THE meet yesterday....

First off, let me start my telling you that the TGA girls had this meet yesterday and the TCA girls(we do both) were in Arlington, TX for the Dallas Cowboys Nationals.  We were suppose to go...suppose to being the key words.  We have several girls that do both, and bc of the time conflicts Level 1 TCA girls decided not to go bc of this.  THE meet yesterday... I walk into the gym to immediately hear a mom who designs ugly T-shirts and a coach talking about Zuri and how she is afraid of her.  Wrong.  Afraid? No.. You aren't her favorite person..yes.  I'm aggrated already.  We get a pep talk about judging the night prior and how it was rough.  Ok.  Bring it on.  Before the meet even starts, they introduce all the teams, sing the national anthem, etc etc.  Then we get a massive pep talk from an old lady from the host gym about how we are here to support our children, we are here to have fun, this is not a tennis match or a gold tournament and we need to cheer ALL the children on.  Lets practice this..First off are we 4 and need to repeat the directions given so its clear we undertsand them??  Secondly, when you get the pep talk about we are here to have fun, this is a recreational meet, bla bla bla really means we are fully aware that we are going to **** you over when it comes to judging , so please don't bitch at us.  Thirdly, who goes to a competition to have fun?  Nobody.  We go to win woman!  We start off on vault.  There were an odd number of teams there.  There were two teams on vault.  The team before us goes first and we watch the girls and the colors they receive and think just maybe these judges got the hint from parents bitching the night before and then our team goes and it starts.  Completely inconsisitent judging.  A few kids wipe out on vault, even do a few somesaults on top of it and get 1st place ribbons.  Not our team....  This stays the same the entire meet.  There were parents bitching all over the place.  Attitude everywhere.  We missed the Dallas Cowboys National Competition for THIS?  FAIL. 

Compete and repeat

Competition season started today.  Goodness.  I need a bigger car.  Not only do have lots of crap to haul, but gymnasts galore.  Today, I had Donnie with me to help with the chaos.  Well, thank goodness for my gymnastics parents BC the man has no idea how gymnast hair needs to be. I get a little  alot bossy when I need things done a certain way and right now.  I was certain we may not be on speaking terms by the end of the day, but he took my direction well and ignored me for the most part.  Onto competition.  Friday at practice, Paige looked like a complete douffass.  Her vault looked like day 1 of the season.  I wanted to rip my hair out.  I prayed that she not look like this today BC I didn't want to be the embarrassed parent with the sucky child.  The girls first event was vault.  Not our expertise I should say.  Really, they suck at vault.  I'm not afraid to admit this BC I did too.  I hated vault.  My girls are short.  In our gym, we have been using mats based on the girls height and having to take the springs out of the spring board in order to get any type of bounce from it.  The girls head to vault and I think oh no. Theres no height accommodation.  We are screwed ALREADY.  The mat is taller than Zuri.  The girls do a warm up vault, then the real deal comes.  Its time to impress or embarrass.  Zuri goes and does better than I thought she would.  I thought she would be the one to head butt the mat.  Thankfully it was someone elses kid that did that... she does nehhhhhh.  Paige takes her practice vault and does beautifully.  I was impressed.  Kinda.  She does her vault and its not done as well.  The both get a yellow ribbon.  I'm already pissed. 

We go to bars next.  This is going to be rough as well bc there's one skill the girls don't have without a spot.  Automatic deduction here we come.  Zuri flops on bars and does the strangest dismount I have ever seen. She gets 4th.  Paige goes up and I think this could go better.  She had straight legs, she can do her skills, shes usually tights on bars.  All was good until she went slightly crooked on her dismount.  She gets 3rd.  I'm pissed again BC I think she could have gotten 2nd.

Up next is beam.  The girls have a handstand on beam in their routine.  The coaches have never not spotted.  At times, I just want to tell them to step away from the beam.  Its time for the safety net to leave.  I know spotting is an automatic deduction.  Here we go again....Zuri is my favorite on beam.  She gets a spot on the handstand, goes to do her split jump and falls off BC she got distracted from the mat moveage going on underneath her.  FUCK!!!   Paige goes and wasn't graceful as usual, but sticks everything and with no spot.  Its been too long of a day now to remember what they got.

