OMG! We did a paintball party for Joey and it was so much fun! I didn’t go, Mike was in charge of about 15 kids (don’t worry, he had help, he asked his friend David to come along) — and they all had a blast. It was so much fun just listening to the stories afterwards — I think it was a big hit with everyone. After paintball, everyone came back to the house for hamburgers, hot dogs and of course FIRE PIT!
I want to have a paintball birthday party!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEY!!!
Thanksgiving was nice. Crappy weather but it took the pressure off to do anything. The day after T-day I don’t think I even got out of my pj’s. Kristin dropped off Emma for the day and I closed off all of the bedroom doors, took out the blow up bed and made the girls watch movies with me all day long!
There have been a few surfing contests too — all of the boys entered and did well. Mike placed 3rd for one event, Johnny placed 2nd and 3rd and Joey placed 3rd and 4th — or somewhere thereabouts. I am so proud of the boys too. Joey was up against boys much older than he was and even though he got whipped in a few events, he didn’t get discouraged.
There was a contest this weekend and Johnny didn’t do as well as he was used to. In one heat he didn’t even catch a wave. I could tell he was tired and discouraged. The waves were actually pretty big and I think that worried him too. I know I’m his mother, but I am so proud of him for going out there and doing it. His chemo doses have gone up and spent most of last week at home in bed. Last Friday he had a spinal tap and all of the rest of the stuff he does on big days. He went to school on Monday morning but his teachers called about 10am to say he was crying because his back hurt. No fever, just felt like crap because of his treatments. He finally went back to school on Thursday and Friday, but I could tell he didn’t feel well. Mike told him that if he was going to surf in the contest, he would have to go to school — so he did.
By Sunday afternoon, it was time for his heat and he was tired and cold. When I watched him struggle I wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to finish, it would be okay for him to come in and call it a weekend. I want him to have fun and enjoy himself and not feel like Mike and I will be disappointed if he doesn’t place. Surprisingly, it is pretty cut-throat, parents yelling or ‘coaching’ their kids even though they can’t hear them. Parents argue and grumble about the scoring and hope that certain kids don’t make it to the next level — WAY TO INTENSE for me!
They’re kids for crying out loud — and it’s friggin’ Galveston Texas. I hate to break it to these parents, but their kid will probably not make it to pro status, so they should just lighten up.
Sorry for the rant. I guess I was caught up in Johnny — what he’s doing and where he’s been and how proud I was that he was my son. Flashbacks of the past 2 1/2 years racing through my head, and last Friday when he was hunched over in pain from his spinal and couldn’t walk upright, remembering how far he’s come. I was so proud of him. I could care less if he ever competes or places in a contest, as long as he’s with me and is happy — that is all I care about.
This was not a contest — just having fun. Johnny and Aunt Liz catching the same wave.
