Ready for the Big Bumps!

 Remember this post last month?

 

 

Well now, he is free and clear!

Not much of a smile for the camera.

But he is excited and ready for the Big Bumps.

 

 

And what exactly are Big Bumps?  I don't really want to know.

This past weekend, Daddy O and I worked Bingo. 

Hockey fundraisers to help pay for, well, Hockey.

Couple of dads were talking.

Dad One asked if Hockey Player was back. 

Dad Two said yes, and I responded "sorta."

There was a choked back laughter.

See, DaddyO was otherwise busy elsewhere in the room.

I KNEW something was up.

I explained Daddy O told me there was no contact allowed, so Hockey Player got on the ice for a game on Thursday.

 Some how it came out....not sure how.

Hockey Player took a hit in the corner.

Went down, then knocked the other guy down.

DaddyO returned and I tolded him, he was busted....

His response, Just a little bump!

Hockey Player even jumped up and let DaddyO know all was good.

 

Good Heavens Can't Trust the Two of the Them to Follow Doctor's Orders.

 

Cornered Hockey Player the next day and asked about his hit.

His response, "HUH?? What hit?"

Just a little bump.

Told him he was busted.

Couldn't remember knocking anyone else down.

 

I get told to quit making it a big deal.

 

Doctor laughed and shooked his head.

Said he would see us the next day.

Not funny doc.

Just to prove it, I told him we would be at church and not hockey.

Well then maybe Friday.

 

better NOT!

 

 

 

He is armed and dangerous

This past weekend, I stayed home sick.  It was hockey weekend in OKC. We are still waiting on news if there will be any more tournaments this year. We are short on numbers for a team. Parents are thinking and discussing. So, it was with disappointment, I chose to stay home. It might be the only tournament of the year and I am missing it.

 

Coughing and blowing and sneezing in a car...in a hotel room...not fun, not fun for anybody. 

Definitely is not a recipe for good rest for every one there.

 

So I stayed home.

The girls stayed too.

 

Daddy O did his best to keep me updated.

 

First game, I received multiple texts.

Boys were doing great and winning.

First game was a win!

 

Rest and food and fun

 

Game 2

Daddy O texts with scores.  Then Daddy O calls. He is concerned about Hockey Player. Coach is not putting him on the ice. My first thought is his foot. Daddy O doesn't know. I ask if I should call coach on the bench and he tells me No.

**sigh**

All I want to do is be there, cross the ice, and check on my boy. Coach recently assured me, he remembers the rules.  I pray and wonder.

 

Another phone call Daddy O was able to attract Hockey Player's attention.

Did thumbs up and thumbs down....HP's response ~ thumbs down.

 

Sigh...so far away.

Game is over, we lost and my thoughts are on HP

Daddy O calls and reports in,

Hockey Player says, "My arm feels broken. Like all the other broken bones."

 

Any other time, I would laugh.

 

But he is in another state and I want him home.

Daddy O tells me he has limited mobility.  Hurts to move his hand or hold anything. I suggest (in my mommy way) to skip the ER. All they will do is XRay and confirm.  No bone sticking out so emergency surgery is not required. They will tell us to follow up with our doc.

 

Cha-ching $150 for the hospital.

 

Come home.  Immediate care on Sunday with out doc. We have had so many mis-diagnosises, I prefer for him to discover my kid's fractures...

 

Call one of the other hockey moms and ask, "Is Dad giving me the sanitized version?"

Yes and No.  He missed the hit, cause little brothers were distracting him.

 

I get the story.

 

HP went to the boards, his hand was on the boards

another player came in broadside to his arm

all legal

but sticks, hits and power

I know in my heart it is broken.

What IT is, is the question.

Wrist

Both arm bones

 

They come home.

Difficulty sleeping...

My boy is stoic and quiet...more so than usual.

He doesn't antagonize his sisters.

I can see the pain in his eyes.

 

At the doctors, he is all quiet and laid back.  Not really giving doc details.  So I step in, that is what Moms do, right?  Doc examines and pulls and not a single word or OW or stop. That is what I get at home.

 

I step in again and tell doc, he is too quiet for his own good.

 

Doc, very politely tells me, "I see him flinching, I know."

 

hmmmph, I guess I need to be still  Really hard to do...my 3.5 pound bag of sugar is hurt.  Did I mention I wrapped my arms around him the night before and cried. Cried and cried until he asked if he could "..go to bed now?"  I see the man he is becoming, but I also see him as 6.5 weeks earlier and 3.5 pounds in a isolette in the NICU.  The tiny bundle my body evicted way too soon.

