Special Olympics Singing National Anthem at Diamondback Game

Max's Poem

 A Mother's Day Poem that Max wrote.

I AM FRIENDLY AND LOVING

I WONDER WHO I AM GOING TO SEE

I HEAR SCREAMING IN MY EAR

I SEE MYSELF IN SOMEONE ELSE'S BODY

I WANT TO PUBLISH A BOOK

I AM FRIENDLY AND LOVING

 

I PRETEND TO HAVE FULL VISION

I FEEL LIKE I AM FLOATING IN AIR

I TOUCH PEOPLE'S HEARTS

I WORRY ABOUT MAX

I CRY WHEN MY SON LEAVES

I AM FRIENDLY AND LOVING

 

I UNDERSTAND HOW MAX IS TREATED

I SAY GOODNIGHT TO MAX EVERY NIGHT

I DREAM MY SON BECOMES A CELEBRITY

I TRY TO MAKE MAX EAT FOODS HE DOESN'T LIKE

I HOPE THE BEST FOR MY CHILDREN

I AM FRIENDLY AND LOVING

Max Hits a Homerun!

A Day To Remember

 

 

 

 

 Max getting ready to walk out on the field.

 

 



 

 Max and Malachi

                               

 

 Max and Malachi walking the field with his team.

 

 

Didn't know it was Autism Awarness Night. 

 

 So cool to see this on the big screen.

 

 

 Max cheering on the D-backs with shouting out BEAT LA!

 

Max was tickled with the mascot wearing red underwear that said BEAT LA.

He laughed the whole way home.

 

Next Day's Game

                               

 

 Max hit a home run.

 

 

Max running over home-plate.

 

 

After the game on Saturday Max asked me if he would ever be typical

 like everyone else. I asked him what does he mean by typical?

He responded with, "You know Mom, when I don't have autism anymore.

I asked him what is so bad about being Autistic.

He said, "Nothing, I think if I wasn't autistic, I could be an celebrity.  

 

His question stirred emotions of how I have also dealt with not feeling like I fit in because of having CRS and being blind in my right eye.
Max opened my eyes to what really is important.
 It's about being YOU the person God intended for you to be.
We are all so different, even typical people as Max calls them have faults and desires to be something other than what they are. Each of us have habits that seem odd to some and make others think we are not normal.

What does it mean to be normal?

A question I ask myself many times.

Magnificent Max in the month of March.

Max believes his world opened up to another level, since he turned 13. He believes he can now watch any PG-13 movie, because it has the number 13 in it. I have tried several times to explain to him that I don’t even watch all PG-13 movies, because some of them do not meet our standards.

Max takes everything as it’s stated. For instances he believe if his teacher tells him his homework isn’t due until March 12^th then he will not hand it in until that date. He had a project due on March 29^th in Social Studies on World War 1 using a poster board and designing it with a slogan. Frustration stirred as I tried to remind him to get started on it a week before it was due. Max would remind me that he can’t hand it in until the due date and that he can’t even start on it until a couple of days before it is due. I tried to explain to him he could hand it in before the due date and he express his opinion that I was wrong. Max takes everything literally. I have realized it’s how people with autism see life.

It was a joy to see Max excited about his family coming over to celebrate his birthday. His Aunt Terese had her birthday a few days before him and we sang Happy Birthday to them at the same time. I could see how he felt of value as we rallied around him and sang. His smile touched his ears and his eyes beamed with joy.

The last month and half have been busy, with baseball practice. I’m so thrilled that one of Max’s dreams of being a member of a baseball team came true. It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity for him. The Little League started a team for children with special needs for the first time . What a blessing for Max. He loves to bat and was in a bat-a-thon a couple of weeks ago. He hit the ball 152.5 feet and won a wooden bat. This Friday he is going to walk out on the Diamondback baseball field with the players and yesterday he was interview by one of the news stations about being on a baseball team. He takes baseball seriously. He wears his new team jersey with pleasure along with his batting gloves, baseball hat, red belt, white pants, and cleats. For his birthday his brother in law and sister got him a new glove, battling gloves, and bat and his brother and sister in law got him a bat with some balls to practice with. I know it warms his heart to have his sibling support him.

 

We were able to attend General Conference in Salt Lake City and Max had a hard time with all the people around him. He sat next to me with his suit coat over his head during the two hour meeting. He was quiet, but I sensed it was hard on him to be among so many people. Sometimes he will put a cloth grocery bag over his head and play his I-pod to close himself off from the world.

 

A wonderful blessing happened for Max in Utah, he gained some new friends. It warmed my heart to see him building unity with his second cousins. They wanted him around and he wanted to be with them. What a joy it was to watch him interact with them.

Max's words and thoughts.

I will turn 13 in 1 month

 

Being on the baseball team is the best because I think that it is the best.

 

Minecraft is the funest game

Becase i think that it is interesting because  you get to craft  your own world.

 

 My mom asked Siri a bunch of questions and we laughed to every questions and we thought that it was funny.

 

 

Max's Dream

"Mom's this is Max, can I stay after school?"

I took a deep breath before responding and realized he wasn't due home from school for another three hours.

"Mom I need to stay after school for Baseball tryouts."

Before I could get a word in his teacher spoke.

"Tonight at 6:30 there is a meeting for the students to be involved with sports. Max wants to come and be on the baseball team."

The phone went dead...yes three months ago I dropped it in water while I was soaking my toe. Silence was all I heard while I held the phone to my ear and rushed quickly down to the basement to get the other phone.

After I called his teacher back we discussed how difficult it would be for Max to be on a typical team and compete. Plus, Max doesn't know the rules or guidelines for playing baseball. He is talented though with hitting a ball and he can catch a ball.

Right before we ended the conversation we both came to the realization that the school team wouldn’t be a good fit. We thought of other ideas like having him be a ball boy, but I knew in my heart he wouldn't want to sit on the sideline watching others hit the ball or run from one base to the other.

Disappointment was definitely in both of our voices. It tore me into pieces knowing that I had to tell Max that the school team wouldn’t be the best for him.

 

Special Olympics here we come!