Graduation Night

Graduation #3 as a teacher accomplished.

13 kids graduated. That's up from 10 last year. 

My feelings are similar, too. I'm exhausted and burned out, but not yet homicidal. I do have a chunk of paperwork left to do tomorrow, sadly. I'll probably have to pull some summer hours to write IEPs after a pair of evaluations the final week of school.

Another year for the books.

Carrie took Shane to a make-up teeball game and cookout while I was occupied. Hopefully, I'll get pictures. She sent me a few gifs of Worf playing baseball on DS9, but that's not quite the same...

Teeball Season Ender

Here we go again for the last time! 10:00 AM the Dick's Sporting Goods found themselves on the big field.

The kids all played catch while the coaches scrambled to write down everyone's name and number.

There would only be one inning today and each player would be announced as they stepped up to the tee.

The goal was to make it a memorable close to the season.

The kids all enjoyed playing in the dirt and gravel while the other team was introduced (Shane filled his glove).

We were introduced second. Shane was third in the line-up.

I didn't measure, but the field felt smaller.

The dirt certainly allowed throws and hits to roll.

Outs weren't officially enforced, but we kept count. Our kids tallied five (3 at first base and two at the end when Shane threw it to our catcher, Matthew, and he tagged out two kids at home). I'd say that counts as a win.

The kids all lined up again at the end for a minor award ceremony.

Shane was excited about the medal.

Nor was he the only one.

If the kids were 12, a medal for participating would be silly. At this age, it's good to let the kids feel like they accomplished something (though remembering to attend and getting there is more on the parents...).

I told Shane the medal was for surviving the season. We started with 12 or 13 kids and finished with 10, so it's true.

Amazingly, they gave the coaches medals, too.

Maybe they were cheaper in bulk.

The big surprise was the free hot dogs. Anyone with a medal was entitled to one! Little eyes lit up. The eyes of all the parents around me lit up, too. Lunch was figured out for all of us!

I'm definitely thinking we'll do little league again next year.

I shifted into cleaning mode when we got home. I made Shane pick up his toys and then he got smart. He found ways to entertain himself that were quiet and didn't attract my attention (and the tasks that would have gone along with it). I played music in the background from a bunch of older sources to help broaden his horizons.

It seemed like a quiet day other than teeball, but it must have worn Shane out. He fell asleep when we went out on errands later. I had to carry him into the store.

He started to wake up and then smirk and pretend sleep a couple minutes later. I called his bluff and pretended to drop him. He tried to play it off and go back to sleep on the floor, but no one was buying it.

Baseball Wrap-Up

Our final practice was Thursday.

Here comes a grounder, Shane! Get it!

Good job getting in front of it!

But use your glove next time.

Coach had the inspired idea to hit water balloons off the tee to celebrate.

I thought it was genius. There were some epic splashes. Sometimes it took a few tries, but everyone splished a balloon.

Shane was eager to try.

We had a game on Tuesday and another is scheduled for Saturday. Saturday *could* be our last game. Coach is trying to reschedule some of our rain-outs for next week, but there are no guarantees.

Tuesday was pretty much a standard game save the head coach wasn't there. All the assistant coaches knew the drill.

There was one new wrinkle.

Always better to go before a game! I was extra happy we weren't rained out, because it was our turn to bring snacks.

Cross that off the checklist. It's been a fun and successful season. I've enjoyed helping out. Hopefully, Shane will keep up his new friendships beyond the season.

Weekly Activities

Four days, four activities scheduled.

Monday - TKD

Tuesday - Baseball game

Wednesday - Make-up baseball game

Thursday - Swim lesson

The week started off on track. 

Shane and I practiced his form a little, but I didn't realize he was supposed to use a back stance for part of it. Instructor Kang showed him the basics, but ended the form practice early since Shane had some trouble. I went over a back stance with him later at home (it helps that I used to do TKD).

Shane won a race and got to challenge Instructor Papa at the end of class.

IP went easy on him.

Random aside: Another parent and I worked on fixing the door during class. The screw holes were stripped, so it was just a temporary fix until they shot out again.

Then, as has repeatedly happened, it rained and stormed both nights we had tee-ball games. We've had five rain-outs this season. 

It let us spend time with Mommy. We went out for dinner Tuesday to celebrate her being home. TV was watched (Hooray for Green Days!).

Teeball has a couple more weeks of activity (and rain make-ups) and then it will be done for the season.

Thursday, the weather cleared up and Shane went to his final swim lesson.

