What a ride!

Well we were gone for the weekend up in Albany, NY for the NYSPHSAA (New York State Public High School Athletic Association) Final Four in Girls Basketball. The Sherman Wildcat girls have five senior starters and six seniors total on the team. They have been starting varsity for the last four years. Over the years because of being the youth leaders at the church, friends with the girls, and in general basketball fans we have developed real relationships with the girls. So this year when they made it to the state final four we just had to be there. Friday we left Sherman and headed the six hours to Albany. The first game was Saturday morning at 9 am. You would have thought it was a home game for Sherman. The crowd was incredible. The girls handily won the game with a 20 point cushion. The finals then were Sunday at noon. The coach Mr. Swanson has been coaching for years way back when my sister-in-laws played and this is the first time he had ever made it to the championship game. The girls lost a heart breaker in an incredible game by three points. The announcer at the college said he had been doing this for years and there were no losers in this game. It was one of the best games he has ever had the privilege of watching and announcing for. I tip my hat and am extremely proud of the Lady Sherman Wildcats. Here's to you Michelle, Rachel, Beth, Lindsay, Julie, and Jessica. I have no doubt that your future will hold amazing things. Thank you for the good times in watching you the last four years. And here is a quote from Michelle, "Even if we don't win tomorrow, we still made it to the finals and being second in the State isn't a bad place!" Love to you all!

Explanation

Fish net did have a meaning. Fish Net is the game they were playing in the gym at the time Derek fell. He was a net off trying to catch the fish. Because he is willing to push himself he was going after the fastest boy in the class and whamo fell on his chin. See the below blog "Fish Net" for the rest of the story.

Fish Net

Its never a good thing when you receive a call from the school nurse. This morning after getting out of the shower I received the call most dreaded. "Hi, is this Cindy? Derek fell in gym class and cut his chin I am thinking he's going to need stitches." Wow a million things go through you head at once. Where are Sarah and Nathan going to go. I am taking him to the ER this time, I didn't take Sarah there for her lip and I should have. (See earlier posts about a "week in stitches" ) Call to Tim can you meet me at the Hospital our son is going to need stitches. Derek is in the school nurses station and I have no idea where that is. I have a Dr.'s appointment at 3:15 I need to be there for it and who knows how long this is going to take. So this is the random train of thoughts that run a much in my head 5 seconds after hearing the nurse say that to me. Derek is not one for pain, he really hates it. I am thinking about that too. The anticipation part for me is terrible, I can handle holding his hand when he is strapped to the papoose board but thinking about how he is going to react, absolutely flip out, is what gets me anxious. I get to the school and talk to the secretary and she directs me to the right hall way. When I get up there I hear a really raucous classroom and it just so happens Michelle is in there and she takes me to the nurses station. I am sure God put here there at that time because I had no idea how to get to my son and he needed me. Well I take a look at the underside of his chin and yep he's gonna need stitches. So off to the hospital we go and sit in the waiting room for a while and the anxiety is building up in me I know how much he hates pain and pain is coming his way. He is talking and laughing and crashing crayons off of each other in a war kind of way, only boys can make wars out of crayons! I love that about them. Then we finally go back to the room they confirm that he is going to get stitches and then the freak out that I have been building up for erupts. My poor son can not handle pain really. Heidi would identify! So here is what happens I am holding his legs and Tim is talking to Derek and then Tim almost passes out. Like I said I get sick and anxious anticipating, Tim is the opposite we are a good team. He has to go sit down another nurse brings him smelling salts and I am wrestling with Derek trying to keep my hysterical son on the table so that he can get his stitches. They finally get the papoose board and I am like whew! He gets his three stitches, the Novocaine shot is the worst part of all you know. Then its off to McDonalds to get him a milkshake, he also bit the inside of his cheek when he fell. So needless to say the poor tyke is tuckered. The sad part of the story is not over though. This weekend we are going away to a hotel for the championship girls basketball tournament and there is a swimming pool at our hotel and Derek has been talking about swimming for days. Now he can't he can't get it wet. Tim was like he can go up to his chest right, I am like oh no we are not going swimming. I don't need his chin to get infected. Anyway that is what I did today how about you? Did you have a good day?!

