I decided that today I would teach TJ how to play tennis. Well, I mean we would hit the ball around and I'd try to teach him how to hold the racket, that kinda stuff. So we hit up Wal-Mart yesterday and I got TJ and Taryn their own kiddie-sized tennis rackets. TJ got Spongebob and Taryn got Dora. They were both very excited. TJ, of course, made it perfectly clear to me that he already knew how to play tennis, "You just hit the ball, Mommy." Ummm, okay...

So we got Julia and her bunch to come out with us, and we headed down to the courts. Naturally, I had no expectation for Taryn to actually do anything but swing her racket around and play. I was right. It was really hot out, and I didn't want Cole to walk on the court in bare feet, so I put his new tennis shoes on him.

I need to take an aside here for a second...Cole is now wearing a size 5 shoes. A
SIZE 5!!! TJ and Taryn both were barely outgrowing their size 3's by this time,
and my tiniest baby is in a size 5! That boy's got some HUGE feet!

So anyway, he didn't quite get the whole walking in shoes thing, as his feet now weighed much, much more than usual. He pretty much fell down and crawled the whole time, which defeated the purpose of the shoes! He was fine for a while, playing with Alison (who had zero interest in playing tennis after about two minutes) and cutting his arm on the inside of the ball can.

Then there was TJ. Now, remember, he already knew how to play, so I couldn't teach him anything new. At first, I tried to show him how to hold the racket the right way and how to swing, so he could hit the ball (did I mention I've been to about three tennis camps, so I should at least know that!). It was a no go. He knew already, and his way was much easier for him. So I gave up on that fight for now, and just hit the ball to him for a while. A few times he did good and actually hit it. I think once we actually hit it back and forth once or twice (we were off to the side of the net, not hitting it over). I was impressed. Then there were the times he didn't hit the ball. Being that TJ knows everything, it was totally not his fault. There were a few times that I didn't hit it hard enough. Then there were the times I hit it too hard. A few times I was too far back. Oh, and several times I was too close. Once or twice I hit it too high. Some of the times I hit it too low. Once I didn't even hit it TO him! (Okay, I really didn't, but isn't the point to run and try to hit it anyway? Yeah...you're right, I digress...) I was severely reprimanded for about half an hour by my very genius-like son. I won't say I was necessarily sad that it was too hot for Cole to crawl around, and Taryn had lost interest long ago, and thus we opted to leave and go to the playground next door.

I won't give up, though. We will play again, and I will get something through to TJ. I think if maybe I can go just with him, or something along those lines, maybe it'll work. It will also help if it's not three thousand degrees outside, and he hasn't just gotten up (he is no morning person at all!). Dammit, I WILL get my money's worth out of those rackets!

The bright side of this morning's foray: We all took FANTASTIC naps when we got home! We were spent! I even overslept for work b/c I was so asleep I didn't hear when they called to tell me the papers were there! I love activities that wear the kids out! Julia and kids, on the other hand, are CRAZY, and somehow found the stamina to go swimming after they left! Nuts, NUTS I tell ya!