Well it's that time of year again at the Paulson house...BASEBALL!
Well if I'm really honest it's baseball but it's really the time of year where we are all tired of looking at each other and being all up in each other's personal space. So we do a sport and get out there and get moving. Mind you I didn't grow up in a sports anything family...the extended family did all kinds of sports...we just didn't. Which is fine...really.
Now that I'm married and with a very sports orientated family we do sports a lot. And might I add I am SO thankful for sports! I think if we didn't have at the very least baseball and the swim lesson in the summer that the grandparents pay for I'd be crazy, really I think I would be.
Anyway, this year Ian surprised us all by saying he wanted to do baseball this year. He claims he took last year off, but I lean towards the fact that he had an awful year last year...horrid coach and most of the teammates teasing Ian and then some of the parents saying stupid/ignorant things loudly to Ian. We allowed him to take the year off but he helped Lee's coach out, sorta. Mostly he played and helped watch his brothers at the park during games and practices, a built in sitter. Life was grand!
This year for baseball ages 6+ have to go to assessments. Which is a polite way of saying try-outs for the kids. So off Ian and Lee go, both are excited and know a bunch of kids. Ian I knew was gonna be looked at differently and probably with more eyes on him. Which is fine we knew that going into it and there were things he couldn't' do well, like jogging/running. He's just not there yet with his hip. I was proud of him for doing this and sticking with it and in front of a lot of kids and many that were his peers. I can't say I would be brave enough to have done it with so many people watching.
It has now come down to coaches looking at things and adding numbers up and drafting. Turns out our Ian was not drafted by anyone. I feel SO bad, and if I'm honest a little steamed. Ian needed this for his hip, socially, building endurance, physically, mentally, etc.. Except it isn't going to happen again for Ian. Pretty sure he won't ask to do baseball again, maybe through the middle school, but I won't be holding my breath.
So all that to say I'm really sad for Ian and although he has moved on and already found something else to focus on (tormenting his parents and digging in and being naughty and getting grounded and all those lovely things...we do try and discourage this strong focus on being naughty but right now he seems to be winning...the tide will turn soon enough). So until all those things get better there will be no swim lessons for him, and that's what he would like to do instead of baseball. They did offer him a team, but it would have been a much younger team and he would have been the oldest, and that quickly turned him off. I can't say I blame him and there was a kid on there we knew and Ian just can't stand him and I can't either,r so I can't say I blame Ian.
Lee, Dru and Eli will do baseball this year and secretly I might be just a little glad we won't have 4 different schedules to figure out this season.
I guess I should mention why Ian didn't get drafted and it was because his reaction times were really delayed and they didn't want Ian to get hurt. I'm sure some of that is his hip but I also know Ian. Unfortunately, for Ian that kid is all me and he is gangly, awkward, slow and extremely uncoordinated and when you get to those higher up divisions they get really competitive and some of those baseballs are being thrown at like 50-60mph...those dang things hurt if you get thumped by one. I really do get where the league is coming from for Ian but it certainly doesn't take the sting out of the situation or make it hurt any less.
Some days it is really hard to be a parent and watch your kid go through things, knowing this will help them in their life and it's a growing opportunity, it is still really hard. I think I' taking it harder than he is...that or he's really good at not letting me see how he really feels.
It's probably me! :D
Alright...well off I go, tomorrow comes quick fast and in a hurry and dragging said kid out of bed isn't hard, it's the getting him to pick up the pace.
Good night to one and all!
