College Lacrosse Scrimmages

This weekend my son's high school hosted a 3 team college lacrosse scrimmage.

Warrior has been looking forward to this for weeks.  Not just the chance to watch 3 college teams play lacrosse, FOR FREE.  But during the 2nd game, the team not playing held a clinic for the Varsity and JV teams.

Warrior got to work with 7 goalies and the goalie coach.  He got to ask questions, have them critique his performance, and ask their tips to better certain things.

Glass Beads + Nail Polish

I love crafts.

So of course I volunteered to come up with some craft ideas for a craft bazaar at church.

I needed to come up with something that would be easy for the kids to do.

After scouring Pinterest for ideas.  I found the well known glass bead magnets.

I decided to change it up a little and use some old nail polish I found in a box.

Then I decided to try adding some glitter ones to the mix

Then the kids decided they wanted to make some Donate Life to send to some fellow Donate Life volunteers.  These we plan on making into magnets, push pins, and paperclips.  

What is your favorite Pinterest find craft?

Death and a Picture

This picture was taken in September 2011.  Just 6 months before Tin Man's transplant, and just 7 months before he died.

We were at the Donate Life 5K.  Its one of my favorite pictures of them. Even though he was having a hard time that day, he was still so excited to be there.  (and way to stubborn to let us push him in a wheelchair)  It took us a loooong time to finish the 5K because we had to take breaks so he could rest, but he was so excited that he finished it.

This picture was taken
the day her received
the call for his new heart.

This is what I want my kids to remember.  I want them to remember the good times.  Those nerdy moments Tin Man had.  The humor.  The stubbornness.  The man he was.

1st Week of School Done

We are done with our first week of school.  Other than traffic issues with Sugar Pea's school, everything went by smoothly.

Warrior is a senior this year!!!!  OMG I can't believe he's almost done with high school.  It makes me sad because there's so much going on this year.  So much going on that his dad isn't here for.  

Sugar Pea is in 8th grade. I can't believe my little girl is almost in high school.  Not to mention she's about 6 inches taller than her mom too.  

Missing My Kiddos

My kids have been in Florida with Tin Man's mom and brother for the last week.

I miss them so much, and this is really the first time I have been away from them for more than a night or 2 since Tin Man died.  I may not be handling it as well as I thought I would.

I can't wait until Thursday night when I get to pick them up from the airport.

Just before they went through security.  This was 5:30 in the morning.

Wordless Wednesday - Johns Hopkins

I have to brag.  Warrior has been invited to tour Johns Hopkins and Notre Dame. 

He's torn between both of them.  For pre med/med school and lacrosse.

Myrtle Beach and Tropical Storm Ana

We spent the weekend in Myrtle Beach for my cousin's wedding.  Well Sugar Pea and I did.  Warrior had so much homework over the weekend, he asked if he could stay home with my mom.
 

I can now officially say I have been through a hurricane.  Well technically a tropical storm.

Even though we couldn't get in the water, we still had a lot of fun.  Walking along the beach.  The beaches here are so different than west coast beaches.

We even got to see a jellyfish

Seen family I haven't seen in 8 years or so.

We have decided that we are going to make this a yearly trip in May. 

Varsity Lacrosse

Warrior tried out and made the varsity lacrosse team.  Not only did he make the team but he was the starting goalie.

The coaches were amazed with his talent and told me, many times, how thankful they were we decided to move here.

Before the season officially started they had 3 scrimmages.  They won all 3, by more than 6 goals each game.  Warrior couldn't wait for the official season to start.


On February 23rd, his junior year of playing lacrosse came to an abrupt halt.

I picked him up from practice and he had his left hand bandaged up along with a note from the trainer suggesting I get his hand xrayed because the knuckle on his little finger wasn't where it was supposed to be.

Warrior was pretty sure his pinky finger was broken.

It wasn't.  He broke off his knuckle.

