Even more base ball

Yesterday was more base ball but this time at their home field. We're ramping up into busy base ball season so we've got games most weekends from here until September (which is not that far away!). The kids and I don't usually go to the away games. It's just a lot to manage when I don't know the area and they don't know their boundaries. Since yesterday was a home game, they had a great time playing and they know exactly where all of the dirt piles are to play in. ;) And play they did! Danielle at one point was scooping up dirt and --no joke--pouring it over her head. While I don't object to them playing in the dirt, I draw the line at showering in it!

The boys and Danielle made a dirt "highway" on the concrete path and they used their trucks to cart the dirt back and forth. They also cleaned up the park by moving big tree branches off of the path so they weren't in the way (their idea, not mine, and very sweet!). Then after base ball they got to take turns batting with their small bat and ball. So far no one has whacked anybody else in the head with the bat and they even make contact with the ball every once in a while. ;)

Danielle is really getting into base ball and she loves to bat. She also loves to run, which is fantastic because I don't think she had done much running in the orphanage. Her running gait is still pretty awkward but much improved over when she first got home. Her first couple of weeks home it took her a little while to figure out that she could run--now she'll run pretty much any chance she gets! She's also walking down 3 or fewer steps without holding on to the railing. When we first came home she would hang on to the railing and use her arms to pull herself up and down. Now she actually has enough leg strength to be able to walk up and down the stairs! Her legs and core muscles are not yet strong enough to allow her to walk up the stairs without holding on but she's getting close.