Floor is last.  In the floor routine, there a a bridge kick over.  There is one other level 3 girl the same size as Zuri on the team.  Both these girls hadn't gotten the skill yet.  I have been working with Zuri every way possible at home to get this.  Monday at Dynamites she gets it.  Shes ecstatic and so am I bc she needed it today.  I think we could have a chance at this bc we don't need a spot for anything.  Zuri goes and does a BE-AUTIFUL routine, buuuuuttttt she was much to quick.  There are little dings in their music that are cues for them to do a finish.  That completely went out the window today.  She got 2nd place and was devastated bc she didn't get a blue ribbon which is like getting first place.  I told her she would have had she had her timing right.  She has to listen for her music cues.  Shes tells me she wasn't listening to her music.  Like I couldn't tell.  Paige goes and oh my goodness.  Child what are you thinking!  The very first step is a handstand forward roll.  She goes into her handstand and down she comes only to repeat it.  WHAT?  What are you doing?!  Ohhh fuuuuuucck. Paige gets 2nd somehow and so does Zuri.  Again, I'm pissed.  Zuri is this little tiny girl doing Level 3 and she does an awesome floor routine and they give her 2nd?!  What the F.

Today has been a whole cluster fuck of different feelings.  I put a lot of time into my girls at the gym, so I expect a lot from them.  I was also a gymnast, so I expect even more from them.  4th place sucks.  I'll allow this on vault, but nothing else.  I'm angry bc judging seemed inconsistent and they should have gotten a little better, and there were no height accommodations whatsoever, but then I also have to be excited for them to help them be OK with a 4th place ribbon. Santa is bringing them a balance beam for Christmas...THANK GOD.  We need it.  This allows to me to critique the skills at home that I don't like.  I also have to remember they are 5 and 7.  I have watched Zuri's floor video over and over with her tonight and it makes me proud.  She looked amazing. I need the amazing look on every event!  The girls had a great time today despite getting a couple 4th places. I might be more excited about this when I feel more confident about their skills. 

Next weekend we get to repeat the drive, and chaos for a cheer competition.  This involves fancy bang bumps, curled ponies, and makeup.  This should be loads of fun.

We went shopping. These kids are growing up.

Its hella cold today.  It was in the 40's with rain.  Paige had a football game to cheer at today.  It was awesome..I mean fucking horrible.  It was COLD.  Donnie worked a 24 hour shift somewhere, I suppose I should know where, but I don't.  I know. I'm an awesome wife.  We can chat about that later.  I get out the winter coats, hats, gloves to bundle everybody up for the game being that I do NOT like to be cold.  My office is like an ice box.  When I'm home I prefer to be so warm that I can walk around the house in shorts and a tank and be comfy.  Last year, right before Spring of course, Coby lost his jacket.  I bought him a super cute one from GAP and got an awesome deal on it being that spring apparel was already out.  Liana got a new coat last year as well.  Paige and Zuri got new coats the year before that had still fit.  I've had the house on a rotating jacket schedule the last few years.  Now hearing this you might think I'm crazy, but I'm not and it works for the most part.  It has worked out that every year we only have to buy two kids new coats instead of all 4.  Paige's coat is now two years old.  I thought it might work, might not.  Sure enough it is too short in the sleeves.  Zuri put it on and was excited to claim it now that it doesn't fit Paige.  Works for me.  Paige went to a birthday party, then a sleepover with a friend with a church date in the morning.  We had been browsing online at The Children's Place and she picked out a hat she liked, then we start browsing coats.  We do it backwards around here.  Since I was down one kid, we head to the mall instead of ordering online.  We get to the mall and hit the hats, scarves, and gloves first thing.  Liana picks out a hat, actually a few.  I grab the one Paige picked out, then I work on Zuri.  Zuri heads to the jewelery section first.  I inform her she's getting no earrings if she doesn't pick out a hat.  We find one she likes.  This is going well.  The child likes nothing.  Then we start browsing clothing.  One of the hats Liana picked out was a super cute girl monkey hat that even has a hair bow on it.  This store knows my style.  Liana then spots a monkey shirt that matches the hat and politely asks if she can have it.  How am i suppose to say NO to that?!  Of course not.  I say YES!  She grabs the shirt.  We browse for Coby next.  Now in all years prior I can shop for Coby and buy him clothing and he doesn't care what i bought.  Not this year.  He's got an opinion this year.  Good for him.  His jeans I made him put on today were starting to get into the flood stage, which again I DO NOT LIKE.  I find him some jeans and asks if there were any shirts he liked, so he picks out a belt.  Again, I guess we all like to works backwards.  I then start browsing for Zuri next who likes just about nothing.  I do not like clothing with peace signs on it, but being that is some of the only things that she likes, I go with it.  I spot a peace sign fleece hoodie with matching fleece pants.  Its a negative.  I spot some super cute pink skinny jegging looking things.  She says No, Liana says Ohhhh those are cute!  We head back to her section and grab a pair for her.  The girls pick out earrings and we exit the mall.  As we get into the truck I take a few pictures to text to daddy so he can see what they picked out.  I glance at Liana and realize the kid is growing up!  She had on a black leo underneath a tight hot pink hello Kitty shirt, a white tutu skirt, and silver Bobs, and this super sequenced panda hat she picked out.  Shes growing up.  Shes not a baby anymore and she's got her own style and opinion!  Its cute to see her pick out her own things and shes totally my little fashionista.  Zuri could care less about what she has on.  Paige likes clothing, but not to Liana's extent.  I know the baby of the house is growing up, but as I looked at her tonight it just became so apparent.  I'm OK with her growing up, but I hope she never looses her style. 