The tiny boy I sat and covered in prayer and wore my heart on my sleeve for. The tiny baby I fought to bring home with me. I want good for him. I want for him to play hockey if that is what he wants.I want for him to be healthy and whole.

So we go to XRAY.

After XRay we are sent to the procedure room

We are put in an exam room.

I get a little excited, must not be broken.

But doc comes in.

Broken.

Not as bad as it could be considering.

One bone.

Not the wrist.

Not into the growth plate.

Much to be thankful for.

Brace for now, come back during the week to cast it.

Woohoo!  That means he gets to take a couple more normal showers.

Yeah, I love him... I just don't always like to smell him.

He is a teenage boy.

 

 He tries to do his school work this morning.  It is tough, he is right handed and it is his right arm in the cast.  We are getting a lesson in sibling relationships and when it interfere.  Dad's Bud joins us and starts to pester.  I warn Dad's Bud to back off.  But he doesn't know what that means and continues.  He starts messing with HP's arm.  Really?  I warn him.  Then I give HP permission to demonstrate the power of his arm.  Yes, I did.  What else do big brothers do, when little brothers won't back down because they are vying for territory and herd roles of leadership.  Big brothers pop them with their cast and demonstrate they are armed and dangerous and it is best to back down. 

Well Hockey Player didn't whack him.  I grabbed HP's arm and banged it into Dad's Bud's chest a few times until he said ow.  Point made.  Leave your brother alone. He has my permission to settle it.  He won't unless he has to, cause that is the kind of young man he is...

 

Brotherly Force as the last resort.

 

 

 

AND off it comes !!

Friday it was officially off!

The cast that is.

Hockey Player was up and ready to go.

I have never seen him so excited to go to the doctor.

He missed 4 hockey practices.

He had big plans for the night.

The cast was just adding insult to the injury.

 

AhhH!  relief is in sight.

Then doctor gave him instructions!

NO ice time till Wednesday.

That would be 5 days.

OH MY!!!

I thought the dad and son were going to fall into the floor.

There is a tournament coming up.

Doctor's face didn't crack.

Not one bit.

He didn't give an inch.

NO ICE TILL WEDNESDAY,

unless of course we want to come back in and see him.

For 5 days he is to work on flexibility and regain range of motion and strength.

You should of seen the pleading in my men's eyes.

Just a little bit of ice... he has to play on Saturday.

It was a good thing I was there.

I get to hold them accountable.

I don't know who was more disappointed, the dad or Player.

After limping this weekend and working so hard on getting range of motion back,

I think Hockey Player is getting a good dose of understanding.

There has been plenty of limping and wincing as he gets that foot and ankle back

to where he wants it to be. 

But don't be fooled, this kid when he gets back on the ice, he will leave it all out there on the ice.

He doesn't slow down. 

The doc knows this.

He has a warrior's heart

and he will fight wounded if not strapped down and sat on by his mother.

I just remind these two brutes of mine,

Gotta live in this body for the rest of your life.

No point in destroying it in the first 13 years and living in pain for the next 80.

 

 

MidWest Hockey League Championships this weekend!

Favorite memories of the weekend so far:

The morning started off early at 5:30.  Had to leave for the ice by 7:00.  But hotel breakfast didn't start till 7:00 so we had to hunt out some food for us and coffee for Fun Mom.  Gotta keep her fun.  Sooo as Big O Daddy O was trying to figure out how to order a Mocha Frappe, Flutter Nutter renames it a Mocha Flabby.  He wants one too.  Anyone who knows Flutter Nutter knows he doesn't need coffee.  He is like the Ice Age Squirrel after 3 pots of coffee on a normal day with no caffeine.  So there was a unanimous veto by the whole crew in the suburban.  Poor Guy!  No Mocha Flabby for him.

Hockey Player was fighting for the puck when his stick was ripped from his hands.  But he kept fighting for the puck.  Shoulders and Feet.  Kept the opposition away by blocking his stick with his feet.  That's my guy ~ warrior through and through!   I would have thrown myself on the ice and hollered, "you can't have my puck!"  Not my boy.  That was big fist bump moment for Mom and son! !

