly sampled each….) So, to keep the snack stand from busting our budget, I’ve come up with a few standby snack options.

  • Popcorn – Pop a ton and carry it to the park in a paper grocery sack. The Trader Joe’s sacks work well because they have handles.
  • Beef jerky – Keeps mouths busy, travels well, and packs in some protein.
  • Sunflower seeds – Purchased at the store and divided into snack size Ziplock baggies.
  • Licorice – Survives heat fairly well and satisfies a sweet tooth.
  • Freeze pops – If you bring a cooler throw in some freeze pops. They keep kids cool and are a good alternative to the $2 snocone they’ll eventually ask for.

Feeding the Crew
This time of year we run into a feeding conundrum. Do we eat dinner at 4 p.m. only to have to feed them again at 9 p.m.? Do I do a heavy snack at home before the games, a light snack between games, and then feed them again at home? The last thing I want to do after a full evening at the ballpark is go home and cook another meal. So, we usually go with one of two options:

  • Utilize the grill. I will often grill up some hot dogs, burgers, and brats before we head to the fields. The boys will eat this as the official “dinner” of the evening usually around 4:30 p.m., depending on when their game starts (weekday games). Then I pack some light snacks to bring with us (see above). Believe it or not, they will ask for this food before heading home. Then, when we get home, if they’re hungry again, we can reheat some of the food from the grill.
  • Smoothies. When it gets warmer out the boys often don’t want a big meal before they head to the field. So, I’ll blend up some fruit, yogurt, milk, and protein powder around 4 p.m. to tide them over. Again, I’ll pack snacks for during the game, and when we get home I can do something easy like scrambled eggs or pancakes before bed.

Bleacher Buns
Bring your own camping chair if you plan on being at the park for any extended amount of time. Our Little League fields have nice bleachers, but after a few hours my back starts to scream in protest. Plus, as pointed out to me by a friend, you’ll have instant cup holders when you bring your own chair. Bonus!

I’m Bored!
With three boys in baseball at the same time, my guys get a lot of spectator time. Games can get long, especially multiple games in one day. Our boys do a nice job of cheering one another on, but some distractions can come in handy when the days get long. A few ideas:

  • Sidewalk chalk – Let your bleacher crew draw on nearby sidewalks. They’ll likely find friends nearby and can play endless games of hopscotch and tic tac toe.
  • Scooters, skateboards or Rip Sticks – Our Little League complex has nice long stretches of sidewalks connecting fields. The kids can ride freely on these sidewalks, burning some pent-up energy.
  • Extra baseball gloves – It seems obvious but can sometimes get overlooked. Our kids will play catch with other kids while their siblings play games.
  • Water sprayer fan – A fun toy and cooling device all in one.

Ethan Baseball

Hauling the Gear
Toting all this “stuff” out to the field can be a sport of its own. To make things a bit easier I’ve found the products from Thirty-One to be extremely helpful. I own several of their Large Utility Totes that can hold most everything we need. Inside the utility tote I bring a Picnic Thermal Tote to carry our snacks. It’s perfect for keeping things cold. Finally, I toss in my Little’s Carry-All Caddy to keep my keys, phone and change in one easy to find location.

Hopefully some of these tips can help you accomplish what baseball games, summer, and anything outside is best suited for – making memories. Don’t let the details of getting to the park steal your joy before you ever make it to the field. After all, as mom, our biggest role is that of #1 fan!

Caleb Baseball

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Marti Skow
Marti Skow is a boy raising, homeschooling, picture taking, blog/song/poetry writing, husband loving, work from home graphic artist. She has learned to graciously thrive in a house full of boys, living a life precariously between wedgie wars and warrior training. Marti has written several worship songs with her husband Josh and describes writing and poetry as her form of “knitting.” Some of her favorite things are good coffee (spelled Smokey Row), historical fiction and breakfast foods…preferably enjoyed together. Marti’s desire is to see the world as God sees it and to love His people as He does. You can read more about Marti’s life with boys at www.betterbelieveit.wordpress.com.

3 COMMENTS

  1. I love this post! I have no idea if we will be a baseball family yet, but I will be prepared if we are. Your posts always make me excited for the time when my boys will be older!

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