July 2, 2007

Mom: Hey bug. What do you want to talk about today?

JP: Oh, hi! Let's talk about baseball.

Mom: Okay. What do you want to say about baseball?

JP: Daddy will be the pitcher and I'll be the catcher and you'll be the batter.

Mom: Oh, I get hit the ball!

JP: Yeah!

Mom: Cool. Do you suppose Mommy will hit far or not very far.

JP: Far!

Mom: Cool. Do you like hitting or catching best?

JP: Catching.

(Not necessarily accurate as he doesn't even try to catch and he is actually really trying to hit the ball. However he gets frustrated when he doesn't connect.)

Mom: Okay. What else do you know about baseball?

JP: I don't know. I'll be the pitcher and Mommy will be the catcher and Daddy will be the batter.

Mom: Do you suppose Daddy will get a hit?

JP: Yes. I'm going to be the pitcher and Mommy will be the catcher and Daddy will be the batter.

Mom: Yep. That is what you said. Do you like hitting when I pitch to you or off the tee better?

JP: Off the tee better.

Mom: How come?

JP: Because I can hit the baseball.

Mom: Yeah, but I have seen you hit it when I pitch sometimes too!

JP: How about you pitch it to Daddy and he is going to run bases.

Mom: Sure. Which base does he run to first?

JP: First base.

Mom: Then where?

JP: Second base.

Mom: Then where?

JP: Oh, uh three base.

Mom: And then?

JP: Four.

Mom: Is that what it is called? Four?

(No response. He knows it isn't but isn't able to come up with the right name. Rather than say so he is just sitting here silent.)

Mom: Is it called four or Home plate?

JP: Home plate!

Mom: That is right. It is first base then second base then third base and finally home plate! Then we score!

JP: Yeah! We scored one. We slide down and get dirt all over our clothes!

Mom: Yeah, we see the big boys slide into home plate, don't we?

JP: Yes!

Mom: Do you like watching your cousins play baseball?

(We have two cousins who play traveling baseball and occasionally come to the big city for tournaments. JP is usually oblivious to the game. Actually my kooky sister screaming at the players scares the dickens out of JP. We usually have to sit off to the side away from the crowd.)

JP: Yes. The pros like to play baseball too.

(I made him a social story in his computer software (My Own Bookshelf) about the basics on baseball last summer. This summer we rented a Baby Pro sports video that talks about soccer, basketball and baseball. He is scripting a lot of their lines from the video here.)

Mom: Do you suppose you and T will play baseball when you get older?

JP: Yes. You are right. I know! Let's play baseball. Mommy, I got a question. Don't move. I"ll be right back.

(and he runs to the toy room. I hear a "Ta Da" and footsteps running back to me.)

JP: I found one!

Mom: Oh, cool. You found a soccer ball.

JP: That's a baseball!

Mom: Oh, you're right. My mistake. JP do you ever make mistakes?

JP: Hee Hee, yes!

Mom: Is it okay to make a mistakes sometimes?

JP: Yeah.

Mom: That is how we learn, isn't it?

JP: Yeah. It says Franklin. Maybe we could hit that baseball.

Mom: Sure, next time we go outside we will hit the Franklin baseball.

(JP isn't willing to go outside today. Last time we were out a neighbor let off a bunch of firecrackers. These unexpected noisy booms scare JP and his hands go to the ears and he goes inside himself. Sometimes he isn't even functioning enough to drag himself inside the house. He just sits there crying, "Want to go inside". I have tried explaining what they are and that they won't hurt him. I don't think we are getting anywhere on this.)

JP: Oh, you are right!

Mom: So are you excited for the 4th of July?

JP: Yes.

Mom: What is your favorite thing about the 4th of July?

(silence)

(Obviously nothing is his favorite about this sensory spectacle!)

Mom: Do you like fireworks?

JP: Yeah. Fireworks live in the dark sky.

Mom: Well, that is true. We do often see them in the nighttime sky. But some fireworks work during the day.

JP: Hoooo! Not in the day! Night!

Mom: Well, you know some of those bang bang bangs you hear when we are outside are fireworks in the day. Do those sometimes scare you?

JP: Yeah.

Mom: It is kind of scary when you can't see them but they just make a loud noise when you don't expect them. But there isn't really any need to be afraid. Okay.

JP: Okay. I'm going to get something.

Mom: What are you going to get?

JP: A ball. Don't move. I'll be right back. I'll be right back, Mom. Don't move!

(And he doesn't come back. Apparently we don't want to talk about fireworks anymore!)