We tried!

We tried to cheer our baseball team to victory but alas, it was ultimately in vain.

Vera did the antlers

Anna and Ella did the antlers separately

and together

Even Emma did the antlers, despite never watching an inning

Daddy's antlers were a bit higher than normal

but Dean showed him the proper method

I'm afraid even Dean couldn't help Vera, nor could Emma hide her disdain

It was a good run, a good team, and a good time.

Maybe next year...

Of Baseball and Down syndrome

Vera loves to play baseball. Really, truly, deeply loves to play the game. She's pretty good at it, too. She can hit and throw very well. Her big brother Luke, in fact, made a video of their game of catch last week. The camera was smudged so you'll just have to use your imagination in some parts. The part where she's hitting may make you seasick, as the photographer was on the outside of a hurricane fence and kept moving over the fence parts. Other than that, though, it's perfect!



As I might have mentioned once or twice or a thousand times, we are lucky to have a thriving Angel League baseball team here. Every spring we have a couple of months of games that are so fun to watch. These types of leagues are actually pretty common all over the country, I think. Baseball is a great sport as far as accommodating many different skill levels.

Professional baseball also has a couple of interesting ties to the world of Down syndrome. The unbelievably talented Albert Pujols has an adopted daughter who has Down syndrome. His wife had her daughter prior to meeting Albert and he took both of them as his own. Sports Illustrated had a beautiful story about him last year in their magazine. I think it's worth the time to read the entire article because the story really builds to a magnificent ending that brings me to tears every time I read it.

Another link, much less well-known, between professional baseball and Down syndrome exists with another professional team, last night's winner of the ALCS and soon-to-be first time World Series participants. Their chaplain has three children with Down syndrome: one biological, one adopted from Russia, one adopted from Colombia. I'm not naming any names, but...

Go Team!!

Take me out to the ballgame!

Last night, John was able to get a pass for Anna to come along with him to the ballpark. She was able to go with him down to the field and meet a number of the players. John has become friends with the team photographer, who graciously took some pictures of Anna. I love that he used the Hipstamatic app on his iPhone! Such cool pictures!!

First, though, we have mommy's uncool iPhone pic of Anna and Daddy at the office, preparing to leave. She's just a LITTLE bit excited. Actually, she's being cool in the picture but she couldn't stop smiling.

Anna and Daddy with outfielder D.avid M.urphy

Anna with hitting instructor/coach C.lint H.urdle

Anna standing in front of the batting cage on the field!

Anna, Daddy, and utility infielder A.ndres Blanc0

Are you impressed that I knew he was a utility infielder? Don't be...I had to ask my son Luke!

A fun time was had by all, but especially by sweet Anna! Thank you, Daddy, for making my girl's dreams come true!!

Vera redux

I was looking through old posts and found this gem. The formatting is terrible but what can I say, I was just glad it published at all! I think these pictures of Vera are so funny and are so representative of her style ever since we've had her and she realized she could exercise some free will compared to the way they were dressed in Russia. All I can say is that she hasn't improved much, other than to refrain from covering herself in mud or mashed potatoes lately.

Enjoy!

A sampling of my wardrobe enhanced (or impaired) girl who thinks she is a boy...

She also thinks she is Spider-man, mud creature, Small but Mighty man, Mashed Potato baseball player, and Western baseball cowboy. OK, I made the last one up.

Funny story about the batting helmet she is sporting in the last picture:

Vera wore it to Luke's first baseball game of the '06 season. We have no idea why but it wasn't a hill we were willing to die on so we let her.

During the game, she had climbed to the top bleacher and had her back to Luke's game while she watched another game. A kid in Luke's game hit a pop-up foul ball which came straight down on Vera's batting helmet. No kidding! She turned around like "What was that???" and the crowd (who had been watching Vera's antics prior to this) all busted out laughing in unison. This is just the sort of thing that would only happen to Vera!

Angel League baseball 2010

Vera and Emma have again participated in the Angel League baseball program offered by our local YMCA.

For Vera, this is one of the best times of her year. She loves playing baseball and getting out of the house and onto the field.

For Emma, well let's just say that most years Emma tolerates it. This year, in fact, has been her best by far in terms of participation and NOT lying down on the field to draw in the dirt. Only once, in fact, did she draw in the dirt this year and that was because she wanted to draw pictures of her cousin Andrea who was coming to the game.

All in all it was a great year. For some reason the attendance was down this year but it made it possible for the kids to have more opportunities to bat, always a key ingredient in the fun! We don't play other teams, just divide into two groups. Each player usually has a helper.

Anna was always Emma's helper this season and Luke was usually Vera's helper, except once when he was sick. On that night I was Vera's helper. When she and Luke warm up, she rockets the ball at him which, of course, is no problem for Luke. When she and I were warming up, she spoke very gently to me, like one would speak to a small child, and gently rolled the ball to me. Thankfully, she is aware of her mommy's special needs in sports. I laughingly told that story to Luke who, with classic 14 year old boy disdain, informed me that Vera was a much better athlete than I!!

Emma playing second base while Vera waits for the next hit. Notice that Vera has baseball pants and belt, while Emma has a cute skort (and is holding a pink glove out of sight). That pretty much sums up their individual approach to the game of baseball!

