End of Season Basketball Tournament

This past weekend was Chris's end of the season basketball tournament. It has been really fun to watch these boys progress and improve from the beginning to the end of the season. We actually found the season to be too short. I would have loved to see what these boys could do given a few more weeks on the court.

Chris has turned into quite a little basketball player and really loves the sport. It will be interesting to see what happens in a few years when he is even taller. With a dad who is 6 ft 2 inches (188 cm for my metric friends) and an uncle who is 6 ft 5 in (195.5 cm) Chris is bound to have some height on him.

Here are a few shots from this past weekend's tournament. 

Blink, Blink, Blink

Today Chris turned 11-years-old (Happy birthday buddy!!). Yesterday was his middle school orientation. Next week Sami will be 7-years-old. We just received Emily's freshman class schedule. It won't be long before we have to start thinking the c-word –– college. Every time I blink, my kids are one year older and one year closer to leaving me us.

 Emily (7), Chris (4), Sami (6 weeks)

Emily (14), Chris (10), Sami (6)

Sure, there are days where I am begging for a group of gypsies to take my children, but I know firsthand how heartbroken I would be without them. One of my friends told me in an email yesterday to cherish the time I have with my kids because soon they won't need or want me around anymore. While I would like to say that would never happen, that would be naive. I remember the day when I was too cool for my parents.

I wish there was a way to stop time, just for a bit. I am looking forward to the next phases in each of my kid's lives, but it is bittersweet to think about the ones I will never have again. There will never be another first step, a first word, or first time they pee peed on the potty. There will never be a first day of kindergarten again. And somehow I think the next "firsts" (kisses, dances, dates, driving, broken hearts...) won't be as easy and cause way more gray hair.

So in only 15 short days, I will have a 9th grader, a 6th grader and a 2nd grader. Boy that makes me feel, well, tired.

Move over Santana

Chris has a new favorite class at school –– music. We have a new music teacher this year and he has introduced guitars to the 5th grade students rather than continuing with the horrible recorder. When heard this it was an answer to prayer. Have you ever heard a kid try to squeak out the Beatles's I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends on a recorder. It isn't pretty.

Chris has really embraced learning how to play the guitar. He brings home one to practice with at least 3x a week, as well as on the weekends. And to be honest, he doesn't sound all that bad. So this week at the temple sale can you guess how excited Chris was when he found this little gem?

Yes we now own a guitar so Chris can play anytime his heart desires. And the best part... it was a mere ¥800 (About $8.10) Now if Matt could only listen when I tell him that it is Chris's guitar, not his.

Japanese Introduction

Here was Chris's first assignment in Japanese class this year. Can you figure out what he is saying?

Enjoy!

10 Years Ago Today

I gave birth to the most amazing little boy. Okay so he isn't so little anymore, but he will always be my little boy.

Happy 10th Birthday Chris! We love you!!

Wordless Wednesday: I'll Show You Cheese!

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Happy, happy birthday to you!

Today is my sweet little boys 9th birthday. Wow... 9 years old. Where does time go?

Happy birthday Chris. We love you!!

Cough... Cough... Cough

It started as a cold. Then last night it was a constant, all night cough. Chris, who has been striving for the perfect attendance award at the end of the year, actually said he felt too bad to go to school today. Just last night he had told us that he would go no matter what and if the teacher thought he was too sick she could just call for me to come get him.

Since I am usually the overcautious mom and take my kids to the dr at the first sniffle, I told myself it was just a cold and to ride it out. However the cough got progressively worse as teh day went on, as did his ability to breathe. My neighbor heard his dry hacking and said maybe I should just take him in to be safe. So off to the dr we went. And boy do I feel like crap for not taking him in sooner. My poor boy has walking pneumonia. Pass me the bad mom award please.

Apparently there are two kids of pneumonia –– bacterial and viral. This one is viral. So we got a script for Zithromax and an albuterol inhaler. The doctor (whom I love) said this could be a sign that Chris's asthma is coming back (he had it when he was younger and then he grew out of it). Sigh... I hope not. However considering both Matt and I have asthma, as does both of his grandpa's and other great grandparents I think Chris may be doomed to join the "puffer club".

Luckily we caught it before it turned into anything too serious. Pneumonia and asthma do not mix well. However the part that the doctor did forget to mention is that viral pneumonia's take longer to go resolve completely. Like possibly 4 to 6 weeks compared to a week or 10 days of bacterial pneumonia. (God bless the Internet) No wonder we got 3 refills on the inhaler.

A Story

The Popcorn That Was Deadly
By Christopher Jacobs

Once upon a time there was a huge party. We popped 100 bags of popcorn for the party. One person did not come so we gave the dog some popcorn. I did not know the dog was allergic. I had to give him CPR. I threw up in his mouth. He spit it out. He then ate another piece of popcorn and choked. He had a heart attack and he died. The End.


My son was given an assignment at school to write a short story about popcorn. His teacher told him that was the grossest, most creative story ever written. ((sigh)) What a proud mama I am. I just love 3rd grade boys.

Wordless Wednesday: Go, fight win!

Happy Birthday Chris

Eight years ago, at 7:58 pm, my son was born. I can still remember DH running around yelling "I have a son!" Where has the time gone? He is my little man and always will be, no matter how old he is.

I love you Chris. Happy birthday!

What a cute little ringer bearer in April 2002.
Chris at t-ball in Summer 2004.
Chris on his first day of Kindergarten in August 2004.
Chris on his 7th birthday last year.
Chris at breakfast this morning.

My Poor Boy

Well we had our first set of stitches tonight –– on Chris that is.

I was upstairs putting away laundry and getting Sam ready for gymnastics class when Chris came into the house screaming bloody murder. I went rushing down the hall and met him running up the steps, dripping blood all the way. His hands were covered in blood as was his face. I pulled his hands away and saw a huge gash in his forehead. All he told me was that the little neighbor boy had accidentally hit him in the head with a golf club.

The neighbor boy got his mom and she helped me get my wits together and get Chris in the car with Emily applying pressure to his head. Chris almost passed out once we got to the urgent care and they rushed us to a room. After monitoring him, they determined that the cut was too deep to "glue" back together so they were going to have to suture him. Chris was such a big boy. He didn't even cry when they went to numb him, however poor pitiful mommy passed out. Seven stitches (one for each year) and three hours later we finally were on our way home.

Here is my Frankenstein boy. Poor thing.