After a reader left a comment on my last post inquiring about Nathan, I realized that it’s been over a year since I’ve shared what’s been going on with him. I did post about AbleNOW accounts back in February, which was related to Nathan, but it doesn’t really count. I haven’t been writing much this year – my heart just hasn’t been in it – but what I have written has been all about Sarah Kate, so I’m here today to fix that oversight.
Nathan got a puppy.
We got a puppy to start the new year (okay, technically I got the puppy, but Nathan loves him and they’re buds). His name is Seamus (pronounced “SHAME-us”) and he’s a Cairn terrier. Westies were originally bred from Cairns, so he has a lot of quirky similarities to my beloved Daisy, but he’s more affectionate and more of a stinker – I have concluded that Daisy is to Sarah Kate as Seamus is to Nathan. 😉
Nathan Turned Eight
Nathan’s eighth birthday was a Monster Jam bonanza. They came to Pensacola the week of his birthday (how perfect was that?) so the whole family drove over.
I am not certain this boy could have been more excited about anything in his life. Each Monster Jam truck has its own theme music, so when we returned home we had to add several of those tunes to Nathan’s playlist: “Who Let the Dogs Out” for Monster Mutt, etc.
And of course he also had a Grave Digger birthday cake…
Nathan Played T-Ball Again
Spring meant a return to t-ball – his sixth season if you count both falls and springs – and he was actually not too bad. In my last completely-about-Nathan post last fall, I considered what would come after t-ball, and that question remains unanswered. He played again this fall – this time back with Coach Fred, who has a younger son in t-ball now – and he’ll probably play again this spring.
Nathan has a firm grasp on the fundamentals of hitting, catching, running, and throwing but he doesn’t quite understand the sense of urgency required in an actual game, and I’m not sure that’s going to come anytime soon. But he loves it, and I don’t hate it. In fact, I became the official “keeper of the book” and found myself the resident t-ball expert spectator, as well, because many of the new parents weren’t clear on all of the rules.
Nathan Did Special Olympics Again
Spring brought the annual county-wide Special Olympics competition, and as now one of the oldest at his school, he drew the honor of carrying the team banner.
His sweet friend Jackson – a classmate and former t-ball teammate – came to cheer him on. Thanks be to God for sweet friends (and their wonderful parents) who skip school to come out and show some love and encouragement to my little guy!
He also got to flirt with the Dogwood Trail Maids and got some special attention from the lavender one (she’s the big sister of his friend Lucy).
Nathan Received First Communion
The biggest and most important event of Nathan’s year was when he received his First Communion.
For First Communion, all of the kids are given a “job” during Mass, and Nathan’s was to carry the crucifix and place it on the altar.
Although it doesn’t really look like it in the picture below with me, he was so happy and proud to receive Jesus and, to be honest, I think a little starstruck.
[I just realized while I was typing that these First Communion photos are the only ones I’ve shared of Nathan in his glasses – yes, he got glasses in late 2017!]
Nathan Joined the Swim Team
While First Communion may have been the most important event of the year, joining the swim team was his greatest triumph. He had just learned to swim a few days before school started in 2017, so my expectations were pretty low, but when I took him to registration day things went even worse than I had anticipated. Our neighbor’s small backyard pool was a quite different experience than a nine-lane competition pool and he Would. Not. Let. Go. of the side during his “swim test.” He wasn’t afraid of being in the water, and in fact seemed to be having a grand ol’ time, but was he swimming? Not a bit. We even went home and got Sarah Kate’s suit so she could get in with him and talk him through it, but no dice.
I registered Sarah Kate and we all walked out to the car – I was holding back tears – but right before driving away I told Scott that I needed to go back in and talk to Coach Cathy, because I hadn’t done that before I left. When I went inside – to confirm she didn’t think he should do swim team yet – she responded, to my surprise, “I think we can work with that.” I paid my money and crossed my fingers.
In the beginning, I was not encouraged. He wouldn’t even swim across the pool holding onto a kickboard that first week, although he would go across holding onto one of the coaches. He progressed to holding onto a kickboard that a coach was holding onto the other side of after a few days, and on the last day of the second week he finally used the kickboard by himself. It wasn’t pretty, but he did it.
A couple of weeks later, he swam in his first meet. He was in only one event – a 100 yard kickboard relay – but, again, it was progress. He was the final leg of the relay and grinned the whole way (and wanted to kick back at the end).
My hope was that he’d swim in one “real” event before the summer ended, but he wasn’t too keen on that idea. Sarah Kate was swimming in all of the meets, so he went to each one, but the first one I signed him up to swim he was scared, so we scratched it. But seven weeks into the swim season, he was finally persuaded.
He jumped off the block and everything! He wasn’t fast, although part of his problem was that he was in the lane next to the edge of the pool and Sarah Kate and I were trying to cheer him on from the side of the pool. Once he got about halfway across I realized that he wasn’t going faster, and was probably actually going slower than if we cheered from the end of the lane, because he was mostly just grinning and enjoying the moment.
At swim team awards day, Nathan followed in his sister’s footsteps, receiving the “Most Inspirational Award”. I was proud of him, but also thankful that we have such a great summer swim program in our area. He’s literally grown up at the pool, sitting in my lap on the bleachers when he was only three months old during Sarah Kate’s earliest practices, and attended countless meets.
I’m thankful to Coach Cathy for her amazing support of all swimmers, her emphasis on inclusion and her belief that swimming is for everyone. This summer I came to appreciate her even more, not just for having Nathan on her team, but for carefully selecting young coaches who went the extra mile countless times to help Nathan progress. Every day before we had even made it out of the building, Nathan would turn to me and ask, “Tomorrow?” and it was because of these four young men – Jake, Skiddy, James, and Hamp.
Nathan wasn’t the only one in the family to receive an award, either. Sarah Kate received a trophy – not Most Inspirational or Most Spirited or Most Dedicated or any of the subjective awards. She was runner-up in points earned for ages 15-18 girls. Sometimes it pays to just keep showing up.
The next day, the big season ending league meet was held, and Nathan competed, as he does most things, with great gusto and very little sense of urgency. Although to be fair, his time was once again thwarted by a coach for one of the other teams who felt compelled to provide a lot of encouragement…from the side of the pool.
Nathan Started Third Grade
School started in mid-August (can you believe he’s in third grade?), and for the first time I didn’t get a First Day photo of the kids together, because they had different first days. And yes, that’s the same backpack he’s been using since kindergarten – it’s from Land’s End and it still looks brand new!
A few days into the new school year, Nathan finally – FINALLY! – lost his first tooth (his second came out just last week).
Nathan’s still a big fan of all things first responder, so Halloween brought a repeat visit from Officer Sligh and his trusty K-9, although this year Gabi filled the role.
The muscles never fail to make me laugh!
November was mostly a blur – Sarah Kate dominated the schedule with a youth production of Les Miserables and swimming sectionals (post coming soon), and December started off with a bang with a trip to Auburn University for the Alabama State High School Swim & Dive Championships. Jeanne, Nathan’s favorite friend of Sarah Kate’s came along for the ride and as you can see, Nathan was pleased.
Going forward, I’ll try to get back to my normal balance of posts between Sarah Kate and Nathan, BUT… I’ve gotta share a couple more (very exciting!) swimming developments with you first.
He is coming in to his own. I cannot believe he is in the third grade! It is great to read about him and to see that there isn’t a day without sunshine in his life (for the most part)