Lone Star Family: firsts

This summer we decided it was a good time to sign Kemper up for T-Ball. He's five, a perfect age to start right? Apparently I didn't get the memo that you're supposed to sign your kid up for sports while still in utero. Turns out K was the only kid on the team that had not previously played before. Most of the others had been playing for at least two years! This was going to be his first time in a group sport activity, so naturally we were a little nervous. Kemper has always been a homebody, keep to himself kinda kid so we weren't exactly sure how it would go. Luckily it all turned out for the best!

We took him to the park down the street to test out his batting skills. He was a natural with a really good swing!! Nothing like Daddy/son moments to melt your heart.

Baby sister loved getting outside to watch her brother practice. We had to give her her own ball because she insisted on practicing herself. Softball may be in her future, she has a great arm!

We decided to have Kemper try T-ball first, mainly because it is a non contact sport (for the most part) When you have cochlear implants it's just something you think about. I know other CI recipients have done/do contact sports, but this being our first time doing any type of sports we didn't want the extra worry of him hitting his head. Although, in the planning process it didn't even cross our minds that the children are required to wear batting helmets while at bat. Cochlear implants and helmets really don't make the best combination. I think we tried every helmet out there to find one that would fit comfortably over his CI's without knocking them off. We originally tried the Adidas Incite batting helmet . It was a helmet that you could put on and then turn a dial that would tighten the helmet to your head for a more custom fit. We loved it and the idea. The only problem we had was that K has a tiny pea head like his mother and we could not get the helmet tight enough. I was just loose enough to knock his coils off his head when he moved. Total bummer. Next we moved onto a regular Rawlings T-ball Helmet We were able to get a tighter fit with this one but his processors and coils did not have enough room. To help with this my husband cut off a small portion of the 1st foam layer of padding around his ear and where the coils would go. While I don't recommend removing padding from a safety helmet, I was okay with this because very little was removed and this is T-ball not the major leagues. I think we will be okay!!

PIRATES!!
Kemper still loves anything that has to do with Pirates so I found it so fitting that his team name was the Pirates.
My skinny little thing, I think his uniform wore him.

Kemper had a great coach this season. He challenged the boys and was very patient them. He also made them work as a team and encourage each other. I loved that when a player would make it to home plate all the boys in the dugout would yell like a pirate ARRRRGGGGHHH!!

A few games into the season Kemper's coach was looking for a little help so my husband stepped in as an assistant coach. K loved having his Dad on the field and having someone there to help him with his batting helmet.

I had a crush on the assistant coach.

This is what 5year old T-ball looks like.
I love Kemper's clueless facial expression, the coaches all pointing in different directions, kids playing in the dirt... It's not the easiest sport to teach or learn for sure!!

Pirates!!
So thankful for such a great group of boys and coaches.

My sister made Kendall her own Pirate uniform. It had a Pirate skull on her shorts and a number 7 on the back of her shirt. She was an adorable little cheerleader on the sidelines. She would clap and get so excited when she would see her brother at bat.

His first season of T-ball was a great learning time for him. He made a lot of progress with his catching, fielding, and hitting. Kemper was so proud of the patch he earned for making a great catch during a game.

I never thought I say this but I kinda miss our 8am Saturday morning games.
Good times, Great memories!!!

Fall is now upon us. Time to put away the pool toys and start enjoying the cooler weather. I'll admit I'm usually sad to see summer go. Summer has always been my favorite season but this year I'm really excited about fall. I can't wait to take Kemper to the pumpkin patch, out trick-or-treating, spend Thanksgiving with the family.... So before get all wrapped up in Fall and I forget, it's time to do our summer recap. It was way too fun to leave out.

It was a summer of many firsts for Kemper. So many special moments and experiences. I think he grew up so much this summer. It's bitter sweet watching my baby grow into a little boy.

K's first airplane ride.
I have a very close family, so soon after my cousin announced she was getting married we booked a flight to Florida. All of our family was going to be there so we decided to extend our tip past the wedding and make it our first family vacation.

Even though this was his first big trip he acted like a a seasoned traveler. Passing his time playing on the iPhone with his girlfriend Minnie on his side. ( she's another story on her own) ;)

We decided to splurge a little, so Kemper also had his first time flying first class.
He loved eating dinner on the plane. He's gonna be in total shock the next time we fly and we are sitting in coach without a hot dinner.

As soon as we landed we headed to the beach. We just left everything in the car and made a run for it. I almost got teary-eyed watching his first time putting his toes in the beach sand.

After a quick trip to the beach we met up with my parents. They had rented a few condos on the beach for the rest of our family. This was K's first time ever to stay at a hotel/Condo. He loved it, he kept calling it our "Florida house" He was so excited that his cousin "lived" next door, and that if he went one more door down he was at his grandmas "house"!

It was wonderful. we could open our front door and see the pool and beach.

Once we unpacked our bags it was time to head to the beach again. K got to build his first sand castle and take his first dip in the ocean. It had taken us about an hour to convince him to go in the water but then it took us two hours to try and get him out!!

Kemper and his cousin digging for buried treasure. They are both really into pirates and treasure so they were excited to find the chest of gold that my sister had buried earlier. ;)