The Boy...The Myth...The Legend!!

     There are certain moments in parenting that either blow your mind, drive you crazy, leave you speechless, or else make you so proud you could bust.  Today was one of those "mama's gonna bust with pride" days.  Jaxton had his first major tournament for Jiu Jitsu, and he was a nervous wreck.  This is a huge tournament that brings competitors in from all around the country...there were nearly a thousand there today alone.  Being that it was Jax's first time to compete, he really wasn't sure what to expect.  He has worked his little tail off, and has spent lots of time in the gym, and working with his dad, who also competes.  So after a super-duper early morning where we hit the road at about 7:30, we rolled on down to OKC.  After waiting 3 hours, Jax was finally up.

PS. These pics are totally unedited.  Cause I just couldn't wait for "someone" to edit them. :)



The magic ring...

 


He a bundle of nerves right about now.



Gettin' started with a friendly handshake.



Breaking out of an arm bar.  Like a pro.



If heart and try won gold medals he would have a thousand.

      There was just enough time to gather our thoughts, eat a power bar (yummy?) and get some energy from a little drink of coke (yummy!) before he was off for another match.  This one proved to be the hardest one of the day, since these two boys were pretty well matched.  They rolled into double overtime, and had they had another 10 seconds, Jax would have had him.  Come to find out, this kid had also had about 4 tournaments under his belt as well, so he knew what to expect and what he was doing.  Jax learned an important lesson during this tounament: there are other people out there to fight other than the other kids at the gym and his dad!




Looks like he's enjoying himself.  Mama...not so much.

  


These two boys gave all they had during this match.  I was so proud of Jax.

 


After double overtime, neither one had the energy to even stand up!



But the bronze medal sure made the effort worth it!

      We had another short break...well enough for Jax to take a quick power nap and fuel up for the next phase of the tournament.  The first part was the "no ghee" competition.  This is the "if I met you in a dark alley in your street clothes, this is how we would square off and tussle" kind of match.  This is more difficult, because when they wear their ghees (uniforms with the robe and belt), they have more "grip" and can throw around more holds and there's a lot more action involved.  This is Jax's favorite way to fight.  So next up...the ghee tournament!



These boys showed up ready to rumble!



This match flew by...they were throwing each other around like they were nothin'!



He got his picture behind the coveted sign...along with the silver medal!  Two medals to show for his hard work makes for a happy boy.

      I realize that I'm going to sound partial here, but I have to take a second to really brag on my boy.  He showed he has the heart of a champion during this tournament.  No, he didn't win a first place sword.  But.  He didn't pout.  Didn't throw a fit.  Didn't say he's never doing this again.  Instead, he kept his head up, marched out on that mat, and did his job.  He worked hard and did everything that was asked of him, with everything he had.  Sadly, because he is a bit small for his age, he got bumped up to the next weight division.  Some of these kids were 10+ lbs heavier than he is.  And they were running like crazy on the treadmills trying to drop weight (don't EVEN get me started on that one!!).  He walked in that ring just as he was, fighting experienced, older, heavier kids than he was.  And boy did he kick butt!!  He fought with pride, determination, and kept his cool head every single time.  And never quit.  Not once.  My heart literally swelled up with love and pride every time I looked at him.  And what made the day even better is hearing Jordy holler for her big brother and threaten every kid he went up against.  Literally.  That boy is so loved and such a blessing to all of his family...and to all that know and love him. 

That is one proud mama right there.  But I'm sure it's not obvious at all.

The Evilness that is...Migraines

     Today while I was at work, I got one of those dreaded phone calls.  "Mama...my head hurts.  It's a migraine.  I've had it all day.".  I could tell it in his voice with the first word he spoke.  Nothing worse than knowing what's in store for the rest of the evening...especially for him.  The worst part of it all is that meds usually don't help.  So he usually has to sleep it off...but he can't get to sleep because he gets so nauseated that, until he actually gets sick (unless we have the miracle drug Zofran on hand), he has to wait it out.  It sucks to have to watch. 
     So here we are...at home...him snoozing on the couch (snoring, actually) with his feet somehow all tangled up with me.  We left Jordy at school...for obvious reasons.  Nobody would get any rest around here with her bubbly self running around.  So we have to get this nap out of the way and headache licked in about an hour.  Cause we actually have an appointment with the realtor to look the house we want to buy again and show it to the kids this afternoon.  That's if he feels better.  I'm crossing my fingers.
     I just hope and pray that he outgrows these headaches soon.  It's uncommon for kids to get classic migraines, and even more so for boys.  Leave it to my kids to be especially unique.  Gotta love 'em!


My poor, sweet, baby boy. Don't tell him I called him that, though.  He won't like it.

     

The first boy to ever steal my heart...

