December 2nd

There is a reason that 3-years olds don't play on basketball teams.  Well, probably there are several reasons - but, I'd have to say the main one is that trying to corral a bunch of willful toddlers into any kind of group that could follow instruction from a coach would be like trying to lasso the wind.  The problem with my 3-year-old is that she doesn't recognize that she's three.  Nope, I'm pretty sure she thinks she's at least 27.  Okay, maybe not that old, but she's certainly convinced that she's at least as old as her cousins and by golly, if they were going to play basketball, she was, too. 

Can I just interject here what great kids my nieces are?  They put up with Gracie bossing them around, invading their space, stealing their clothes, drinking their favorite drinks, and even worming her way into their basketball practice, and they still want her to come back and visit! 

So, Ruby and Emmie had basketball practice on Sunday afternoon.  We asked Gracie if she wanted to go and watch them play, and tried to explain to her that she would have to sit still or play on the other side of the court.  She nodded emphatically, "Can I wear my soccer uniform?"  (Ruby's soccer uniform that she'd absconded earlier in the day)  "And take my soccer ball?" (Ruby and Emmie's soccer ball that she'd also managed to confiscate)  When we confirmed that both those things were okay, she was as excited as if we'd told her we were taking her to Disney World.  When we got to the gym, she sat placidly on the sidelines and cheered for her cousins.  I was so proud!  Yeah, right......if you've read even one entry on this blog, you know that if that happened, I would have either rushed her to the emergency room, convinced she was horribly sick, or passed out from shock myself.  Of course, what she did, was plant herself right in the middle of practice.  And, here's the amazing thing, at least to me....the coaches said, "No problem!  She can play with us" and turned to her and said, "Come on, Gracie!  Look Alive!"  And here's the miraculous thing....Gracie listened.  She did what she was told (at least for the most part) and ran up and down the court and passed the ball and attempted to dribble and to shoot.  My child, the one who can't make it to the car without having a meltdown if we forget her blanket or pacifier, the one who kicks and screams when I can't find her pink sparkly shoes, the one who runs from the room in mock despair if someone looks at her with a "mean, very, very mean face" actually did what she was told, even when that involved sharing a basketball! 

Here they all are, lined up, ready to go:


And Emmie, taking a shot


and Gracie taking hers


and the best jump shot of the whole practice by none other than Ruby


Now, truthfully, Gracie was not very good.  But she did show some promise...and we promised her that we would see about getting her signed up to play basketball when she turns four. 

We lit the first candle of Advent that night after we got home from basketball practice.  It was the Promise Candle, the one that signifies that promise that was kept with Jesus' birth and the one that reminds us of the promise of things to come.  And just like Gracie with her basketball, we all have promise....I may not be the Christian or the mother or the wife (or even the blogger) that I want to be, but I show promise....