Memorial Day Weekend Baseball

Today Raul had another baseball game, and he was much happier about it this week. I think he is getting more used to it, more comfortable with the new people, and of course the blood transfusion a few days ago helped too! He got to bat twice, and hit it himself both times! After the last game I started looking for a bat he could hold himself, and was able to find a foam one that works. It also came with a foam ball that he can throw much further than a regular baseball, and today before the game he played catch with two other little boys. He was a little nervous that he couldn't hit the regular baseball, but he did! Afterwards he got to play on their playground again, and then we stopped at the library on the way home to play with their trains and pick up a few books. He went to sleep shortly after getting home, and is still sleeping over four hours later...

Memorial Day Parade

On Sunday we went to a (early) Memorial Day parade. It was a great parade, and the fire station was also having a "touch a truck" with their ambulance and fire truck. Raul got to meet Clifford the Dog at the fire station too. His favorite part of the parade was the Shriner's, as they had these mini fire trucks, monster trucks, and semi-trucks that they were driving. He also liked the real fire trucks and the military vehicles. It was a bit hot, but he still enjoyed it! When we got home he wanted to do arts and crafts, so we made a kite to hang on our apartment door. Today he had to get labs done in the morning, and then in the afternoon before napping he decided he wanted to make an arts and crafts treehouse. He colored the walls, helped put the popsicle sticks on the roof, and directed me on what to add/how to do everything else! 

 

Gloucester

Today Raul stayed home from baseball, as he hasn't been feeling great and it was also supposed to rain. Later in the day we headed to Gloucester for a Touch a Truck event, only to find out when we got there that it was postponed due to rain! It didn't actually rain, so we went to the school parking lot so Raul could check out all the buses, then to the waterfront to check out fishing boats, and finally to our house that is under construction. He actually wasn't disappointed that the event didn't happen, as he liked being the only one there to touch the vehicles (no crowds, lines, or honking horns)!

Baseball Weekend #2

This weekend Raul joined a different baseball team that had more children in wheelchairs and more younger children. He had missed the past two days of school, and still wasn't feeling great, so was a bit grumpy, but he did great! He got to hit two different times, and my dad and I took turns taking him around the bases. This league happens at a local school for students with disabilities, and Raul was most excited about playing on their accessible playground after the game! Everyone was very nice, and we are hoping he will warm up to them a bit more next weekend now that he has met them. 

 

 

"Accessible Explorations"

Today was our first really warm day! We went to Drumlin Farm for their "accessible explorations" program. The activities were going in the goat yard/feeding the goats, planting and exploring the garden, and brushing the pony. Raul wasn't in the best mood because of the heat, but he liked both animal activities. He wasn't as interested in the gardening, but that was mostly because there is a play structure with a steering wheel to one side of the garden that he loves. Then tonight we had my belated family birthday party, and Raul enjoyed helping unwrap the presents! My sister also brought him a few library books to read, and he thought the "A is for Musk Ox" book was hilarious!

First Day of Baseball!

Today was Raul's first day of baseball! He was a bit nervous beforehand, but got more excited when we got there. He had two nice buddies to help push his wheelchair and help him participate. The other players were all older (the team can have from ages 5-18), and he was the only one in a wheelchair, so he was a bit overwhelmed, but he hung in there! He talked to his buddies, got to throw a wiffle ball a few times, and at the end got to hit the ball and go around the bases. After his turn hitting he asked to come sit with me, as he was worn out, but we did rally for one more go around the bases at the end. The only time he really lost it was when they tried to take a group picture at the end; he was having none of that! 

The town where the baseball was had a fair today, so on the way home we stopped for him to see the police cars and firetruck! He even got to sit in the police cars. Then he demanded ice cream, which of course he didn't eat, and quickly pet a giant rabbit before we headed home. He is excited about the activity books that the firemen and policemen were handing out. Even though he was overwhelmed, he says he had fun at baseball, and does not want to take off his baseball shirt!

Throwing the ball into the net (you can see the ball just past the coach)

First time hitting a baseball!