     I'm sure by the title of this blog you're expecting a Harlequin Romance novel.  Something that will make your heart stand still with anticipation...make your blood boil with passion...make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and tingle.  Sorry to disappoint you cause this ain't it.  It is, however, filled with first kisses, dancing in the dark, and spending countless hours talking about hopes and dreams.  It's about listening to fears, both real and absurd.  It's full of being silly, being ourselves and making memories that will be cherished a lifetime.  About putting my hopes, heart, and unconditional love into one single person.  It's all about trusting, without question.  And without any fear or doubts about being hurt.  The kind of love and relationship we all hope and dream about, and so many of us girls pray many countless hours for (Lord knows I have!).
     I will admit.  The first time I laid my eyes on him, he looked a little...well...rough.  Good thing looks aren't everything.  But it was instant.  We had that connection; something there that unless you've felt it, you really can't understand.  He wasn't really paying much attention to me, but I was cool with it.  We had plenty of time to get to know each other.  And we did.  He learned to rely on me to meet his every basic need; I found myself looking to him to fulfill some deep desire to feel loved.  Not that looking to him for love was healthy; sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures.  Our closeness probably was made more intense due to the circumstances under which he came into my life.  There was heartache, turmoil and stress during the months leading up to our meeting, pain that continued well into the years that followed.  But that really didn't matter.  I finally wasn't alone anymore.  We were together in this world; finally I had someone with which I could share this road and journey.  He came into my life at the least expected time; probably the least opportune time really.  If ever there was a time for classic cliche' lines, this would be it: God works in mysterious ways.
    But we lived life.  Every day our love grew stronger and we continued to grow closer.  We spent our nights together, whispering how much I loved him and him returning the love just by the adoring look on his face.  Many, many nights we danced in the dark; the moonlight streaming in the window, bouncing off the furniture to cast shadows across the room.  These are the memories most cherished.  Although we continue to grow closer and our relationship continue to evolve day by day and year to year, we will never dance in the moonlight again.  We are past that.  The middle of the night talks, while they still happen, are fewer and farther between.  There are others who get to hear what is on his mind; they share little pieces of him that were once just mine to have.

The heart stealer

   I'm okay with this, I really am.  This is the way it has to be.  While he will always be my first true love, and he will always be mine, he will have to move on.  He will move on to love someone else; give his heart to that someone that God has already planned for him.  But I want to be the one he talks to about it.  If he will let me.  I have loved him so that he will love others.  Love others with a whole-hearted, no holds barred love, but with a special spot in his heart reserved for me.  Somehow, I really don't think that will ever be a problem...he may never dance in the moonlight with me, but we will always be able to laugh, to talk, to be sill, to be ourselves.

Pumpkins, Prayers, and Package Deals

          So there is a big day coming up in a few weeks and since I'm a sappy, happy kind of girl, it's making me think back over the past year and how freaking blessed I am.  It's been a year since I've met Sean, and boy has our world changed...for the better, of course!  I'll do you a favor and spare you the details this time of how we met, but don't think I won't post that one at some point!  One thing that I have been blown away about though is how the kids and Sean have built their relationships over this past year.  You'd think they've always known each other; the respect they have for each other really says a lot about the type of man he is.  For a single mom who hadn't really brought anyone around the kids before, I was really pretty freaked out about how this was all gonna go down.  Considering Jordy had been my guard dog and would get mad when the little checker-outer guy at Walmart would chit chat with me~"Don't talk to my mom!" was commonly heard~I didn't have too high of hopes when it came to them meeting Sean.  I should have know better; he's a natural when it comes to kids. 

      We decided to do the big introductions at a pumpkin carving party where there were other kids around for Jax and Jordy to meet and play with, and we thought that way it would at least be be on neutral territory.  They did great, running around and being themselves.  When it came time to clean out and carve the pumpkins, Sean and the kids worked great together, making some pretty awesome pumpkins.  Come to think of it...nobody really wanted mama's help!  The highlight of the night though was at the end when it was time to go.  We were heading out to the truck, saying our goodbye's and thank you's.  I noticed the kids were pretty hesitant to go; really holding back.  Jaxton, my little man around the house who is just as protective as his sister, asked me as serious as he could "Mom, can Sean spend the night?"  After I quit choking on my spit (I seem to do that a lot when caught off guard) and gathering my composure, I explained how that wasn't a good idea and wasn't going to happen.  Then, undeterred, Jax asked if Sean could come over in the morning for breakfast.  Again, telling him that we will see him again, but that breakfast was a little bit too early, both of their faces fell.  They were genuinely sad that they had to wait more than a few hours before they could see him again.  Watching them that night, I could see a lot in the ways that they interacted together, ways that have grown and developed into a relationship that goes past the "my mom's boyfriend" stuff.  There's a real mutual respect, understanding, and love there that, even though they may not have chosen each other, they have accepted each other for who they are.  They've all made the best of being part of a package deal.  I have to say, though, that I seriously got the easiest part of the deal...16 year old boys are SO MUCH EASIER!  I know that it's not an easy road to have a combined family; there are many statistics on the subject that can make your head spin.  But I also know that many, many (probably billions, if that's possible) hours of prayers have been answered.  Many nights I've prayed for this.  Watching our new relationships develop with each other is so exciting!  The kids are thrilled to have a new big "brother" to look up to...even Jordy, who acts all exasperated that now she has two big brothers around but deep down she really does love it and is a goofball anytime Tyler is around.  I am so blessed that God has given me this opportunity and thinks that I am worthy enough for this family...