At the ER they were talking about possibly having to do surgery, but they talked to an ortho doctor and he explained how to splint it until we could get in to see a dr the next day.

Let me tell you, in Redneckville there aren't many ortho doctors close.  Not to mention this was also during the week that it snowed and the entire state freaked out and closed down.

Thankfully the doctor was able to get us in.

He was concerned about the possibility of surgery, but decided to try and numb the hand and then push the bone back into place.  Then splint it, while pinching the fiberglass around the broken piece. 

Then xrays in a week.  Then more xrays 2 weeks later.  They decided then that he didn't need surgery, but he was going to stay in the splint instead of getting a cast.  The splint they were able to pinch the fiberglass to hold the bone in place and that wasn't going to work with a cast.

6 weeks.  Then 2 weeks of physical therapy to get motion back in his wrist and the 2 fingers.

This took us to a week after the season was over and into playoffs.  Since he didn't get to play during the normal season, he wasn't able to play in the playoffs.

This bummed him out, but he was thrilled that his team made it to the 2nd round of playoffs.

His team was also chosen for the South Carolina Chapter of US Lacrosse Ret Thomas Sportsmanship Award.  This is awarded to 2 teams in the state.  One boy's team and one girl's team.  The refs and officials choose who they think had the best sportsmanship throughout the entire season.

So proud of these boys!

May Already?!

I can't believe its already May!

We have been in South Carolina for 9 months now.  And have been super busy from the moment our feet hit the southern ground.

Its amazing to me the difference in how people interact here.  In California, most people don't talk to you unless they absolutely have to.  Here they stopped us in the stores to find out where we moved from because they hadn't seen us around before.

Also paying almost a 3rd of what I paid for rent in California has made life much more pleasant.  I'm not nearly as stressed as I was there. 

Plus the move has proven that it was the best decision.  Even the kids have thanked me for moving out here even though they fought me at the time.

Warrior is a junior this year and has been busy with studying for SATs, lacrosse, and a club at school that raises money all year for St Jude's.  Then the weekend before spring break the teacher rides from here to Memphis on a moped to take a check to the hospital.  The students are allowed to ride in a van following him.  So much fun and such a great cause.

He's also driving.  Let me tell you the thought of him driving isn't nearly as terrifying as actually being in the car with him behind the wheel.  Don't get me wrong, he's a great driver, but its all these redneck drivers that scare me.  No one around here believes in turn signals.

Sugar Pea is in 7th grade this year and has blossomed into an amazing girl.  We haven't had a bully problem since we left California.  No worries about someone commenting about her not having a dad.  No worries about them throwing things in her hair.  She's focused on her friends and school.  She's also in the middle school club for raising money to St Jude.  She was in the archery club at school, and active in the grief club at school.  Her counselor told me she's amazing helping other kids know that what they are feeling is normal and that they aren't alone.  She's the only one in the club that has lost a parent, but she realizes that no matter who you've lost, grief can be hard to deal with.  I'm so proud of my girl.

I had her IEP meeting 2 weeks ago and can't believe how much progress she has made.  She is officially done with speech therapy!  This is a huge step.  And her teacher says that not having people constantly making fun of her has brought out her confidence, so she isn't afraid to speak up.  TO think, had the school dealt with the bully issue several years ago, she could have been done with speech long before now.

She's also made huge progress with her processing disorders.  She still gets a little extra time, especially on tests, but we feel she doesn't need the resource time she had before.  This means next year she'll be able to take more electives! 

She's also decided that she wants to be a nurse when she grows up.  Not just any nurse, but a nurse in a cardiologist office.  And a nurse that designs cool looking scrubs as a hobby.  She's done 2 days of job shadowing nurses.  One in a peds office and one in a cardiologist office.  Warrior job shadowed the cardiologist too.


Its hard to believe they only have a month left of school.  I'm looking forward to it, but it also makes me sad because then I will have a senior and an 8th grader.  I'm not ready for that.

