Oops

I looked out my bedroom window, and I could see Parker tossing a ball up in the air and hitting it with a bat. I heard thunder and thought, I'm going to take out my contacts and then make him come in.

Three seconds later I hear a loud noise followed by crying. Great, I thought, he's already been struck by lightning.

I raced down the stairs to find a sobbing Parker, "I'm so sorry, mom. I'm so sorry, mom. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For breaking the window with a baseball."

Hmmm. Not was I was expecting. Through his tears I reassured him that I still loved him and that dad wouldn't kill him. McKay did her best to help to, "Look, Buddy, mom's not yelling at you. She's not being mad at you. See, Buddy?"

Once he calmed down, I started the questioning. "Why were you hitting the ball towards the house?"

"I had to mom. I was at home plate." "Home plate" is a big yellow rectangle on the sidewalk, right next to our fire hydrant.

"But, Parker, haven't I told you that you could break a window if you did that?"

"Yeah, but I didn't know I could hit it that good."

"Umm-hmm."

Parker tearing up,"I'm going to be paying for this window until I'm eight."

"Also, no front yard baseball. Only backyard baseball with wiffle balls."

Crying, "But I LOVE baseball!"

A minute later, "Since I'm having such a rough day I think I should be able to stay up an hour past my bedtime."

The Damage

Parker at "Home Plate" on a happier day.