Basketball for Ben and James

 James had a great Junior Jazz season. He improved in dribbling and confidence and was a good teammate. This was the little boy who did not like to play and used to call the other team "the bad guys" when he was a preschooler trying out soccer for the first time.

Ben had a great high school basketball season. Watching him was very exciting -- lots of blocks and assists and layups because of his position at center, but once or twice when he moved outside he hit a 3!

He started for the sophomore team and often got into the game for the JV team.

When he played at his cousins' school, they came to watch.

Nona and Papa came to several games.

JB often helped keep score for the sophomores and I loved seeing Ben check in next to him.

All that basketball and growing and schoolwork can make a boy sleepy.

And hungry. He and his friends Luke and Mason like to buy steak if they can find it on sale and grill it up.

James's basketball season

James played on a Boys and Girls Club basketball team this spring. I was so proud of his attitude and hustle! He has come a long way from that first soccer experience when he called the other team "the bad guys."

I could not find anything near us (Salt Lake City kept a lot of programs and activities closed a lot longer than other cities or even the county parks and rec program). When I did find something, I had missed the deadline to register. 

So we drove to Murray twice a week, and he played down on a 2nd grade team. But the level was perfect for him, as he is a young 3rd grader and hasn't played any organized sports in 2 years (because SLC closed almost everything for Covid). And thankfully after the first night and the feedback they received, the venue stopped trying to require kids to play in face masks. 

Millie went to every game, either with me or with JB. James even got a basket or two! But I was proudest of how he never complained about going, and he cheered for his teammates and encouraged them. We got some great video of his celebratory dances down the court.

James is 8

 Jamesy boy is eight years old! 

Here he is, 9 pounds 6 ounces and so much blond hair. 

And here he is on his birthday by the sign I put up from our primary presidency.

Usually we have a monthly stake baptism day, but during the pandemic our stake has been letting families choose the day. So we thought, why not his birthday?

The meeting limits were lifted last month, so we were very happy to invite all the Richards and Deardeuff Utah family members and his CTR 7 class members and some of our dear friends and neighbors. Others were able to watch on Zoom. 

I hope he is able to be blessed by now having the Holy Ghost to comfort and guide him. I hope we can help show him the quiet, sweet and gentle ways the spirit can help him now in his life. That's why I think these little kids are baptized at 8, not because they choose it.

After ward, we had everyone over for food and cake. We set up tables and chairs in our garage, because we don't have much shade any more and it was so hot that day.

Here he is either telling people something funny, or trying to lead the singing.

He wanted a chocolate cake. JB had to take me a picture of me with it, because let me confess I was obsessed with this cake for a couple weeks. I had done a story for the radio with Courtney Rich (Cake By Courtney), and I wanted to try one of her from-scratch deluxe recipes. It took days of steps. First stir up the cake layers, then freeze them, then make the filling with many steps including gelatin and heavy cream then chill that, then the chopping-melting-ganache-stirring-whipping up frosting. Then say a prayer while assembling it.

It was very good.

Back to Jamesy -- he has always been a boy with quick reactions and emotions that are close to the surface. He screamed for the first 12 weeks of his life but then became such a cuddle bug. At four years old, he was called "Angry Richards" at his brothers' soccer games. In his own soccer games at age five, he growled at the other team and called them the bad guys. Once I realize what he's trying to say underneath the rough spots, I remember how precious he is. He loves his back scratched in bed at night. He fights with Andrew but then insists he come down from the top bunk to be with him. He's improving in his reading every night, and is such a creative drawer.  He still loves Batman, Spider-Man, and dinosaurs. 

Oh, he found his presents five weeks ago in the attic behind two mattresses and under five blankets. I re-hid them and the wait felt so long but he was still really happy to get them.

James got to go the day before his birthday to his cousin Phin's baptism. Here are the four cousins close in age.

Soccer ends

This will be James's last soccer season for a while.  We may try again in a few years. I don't know what I was thinking, putting a 3 1/2 year old into sports.  Hashtag Too. Soon.

He told me "bad guys" played on the other team. This boy is really into superheroes and that whole "bad guy, good guy" storyline, which I hear is normal developmentally. But he couldn't figure out that they were just other little boys and girls like him, and he would get angry and frustrated.  Often he just ignored the ball and the people around him.

But I did see bright spots and growth through the season. I think he really improved in listening to his coach, and each game he spent a little more time out there running, and even got a few kicks in.  And I was encouraged to see similar struggles with almost all of the other 3 year olds.

It was also Andrew's last game on Saturday, but he was super sick. He just laid on the blanket and let Millie crawl on him.

Max and Ben missed many of the games but we all went for the last one and did their best to be encouraging. It was just yesterday that these two tall boys were my two little boys out there on this very same field.

And each of my babies (post-Max) has played with these on the sidelines.

Andrew stuck around long enough to get his medal, and then we took him home. He couldn't even muster a smile for the camera.

I don't know where James put his medal. I think he forgot about it! Oh, and he later caught the same bug.  I tried, but I believe they shared the same water bottle. I bet it was James trying to catch a sip of Andrew's flat Sprite.  Bring home a rare bottle of soda, and suddenly every boy in my house doesn't feel well.