Soccer State Championship Game

Last Friday our Bulldogs played for the soccer state championship in Norman at the OU soccer complex. To say it was nerve-wracking and exciting would be an understatement. Last week was a complete roller coaster of emotions. 

It all started when we played NW Classen in Oklahoma City last Tuesday. It was the third round of the playoffs.  It was such an exciting game and we pulled off a 2-1 win. The boys went ballistic with joy, even walking towards our bleachers full of fans and giving us a round of applause. That might have been my favorite moment after the win. Coach Campbell wanted to make sure the boys thanked the fans for all of the love and support they've received throughout the season. 

Fast forward to the end of the week. Our town was so excited. We hadn't had a state championship in 10 years. All the businesses had signs up wishing the team good luck. It was incredible. We planned a send-off for the boys and they didn't know about it. 

I don't know if there's anything more exciting than seeing your team being led through town by the police with sirens. So cool to watch!

We left around 3pm for the 7:30 game in Norman so we could stop and eat. We ended up running into traffic so we met our friends at Taco Bell for a quick bite. I was so nervous, I could hardly eat. 

We arrived at 6:30 for the game and were so impressed with the OU soccer stadium. Biggest soccer complex I've ever seen. 

The game started and two minutes in I knew our boys were scared and playing like it. I didn't even recognize some of the boys, they playing so nervous. The other team was phenomenal. We were in trouble from the first goal four minutes into the game. We ended up losing 6-1 but we were so proud of our team. What an honor to even make it there!

Six months later.....

I went for my first Rheumatologist appointment last week.  I've been on Plaquenil, my Lupus medicine for about six months now.  

I have to say, I feel better right now than I have in the past six years. For the first time, I don't wake up and have a cold sweat, flu-type feeling.  I never realized how often I felt that way until it went away.  

The doctor said I'm doing really well. I lost a pound from my last doctors appointment at the urgent care. I guess they even have my urgent care appointments in the computer, which is convenient.  I told him that I constantly feel swollen or inflammed.  My sock line shows if I ever wear any kind of socks and that tells me I definitely am swelling.  Not...a....good...look.

The doctor did tell me that he would like to increase my Plaquenil, which I thought was odd since I'm doing really well. He told me that what I think is doing well might actually just be called functioning.  I'm so used to not feeling well that I just am now able to function day to day and think that's terrific.  He said once I get used to the medicine doubled, I could actually feel great.  

I can't imagine feeling great....I would love it.  

I'm now going to take Vitamin D3, 2,000mg a day, which is the sunshine vitamin and a prenatal vitamin.  The Plaquenil is changing the condition or texture of my hair.  I have super fine hair but a ton of it.  It feels finer and like it's thinning considerably.  Do not put it past me to go buy a Kim Zolciak wig. I would totally rock the blonde Real Housewives of Atlanta look!

The other big suggestion is....he wants me to follow the Eat to Live Diet by Dr. Joel Furhman.  He said that's the best lifestyle change for autoimmune disease sufferers.  Apparently, the mostly vegan lifestyle reduces inflammation in Lupus sufferers.  

How on earth am I going to do that with two teenage boys and a husband that only eats meat and potatoes?????  Talk about a challenge!  I will say that they are very good about only trying to go places that have good, healthy food when I watch my weight.  I am thankful for that.  

Now to just get my hubby on board this diet.....it would be amazing for him too! 

On the kid front, Tyler is busy with high school Varsity soccer and Varsity track.  He plays mid in soccer and goes in on the games where we are winning.  If it's close, he doesn't get to play as often, but that's fine with me.  I'm so proud he's going in and he's a Freshman!  In Track, he's pole vaulting with his friend Hunter.  Tyler's been able to clear 9 foot so he's on his way.  He just wants to try to get better so he can get a letter on his Letterman jacket for Track also.

Hunter's in Track right now and it's been fun for him.  He doesn't like to run so he's just pole vaulting.  He hasn't qualified to go to a Track meet yet. They only take three kids so it makes it hard when you haven't made it to the three best yet.  Hunter's up to clearing six foot though.  I think with a little practice, he's going to be great!

Tyler told us the other day he isn't playing football next year.  

That's a big negative.  Not....going....to....happen.

That kid loves football.  I don't know who's gotten it into his head that he shouldn't play football but they are ticking me off.  He will regret it so much if he doesn't.  I guess time will tell.

On the work front, I'm working again at the same company I've already worked twice.  I've always been the Business Development Coordinator and they brought me back as a Consultant.  I like it because I'm working with all my best friends.  Fun times.

Our soccer team is #4 in the state

Class 5A Soccer (Boys) Week 2 Rankings as of 3/17/2014 Rank School (#1 Rankings) W-L Points 1 EAST CENTRAL (5) 5-0 121 2 HERITAGE HALL (4) 2-0 110 3 NORTHWEST CLASSEN 4-2 86 4 SKIATOOK 4-0 70 5 CLAREMORE 2-0 62 6 CASCIA HALL 4-2 56 7 PIEDMONT 3-0 53 8 COWETA 3-2 52 9 DEL CITY 2-1 44 9 MEMORIAL 2-2 44 11 PRYOR 2-1 42 12 DEER CREEK (EDMOND) 1-3 33 13 WESTERN HEIGHTS0-0 31 14 EDISON PREP 1-2 27 15 EISENHOWER 1-0 21

We won the Oologah tournament this past weekend and the boys were so pumped about it!

