Basketball

 Basketball has been in full swing the past few months.  Joel wanted to play again and has actually really loved it. His coach is amazing. Originally  Brent was going to coach with his friend Ian (they have coached together at Upward the past few years) But they redid the age groups so Ian went up with his daughter and Joel stayed down in his age group. But he ended up with the most amazing coach that made it so fun and really encouraged Joel.  In the beginning games, Joel would just stand there and didn't really go after the ball.  He wasn't very aggressive on the court at all.  And as my mom said, we know he can has it in him because he's very aggressive at home with his family.   Finally the next to the last game, Joel turned it on.  He said afterwards he wanted to get a yellow star so he did what he had to do to get that.  I didn't tell him that everyone at some point gets the yellow star but whatever works to motivate him.  The last game Joel was stealing the ball and making a few fast breaks down the court.  He really improved and most importantly really enjoyed playing. 

Colin played again but didn't play for Upward.  He played with the rec league and enjoyed it.  Brent coached him along with a friend Jim that Brent works with. And a guy on his team goes to Colin's school and is in Young Life with him.  Its a great group of boys.  They've played well.  I've only been able to watch two games. I told Brent when he signed both boys up for two different leagues that their games would always be the same time.  Of course not brent would tell me.  Well I'm always right according to the kids and all but one game has been same time, different locations.  I was able to watch another game only because it was a snow make up game during the week.  Colin enjoyed playing real defense. In Upwards you are assigned a color and have to stick with your player.  The rec league is played as a real game.  They can also call time outs and shoot foul shots.  

 

 

 Its been a great season.  Joel's finished this past weekend so we all get to go to Colin's game on Saturday.  Then we will see if Colin's team makes the tournament.

Singles Day

This post is a little different today.  I am linking up with Kelly's Korner for her Singles Day. So far 12 couples have met and gotten married from her blog.  So I asked Sarah if she would let me write a blog about her and she agreed.

 

And really I'd love to see Sarah married. Because she would make an amazing wife and mother.

So today is all about Sarah

I've been trying to think of ways to describe Sarah without sounding too cheesy.  She does like long walks on the beach! ha! But really how to describe someone as amazing as her. So I’m going to try:

First and foremost she loves Jesus.

And she loves her family. Especially her niece and nephews. She is their greatest cheerleader and also most trusted confidant.

She loves Virginia Tech. If you are a Miami fan we might have issues, but she will get behind your school and go all out. Until they play the Hokies then may the best team win (and we all know that’s our Hokies!)

She is the perfect balance of introvert/extrovert. She is always up for an adventure but she is also very content to stay in and relax.   She loves to travel but also loves being home.

 In Italy

 In Germany visiting her brother 

Japan

She is very loyal and would do anything to help a friend in need.

Sarah is passionate, hardworking, creative, doesn’t shy away from challenges, encouraging, loves living life and experiencing new things

Sarah really is the total package. If you want to get to know her better email Sarah at meetsarah2018@gmail.com

 

Weekend visit

This past weekend Mama-Ma and Grandpa came to visit.  It was fun having them come stay. We figured out it was the first time they've stayed with us for an entire weekend since we lived in West Virginia.  We hope next time they will stay longer!!!!

They came to watch the boys basketball games and it was especially helpful because Brent was out of town at a Dent conference in Florida. I had to get both boys at their games the same time different places. So mom and dad were here to help me with that.  Unfortunately Colin's basketball game was cancelled late Friday so they didn't get to watch him. But we were all able to watch Joels game.  

 Saturday we had beautiful weather so we took advantage of the warm sun and took them to what has  become our favorite park to walk the trails

 

 

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Mornings with Joel

Today the kids have a day off of school for a teacher work day.  I told them I would pay whoever slept the longest and Joel just had to sleep past 7am.  He woke up at his normal time and then went back to sleep until 7:45.  Colin slept the longest but they all earned a $1.  They don't get an allowance.  They have to do their chores for free but I'm thinking paying for sleep is a win for all of us!

The other morning Joel was in another sunny sour mood.  I used to say when he was little he would need a pot of coffee before he's fully awake.  He wakes up early but I think he needs that because he's not a jump out of bed ready to go type of person.

So our conversation the other morning:

Joel - I couldn't sleep last night - I was up until 1am

Me - Why did you have trouble sleeping?

Joel - Do you see me adventuring in a forest or a field? And is a forest out in the open?

Me (not knowing where this conversation is going) why?

Joel - I like enclosed spaces. I like a forest not a field. I need a small bed

Me - You have a small bed

(we recently moved the boys into the same room. Joel went from a full bed to a twin bed which we thought was going to be an issue but I guess we didn't go small enough. Joel also loves having Colin in there. Colin surprisingly loves it too - he gave up his super huge room over the garage for a playroom)

Joel- No. If I roll over it takes me 4 rolls to get to the end of the bed. I'd like a couch to sleep on.  A couch is enclosed. A couch would be a better bed.