Vera is one of the few kids on the team who is pitched to. She is a great little hitter and I'm really proud of her!!

Ah! Now this is definitely Emma's favorite part of the event--Gatorade!!

Now we have Emma on first with Vera holding her on! To continue my bragfest on Vera, she was also one of the few kids who could field the ball and get an out (were outs actually counted, which they most certainly are not!).

Emma is also a great little hitter off the tee. She almost always hits it the first time!

I absolutely LOVE this picture. Emma and Vera are hugging their beloved coach Randy Johnson from the YMCA. I believe he is in charge of all sports at the Y, but he takes time out to coach Angel League Basketball and Baseball.

I cannot emphasize enough what a blessing he is to our family and to the kids on the team! Particularly in baseball, he manages to tailor the event so that each child is able to play and succeed at their own level. There are many levels represented by the kids who play but Randy works it so they each have a blast. He is a nonstop encourager and the kids adore him. He brings his own children to be the helpers for those participants who don't have siblings to help them. We definitely appreciate him.

Last night was the last game of the season. We ended the year by having a party at the concession stand with snow cones and cupcakes (can you say sugar rush?)! The kids were each awarded their medals and you can see the pride they took in them.

GO ANGELS!!!!

Dean's first year of t-ball

Isn't he adorable--pegleg and all? He's had a lot to learn this year but he's got the hang of things now. Well, as much as any kid in t-ball has the hang of things...

Joy

I love Tuesday nights! Vera and Emma have Angel League baseball and they are just so much fun to watch. I wish all ball players had as much fun and worked as hard as they do. I always get a huge smile and a thumbs up when they hit the ball (Emma from the T, Vera SLUGS pitched balls). They are quite the crowd-pleasers, too, when they slide home, stand up with arms raised victoriously and scream, "I WON!!".

My joy hardly ends there, though. Another aspect of Tuesday nights that I relish is watching my older children act as mentors on the field. Luke always helps Vera; they are bonded over baseball plus he's the only one who can reliably catch her strong throws and can throw it back to her with just the right degree of challenge. Last night, Anna helped Emma; her teaching and encouragement struck just the right note without keeping Emma from achieving on her own. Other nights will likely find Song doing the same thing with her spot-on maternal instincts.

What amazing lessons they are learning by standing alongside their siblings with love. They teach, they encourage, they cheer, but they never take over or take the joy out of the game for their siblings. Above all I believe they are learning to be selfless, to understand that another person's success does not diminish them, and to rejoice when others rejoice.

All that on a Tuesday night...imagine!

Luke's 14th Birthday

How can it be that I became a mom 14 years ago!!! How can it be that my shy little toddler is now a mouthy young man almost as tall as I am? When did Thomas the Tank Engine and dinosaurs get replaced with Legos, making corny cooking videos, becoming a massive Ranger's fan and a facebook afficionado? And where did all those goofy Chuck Norris jokes come from?

I don't even want to think about what changes the next year will bring much less the next 14!

Luke's birthday fell on a Sunday this year (October 11th, I'm just a wee bit slow to post it) so we celebrated after church with lunch at Campania's Pizza. We love us some Campania's! We came home and Luke got to open his gifts, all the while reminding us that it was his first anniversary with his iPod Touch. I think he was trying to imply that we wouldn't be able to top last year's birthday surprise.

Ha! We may not have topped last year's gift, but we definitely surprised Luke with two framed, professional pictures of Neftali Feliz, the Ranger's pitching wunderkind. I think Luke almost cried.

He was further surprised by the Feliz jersey he received, as he knew that the Ballpark in Arlington hadn't ordered any (because Feliz was called up late in the season). Thankfully, you can order any name and number via the internet. Gotta love it!

We can't forget Luke's other sporting love--Texas Tech!

Any of those shirts would seem to be a vast improvement over the undershirt he's sporting.

I know, I know, Vera has nothing to do with Luke's birthday except for two things: it's always Vera's birthday, and Luke loves Vera to absolute pieces.

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of Luke in our lives! He is a constant joy in our home and a near-constant source of laughter. I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every stage of his development, and look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for him during these last years in our home. (You are leaving someday, right, Luke?) I'm not wishing him to go too soon, though, because every morning and night without fail I get a huge hug from my boy. That's priceless!

Luke's baseball pictures

Luke just started in the 14U league this year! That league plays in the biggest field at the park. I can't believe it!!! I remember when he started in coach pitch and I knew he would never be big enough to play in the big park. Sigh.

Every year but the very first year John has been the coach or assistant coach on Luke's team, but next year will likely be the last year. Our league has an 18U league, but I don't know that John would coach it, as it just has a different feel than these younger leagues. Plus, next year John will get to start coaching Dean's T-ball league...I'm hoping Luke will assist him, but we'll see.

Luke generally plays 2nd base and his hitting improved tremendously over last year. He is most proud of is 4 RBIs, however. Due to the time limit on games, he usually only got up to the plate twice a game.

As you can see, Dean and Ella are captivated by the sight of Luke at bat.

At the beginning of each baseball/softball season I am always ovewhelmed by the sheer number of games and practices we have with 5 children on 3 teams, yet so sad when the season comes to an end. As a parent, it is always a joy to see your children work hard, improve, really put their hearts into something. I never would have dreamed my kids would be so 'into' baseball, but I am thrilled they are!