winner

Yesterday I took Caleb and Ethan to the high school.  They were having a Hot Spot basketball competition.  There were areas throughout the gym that were 'marked'.  You had two minutes to make as many shots from those areas as you could.  You had to dribble to each spot and shoot from each area.  Ethan was a hustler but didn't make any shots.  But he came really close with his shots.  Caleb was kind of funny. He watched for quite awhile but wasn't sure he wanted to do it.  There was two different sections of the gym...one for ages 7-10 and the other 11-14.  We were about ready to leave after Ethan finished and I asked Caleb one more time if he wanted to do it and he shrugged his shoulders.  I knew he wanted too but he was quite nervous.  So I had Ethan turn in his form.  Sometimes Caleb needs a push to do things....but sometimes pushing is too much.  But I knew with this that the pushing was OK. He really did want to do it.  The person in charge looked at Ethan and told him he was too young for that group.  Then Ethan let her know that it was for his brother.  There were three high school students that all turned around at the same time to look at Caleb.  One guy looked up at Caleb and said, "man I feel short".  They asked him more than once if he was really only 14.  As Caleb walked to the back of the line they were all talking and still looking at Caleb.  I wonder if they thought he was lying.  I was standing there watching the others shoot when this kids said, "Is he really only 14?  I told him he was and I asked how old he was....he was also 14 and in 9th grade like Caleb.  I don't even think that kid was as tall as Zach.  I am so used to tall boys....Don, Caleb and Zach are all tall.  It is just so normal to me.  I was so proud of Caleb for even doing it in the first place (even if he needed encouragement).  He has come such a long way.  When he was younger he would freak out if he didn't know where I was in the house.  I didn't have to be within eye sight but if he didn't know where I was he would cry and go crazy.  Then he was even afraid to go to recess when he first started school.  The other teachers and school staff couldn't believe it.  They hadn't seen a kid that didn't want to go to recess. But Caleb was afraid. He didn't like all the noise/chaos and he didn't like things that were unstructured.  He has just always had a hard time venturing out and doing things.  He is getting so much better.  He has gotten up in front of his class and done some reports.  He has given two or three talks.  Each time he gets out of his comfort zone is a growing experience and for most parents these are things they never have to worry about.  Caleb has taught me SO much.  I think he ended up making about 3 baskets.

So no we didn't have a winner at the competition but we were winners last night.  On the way home we were listening to radio.  They said the 9th caller would win tickets to a concert.  I didn't recognize the band but I told Caleb to call anyway.  Who doesn't love to win right?  Well he called and kept calling.  Then finally he said it was ringing.  I told him to keep listening and to hand the phone over when someone answered.  He let it ring.....A LONG TIME.  But he didn't want to hang up...just in case.  I wasn't sure he would be allowed to win since he wasn't 18.  Finally someone answered.  He quickly handed the phone over.  I caught that he said, "I'm sorry we already have a winner for our concert tickets but I do have some _________ tickets if you are interested.  SURE....he asked me for my name and said I could pick up the tickets anytime.  Then he also said they had some free parking tickets that they would throw in.  How cool right?  Well I am not even sure what tickets we won.  LOL.  But we still won.  And that is all that matters. I did catch that it was in Seattle.  We are hoping it is a basketball game.