He's getting so big

Oh my look how old my son looks with his hair cut. I can hardly stand it. My baby is 18 months old and what a difference a hair cut made. Nathan is a true joy to have around and I am so blessed to have him in my life. He has decided lately that climbing is going to be his new thing. So he climbed up on the top of the toy kitchen and got stuck so mommy had to come rescue him. He has to climb up on top of the card table if he wants to put Derek's Star Wars toys in his mouth! Oh yeah and one of the most fun places to crawl is the computer table there are a lot of buttons to push up there and if you get the right ones things beep and flash and stuff! So needless to say we are getting busy. Today my couch coushions were thrown on the floor so we could get easier access to the couch and then we played gymnastics on teh coushions too! Is there ever a dull moment when your a parent? I don't think so! I mean you can be a parent of one or a parent of three and stuff still goes on that you never even knew could happen. You never knew that one child would move the exercise ball out of the way while the other child was mid air going to jump on it and instead they smash their face off the couch and need two stitches and have a permanent scar. You never knew that standing on top of the riding circus engine would be more fun than sitting on it well maybe you knew that one but you didn't know how it would make you feel to look over and see your 6 year old pushing your 18 month old around on it while they were standing up. Ahhh, wait!! Oh the joys of parenting! In truth though you only imagined what it would feel like to hold you baby. But in reality it is so much better. You didn't know you would get misty eyes when you six year old lost his first tooth and then his second a few weeks later. Where does the time go!

What a weekend!

The above picture is actually the finale to a really great weekend. But shall I start at the beginning?

Friday started off with a bang- by 8:30 a.m. I had to be at a Dr.s appointment to give blood and have other tests done. So that means a 6:00 a.m. wake up to get a shower and get ready in time to have Derek up and ready for Michelle to pick him up for school by 7:40 and get Sarah and Nathan up and fed and ready for school, well only Sarah ready for school really. Then its off to Grandma's for Nathan and Sarah and I am off to start my day.

The Dr.'s appointments all go really well but I am running a half hour late, do you know where I need to be? One of the best places on earth with my GCC, Grove City College for those of you who don't know, girlfriends. There are nine of us who have been trying for the last 10 years since we have graduated to get together every year and spend a weekend seeing each other. We catch up on talking and listening and sometimes just sitting together in the same room. Its another year and we are mostly all here, except for Emily who loves in California and really can't make it for a weekend, we understand and love and miss you Em! We basically come from the East coast, teh farthest away being Pittsburgh, PA (Yeah Steelers!) or Akron, Ohio (I guess as far as geography goes I forget which is more west!). That was until Karen got moved to El Paso, Texas. She made it though for our little weekend get away and we were able to surprise her with a little "Sweet Dreams" baby shower. (Congrats to Jim and Karen for baby Grubelet is on the way!) What a fantastic weekend, really it was I wish I had a picture to post so you could see my beatiful friends and sisters in christ. But alas I forgot my campera. They I am sure will post pictures soon! What a blessed time to spend talking and catching up on lives to learn about how they have all changed after marriage and children and moves across the United States. Thanks ladies for a wonderful time of bonding and sharing. Lets keep standing strong and making this a once a year deal!

Then I had to take off for my 2 1/2 hour trip home to the Section 6 Conference Championship Girls High School Basketball game. Let me tell you about a friend I made on that trip his name is Garmin. Garmin and I got really close on the way to Jamestown. I decided that whatever way Garmin told me to go I would go. Wow it worked! Garmin took me through the Allegany National Forest and because it was so warm over the weekend the snow down in teh woods was steaming and there were patches of road where the fog was so thick I had to slow down to a crawl. After over an hour of driving up and down valleys and hills with no other car in sight I told Garmin 1 of 4 things is going to happen here. 1- I will hit a deer, 2- I will hit a bear 3- I will make it through this 4- I will fall off into a ravine and no one will find me because no one knows I am here! But good old trusty Garmin keep me going on and I made it to the game.

The game was absolutely awesome! The girls came out all on fire and they stayed that way through the entire game. Needless to say they won 57-38 and I could not be more proud of them! We are off to the game this weekend, one step closer to States. I have armed myself with face paint for Derek and Sarah and Abby Cole, new shirts to cover with Sherman graffiti for Derek, Sarah, and Nathan, and glass paint for my vehicle, "HONK if you love the Sherman Lady Wildcats!" I know I know a bit over the top but hey why not.

SO thus concludes my weekend, a bit of this and that and a positive outlook for the future! Stay tuned more to come I promise!

Apology

I know I know there are so may reasons that I haven't been typing on the blog world lately and none of them are good enough, just excuses really. SO... the first new blog of 2009 will be an apology! I am sorry that you have kept checking this page and it has been the same community garage sale post. It will be changing from now on I promise. I find that yes it is homework but hey I need something to keep my mind stimulated right. I am always saying that I need more adult conversation. (Conversing with a 6, 4, and an 18 month old although eye opening at time is not really mind stimulating!) So here it goes and opening for adult conversation and hopefully an outlet for your feed back!