Spare Time...

We have two weeks until our next games so I'm doing other things to occupy my time. Well actually I have stayed around here right now and spent most of my time at the ballpark, but it has just been enjoyable to watch baseball. I watched a alot of the tournament qualifying games for the Belgium National Team. On Saturday I played for the U-29 Reserve team for my club. I asked if I could play so I could get some work in since we have this two weeks off. They were happy to let me throw. I threw 5 innings of no hit ball (the competition here was not good.) But it really turned out to be a good bullpen for me. After the game I went to the final game of the Tournament and got their in the 8th inning with the score 2-1. The Belgium National team won, and took the Euro Qualifying Tournament which was a big deal to them. It means that they get a chance again to play in the A group, something that they have not done in a few years. They celebrated and my host brother and myself met them out for awhile but then made it home soon enough to catch the last tram ride to our stop so we didn't have to stay out too late... but that is all relative anyway, Right?

Today I got up and my host mom asked me what my plans were. I told her that I did not have any plans. She had asked about a week ago if I considered myself patient. I told her yes (even some reading this might think otherwise) She asked me if I thought I could teach Sander my six year old host brother how to ride his bike. I thought I could so I told her yes. So today was the day that we were going to try. I guess there have been many failed attempts in the past but I thought maybe I could teach the way I learned. We went to the park and started in the grass. He is quite scared on the bike so I began to become not as confident as I was leaving the house. We struggled at the beginning but then it started to click. I had to give him a push, but he was getting the basics down with the peddles. After a few times of hitting uneven ground we talked him into moving to the pavement. He was worried about falling but I told him that I would make sure he would not fall. He gained my trust and minutes later he was coasting on the cement.. Then he found a small downward slope and found out that he needed a way to stop! He didn't understand the concept of using the handbrakes, so he skidded to a graceful footstop before he went head on with a group of bushes. We decided that we were going to work on the braking a different day, but we had the success we came to find today. We have one month before they leave for their vacation to Holland, where Ingrid wants Sander to be able to ride on his own. Today was a success. You could see the sence of accomplishment in Sander's eyes. He walked with a smile today and even boasted that he could ride on different types of ground. We got "Esher" (icecream) for the good work on the way home.

Most of the rest of the afternoon was spent in the garden playing soccer and reading books for me. We had dinner and played some board games with the little ones before we put them to bed and then Ingrid, Cedric, and I played another board game. It was a great Sunday and now I am going to relax and hang out.