Honoring Tin Man

Friday night we went to the Nationwide series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

I am by no means a NASCAR fan, and find watching cars drive in circles for 200+ laps pretty boring.


Why did we go?

Because Tin Man's picture was on the Donate Life race car.  We wanted to see the picture up close and personal, and meet the driver in person. 

We met some other amazing people that are part of the transplant community.  We all shared some laughs and lots and lots of tears.

Life Finally Settling Down

Wow its been a crazy ride the last 2 months.

Movers came on July 31st and got all of our things.

We spent that weekend in Los Angeles visiting friends and family before we took off.

On Monday, August 4th we were on our way.  It took 6 days, but we drove from California to North Carolina.

We stopped by the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert in Arizona.

We stood on the 4 Corners

We dug for diamonds in Arkansas.

 

 

 

We fished the Mississippi River and seen a lot of abandoned building. 

We drove down Broadway in Nashville.

We stopped at a historic battlefield

We even met a few police officers along the way.  (Let me say I hate not having a car with cruise control!)

Ewok and Magic did a lot better than I imagined on the road trip.

 

 

My poor Ewok

The last couple of months haven't been easy on poor Ewok.  He came down with Parvo and was sick for a week.  Even worse was I had to give him IVs several times a day plus the meds and antibiotic shots.  He didn't like me to much for a while there.

Then we had to start the parvo vaccines all over again, which means a trip to the vet each month for the shots. 

Then the last 2 weeks we've been into the vet 4 times because he got 2 foxtails in his ear.  Which caused an infection, and when the doctor took them out she ended up cutting the inside of his ear which also got infected.

Thankfully he's doing so much better now.  Unfortunately my bank account isn't.

This little sweetie cracks me up.  With all the times we've been to the vet you'd think he'd not want to get out of the car.  Nope.  He jumps out of the car and then runs over to the little doggie area.  It's not until we actually get in the building that he realizes where we are and then suctions himself as flat as he can get and refuses to move.   

He's even perfected his pout.

9 Month Difference

Its amazing how much change a child can go through in just 9 months.

1st day and last day of 6th grade

1st day and last day of 10th grade

Well Hello There

Well Hello There!  Its been a little while.  I started school a couple weeks ago and have been trying to get used to a new routine, not to mention homework.  All the homework.

Add to that the kids' activities and when I'm not in school, I'm in my car driving from one activity to another. 

If you haven't heard yet, California is in a horrible drought.  Like "seriously run out of water in the next 2 months" horrible.  Not all of California is about to run out of water, but 17 communities, including the area I live, are.  We've gotten a little rain the last few days but nothing like what we need.  We need lots and lots of rain. 

Ewok wasn't sure what to think about the rain.  Unfortunately he liked it and I had to chase him in it to get him back in the house.

I had a conference with Sugar Pea's teacher last week.  You have no idea how happy of a mom I am.  In math she is above grade level. In reading and science she is at grade level.  THIS is huge!  Since she wasn't diagnosed with the Visual Processing Disorder until the end of 4th grade, and at that point was about 3 years behind, having caught up in less than 2 years is amazing.  We still need to concentrate on writing, but he said even that has shown a huge improvement.  So proud of her!

Warrior has had an ingrown toenail for about a year.  The old doctor didn't want to remove it.  She did the antibiotics, epsom's salt, and hoping it would grow out.  Insurance issues forced me to find a new doctor for the kids.  This doctor took one look at it and said the nail had to come off.  That was 3 weeks ago and other than not having a nail, his toe looks normal, and is back to normal size.

soaking his foot and texting, of course.

 He took a break to watch her numb his toe.  I love the look on his face.

 back to texting while we wait to make sure its fully numb.

 off the phone to watch her remove his nail.  He looks a little to excited to be having this done.

He claims he needed a haircut because of lacrosse season, but I'm thinking the new girlfriend had a little play in it too.