They Dribble Like Their Dad

I created this baby shower invitation when my brother Joey was awaiting the birth of his first child, Robert. The dribble refers to Joey's passion for basketball, not being a drooler! And I knew one of the things he was looking forward to were the days that are here now, playing basketball with his kids.

Joey grew up playing sports and basketball was and still is his favorite. He had a Nerf basketball and hoop set up in our kitchen with masking tape on the floor marking his court. He played constantly and if he did something wrong my father knew the best way to teach him a lesson was to take the hoop down. That hoop went up and down so many times the wall it was pasted to was pealing off. And the masking tape never came off the floor, we had to put a new floor down to cover it. Sound effects were always part of his game while playing alone, he was player, commentator and the crowd cheering.

Yesterday was one of those days Joey looked forward to when he thought about being a dad. Now the father of 3, Robert, Jojo and Bella, Joey keeps them busy with baseball, basketball and soccer leagues, coaching some of those teams as well. And though Jojo of the three of them had no interest in sports for years always going back inside to play video games, he's finally enjoying soccer and more has caught his father's basketball fever and is moving up the ranks in basketball at an amazing pace.

Joey's kids are so lucky that they live in a nice neighborhood on a great street. There's a bunch of kids the same age as Joey's kids. All boys, but our Bella has no problem being a girly girl one minute and quickly switching gears to her tomboy persona, which seem to be the dominant side these days. She can stand up with the best of them.

The kids on the block love playing outside. They leave the video games and TV. They make up games. They have learned to settle their differences without an adult working it out for them. They play basketball, whiffle ball, football, hide and seek, all without adults leading them, telling them what to do or what the rules are. They discuss it, they come to agreements. Kids have fights, it's normal. These kids are learning to work it out and getting better all the time with it. They're learning lessons most kids don't get to learn today.

Joey had a game of basketball yesterday afternoon with Robert and Bella and their neighbor Nick. Joey and Bella against Robert and Nick and Joey said Bella was so into the game. Yelling "that was my fault" when she missed the ball or "sorry I should have caught that", putting her hand up, like "my bad" as she's seen her father do, her brothers and the gang on the block. Better still Robert was enjoying watching Bella, old enough to appreciate these little moments in his baby sister that will be gone before you know it. He enjoyed that as much as the game and it makes me love him more.

Bella used to say "aminal" for "animal" and Robert used to correct her until Joey suggested to him that he shouldn't. That before long she would be saying it the right way, let it be. And whenever Bella said aminal, Robert would look at her with so much love and smile.

Today, as Joey was playing ball with the kids, at one point he told Bella to check the ball. She looked at the ball and examined it, spinning it round and round, she was checking the ball. Joey got a kick out of her and better still Robert was adoring his baby sister once again, her innocence, not laughing at her, just enjoying her being funny without even realizing it. Again I love that he appreciates these beautiful special moments in his life.

They explained to Bella what it meant to check the ball, and yes I had to look it up!

It's the start of a play. Instead of throwing the ball inbounds to your teammate, you set up at the top of the court, the shaded rectangle, throwing it to your opponent to make sure their team is ready before throwing it back, used mostly when playing half-court ball.

Bella understood, she's a smart little girl, but continued to check the ball her own way, getting adoring laughs from her dad and big brother.

They all have their Daddy's Dribble!!