Karate and Special Olympics



Max keeps busy with
Karate, Swimming, Orchestra,

Scouts, and spending time with his family.





 Max enjoying practice

 Max making one last lap after two hours of swimming.

 Max showing a Karate move

Max got his Orange Belt

Its A Hundred And Five

Every morning before the bus arrives. Max has to search on my I-pad for the forecast for the day. This morning he read that it was going to be 105 or higher and cloud cover.

I love how he will ask the same questions at the breakfast table each morning. "Mom is it going to rain today?"  And each day I give him the same answer. "I don't think so."

Today while we sat on the couch and waited for the bus we looked at the next week forecast. He liked it when there was a little cloud with blue lines coming down out of them on the forecast below the temperature. When the bus arrived he jumped up and ran to his bedroom going in the opposite direction of the front door.

I call him to come and warned him the bus might leave without him. After about two minutes of calling him. He leisurely walked into the living room and had one arm in the sleeve of his thick coat and was getting ready to put it completely on.

I asked him why he felt a need to take the jacket. His response was. "Mom it might rain and I don't want to get wet." Somehow I was able to convince him to leave without his coat in hand and make it to the bus carrying only his back pack and viola.

Years ago when Max was about seven maybe a little older. He would always want to wear a thick jacket when playing outside when it was a hundred plus degrees. I had learned to pack up those winter clothes before the heat struck the valley of the Sun. Over the years I had grown more relaxed and stopped packing up those winter clothes. I guess I'm going to have to pack them up again and hope for the best.

I honestly can say there is never a dull moment with Max. I love every second, minute and hour of the day with him. He is one amazing young man.

I'm grateful for Max and I feel blessed to have him.

Max sang the National Anthem

Tears were present on July 28th as I watched my son

walk onto the Diamondback field to sing our national anthem.

The hours we spent reading over the words to the national anthem

every night had paid off.

After Max got the words down we started to sing to the tune of the song.

What a joy it was to hear him sing the national anthem by himself.

I wish they would of let the four athletes sing without the man named Steve. He drowned them out and made the meaning of the event disappointing.

After all the hard work, Max and the others put into practicing.

We had practices and it was amazing to hear these special, awesome athletes sing.

 

 Max and the other three who sang with him.
Left to right.
Conner, Rebecca, Sarah, and Max

 

 Max walking out to the field.

 

 Max taking a stroll on the Diamondback field

 

 

Max and Rebecca

 



Special Olympics Singers getting ready to sing the

National Anthem

 

 



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.