He's 9 and in the last year or so he's finally become interested in sports. His dad has signed him up for lots of different sports over the years but it just wasn't Jojo's thing. I've been to his soccer games a bunch of times, and Jojo was always off in his own world. As goalie, I would watch him watching the grass grow, looking for bugs in the grass. In his Spiderman obsession days, he was shooting imaginary webs from his wrists and moving his body with his best Spiderman impersonation. Just being the Jojo we all love. Most times if the ball came his way, he didn't see it and if he did he wasn't going after it.
The last two summers I noticed a change. He was paying attention at soccer, chasing the ball, still holding back, he was unsure of himself, he never tried to get the ball and move it into play but he was running with the players, he was cheering them on, he would be super cool high fiving his fellow team mates for a good play, he was trying.
He's also been playing basketball in the streets with his brother and some neighborhood kids for a couple of years now, and whiffle ball, but even with that, he usually ends up quitting before the rest of the kids to go inside and play video games.
But basketball fever finally got Jojo and he's been playing more, and last week I was privy to hear my brother over the phone tell his son that he made the AllStar team at our local church league. I could hear Jojo on the other side of the phone, he was in shock, he couldn't believe it, he must have said "really dad?" at least ten times, he couldn't believe what he had accomplished. He screamed out to his older brother, who right away grabbed the phone from him and said, "Dad is this a joke?" So kudos to our Jojo, he practiced and he was rewarded for his hard work. You know though, he's always an AllStar in my book!!
A few months back, I was videotaping him and his 6-year old sister Bella. They were doing interviews of each other. Bella asked him questions that Jojo thought were dumb and told her, but she has a strong personality and ignored him and kept on asking questions until she hit on one that he liked, asking what kinds of things he likes to do. Jojo started listing all the sports he likes, never mentioning the video games he plays every day, the TV shows he watches every day, all sports, trying to sound so cool and very serious and Bella is yapping the whole time, saying "oh no he doesn't, he doesn't like sports, Jo, you don't like it, you never watch it, you don't play baseball, you don't play hockey, you always go inside and play video games, yap, yap, yap!!!!!" Jojo was trying to keep his cool, but I think I ended up turning the camera off as the interview turned into an small argument between the two of them. I should have filmed that too but I couldn't film and be a mediator at the same time!
As much as Jojo likes basketball, I still think some of it is tied into the fact that his brother is very good at sports and has been an AllStar in baseball and basketball a few times over and our family comes out of the woodwork to see his games. Jojo idolizes his older brother and more than loving basketball or any sports, I think what's really the best feeling for Jojo is that he's become a peer of sorts to his brother, Jojo can share something with his brother that he knows his brother wants to talk about.
Robert didn't make the AllStars this go around (only because he had been an AllStar in the Staten Island Little League!!! and then was in another baseball league when his team was eliminated from SI Little League. He just didn't get to play enough games in the church basketball league this season, otherwise I'm sure he would have made it too).
This was Jojo's night and I'm so glad it was just for him. And so did Jojo, he had a swagger that night, trying to puff his little chest out, putting on a serious expression while playing, I wanted to run out on the court and grab that cute little AllStar!!! His brother wasn't jealous, supported Jojo, was proud of his brother, another beautiful moment for me to watch.
Again I'm always taking pictures and tried to get as close as possible to take pictures of Jojo. At one point Jojo was right in front of me and I whispered for just him to hear, "good game Jo" and he noticed me (and my camera) and you could tell for the rest of the game he was aware of the fact that this special moment would be captured, his picture will be displayed as are his older brother's, he would be sharing the spotlight with his hero.
Most times when I go to a game, he and his brother barely nod at me in front of their friends, they are at that age, they are trying to be cool and I give them their space, even though their actions make me want to kiss them and hug them even more!!! Well Jojo's team lost by a point or 2 and after the game. As I was walking over to him to tell him what a great game he played, instead of the look that I usually get...oh, oh, Aunt Tricia's coming to hug me or kiss me...I could see he was actually walking up to me to talk to me...well not a conversation...he wanted to make sure I got pictures of him playing. He asked "did you get my save Aunt Tricia?" I don't know!!!! I just kept taking pictures. I don't know what he means by his save. I hope I did get it. I'll have to go through my pictures and if I did get it I will post it proudly for Jojo!
Jojo's dad (Joey) plays basketball on Saturday mornings with his friends when he can. He plays at about 8am and will ask his boys if they want to come with. When Joe asked if the boys wanted to come, they both said no and Jojo said, "no dad, a man needs his sleep."
A man!!! All these changes. No more Jojo because it sounds like a baby name. Also, a month ago at his brother's baseball game, I noticed him walking around with his hands crossed over his chest, looked like he was going up to a priest to be blessed. I asked him what he was doing. He told me some cute girl was around and he didn't want her seeing him with a dirty shirt. He had stains on his shirt showing everything he ate at the game that night, ketchup, mustard, chocolate, some red or blue ice pop stains. I told him to go in the bathroom and turn it inside out. He looked at me with awe for coming up with such a great idea.
They grow up too fast, before I know it Jojo, uh Joe, will be introducing me to his girlfriend!
Here's Jojo only last year, but also a lifetime ago. He had a school project to create any kind of product and advertise it. His was "Jojo's Messy Chocolate" bars. Jojo enjoyed every moment of rubbing chocolate syrup all over his face for this photo, the Jojo I know and love.
I designed this chocolate bar wrapper for Jojo using a picture from the new Willie Wonka film that I found on line and switched Johnny Depp's face with Jojo's. After I glue the wrappers onto the chocolate bars, I use a ribbon crimper to give the edges a fancy professional edge. I have some pictures of finished products that I'll post at a later date.
1 comment:
I can't get use to calling him "Joe" either! He is the sweetest! I love his kisses!
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