SO proud of them!

Wow.  The kids have come a long way!  They are all making me so proud.  All of them.  We have been spending tons of time at activities.  Trust me, tons!  The girls are spending almost 11 hours a week doing gymnastics and cheer and Coby is about to be bumped up to 3 hours per week in Tae Kwon Do.  I used to really look forward to my time in the gym with them, but now that I'm working I do dread the amount of hours I have committed them too.  As I watch them, I realize that my sacrifice is paying off.  Tonight at gymnastics, Zuri was a TWO FINGER back handspring spot!  This is huge.  I expect her to be on her own on the tramp within a few weeks.  That's two years younger than Paige!  I can't imagine having my back handspring when I was 5.  Paige has had major issues lately keeping her legs closed.  Get your perverted minds out of the gutter..that's not what I mean.  During her back handsprings, her legs are separated.  Obviously not how they are suppose to be.  Mr. Mitchell, the main owner of the gym, has been rubber banding her legs together at the ankles and the knees to correct this.  I know, I know. A gymnasts' daughter is not suppose to have this problem..... we all progress in different ways!! Its clicking and her form is developing.  Her legs were much better tonight w/out being rubber banded.  I think Mr. Mitchell finally realized this method of correcting her was making her form worse.  It just had to click.  I knew this.  Tonight after doing sooooo much better on one back handspring, she did a double.  She's been working on this at home, but we have a circle tramp and not a rectangle tramp.  This makes it so much more difficult.  Liana hasn't joined the power tumbling pre-team yet, but shes close.  Shes so graceful and pretty.  She naturally pretty and Zuri is as well.  We need to instill this in Paige.  Not every gymnasts just comes pretty.  Liana is a beam lover!  She takes after her momma.  My monkey toed girl just knows what to do. 

Coby tests next week for his camo belt!  Yes, already!  I'm not so sure I'm ready for this.  Along with the camo belt comes weapons and sparring.  Yeeeaaaahh, not ready. He is, not me.  Some of those kids can kick some bootay in sparring.  I'm not ready for that!!  He is majorly stoked about weapons.  This does not surprise me.  I think he will excel at weapons, but not so sure about sparring.  I need to put this fear aside and let him do what he enjoys.  I might enjoy being a soccer mom again with him in the fall....

I really hope that as the years come and go and these kids get older, they will appreciate the time I have put in to them.  These girls are living my dream for them and Coby is gaining interest in activities that involve large groups of kids.  TKD has really helped with the social aspect for him.  It makes up for where school lacks.  All these kids have come a long way and they make me so proud!