I copied the listing of rankings on the OSSAA website and we are number 4 in the state! That is unbelievable! We are so proud of our Bulldog soccer team! They are doing terrific! Tyler's on the team with his two best friends, which makes it even more exciting. They are the only three Freshmen on the team. Our soccer schedule really kicks into gear soon so we will a busy soccer family. I don't mind, I love watching soccer. We are on our tenth year of soccer so it's all we've ever known practically.

Front Page News

Look who made the front page of our little newspaper?!  

We had our preseason soccer tournament last weekend. It was gorgeous soccer weather and we won all four games, making us the Skiatook Preseason Tournament Champions! 

Tyler played in all of the games after the first couple of minutes, which thrilled me to death seeing as he's a Freshman! 

He even made two goals in the last game. One only counted because the first one the refs called a handball, which was a dumb call but that's ok. 

I was so proud of the team! They played terrific!

School Testing

Our school system is administering state tests tomorrow and Friday for the 4th graders. My oldest son has spent the last two weeks working on the practice packet for the OCCT testing, which is the standardized testing for Math and Reading. I just hear the word test and my stomach starts hurting. Oh, the stress!

Total sidebar - I was studying to be a financial advisor in 2002. After a year of studying, I went to take the test. A 70% was passing. The first test I made a 67%......second test 68%.......and....finally passed the crazy test on the third try. Even the test administrators were rooting for me. So sad. Can you tell I hate tests? Don't tell my kids though...I told them I was the best test taker in the world in school and would wake up everyday just happy to get to test my knowledge that day. That's the privilege of being the parent!

Back to the testing story - My oldest son, Tyler, is the exact opposite of my youngest. He is a worrier. My youngest Hunter is a complete laid-back "non-worrier". It's really cute to get their perspectives on situations. Tyler analyzes and Hunter just brushes it off and goes onto the next situation. I love them both, just as they are. It makes for a very interesting household.

Worrying does have its benefits. Tyler worries about his grades so he tries really hard at school. He worries whether he is going to pass his test the next day and if I'm going to order the latest skateboard he saw on Ebay. I think it's the reason he's in the gifted and talented program at school. He pushes himself to always do his best. But, this worrying thing is driving me bananas when it comes to the OCCT tests. The students have to study every night and practice filling out those old, stale paper smelling booklets. The parents have to sign the forms everyday showing that every problem was reviewed and each answer carefully thought out.

The students take these tests in 3rd and 4th grade but don't find out their individual scores until the 5th grade. That's so confusing. Anyone else out there think that's a little odd? Do they really find out sooner and I misunderstood?

Tyler just came into the living room and said he couldn't sleep. When we asked him why, he replied that the tests were tomorrow. I can't remember ever worrying about a test. I was more concerned about who was going to play tetherball with me on the playground. For the record, it was a boy named Gunther from Mrs. Mihurra's class. I think I might have beaten him once or twice.

Granted, I have to admit I'm not a teacher and really don't know that much about this testing, but I think it's tied to state education funding for our schools. Maybe this is why the teachers are pushing the kids so hard, I don't know. It has been a good thing because Tyler even pulled out his Math book tonight to go over decimals for the test.

The main worry Tyler has is this - apparently the teachers told the class that they can't go to lunch until all the classes are done with the testing. That is a huge issue with a 10-year old boy. And, I think it's steak fingers and mashed potatoes tomorrow. It's a good day in the cafeteria.

Where was blogging 10 years ago?

When my firstborn son was injured during birth and his entire right arm was paralyzed, I spent hours on the internet trying to research anything about his injury. It's known as a Brachial Plexus Injury or Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy. Also Erb's Palsy. The only site I could find was a mother that had a daughter who suffered from the same thing. Her website was very helpful but there was no way to email her or get in touch with her to ask questions. You see, my son's injury is known as a "rare disability", which means there are very few doctors or physical therapists that deal with this type of issue. We were sent to a physical therapist in Tulsa that did specialize in Brachial Plexus when Tyler was a mere 4 days old. I wasn't even sure what was going on, I was in such shock. At that first therapist appointment, it was the first time I heard anyone refer to the injury as life-long. Life-long? Doesn't that mean you never recover? Doesn't that mean it lasts forever? To be honest, I spent every night, all night on the internet and found very little information to help me. It was the loneliest time of my life. Period. I had a husband who chose to deal with it by ignoring it. He would just tell me it would be alright and that I was overreacting. I knew that it was much more. I knew I had to be proactive and figure out a plan. I eventually found one other Mom through our therapist that had a son with a Brachial Plexus injury. We had each other to talk to and that helped so much. But, this was late 1998 and the internet just wasn't what it is today. Very few people considered the internet the place to look for information and bonding.

I was so moved watching Kelly Stamps @ Kellyskornerblog.com receive so much encouragement and support from the blog world when her daughter was born with pneumonia and had to be hospitalized. I honestly think that the kindness of strangers had to be so moving for the Stamps family as they spent 3 weeks in the NICU here at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa.

I takes me back to the many lonely nights I spent terrified that my child would never move his arm. I didn't know what doctors to contact or what plan of action was the best. If the blog world had been around, I truly believe that all of the kind mothers out there would have made our journey a lot less scary and empty feeling.

It's now 10 years after my son was born and he is doing so well. He has close to 90% movement in his arm and loves all sports. I think the sacrifice of researching many days and nights has paid off, but it would have been so much more comforting to take my blog friends along for the ride.

The miracle of my son will be told in an upcoming post. Get ready to experience some goosebumps. And here's a hint.....prayer does work!