.bunnies and baseball.

I was up at 5 this morning processing pictures.

Getting up the morning when you have a "to do" list is one of the things I inherited from my father. I get more done between the hours of 5-7 then I do at any other 2 hour stretch during the day!

So many people ask me how I do it all...this is how. :) What you should also know is that I am also known to fall asleep on the couch at 8:30 too! :)

Anyway....very exciting news to report in the Williams household today.....I got the washed Wii remote working!!!! Last night all of the remotes stopped working and this morning I Googled to get more information on the issue and ended up re-syncing them all...and bang....they ALL work! That is just crazy....but great timing for Connor's family birthday party this weekend!

On another note, Chris went in front of the Victor Baseball Board last night to try to get permission to let Connor "play up"....Chris didn't think it went that well. I have not really talked about it here at all because I wanted the whole thing to play out before I said much. I guess it still hasn't completely played out, but it is on my mind this morning so here goes....

Basically the story is that Connor started with the VCBS (Victor Community Baseball and Softball) Skills and Drills Program (4-5 year olds) when he had just turned 3 (baseball starts in April, he turned 3 in March). He did fine, so when he was 4 we moved him up to t-ball (5-6 year olds). He did fine, so this year we thought that we put him in Rookies (6,7, and 8) with CJ. He practiced with those kids last year, he has played hockey with that age group all year, but the moral of the story is that he is only 5 (almost), and VCBS has decided to be more strict with ages this year then they have in the past.

So it would have been another year of t-ball for Connor. Chris and I really thought that t-ball would not be a productive use of our time or his because of his size and ability levels.

There are so many sides to the issue and I see some of each. VCBS has tons of parents that think their kid is good enough to move up and they are not. Immature kids at any level take away from kids who are playing at their level. An average 5 year old is not mature enough to play with 6, 7 and-8 year olds. So they put out the rule. I get that....I totally do.

Unfortunately, there is nothing average about Connor. I am not going to sit here and play that whole game that "my kid is the best kid out there." Connor isn't. But Connor is not your average 5 year old either. According to his pediatrician, Connor is the size of an average 7 year old. His size alone doesn't qualify him to play up. Just because you are tall does not mean you are athletic by any means. Regardless, Connor's determination, hard work, and just flat out love for sports have granted him the ability to play "up" in hockey. The town recreation program allows him to play "up" in basketball. He would have been able to play "up" in lacrosse too if we had chosen that route.

Last night Chris tried to get permission for Connor to play "up" in baseball. The board could come back give the okay, but Chris didn't think that would happen.

In my heart, Chris and I as Connor's parents did what we could. We live in a very difficult society were decisions in every organization are made in response to the most vocal parents. Chris and I have seen it with baseball and most certainly hockey, but Chris and I are not those parents. We didn't even want to go in front of the board for this, but we decided to do it for the sake of Connor.

I know some people who say, "Why all of this for a 5 year old that has not even started Kindergarten yet?" Because as his mother I am sick of Connor feeling different. I am sick of him always feeling like he is so different from his peers because he is a foot taller (he is.). I am sick of him being bored in his pre-school classes because they are not challenging enough for him. I am sick of EVERY WHERE I go Connor being looked at and talked about like he is a part of some freak show in a circus. I am sick of always looking forward to his NEXT birthday so that I can say he is "5" and maybe 30% less people will start this huge conversation about how what a "big" boy he is.

Why does it bother me so much? Because I KNOW how this feels....my whole life I have always been "different". I talk about it on my photography web site. I have lived my life wishing that so many different aspects of my life would be "normal" just for a day, or a month or a year.

When I sit back and look at every aspect of Connor's life and there are only two environments in his life that allow him to feel "normal". His home and on occasion playing sports.

So in my heart this is "bigger" (no pun intended) then it would be with some parents. Connor in my opinion could play and deserves to play rookies. Not because of his size, but because of his abilities.

In the end the story remains the same. You HAVE to be your child's advocate in this society. No one else will do it. Being your kids advocate in sports means that each year you do your best to make sure that each and every season your child develops both mentally and physically, learns more about the game, and is consistently challenged. That is what Chris and I are trying to do for Connor.

Connor deserves that from us. Keep your fingers crossed that maybe the board will come back with good news for Connor. If not, Chris and I will have some more difficult decisions to make.

Thank you to all of our friends who have supported us in trying to make the right decisions with this issue. It hasn't been easy, and I am sure it won't be the last decision we will have to make like this one.