Fantasy Baseball Camp

I was so excited on the day that CJ finished baseball camp because I'd gotten some pretty good pictures and wanted to blog them. Then Liam got hit with a baseball on closing night, and well, it just didn't get blogged.  I hope you all can understand that I often find myself busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest and my blogging goes by the wayside.

With all of that said, this camp  meant the world to CJ so I'm coming back to blog it right now.  It's not so much that he gained a new skill in the game of baseball. On the contrary, I imagine he's still about as clumsy with a ball as he ever was, and that's fine.  What mattered most about this camp is how "normal" CJ felt. His team leader was Deaf, his coaches were Deaf, his FRIENDS were Deaf.  Some spoke with sign, some were oral, and some were like CJ using a little bit of both. Some had hearing aids. Others had cochlear implants.  In the grand scheme of things, though, none of that mattered.  At this camp, they were all just kids looking to have a good time.

I noticed that with each passing day, CJ's confidence grew a little bit more. Don't get me wrong. He's certainly not shy, and the kid has more charisma and spunk in his pinky finger than some people have in their entire bodies.  CJ has always used his outgoing bubbly personality to distract people from the things he's not good at like socializing with kids his own age, gross motor activities, and really anything requiring him to step out of his comfort zone.  Little by little, I noticed that he was realizing that he could do anything he put his mind to at camp.

It goes without saying that his favorite part of the camp was lunch and snack. He was pretty impressed that there were watering stations at each field, too.  Each day he came home and told me in great detail about each and every snack or lunch he'd eaten.  I know the majority of the food was donations from local restaurants and those sponsors are to be commended for a job well-done.  If CJ liked it, it had to be good.

There were some pro ball players that came now and then to meet with the kids and sign autographs.  I asked CJ if any famous people came to the camp to visit.  His response? "Yep.  Some firemen came to show us their truck. I got to sit in it, but it's not okay to honk the horn or turn on the siren. I'll remember that for next time."  So, I don't know if any true celebrities came to the camp, but in CJ's mind they did.  That's what really counts, right?

On the last day, CJ got to be part of an awards ceremony. He was pretty sure he was the camp MVP. We'll let him keep living in that little dream world.  He did get a medal for having the furthest hit. I think the camp directors were being generous in granting him that honor, but he sure was proud.

That evening, we got to march into the minor league ball field (where Liam had his little incident) with the Energizer Bunny as a family.  CJ was pretty sure he'd met a true celebrity with that silly pink rabbit.  He was just as proud as any kid could ever be.

He's already talking about going back to camp next year.  While I'm a little nervous about someone getting clocked in the head with a fly ball, wild horses couldn't keep me from letting him go anyway.  For CJ, this truly was a Fantasy Baseball Camp.

 Nothing is more thrilling than having a giant bird pitch you the ball.

 Could he be any prouder?  I think not.

 CJ wanted a picture with his new friends from his team. Drezden decided he needed to be in the picture as well.

 He was on a little team of just little guys. They'll grow, though.  

 He's pretty sure that trophy is going to be worth big bucks some day.

 Team picture with coaches and team managers. He LOVED that little group.

 It took me forever to realize that Energizer was a major sponsor because Deaf kiddos need hearing aid batteries. I'd like to thank Energizer for the one dozen batteries they gave CJ. Yay!

 CJ proudly wore his ears as he marched onto the field with a giant pink bunny.  

 He couldn't control his excitement. Check out that look of triumph.

Rachel was also proud to march in with her giant pink ears.

Sweet Nothing in My Ear

CBS aired the newest Hallmark Hall of Fame movie last night. The King and I set our VCR, baked up a few cookies (well, maybe more, but who's really counting?), got cozy on the couch, and settled in for a fun night.

This wasn't just any movie. It was called "Sweet Nothing in My Ear". The basic premise of the movie is that we have a hearing husband who is very devoted to his Deaf wife, and they have a son. The child is born with hearing, but loses it later on. Everyone is okay with his hearing loss until one day a doctor mentions to the father that his son is a prime candidate for a cochlear implant, which would restore the child's hearing in many ways.

The mother, who is Deaf and has Deaf parents and has chosen the Deaf culture and lifestyle is heartbroken over the father's desire to implant his son. The father is conflicted and fears that he'll feel guilt and remorse if he chooses not to do this for his son. He considers all the freedoms the child would have, and the opportunities he may miss out on due to his hearing loss.

Issues that are confronted in the movie are whether or not the child would be cast out of the Deaf community if he were no longer really Deaf, or out of the hearing world because he's not really hearing. Would this make the child some sort of freak? We also get a peek into the mind of a staunchly Deaf man, the wife's father. He is very into his Deaf pride, culture, and even some prejudice.

We get a remarkable glimpse at the gadgets and gizmos available to the Deaf, such as a machine that can be brought to the movie theatre to provide captioning, a portable Video Relay Machine for calling, flashing lights when the door bell rings or the alarm clock goes off, and blackberry-type devices for instant communication and two-way paging.

We see the son's response to wanting to please both his mother and his father. He attempts to use his voice which causes the mother and her side of the family to panic at the thought of him losing his Deafness. To the father, though, this is a sign that there is hope for his son to regain his voice and benefit from a cochlear implant.

So, why do I bother sharing the rundown of some cheesy Hallmark movie? Quite honestly, there were scenes in that movie that were eerily familiar, almost like we've lived them ourselves. And then, there they were on the screen for all the world to see and experience with us.

It's time for me to share the journey we've had with the Beast and his hearing loss and the decisions we've made for him. Over the next several months, prepare for the details to unfold...