It's probably a good thing today was the last one. There were a couple of extra kids who missed their lesson on Tuesday (Thanks, storms) and the group was a hyper one. The instructor, Michael, had to keep telling kids to stop swimming around, splashing, jumping, and what have you. Shane contributed. At one point, I went in to tell him to listen to his instructor and Shane kept ducking his head under the water as I talked ("I didn't know you were talking to me!" "Who else would I call 'Shane?"). We had a few words at the end.

Shane's come a long way, but he's gotten too comfortable. A step away and some time to mature should help refresh his attention when we start again either after summer or next spring.

Make-Up Game

Saturday 9:00 AM - Shane got to play catcher!

Carrie was there to see it this time!

Another good game. Shane fielded a couple of balls, got called out for throwing his bat, took it well, recovered, whacked a couple grounders, and ran off first base to look at a butterfly.

Coach P took a picture of the kids afterward.

I took a shot, and didn't realize I was in his shot.

The team's thinned out a bit. They're a good group of kids.

Baseball Day

Three rainouts later, we were back in a game!

Shane's hitting and fielding better.

He had no trouble smacking the ball all three at-bats and even got a couple of outs (a tag out between 2nd and 3rd and a force out at 2nd).

 

His one failing: Whining.

When Shane learned he was supposed to play shortstop: "I HATE shortstop! I don't want to!"

When Shane learned he was supposed to play outfield: "I HATE outfield! I never get to play catcher!"

When Shane learned he was supposed to play 1st base: "I HATE first base!"

Me: "The first game you complained you never got to play first base. Now you get the chance and you hate it?"

Shane normally got with the program after I shut the whine down. The game went long (an hour and fifteen minutes) and the team did really well all things considered. The kids stayed closer to their positions and got a few outs. After the other team got a few tag outs, we coaches had a discussion on whether or not we should train the kids to try and play "tag" instead of always yelling to throw it to the nearest base (with sometimes laughable results).

We ended with snack, as always. The kids had worked up an appetite!

Still waiting to hear back about some rain makeups. Three nights a week may be a bit much for Shane's attention span, but if the weather is as beautiful as it was tonight it could be doable!

Tough Monday at School

Shane came home with a red circle on his behavior log. When I asked what happened, he said, "I don't remember!"

The assistant teacher replied, "Oh? You don't remember when you got three warnings from talking over the teacher and had to get sent out?"

Suddenly, Shane remembered.

Sounded like my kid.

I told Shane we'd talk when we got home. I didn't let him go outside to play with anyone and he had to entertain himself mainly. I wasn't about to play Pokemon cards with someone who couldn't respect others. 

It turned out to be a good opportunity for a haircut.

Shane's ready for summer.

I found a tick on Shane's back, too. It's in the freezer for the next week or so.

If Shane didn't have baseball, he would have been stuck inside all night and probably gotten himself into more trouble for driving me crazy. I don't like him to get in trouble, but I'm always thankful when it happens on an activity day!

Shane was plenty hyper and led the kids in chasing after geese flying over the field. He talked over the coach a few times and I was able to say, "This is what you need to work on!"

I let Shane know anything less than a green Tuesday would mean no outside and no friends. I told him it's not to be mean, but to teach him to control himself so he can be a good friend and a good student.

Maybe the calmer haircut will help.

Hallelujah for Activities

Shane had baseball practice on Saturday. Amazingly, the kids are looking more like an actual team! They (mostly) stayed around their positions when a ball was hit instead of forming a dog pile on the ball.

I yelled for the kids to take a silly pic to fill some dead time.

It killed 30 seconds while the head coach drove his truck around (it had the tees and bats in the back).

There were fewer kids, so it was an easier practice to manage (That's probably because it was over 90 degrees F out).

Most of the kids got a chance to try and hit a live ball!

I had been saving these pictures to segue into how much better the team looked at their game Monday.

However, there were thunderstorms and the game was cancelled 10 minutes before the start time.

Shane went to Taekwando instead.

The storm must have scared off some parents, because there were fewer kids. Fewer kids means less dead time. Less dead time means Shane does better and he earned a red stripe.

Instructor Papa still talked to him about "looking at the action." Shane looks in the mirror while he spars, he looks over at me whenever he's corrected or complimented, and he watches the other kids as he runs next to them instead of looking ahead. 'Mind focus' is something he's got to work on!

Long term, I hope that these different activities will be fun and help with the focus.

Short term, I knew I had to get Shane out of the house or he'd drive me crazy!