{C} Happy Birthday #17

Our Mr C (otherwise known as our New Year's Eve babe) celebrated #17 today.

C had a team meeting today following team practice (which he was not able to participate in) and I showed up with balloons and gatorades, chocolate milk and a bunch of treats for all the guys....I thought it was a cool mom move but C was not thrilled with my birthday antics.
I only bring it up because I had envisioned having a photo of him and all his teammates but with the balloon/treat fail I didn't pursue the photo op ;)

I did, however, get some photos of C and his siblings as we celebrated with cake and gifts.

Most memorable part of the evening was his enthusiasm for his bath robe which consisted of him disrobing of all other clothing to try on the new robe and may have involved the flashing of his authentic birthday suit, if you catch my drift.
(oh, please let it be the concussion in him)

17 Things we LOVE about C...

#1 he is FUN to have around
 #2 especially if you can convince him to take a ROAD TRIP with you

#3 he might just be the best AUCTIONEER I know

#4 he is a walking BASKETBALL trivia encyclopedia

#5 for that matter, he can QUOTE just about any movie

#6 and he quotes things with very funny ACCENTS

#7 other adults LOVE him

#8 he loves being a BIG BROTHER

#9 his little brothers LOOK UP to him

#10 he has a kind HEART

#11 he is CONFIDENT

#12 he is a RESPONSIBLE DRIVER 

#13 he WORKS HARD for things he wants 

#14 he is great with KIDS

#15 he is really hard to get MAD at (or stay mad at)

#16 he is SPONTANEOUS

#17 he is my FAVORITE 17 year old

{C} the concussion details

We are a couple days out from C's concussion and we have a lot to be grateful for but we are realizing that this will not be a quick comeback.  The hitting of his head was a double hit and it got the attention of the trainers on staff instantly.  When C took the charge he thinks someone stepped on his foot so instead of falling and sliding he fell straight back.  His head smacked straight back and then as he lifted his head someone fell on top of him and his head hit again.  

I didn't actually see it happen because my eyes had followed the ball down the court.  All the sudden everyone around me was telling me that C was down.  After C didn't get up for some time one of the other dads told me I could/should go down on the court.  I let him know that C has told me, in no uncertain terms, that I am never to go onto the court if he gets hurt.  After they were able to get him off the court then I did go down to answer questions for the trainer.  They tried to assess him on the sideline but he couldn't focus so they took him into the trainer's room.  They recommended that he go to the ER but I felt confident watching him for the evening and we made an appointment with his pediatrician for the following morning.   Following seeing his pediatrician, we went the next day to meet with the school trainer and his coach to get a baseline.  We went back to the trainer today to attempt his Impact Test for the first time but he was nowhere close to passing.  When he gets back from California he will begin working with his trainer daily to get back to 100%

Things we are grateful for....

• That he was seen so quickly by care providers...from the trainers to the doctor
• That he didn't lose consciousness
• Lots of people that get concussions deal with light or noise sensitivity, C has had neither
• It's common with concussions to have personality changes, often anger or emotions...C has just become ridiculously silly and punch happy.
• That it is Christmas break and that he can take the time to rest and heal without the pressure of school and classes
• That he was cleared to still go on the Varsity team trip (but no playing hoops!!!)

C's second mom (and by far his favorite mom) gave C this Concussion Survival Kit that is amazing.  Her daughter is a couple of weeks into a very serious concussion so they, sadly, created this from experience.

{C} Les Schwab Invitational wrap up

Game #2 

Wilsonville vs Lake Oswego (OR)

54-42 win for WHS

C was a starter in the WHS line-up, as Dakota Reber was still out (and remained out the rest of the tournament = heartbreak for the team but even bigger heartbreak for him personally)

Game #3

Wilsonville vs Clackamas (OR)

63-53 loss for WHS

C was excited to start again for WHS in this game, with their good game/win the day before.  It was close for most of the game and a win for WHS would have put them in place to play for the consolation championship.  They were already playing without their #1 player, which was frustrating, knowing that if we had him the game would be in our favor.  Then in an instant C took a charge and it was like the crack heard around the world.  I didn't watch the end of the game, as I was in the trainer's office with two trainers and C doing a concussion evaluation.

In the end, Wilsonville lost the game and C was diagnosed with a concussion and the entire team was so deflated!

(Wilsonville Battles Injuries at Les Schwab Invitational here)

Game #4

Wilsonville vs Jesuit

56-49 loss for WHS

Jesuit was the 6A state champions last year so playing against them (as the reigning 5A state champions) was an exciting match up.  There is no doubt in my mind that if we hadn't had 2 of our top 6 players out with injury we would have easily won.  But the entire tournament was a series of "if only's" and disappointing outcomes at that.

Playing at this level was exciting and an honor but Wilsonville ended LSI 1-3 and with two injured players.  At this point I personally don't know if the price our team paid was worth it.
Fingers crossed that the worst is behind us.  League play, here we come.

{C} Les Schwab Invitational Day #1

Following Capital City Classic Wilsonville took two entire days off of playing (24th and 25th) and then they were back in their jerseys to take on Eastside Catholic in day #1 of the Les Schwab Invitational.

LSI (as the Les Schwab Invitation is known) is considered one of the most prestigious holiday tournaments around...with high school standouts and a history of college and NBA stars coming out of it in years past.  It was a big deal to be playing and coming off of Capital City Classic the boys were feeling good.

Day #1 put Wilsonville against Eastside Catholic out of Seattle...a tough match up (with Eastside ultimately going all the way to the championship game) but one that I think could have ended with our having had a win, had it not been for our top player going out with an injury mid game.  Granted, we were not playing our best (we had way too many turnovers and steals and lost offensive boards) but even with our sloppy play and being out our #1 guy, the loss was a close one at 69-78. 

It was a hard lost and I wish it had ended differently but all you can do is move forward.

(news article and more photos here)

Walk down memory lane (sobbing)

This Christmas morning tearjerker is brought to you by KK

What a beautiful gift.

I hope that when my children watch this that what stands out is the smiles and the laughter and the love that was their childhood.  That is what I saw as I watched it.

I love each of you more than you will ever know or comprehend (at least not until you have children of your own).  I miss my little people and wish that I could freeze time in every single one of their stages of life because each one has been filled with joy.  The four of you are my everything and I love being your mom!  Thank you for allowing me to be part of the journey.

Christmas 2019

Merry Christmas

I find my favorite gifts each year are those that are given by my children to each other....so those are the ones I tried to capture with photos this year.  

The kids are so thoughtful when choosing gifts for their siblings (and for Rich and I) and I love that they are generous and genuinely excited to find the "perfect" gift for one another.

Proof that "the best gifts come from the heart" and boy do I love these hearts!!!