When I say my son has an obsession with all things spherical (namely balls), I am not exaggerating.  Anyone who knows me or my son well, will know he is totally OBSESSED with balls.  I think the obsession started around the age of one.  It was on his first birthday that we realized he loved balloons.  And from then on, it moved to balls.  And when I tell you that we have EVERY ball you can think of in our house, I am not kidding.  Basketballs, baseballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, ping pong balls….you name it, we got it.  Oh, and we don’t have just one of each.  We have them in all sizes.  When people asked me what they should get for Lil T’s 3′rd birthday, I told them anything EXCEPT balls.  But of course, if you asked Lil T that’s all he would say to get him.  BALLS!!!

His love is basketball.  Soccer might be a close second.  He actually loves the sport.  He knows all the technical terms too.  Foul shot.  Slam Dunk.  Air ball.  Dribble.  And, of course, Michael Jordan. 

“Mama, I gonna be like Mike-Go Jor-dun.  Jump sooooo high.”

“Okay, Beanie.  Finish your milk.  So you can be tall like Michael Jordan.”  What can I say?  The kid’s got ambition.

He can spot a ball a mile away.  I think he seriously has a radar.  We’ve gone into stores that has nothing to do with balls and he’ll spot a balloon (that a child probably lost) floating way up in the ceiling rafters.  And he can keep himself entertained anywhere we go, as long as there are balls.  Every time we go to Walmart or Target, that’s his first request.  “Can we go look at balls?”.  Seriously, EVERY SINGLE TIME we go.  And it’s not like he just looks.  No.  He has to make a show of it.  He gets a basketball and starts dribbling.  Yes.  Dribbling.  Right there, in the middle of the aisle.  And mind you, he’s good at it too.  So passerbys will stop and watch.  And comment, “oh look, how cute.”.  And there I am, just standing there….embarrassed.  All I need is an empty coffee cup and I can probably start a nice college fund for him. 

He even keeps himself occupied at CVS.  Because in there toy aisles they have a metal cage of plastic balls.  So Lil T will play “basketball” there.  Takes a ball out and tries to “shoot” it into the top of the cage.  Over and over and over again.  **SIGH**  And of course, the workers there find it soooo cute.  Yea right.   They’re probably thinking…”here they come again.  Doesn’t she ever take the kid to a park?”. 

But I guess it’s all good.  Better to have passion in something than not, right?  I’m just curious to see how long this passion will last.  Hey, you never know.  Maybe he’ll be the next Yao Ming when he gets older…only maybe 2 feet shorter.

So in the mean time, if you happen to go to a Walmart or Target or CVS and see a little, short Asian kid dribbling or shooting a ball between the aisles.  Stop a while, enjoy the show.  And don’t forget to drop a five in the empty coffee cup.