Stuck up PTA Mom....No thanks

Holy Moly!  Its been a long time since I have blogged last. A lot has happened as well since then.  We survived 3.5 months of my husband being away, the snakes have left the premises, I haven't gotten locked out of the house, the kids have been up to their usual activities.  The house is normalizing again.  Most importantly I went back to work. YES, I did.  No seriously,   I have been a stay at home mom for 8.5 years.  Its been that long since Coby was diagnosed as being autistic and I made him my job.  Although that time was very well worth it, Liana is going to Pre-K in two weeks and ALL of them will be in school.  Its a new chapter for us.  Several people have criticised my decision to go back to work, but why wouldn't I?!  I know my husband makes enough money that I don't HAVE to work, but I WANT to.  What else am I going to do?  Be one of those stuck up PTA moms?  HELL No.  I mean no thank you.  We all know what I am referring to.  In the past I have volunteered to help with several PTA events.  One major event a few years ago was fantastic.  Another last year...not so much.  I put a lot of time into it to get thrown under the bus and not appreciated by the chair.  Never again.  Do I want to be the housewife that hangs around the house like the Cleavers cooking, cleaning, dusting, going to the gym...  nope. Don't want to be that either.  My plan last year was to put Liana in preschool and work part time on those days and I did and she dropped out.  She just wasn't ready.  I put my working mom, financially contributing to the household needs aside and stayed home with her the rest of the year.  I think she's ready and I was ready a year ago to do this.  I was determined this year that my plan was going to happen.  Several weeks ago I applied for a job with the hospital my husband works for, got a call immediately for an interview.  They had two positions open.  Both were front office.  One was a brand new interventional cardiologist office that was just opening and another was for a group of 3 ENT physicians that had an open position. I went to the interview with all intentions of just checking out the job and came out wanting it.  Within an hour of leaving I get called back for another interview and to meet the physicians and we began negotiating.  I really wanted to put all of my motherly instincts aside and take this job, however it was full time and I always commit myself to being a mom first.  I was devastated and turned down the job.  I was thinking I wouldn't find anything else.  I applied for another job at a local bank, got called immediately for an interview and was offered the position and I accepted.  In this same time period of taking this job, I got called for an interview for another position with a friend of mine in another front office job, go to the interview, get offered the job and again I accept.  At this point I'm wondering how the unemployment rate is so high BC now I have two jobs?!
Anyways, I started at my job this week and it feels fantastic.  Donnie's parents immediately found out I was going to hire a nanny and volunteered to come out.  They love the kids. I'd rather pay her than someone I only know a little bit or not at all.  I will have to learn a new balance with working, cleaning, cooking, and keeping the house organized and running smoothly.  I can do it.  I know some mothers that can't, but I can.  I'm no wimpy mom.  The girls gymnastics tuition is honestly pretty high in my opinion.  It feels so good to know that I am now responsible for that and to lift a little bit of weight off Donnie's shoulders.  He does so much for us, why wouldn't I help him?  We are most likely moving in a year and I'm pretty ready.  The thought of putting our home on the market will be approaching us very soon and home shopping is also going to be a reality sooner than we know it.  Knowing that any income I make past the kids activities fees can be set aside for a down payment is pretty nice.  I'm also a pretty cheap person.  I can't be out foolishly spending money on random and non essential things when I don't make the money.
ALL of these changes are going to be a huge transition to us.  I'll still volunteer to do things non-PTA related for the school.  Last year I was the grade chair for Pre-K and it was great.  I met lots of incredible moms who helped me tremendously and it was a fantastic year.  I will still attend music programs, still take the kids to school and pick them up, but I will feel like an adult and a better wife as well.  Goodbye Stay at Home mom, hello working mom feels awesome.

Proud gymnastics mom moment

I know, I know.  REALLY?  A blog about the back handsprings..YES. Definitely.  Paige started back handspring clinics back in February.  In May of this year she was invited to join the elite Dynamite team. This is the power tumbling pre-team.  I, I mean we, were stoked.  I have been bitching, and bitching, and bitching a little more to everyone that Paige does not have the back handspring yet.  I sit there during Dynamites and watch the group of girls above Paige not only do their back handsprings, but also connect their round off back handspring combination.  I have had round off back handspring envy.  Badly. Earlier this week I had a chat with Mrs. P and Mr. Mitchell about her skills.  Mrs. P said she would be moving Paige up groups very soon and she would start connecting.  Tonight Mr. Mitchell spotted her with one finger.  Once we left the gym, she told me he said she's ready to do it on her own.  We come home and she immediately goes to the back yard.  She gets on the trampoline, I spot her twice.  I do it once with a finger then I pretend to spot her and she gets it.  Her confidence sky rockets at that point and there she goes!  I yell at dad frantically to come see her.  You would have thought she was hurt!  We stand there with the iPhone in hand recording away.  What happens after that...she does a round off back handspring and connects it!  She connected it!  It wasn't perfect to say the least, but she did it!  She can NOT wait to go to SSB tomorrow and show her coaches what she did.  Its pretty safe to say that I am more excited than her. 

