Score!

My cute little boy--the one who flaps merrily from one end of the court to the other like a bird, the one who freezes mid-court when the clock begins its count down from a minute so he can cover his ears before the buzzer, the one who would rather play tag with the boy he is guarding--that boy scored not one, but THREE baskets today!

It was the 5th period (they play six 6-minute periods). Michael was down under the basket, and one of his teammates passed him the ball. There was a brief deer-caught-in-the-headlights moment. I held my breath and whispered a thought, "Please pass it, please pass it--to a teammate, that is." His coach yelled, "Shoot it, Michael!" And he shot and scored! There has never been and never will be a prouder little boy than my little Michael after he scored his first basket! But it didn't end there. A teammate stole the ball from the opposing team, passed it to Michael who hadn't really moved from his place under the net; he shot it and scored again! And it repeated a third time! After that, he got two more good shots on the goal.

I couldn't be prouder of Michael--not because of his accomplishment, but because he's still having fun. And because he revels in simple joys. And because I know he felt so good when all of his teammates were patting him on the back, giving him high fives, and making a point of congratulating him. And because I love to see that sparkle in his eyes.