Sean had so much fun at baseball camp! He learned so much this past week. A lot can be said from getting different perspectives and techniques on baseball. Somewhere in the middle, Sean will perfect his own style and become a great ball player. His piano teacher is such an excellent example for our family. She will have other instructors instruct Sean just before competitions so that he can get another perspective on his competition pieces. I think this is a good thing in all areas of life-- even baseball.
Sean has been practicing with the pitching machine his grandparents bought him for his birthday. Every day he goes out and hits the wiffle balls for hours! I think his practicing paid off-- we think he did a great job at the tryouts Thursday night. It wasn't a full tryout because he was the only boy to show up that evening, but what he did do, he did well (at least WE think so! ~smile~). Matthew decided not to tryout for the team. He wasn't willing to give in based on principle. He doesn't think men should yell at women and treat them the way the coach treated me that night. He refuses to play for a coach who would behave that way and has been very verbal about it. He had friends with him the night of the incident, unfortunately. We were all saddened that so many had to witness everything that happened. I am proud of him for sticking to his guns, though. While he wants to help his brother and the team, he won't cave. I am also thankful to the parents and boys who came up to me at the next game to say they were sorry about what happened. We DO have parents raising young men with Christian character.
Not to say Sean is not of good Christian character! He has spoken and he knows it is wrong. Sean has been looking forward to the high school team with this guy for over a year. I think he was shocked, but because of his having more at stake in the game, he was more willing to be forgiving. Even without an apology to me (yes, I am working on my pride! Thankfully, the Holy Spirit has held my mouth shut because I have a lot I would LOVE to say, as you can see here!). A friend made a god point one day. The coach should apologize to me, personally, as loudly as he yelled at me both times at the game AND in front of all the people who witnessed it. It could never happen exactly that way, though....but it makes sense. Just as the Church teaches us that when we sin, we affect the entire body of Christ, the entire Church, this also affected many other people.
This is a lesson I often try to get across to my boys. Our actions and words affect more than we often realize. Witnesses are also affected. We must also count the total effect-- when we say false things, yell or demean someone's character in front of people, we not only damage the person, but we damage their reputation and our own reputation. As adults, our actions also teach the children.
We've made it through and I won;t bring it up here again! It was difficult, but we are through it. If the team moves forward, we will see what life brings then.
I was unable to get pictures of camp this week. I was there the entire day Monday and read an entire book as I sat and watched the boys have fun and learn. By the end of the week, I was making vet runs! Henry is sick again. Oh My! He had been on oral antibiotics for a month and, while he improved a bit in the beginning, he began getting worse again. The vet did a chest x-ray to rule out fungal infections and cancer. We are now (read: mom, me-I) giving Henry antibiotic injections and he is getting nebulizer treatments twice a day! We rigged up a special device for Henry. Here is a picture of Henry getting his nebulizer treatment:
