My Little Powerhouse

Last night, after Jeff and the kids came home from Brendon's baseball game, the coach called.

He asked if we'd approve of Brendon being on the Little League Allstar Team. Each team has two players representing them for the game. The coach warned Jeff that this would a AA league game with real pitching, by a pitcher, with a hard ball. No pitching machine like they use in the A league teams that Brendon plays with.

So Jeff said yes.

Jeff wanted to hold off telling him last night because he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep.

I told Brendon this morning and he did a little Happy Dance....jumping, kicking, punching the air saying, "Yes...YES!!"

And then I broke the news about how the game would be played. Real pitching, with a real hardball.

I saw a twinge of worry come across his face and he asked if they'd be wearing padding...on legs, arms, chest. He said he sees baseball players wearing padding. I told him only the catcher wore padding.....he would not be.

He was excited nonetheless.

He loves baseball like no other kid I've ever seen. His coach comments on how focused he is and how well he pays attention.....while the other boys spin on their heels, pick dandelions, look up at the sky.

When we go to the park, he makes sure to have a bat, glove, and ball. He'll scour the playground gathering kids of all sizes, ages, playing abilities to play a game of baseball. His enthusiasm is contagious and the kids enthusiastically cheer each other on. The wheels of social interaction spin smoothly without a skip while they decide who plays what base, who is next up at bat, who gets to pitch.

He not only loves to play, he loves to watch it too. His routine upon waking each day is to turn to Sportscenter (or whatever the hell shows highlights of the previous night's Mets game) and watches to see who won the game, what plays were made and by whom. Then he searches the time slots to see what games are being played for that night.

At night, when a Mets game is being played, we let him stay up a little past his bedtime to watch an inning or two.

We took him to see the Fishercats pro baseball team play at the stadium in Manchester. Brendon stood at his seat and mimicked every move the pitcher made....from his stance, to that leg lifty thing they do after they release the ball.

He'll cheer and laugh and have a great time watching, playing, mimicking.

At the beginning of the season, the head of Little League said that he'd recommend Brendon advancing to the AA League if it weren't for the fact that there are no other 7 year olds on any of the teams and he didn't want Brendon feeling out of place among the older players. He told Jeff, "That kid can definitely play ball."

That kid can play it, love it, embrace it. Baseball is magic to Brendon.