Welcome (Five Minute Friday)

Five Minute Friday took a pause over the holidays and now it's back! Here's how it works:
1. write 5 minutes on the word of the week
2. Link up at Kate's place
3. Leave a comment on the post of the person who linked before you

Easy, fun, and encouraging. This week, we write on
WELCOME.

As I write this, there are 37 days to go until pitchers and catchers report. Until baseball is back. It has been a LONG offseason. There's been plenty going on - both within baseball (Padres, A's and lots of other very busy teams. Not really my team.There is still time) and outside of baseball. We did Radio City Music Hall. Holiday celebrations with the family. The Winter Classic. snow days. Library trips. Movies. And I am finally discovering the amazing show "The West Wing". Hooray for Netflix, with no commercials and no season-long interruptions for cliff hanger resolution!

But really, I miss baseball. I have some friends that I see mostly only through baseball. We get together in the offseason some. And a lot of us have jumped on the Wizards bandwagon. But it's not the same as when we are at the park. Or tweeting as we watch an away game from home. I joke that Nats park is my home away from home. Although that's not as much of a joke as some might think. My second family is there. The girls have taken to calling these people our Nats friends. Some have even had their names changed from "Ms. _____" to "Aunt _____".  Every morning the girls get up and ask me how many more days. So together we are counting down until we can say "welcome home" to our team and our friends. Until we can kick the season off with "let's play ball!".

Stop.