Rangers sent postcards from Carlsbad Caverns, NM, Chicamunga and Chattanooga, TN, Big Bend National Park, TX, Acadia National Park, ME, Ellis Island, Ft. Sumter, SC, Saratoga, NY, Apostle Islands, WI, Weir Farm, CT, and a park in Wyoming. (Cat’s grandpa is a park ranger.)

By the way, there have been far more than 27 e-mail responses questioning my zeal and my sanity, over half from my husband alone.

Motherhood has mellowed me somewhat but I still enjoy 1). competition and 2). making Cat smile, not even remotely in that order. So, I wanted to see if we could get postcards from all 50 states, or at least darned close. So I am starting with you.

Would you please send a post card showing a picture from your state to Cat in care of her class? She loves to get mail and she is starting to read so this would be a huge treat for her. … Apparently this exercise will go on for a little while.

Also, some of you know each other and know that you live in the same state. Don’t let that discourage you as they are trying to get cards from different cities in the same state in order to give more detail.

Obviously the goal is to foster education and the joy of learning. However the wicked evil Tanya part of me would also like Cat to crush the other children by the sheer volume of mail that she gets. Okay, that may be over the top, and I don’t want any children to actually be injured or frightened, but you get the picture. I am irrationally in love with my child and want her to get an outpouring from all over.

Anyway, he and Mack were placed on opposite teams by the coach, as always. The first two times he hit, Randy got home runs. Both times, Mack fielded the ball, but didn’t catch Randy to tag him out. This in part because Mack employs the apparently universal tee ball strategy of falling in place behind the base runner, clutching the ball, and basically running the bases behind him. I’ve tried to explain that the fielder can angle across the field and cut the runner off, but that apparently does not compute.

After the second home run, Mack threw the ball across the gym. I made him go get it. He returned in tears, incredibly frustrated by the double turn of events. I told him to try again next time.

Randy’s third time up, Mack again got the ball. This time, he tagged Randy out just in front of second base. Randy was visibly upset.

The coach actually stopped the class, went out and brought the two boys together, and made them shake hands. (Actually, neither boy would shake hands – I think more out of confusion than pique – so they ended up doing a high five.) She explained that sometimes you get out, and sometimes you don’t, and then everyone needed to get along and play nice.

After which, Mack walked back over to me and said, under his breath, “Did you see? I got him. Yes!”

I think Mack and I are the people in this class that everyone else hates.