I was a gymnast growing up.  I did tap, jazz, and ballet for a few years and then gave it up.  I know how hard it is to get this skill.  All three of my girls love gymnastics.  Every item in the house that they can use as gymnastics equipment they do.  This includes the couches, stairs, fireplace, trampoline, beds.  All I wanted when we had all these girls was for one of them to love my passion for gymnastics.  Just one was it.  I wasn't even being picky as to who it was.  Zuri, from the moment she was born, was labeled as my Cirque Du Soleil baby.  She was an emergency c-section BC her leg and arm were pinned up by her head and that was the way she decided to attempt to make her entrance into the world.  It wasn't going to work that way!  I knew she would be my gymnast.  Turns out I think she likes cheer better, but Liana is another story.  Liana is limber and aims to be a beautiful gymnast.  She is always doing poses at home and asking me if its pretty or ugly.  Her nickname in class is monkey toes BC she grabs the beam with her toes like a natural gymnast.  Paige is not limber AT ALL.  She is working on it.  She is so close to having her splits, but her back flexibility is still bad. I think my family might have come to one or two of my competitions growing up.  I am so eager for the day when I get to sit there and watch my girls be amazing gymnasts and be so proud of them.  I had some of that moment tonight standing in the yard watching Paige get her back handspring on her own then with her round off.  Donnie asked me tonight if it made all the gymnastics worth it and it sure does.  We spend a lot of time at the gym.  Currently Paige is doing 4 days of gymnastics, Zuri does 3, and Liana does one, but I'm watching Liana catch up to Zuri quickly at almost a year younger.  As soon as Zuri and Liana saw Paige do her back handspring, they want theirs as well. I started spotting Liana tonight and worked with Zuri again.  I'm going to have my proud gymnast mom moments soon.  In just a few months they will start competitions.  In a few years when they are amazing, I won't regret a single minute or a dime we have spent getting them there.  Watching them so makes it all worth it.

Cancer Sucks

Cancer sucks..what else can I say?  I've had encounters with many influential people in my life and cancer.  My dad died when I was nine from lymphocytic leukemia.  He died two weeks after being diagnosed.  I never got to say goodbye, I never knew what was going on.  Nobody told me.  Both of my grandmothers had breast cancer at the same time, both survivors.  One of those grandmas had colon cancer a few years ago, and an Aunt of mine had ovarian or uterine( some girly part) cancer a few years ago.  Minus my dad, everybody survived their cancer journeys.  A very dear friend of mine, Shannon, recently was diagnosed with Stage 2A Breast Cancer.  Shannon has 4 kids like myself.  Two of her girls are besties with my two little girls.  We do many things together.  I enjoy my Shannon time.  When Shannon told me she discovered a lump in one of the tatas, my heart sank and I knew.  I just did.  I never once told her that BC I wanted to be the good positive friend.  I also wanted her to have her ducks in a row so that when it came time for diagnosis to come around, she didn't have an enormous amount of things going through her head such as treatment options, children concerns.  I wanted her to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.  Shannon's diagnosis came and she took it with pride.  Words can't even describe how incredibly proud I am of her for how she has dealt with the cards she has been given.  I wish that I could take it away from her and make her life normal again.  I can't.  Instead I can be by her side when she needs to me to be and make her understand that I am here for her.  I know, just like I knew that she had breast cancer, that she will be OK.  She will get through this.  I also want her girls to understand.  I never understood what was happening with my dad.  The one time I got to see him days before he died, nobody ever told me that would be the last time I saw him alive.  Had I understood, I might have closure right now and I don't.  I never will. I want Shannon's girls to understand what breast cancer is, what's happening with Shannon, and be sure they know that yes, she will be OK.  I think I need to look for some children's books that teach.  After having been through what I did with my dad, I can't preach how important it is that the kids understand.  Shannon is an amazing mother and woman.  Her strength, bravery, positive attitude, and courage is going to enable her to breeze through her journey and show those girls what an amazing woman she is.  Those girls are going to understand years down the road how strong their mother really is.  I am so very honored to have Shannon as my friend.  We are going to do the Komen Breast Cancer run in September to support her.  I am leading the team.  I am really looking forward to the event which will also be near the end of Shannon's journey with breast cancer.  I look forward to celebrating the day that she is breast cancer free with her.