Dakota and I had the most delightful conversation tonight at D.J.'s T-ball game. I can't tell you all that was said, because it was a little free-flowing and unstructured. And frankly, not everything he says comes out in standard English. He has a little language of his own, and I'm gradually learning as much as he cares to share of it.

Luckily for me (and possibly for him, in the long run), more and more real words are finding their way out from inside his remarkable brain. I believe he always has something to say, and considering how far he's come in recent months, verbally, it must have been frustrating to have all those thoughts bottled up for so long.

The frustration still shows every so often, but for the most part he's a cheerful little boy. The world he lives in is a loving and happy place, and he let me in for a while tonight. This was the most he's shared with me in the time I've known him, as we sat together along third base line watching his brother play ball (which is a whole other essay from yet another planet).

It made my day, if you want to know the truth. When Dakota talks, it often comes out as a kind of poetry that is so expressive you instantly feel connected to the sweet soul within. And that voice! So endearing it would melt the iciest heart. If he only knew that, he would use it even more.

As for his big brother, he's happy to be playing ball with his friends, and he runs very fast to first base. I kind of wish he'd pay a little more attention when he's playing the pitcher's position. One little guy was about to hit the ball off the tee and there was D.J. sitting in the pitcher's circle just a few feet away with his shoe off. He's much safer when he plays in the outfield, because the ball rarely gets hit that far. If his mind wanders when he's out there, not much harm can come of it.