Sunday, February 26, 2012

So these two kids with Fragile X play baseball! (more or less)

Zack and AJ are going to play baseball this summer with the Miracle League.  Yesterday we attended the "try-its."  As in, "come try it and see if it's something you'd like, and everyone who wants to play, gets to play."

Truthfully, if you asked either of them if they wanted to play baseball they'd both emphatically say "no."

We don't intend to ask them though, we're just going to sign them up and go for it.

Since it's still winter and cold and snowy, the try-its were in the gym at Lifetime Fitness.  It was a little loud and crowded at first.



Think anyone will notice if we just push this door open and go out into the hall?

We ran through a sort of mock baseball game, in which every kid got a chance to hit the ball, and then ran or rolled or was carried or in our case, was dragged around all the bases.

When they started the game, Zack was just getting to a point where he was starting to take his fingers out of his ears, so I left Zack on the sidelines and dragged AJ over and guided him through the motions.  He fought me hard, all the way.  After he rounded home base and they tried to make him hit again, the tears began to fall and he stuck to my leg like a paperclip to a magnet.



He recovered quickly, though, and I was happy he got through it  The coaches said, and I'm sure it's true, that everyone is a lot more happy and cooperative and has a great time when they are outside.

In the corner of the gym there was a low basketball hoop and a couple of balls. Zack decided basketball might be his game.


Mark was thrilled to see Zack's enthusiasm for basketball.  In my mental crystal ball, I foresee the Special Olympics in our future...

A couple of years ago, I'd have been pretty upset at how much AJ seemed to hate the whole thing, how I had to force him to participate and how miserable he seemed.  I would have been sad that Zack didn't want to play baseball, and just wanted to throw the basketball around in the corner by himself. But I've learned something about these boys. 

Practically every brand new experience is awful.  And if we avoided everything they didn't like, we'd never leave the house.

A little more "breaking in" and adjustment is required for Zack and AJ.  I really feel, though, that this will be an experience they will both love.  And we'll love watching them!

(Check out the Facebook page for more pictures!)

No comments:

Labels

#youmightbeanautismparentif 2012 in review 9/11 memories ABA therapy Acceptance acronyms advocacy affection aggression AJ Aliza Aliza the playwright All I really need to know... Alphabitty Moments American Girl Ann Coulter antibullying anxiety anxiety in parents of children with special needs apple orchard apps for autism AppSmitten Arbaclofen Arbitrary Thoughts ARC autism autism brushing autism portrayed in TV shows Autism Shines awareness backyard band baseball bath toys beds behavior problems being tall Birthday Boys biting blog change blog hop blogging books bottles brushing bubbles Burnsville Fire Muster bus Cabin Fever in Minnesota candy Carly Fleischmann Carly's Voice cats cats and dogs chewys Chicago childcare for special needs children childhood Children's Museum chocolate Christmas Church circumin clinical trials Clonidine CNN Hero of 2011 coffee communication comparisons computer Conference cost of special education Courage Center Curcumin daddy dance dance competition dance moms Dental surgery dentist developmental milestones diagnosis diapers Diego Disability Day dogs Dolphin Tale Doomsday Preparation Dora Doritos drug trials DVD player early intervention earrings Easter ECSE Parent Retreat electronic gadgets electronics Everything I need to know... Evil Overlord fall falling asleep at school families family fashion fear Featured Feel Good Friday field trip fireworks first day of school Flash Gordon Food Chronicles food issues in Fragile X and autistic children forms forts Fragile Face of God Fragile X Fragile X advocate Fragile X and autism Fragile X Awareness Day Fragile X carriers Fragile X in the news Fragile X presentation Fragile X statistics Fragile X Writers friends fundraiser for Fragile X funniest Funny Gabrielle Giffords Galveston games getting carsick Girls' Night Out Giving Spirit glasses global warming going home Good Morning Great Quotes guest blogs guest post haircuts Halloween hearing test Heaven is for Real hippotherapy holidays Holland Holly home life homework hotel hugging human behavior hyperactivity IEP Meeting IEPs in the news inclusion inspiration integration iPad iPad apps iPad apps for autism IQ testing Jack Jablonski January First Joke journal entry kids with Fragile X and animals Kindergarten Kindle kisses language study learning to talk leaves lemonade stand Lily Little Einsteins losing teeth Mad Gab makeup mall Mall of America marcia braden McDonalds media sensationalization medications Melatonin Miami MIND Institute Minnesota Bloggers Conference minocycline Miracle League monkeys mosquito bites Mother's Day movies MVMOM Used Clothing and Equipment Sale nail trimming names naughtiness neighbors nicknames nightmares normal off topic one thing leads to another online dating Operation Beautiful oral sensory orphan drug act other bloggers Our Wedding outside overstimulation panic attacks parade parental stress Parenthood park Partners in Policymaking penicillin people with disabilities pets pharmacy fun photography Photoshop picnic Pictures pinching pink shirt Pinterest playing outside playing with toys poem politics poop potty training Presents protecting autistic children rash reading to kids research Retreat riding a bike Robin Williams Roger Ebert routine RSS feed RUSH University San Diego Sandy Hook Elementary Santa schedules school school bus school notes school pictures screaming self image self-checkouts sensory Seroquel siblings with developmental delays sick kids sippy cups sleep smile snow pictures Snowstorm social situations speaking of the unspeakable special education special education evaluation special needs kids special needs parents Special Needs Ryan Gosling Special Olympics spelling spoon feeding spring break staying positive stimming Strep STX209 Stylish Blog Award suicide summer Sunday School Sundays sunshine survival mode swimming talking talking to kindergarteners Target teacher's aides Teeth brushing Tegretol Temple Grandin Ten Commandments textbook case of Fragile X thankful thanksgiving that window/mirror thing The Autism Store The R Word the rapid passage of time The Right Things to say to parents of special needs children The Santa Experience the Shedd Aquarium The Twin Thing The Wiggles therapeutic horseback riding therapy This is Autism topless trampoline traveling with special needs children TV twins with special needs Twitter typical Fragile X characteristics typical kids typing vacation Vacation Bible School video games videos volunteering Waisman Center water play way-back-Wednesday What I've Learned What's your song? when a special needs parent dies Wiggles Wii games Winner Winner Chicken Dinner winter wonder Wonder Pets Wordful Wednesday Wordless Wednesday Words of Wisdom World Autism Awareness Day YMCA You Tube Zack Zoloft zoo animals

Fragile X Blogs