Is basketball … HEAVEN?

First game. There they go. They’re totally doing the astronaut walk.

20110129_bballgame1_1.jpg

Little dudes/ette need a theme song.

I’m getting him stilts for his next game.

20110129_bballgame1_2.jpg

He stuck to the person he was guarding like glue. I’ve never seen anything like it. That guarding thing is the sole reason I hated playing basketball. Well, that and the running back and forth chasing I don’t know what. And shooting layups. And the knee socks.

Well. Truth be told, I only played sixth-grade basketball, and we had to play in our jeans because it was a private school and we couldn’t show any leg. I was awful. My Goldfish is not.

20110129_bballgame1_3.jpg

He’s on the bottom right. Number 3. But you can’t see the number 3 right now.

20110129_bballgame1_8.jpg

He didn’t even concern himself with rebounding, because he was guarding, by gosh.

20110129_bballgame1_12.jpg

They look like they’re playing basketball in Heaven. All that pearly white everywhere, like bouncing on clouds.

20110129_bballgame1_13.jpg

The Terror did what he does best. Terrorized. And ate cheese.

20110129_bballgame1_27.jpg

And then we nearly lost him on the court. Oy.

20110129_bballgame1_61.jpg

I love their little legs and feet. I’m excited to see him grow, but part of me mourns that this day, every day, is so fleeting.

20110129_bballgame1_34.jpg

Look at him, just fighting for that ball. He doesn’t know how to give less than everything he is. I admire that in him.

See that photo on the right? I actually yelled, “Jump ball!!” But wouldn’t you know it, they don’t do jump balls at this age.

That was the only part I did like about playing basketball in the horrible sixth-grade. That part didn’t mess up my femullet.

goldfish.jpg

His coach is probably telling him, “Don’t worry that your mom is crazy. We all have one of those.”

20110129_bballgame1_39.jpg

Doing the side shuffle, baby. He rocks the side shuffle. Check it.

20110129_bballgame1_40.jpg

20110129_bballgame1_41.jpg

20110129_bballgame1_42.jpg

You know it. Even when everyone else is dropping like flies, he’s leaping over them all in one huge side shuffle.

This next pic is classic Goldfish. I actually saw butt cheeks here. And as a bonus, I got the coach looking like he’s being exorcised. Either that, or he needs to go the bathroom. Perfect.

20110129_bballgame1_43.jpg

We all had to regroup after that display. Nothing can quite prepare the spectators OR coaches for 5YO butt.

20110129_bballgame1_44.jpg

Jazz hands!

20110129_bballgame1_45.jpg

And, um, who is this kid?! He was all over the ball. I think he’s 11. He dribbled low and in control and I swear I saw him do that through the legs trick.

20110129_bballgame1_48.jpg

Showing how to hustle. And how to be sweaty. And stinky. Oh, and can you find the Terror Toddler in this pic? Look left. He’s disguised as a dust mop.

20110129_bballgame1_51.jpg

They’ve got some squirrelly moves, don’t they? I can’t tell if they’re just moving to move or they need to go the bathroom.

20110129_bballgame1_52.jpg

Teammates, waiting for the sign to attack.

20110129_bballgame1_53.jpg

Oh boy. Leaping side shuffle, watch out.

20110129_bballgame1_54.jpg

Well now they’re all just showing off.

20110129_bballgame1_56.jpg

I’m pretty sure that this is what his first school dance is going to look like.

I’m totally signing up to chaperone that sucker.

20110129_bballgame1_58.jpg

Get down witchu bad self.

20110129_bballgame1_60.jpg

I don’t even know what to say about this one.

20110129_bballgame1_65.jpg

But this pic? Oh man. This play nearly undid our boy. See the fella in blue almost throwing an elbow?

20110129_bballgame1_80.jpg

This is what happened next. When a fighting-back-tears-of-frustration-Goldfish got back to the bench, he said in a cracked voice, “He’s NOT SUPPOSED TO PUSH. Coach said WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO PUSH.”

20110129_bballgame1_81.jpg

Oh my heart.

And he would not listen to the truth about basketball. There is pushing. There’s leaning. There’s messing with people. But nope. He had heard a rule, and by golly that boy broke it.

Took us nearly the rest of the day to recover, but a little Nutella on a strawberry did the trick.

Hey, it always shines a little sun on my day, too.

And here’s the last pic of basketball in Heaven.

20110129_bballgame1_83.jpg

I dig the big huge skylights in the gym. Makes for a nice airy feeling, yes?

Oh, and even though they don’t keep score at this age (What the?! I don’t understand it. Moronic.), he had a great time and left feeling like a winner, albeit a pushed around winner. He had a blast, and that’s all I need to know.

I think I’ll have the Terror grow a mullet. Total homage to my sixth grade basketball career.

I think he could pull it off, in a Joe Dirt-ay kind of way. Don’t you?

Comments

comments