I told him I would look into a couch for his room instead of a bed.  I then asked him what he wanted for breakfast. I told him his options were cereal, bagels, or oatmeal that morning

Joel - Cereal.  What kind of milk do we have

Me - Regular milk (thinking he was making sure because brent has to have almond, rice, or coconut milk)

Joel - are you sure you didn't put anything in there? because you don't even know me.

Me - what would I put in there?

Joel - A rotten nut (I have no idea why he thought that)

Well then I asked him why he thinks I don't know him.

Joel - You don't even know what I'm afraid of

Me - What are you afraid of Joel

Joel - See you've already forgotten

Me- Well Joel do you know what I'm afraid of?

Joel - NO! I've only been alive 8 years and you've known me since the day I was born....

Me - Joel that's the same amount of time

But I thought about it later and someone knowing you your whole life does seem longer than only knowing you 8 years.


All this was in a 40 minute time span.  Its exhausting sometimes but I will miss my morning conversations with Joel when he is older.

Joel

Joel is up early - just about every morning.  But sometimes when he does sleep in we wake him up at 6:30.  After Christmas he asked to be woken up at 6 because he likes having time to fully wake up before he heads to the bus stop. I understand that so the days we do have to wake him up we have been making sure its by 6

The other day I hit snooze one to many times and didn't wake Joel up until 6:15 - he didn't get out of bed until 6:20..... excuse me 6:22.

Immediately his life was over.  He was going to miss the bus.  Breakfast was yucky. Why didn't I wake him up earlier.  Never mind his clothes were already sitting out just needing to be put on or that breakfast was already made.  Yelling and crying on the couch how he was going to be late for the bus.  I assured him he wasn't going to be late.

We were 5 minutes early for the bus stop.

He refused to stand near me.

Or look at me.

We are the only ones at the bus stop in the mornings.

He kept telling me I could leave "you may please go now"

At least he was polite this time.

I stayed

And then when he got on the bus I started to wave and smile like a crazy person "BYEEEE have a GREAT day!!!" Until the bus was all the way down the street.

I can be just as stubborn as him

One night Colin and Norah were in one room play and Joel was in the office doing home work. I'm not sure what happened but Norah fell and started crying. Colin ran to her and made sure she was ok.  "oh Norah are you ok? can I help you?"  He was being so sweet.

All Joel heard was Norah crying and Colin coming to her rescue.  All of a sudden I hear Joel yell "COLIN STOP ENCOURAGING NORAH TO GET HURT!"

Maybe that explains the lack of sympathy Joel shows his sister sometimes

Surgery

I went to dentist December 22 for a routine cleaning and she was concerned with this spot on my tongue that I had never noticed before. She did the oral screening and then gave me a slip of paper and told me to immediately make an appointment with that oral surgeon for a tongue biopsy. That's not terrifying at all!

I told myself I wouldn't google it... and that lasted maybe a day or two.  Lets just say I should never have googled it at all.

I went January 2nd and he immediately scheduled me for surgery January 8. And I googled it some more.  Again not a good idea.

Well even with all my googling I was completely not prepared for the after effects.  I didn't realize that even soft foods I couldn't get down because my tongue was so swollen and bruised. I also didn't expect not to be able to talk at all. And then when I could talk a little I would sound so disabled.  I physically couldn't get certain sounds out. I spent several days unable to get out of bed. That was during the snow days.  I couldn't talk to the kids so Ant Ant called and facetimed them and yelled at them once when they weren't listening at all. I was very glad when they went back to school. My surgery was on a Monday - they went back to school on a Thursday. Then they were out the following week for another two days for snow.  Its been a long month!

Norah even forbade me to talk to anyone when I dropped her off at school.  "Mommy just smile ok. Don't show your tongue. Just smile and nod your head" hahahaha One day a teacher came up me and told me that she had laughed when she asked Norah if she liked all the snow. Norah had replied to her "it was fabulous!" Norah had a panicked look on her face when she thought I would have to actually talk to that teacher. But the teacher left quickly to take another student somewhere so I got away with just smiling that time. Norah has been both fascinated and disgusted with my tongue and constantly asks me to show her my tongue.

I started growing what Jeff called a tail on the side of my tongue.  The surgeon wasn't going to take the stitches out since they were dissolvable but because of how I was healing he took the stitches out Monday.  Taking the stitches out was very painful. When he was done he wrapped my bloody tongue in gauze, patted my head, called me a trooper and then said he would have to cut off that tail!  I teared up thinking he was going to do it right then but he said he wanted to wait three months to see how I heal.   I'm hoping it heals. But after he took the stitches out a lot of the pain I was feeling was gone.

This morning I woke up and felt so much better. And then I ate a sandwich for lunch. Its funny what you dream of eating after eating chicken broth and applesauce for weeks.  All I wanted was to be able to eat a sandwich. You don't realize how much work your tongue does in eating and swallowing until you don't have it.

The biopsy came back benign - all clear. They don't know why that spot appeared or if it will come back. We are praying its a one and done thing.   On the plus side I have lost over 5lbs already so this forced diet after all the Christmas cookies has been one good thing of all this.  I also haven't heard Brent laugh so hard as he filmed me coming out of the anesthesia.  He fully enjoyed every minute of that.