Achievement

I often attend school functions and watch my kids do what ever they do, this is a daily thing for me. I have rarely ever missed anything my boys have done. going so far as in one night driving 130 miles to get to Caleb's game then Aaron's and finally Jonathan's, all in different towns all in the same night. As a Mom, I always want my boys to know I am proud of them and I support them in ANYTHING and EVERYTHING they want to pursue. If it is ballet or football (which personally I am scared stiff of and know they type of injuries that can occur) I never want any of them to not try and do something they are interested in doing. I never want them to be scared or lack the self confidence to give it a try, like I was growing up. So maybe I go over board, NOTHING comes between me and cheering for my boys. All this to preface the event I attended on Friday night.

I attended my 2nd sons basketball game. Now to let you in on a little back ground here, Caleb is the son that is most like me in every way. He loves to sing, has always loved to sing even when his voice was changing and he couldn't really sing. He loves to act, has been in numerous plays and has always stolen the show in my eyes. Of course thats a mothers eyes and Caleb and I have a bond that runs deep. Caleb is by far one of my favorite sons ( I have 4 of them, you know ) he was born with a dramatic attitude and Mommy was his shelter and his hero for many years. Now as he gets older Caleb has become one of my hero's, he has put up with harassment and bullying. He has gotten into more then one fight defending the weaker or the bullied, or the disabled. He is the kind of guy that when a developmentally disabled girl asks him to dance, in front of all his peers that he know will make fun of him later he takes her in his arms and dances with her anyway thanking her for the opportunity to share that part of his evening with her. Caleb has a heart of gold, and over the years he has become more callous and his heart has hardened a bit but for the most part he still leads with his kindness. On top of all this Caleb is a scholar and an athlete. He is a well rounded kid, he excels at many things and will do amazing things in life of this I am confident.
Caleb has switched school many times and every time it is hard for him. This last time the move into the Moffat County High School has been the easiest, he has many friends and found a niche right away in the Arts. Now Caleb loves to play basketball, he just loves the game. This year he stands at 6'2" and weighs 172 lbs, he finally grew into his arms and legs and feet and is comfortable in his skin. That is saying something when you realize he wears a size 13 shoe and has a 38" inseam, with a 31" waist we have to special order pants. But he is comfortable with his body finally this year and the changes aren't coming as drastic, so he decided this would be his year, he could finally contribute more to basketball. He has always been able to handle the ball well and played point guard for 4 years before he started to grow, no one wants a 6'2" point guard, not quick enough or low enough to the ground to move the ball. So for a few years he has played wing. This year he tried out for the team. He had a few strikes going against him going in, the main one being he was 1 week late to practice because he held the lead in the Fall play and it was performance week the week Basketball started practicing, and the second being he made it into Best of the West Honor Band and would miss another 2 practices, along with Men's All- State Choir, another 2 practices and finally Best of the West Honor Choir another 1 practice to be missed. With all this said he still went out for the team giving it 100% at every practice.
He made the team, and practices his heart out and has a positive attitude and cheers for his teammates, encouraging and even helping out where ever he can. Caleb has sat the bench most of this season. The Coach seems to forget he is there, when Caleb gets a chance to play it has been for a minute here or there and he has steals and takes charges, he has been put in a defensive position so he has played defense. The other night there was a team dinner and the Coach finally talked to Caleb. Caleb was cleaning up because as we all know boys aren't the best at sticking around to clean up so my boys often do, because thats what I taught them. The Coach asked Caleb how his season was going and Caleb told him fine, he then asked if there was anything bothering Caleb so treading lightly and taking the opening, he asked Coach why he ends up sitting the bench and had only played 58 sec in last weekends game. The Coach replied he is only human and tried to rotate every one in and out but sometimes he just forgets. ( now as a Mom let me say here the fact is he has 3 subs on the team and the other 2 boys rotate every game) Caleb said yea he could understand that it just gets frustrating sometimes. And that brings us up to date to Friday night....
Coach played Caleb. He let him play, and Friday night Caleb proved his point with an explanation point! Caleb decided to run the plays in the play book the way they have been told and like he has been all season being a team player but he also made the decision if he had the opening he was not going to stand at his position of 3 on the wing and not take the shot and pass the ball anymore. Caleb had 12 points, 4 steals, 2 fouls, took a charge, and had 16 assists. The team may not have won the game, they lost by 3 in the last 48 seconds, but my son won. Caleb took a chance and decided to show them his skills instead of going unnoticed and forgotten by the Coach on the bench.
Let me say as a Mom that was something to see. To watch my son being confident in his skills and see him make a conscious choice and take a chance in front of fans and peers and the Coach and succeed was something I will never be able to put into words. No matter what the actual out come Caleb walked away from the game a winner, even if he never plays another minute this whole season, he proved himself on the court with everyone watching. He is more then just a singer, or a trumpet player, or an actor, or a boyfriend, or a nerd that gets all A's and takes college classes in High School, he is more the academics, he is more then athletics..... Caleb is kindness and bravery, and an incredible kid! I am very proud he is my son.

There are moments like Friday night all through life where I stand by as a bystander and watch as my boys have the guts and the integrity and the CONFIDENCE to do things I never did. It makes my job of Mother the most important and worth while one I have ever had.

A New Year

Well, I know it's about time. I have been saying I would get around to this for awhile now, and share what my world is changing into, but really I seriously haven't had the time! Being a mother of 4 sons and a wife to a very busy hard working man does not leave a lot of extra time to write anymore.
I promised myself I would get it accomplished this year though and decided to just finally sit down and write. I will get into changes and stories and fun things a little later and will share some of the trials of the last 22 years but not today.
Today I will tell you this, I am a mom and a wife. I am 40 something. I live in the mountains of CO. I have moved 19 times in my married life. I have been married and deeply in love with the same man for over 20 years. I have 4 children, all boys ranging in ages 10 to 19. I home school, but not for the reasons most do. I think the public school system is basically good, and have utmost respect for the men and women who made teaching todays youth their career choice. I am a girly girl- always have been since I was born. I enjoy coaching soccer. I love to sing, and I enjoy directing or being involved in community theater. I have spent more hours then I could count in a theater, and only have had 1 really bad experience, that almost made me hang it up for good. I like to bake and am a good cook. I am a maid and like things clean, to the point my boys often think I am a obsessed neat freak on occasion. I drive a mini van (something I do out of necessity not out of choice) and on occasion a large 15 passenger van, which yes we own. I will drive a '69 Mustang that my husband and I will restore, someday. I do not act my age, age is a number and has no baring in my life. I am opinionated but rarely share my opinion. I am confident of who I am, yet shy and not very outgoing. I have been told I am very insightful, but also very naive. I'm a strict parent, and have amazing sons. I am often too hard on myself and have perfection-is-tic tendency's. I also tend to over explain myself :) lol

So there- thats me. I will write about my life. If you don't like it, don't read it.