Basketball

John played basketball with the Tinton Falls recreation department again this winter. This year we had practice during the week and games on Saturdays. John's skills improved immensely as the season went on, but he has decided to not play basketball again next year. He says he doesn't like it. 

Saturday was his last game. They had a round robin tournament with all four of the second grade teams. His team played very well together. After the games the kids all got trophies. 

Team True Blue. 

Proud John!

Proud little sister!

And the very important picture of the sister holding the trophy!

Girls are mean

Gillian learned the hard way yesterday that girls can be mean. John had a basketball game on Saturday morning. We all went to watch. Normally we bring Gillian's LeapPad with us so she can play games. But this time all we grabbed was her plush Belle doll. We sat in the bleachers behind another family. A few minutes into the game the little girl sitting in front of us opened her bag and took out little plush dolls, Anna, Elsa, Olaf and Sven from Frozen. Gillian's eyes lit up. She watched the little girl and her friend play with the dolls. Gillian just watched at first. But then other girls joined the first two in front of us. Now there were four little girls all playing with the Frozen characters. Gillian moved closer to the girls and played with her Belle doll. 

The four girls moved to the empty bleachers to play. Gillian followed them and sat close to them, and played with her doll. From our view it looked like Gillian was going to be included, but we were wrong. The girls moved every time Gillian got close to them. My heart ached for her. She just wanted to play. Luckily this only lasted a little while and the basketball game ended.

As we were putting on our coats and getting ready to leave, Gillian burst into tears. I picked her up and held her. She was so upset. I told her that everything was all right and that sometimes girls could be mean. She said "I just wanted to play." I told her that we would all play with her when we got home. She asked "Even Daddy?" Yes. Even Daddy. Daddy carried her to the car and I explained what happened to John. He agreed to play dolls when we got home. And we did. All of us sat and played dolls with Gillian. She was so happy. 

Basketball

John has been playing basketball on Saturdays with the Tinton Fall recreation department. This Saturday was his last game. They had a round robin schedule and they got to play all four first grade teams. John was very excited to play one last game. He had a bunch of fans in the stands too (Aunt Missy, Grandma, Grandpa, Mimi, Poppy, Aunt Betty). There where so many kids an people there that John got a little distracted and lost his water bottle. He came over to the stand and said "I lost my water bottle. I don't know where it went!" Poor boy probably put it under the wrong bench. 

Since they were playing a round robin with four teams, John only got to play every fourth period. He did awesome. He knew when he was on defense and when he was on offense. He even blocked a ball with his head. When I asked him about it later. He said "It didn't even hurt!"

 

After they played the game, it was time for trophies. Everyone got a trophy and a certificate. John was so excited! 

He showed everyone his trophy and he said "It's only fair that everyone got a trophy!" 

He was a little sad at the end. He said "We didn't get to do high fives and say good game!" I think he had a great season and I would definitely sign him up again next year!

Johnny Saturday

On Saturday, Gillian and I ran some errands in the morning and then went straight to John's basketball game. Daddy said that they got there early and John got to practice. John practiced with Daddy and made a few baskets. We got to his game at the end of practice and watched Johnny play. Gillian is a great cheerleader. I think everyone (except John) heard her say "Go Johnny go!" 

John and his team did great. At the end of the game the kids give each other high fives and say "Good game!" We watched him go back to the bench and pick up his water bottle and head across the court to us in the stands. As he crossed the court he saw one of the kids from the other team. He ran up to him and said "Good game." The other boy didn't even see him. But John still smiled and ran over to us. 

After basketball we went to see the Lego Movie. John was super excited to see the Lego movie. We went to the movie theater at the mall but found out that our show was sold out. We then ran to the next closest theater. Luckily they were showing the movie in twenty minutes. I ran inside bought tickets and popcorn and we waited and waited and waited. They were cleaning the theater from the previous movie. John has no patience and continually asked "Can we go in now?" "Is it ready now?" Finally we got in the theater and watched the movie. John loved it. He did close his eyes a couple of times and say "Tell me when it's over!" But overall it was a cute family movie. 

basketball

We signed John up to play basketball with the Tinton Falls Recreation.  It was supposed to start the first Saturday in January, but it got cancelled due to the snow.  Luckily this Saturday the weather was perfect and John got to have his first day of basketball.  It is an instructional program four first graders, and the kids get to practice for 45 minutes and then they get to play against another team for 45 minutes (there are a total of four teams).  Daddy took John this Saturday and the first text I received said "Not the smallest one on the team!" 

 



John had a hard time mastering dribbling (I think a lot of the kids did), but John listened to his coach and followed instructions.  John made some new friends and was very strong.  Daddy told me that one of John's teammates threw him a ball and the ball bounced off of John's fingers and hit him in the face.  John grimaced but didn't cry.  He was very tough.  He brushed it off and moved on. 

 

When I saw John, I asked him about his first day at basketball.  He told me "I met a new friend.  His name is Daniel.  Like my second name!"  I am so happy that he made a friend and remembered his name.  He also told me "I do not like the buzzer!  It's loud."  Daddy told me that every time the buzzer went off John would cover his ears. 

 

Below are some videos of John playing basketball.  He has some good intentions, but most of the time, he is just all over the place.