Favorite Shots From MidWest Tournament

I like to watch my Hockey Player on the ice.
He took to ice skates as if he was born to live on the ice.  He has a tremendous amount of grace and focus when on the ice.  He plays defense.  Which means if the other team doesn't score when he is on the ice, he has had an awesome day!  My tender hearted Warrior gets to hear me say, "Knock 'em down!" He may have a gentle heart, but there is nothing gentle in how he plays hockey.  That is how it should be. 

Yep, read that score sheet.  They managed a shut out at 6:15 AM!
Translation, Hockey Player was up at 4:00 AM fueling up and shaking the sleep from his brain, so he could be at the rink by 5:30.
Good thing the ice rink is refreshingly cool in the morning

Early... who needs sleep when it is Hockey Season???

Its hockey tournament weekend! 
Saturday's games were all in the afternoon!  Blessed timing. 
Sunday's games are at 6:00 AM and 7:45 AM.
Translation:  Must be at the rink between 5:20 and 5:30.  Must leave by 5 AM.  Must be up with Hockey Player at 4 AM.  He needs breakfast and to get the blood moving.  He might need to shower again to clear his chest, throat and sinuses.  He has been fever free for 7 days.  BUT the previous 8 days to those seven were filled with fevers and crud.

But we will not have to juggle hockey with church.  We will be done with plenty of time to get to Sunday School and church.  Woo Hoo. 

But first we must get all the children to bed.
"Flutter Nutter if you want to go to the hockey games, you need to get to bed." 
FN:  I want to go!  I love hockey games ! 
Mom: They are really early.  REALLY EARLY.  You won't be able to get up if you don't get to bed. 
FN:  I love EARLY.  Sometimes I get up when it is still dark early.  Like Midnight early.  I LOOOVVVVEEE  Early ! !
Mom:  Then off to bed.

Honestly he does love early.  We have two that are up before the rest of us more often than not.  Little Princess and Flutter Nutter.  It can be a toss up between which will be up first.  Sometimes, though, we think it is Little Princess, but Flutter Nutter has curled up in a corner with a blanket and his DS.  He knows he isn't to play his DS in the morning till he has his stuff done.  But I guess when you get up and it is like Midnight dark outside Early, you know you can get some play time in. 

What's a Hockey Mom to Do??

So I have never been all that excited about sports that require full on physical contact.
Why risk getting hurt? Just silly.
Then I had boys.
Still not all that excited about contact sports.
But what does this mom do?
Well, when 70 pound Hockey Player is a defenseman,
playing with kids that weigh twice as much,
I PRAY and cheer for him.
Momma knows the best defensive is to be fast and to go in, at full speed.
But that doesn't always get the job done.
I tell him to treat the other players like his sisters.
He actually likes to annoy his sisters. He does a pretty good job at it.
I tell him to knock some kids on their padded backsides.
When Fun Mom loaded these pics up and I was playing with them, I whooped and hollered.
My boy threw his shoulder and raised his elbow, which he shouldn't have done I will admit.
However, my boy played it through and knocked the kid off of him!

My date with Hockey Player....

This year, I had the pleasure of going with Hockey Player to the WYHA Awards Banquet.

A friend of ours asked Hockey Player about his date with me, she got a wrinkled up face/frown from him. Then she asked if he would take me for ice cream afterwards. A quick shake of the head no. That's all good. He is 10 afterall. Not necessarily cool to hang with mom.

I was thrilled to get to see him get "The Good Sportsmanship Award" this year. So proud of my boy and the character that he is developing.

Powerful Lessons learned and much Joy!

Hockey season is over!
It has been a great ride. There have been lots of lessons. I have enjoyed watching the young men on my son's team grow in maturity, character and in skill.
Some will say winning isn't everything.
Others will say winning may not be everything but it is the goal and a lot better than losing.
It is hard to not become too involved as a parent.
I will be the first to say that maybe Sarah Palin has nothing on this Hockey Mom! :)
But I will say, as a parent you want your child to do well. You don't want him disappointed. You want every game to be referreed fair and every team to play with integrity and good sportsmanship.
But that doesn't happen always.
So what do you do...

This year I have spent a lot of time on the sidelines hollering, yelling and praying. Praying for my son to do his best. For God to see his faithfulness. For my son, to give all he has, so he can't say he left the ice not doing his best. I have watched my son this year and this afternoon, I realized in my heart, he is not a little boy anymore. He is becoming a young man. He is growing in wisdom, stature, integrity and faith, but still a boy at heart.

So with tears in my eyes as I recount this weekend....
We have spent the season, one win short, one point short and it has been frustrating. Kids and parents wanted this championship this weekend so bad. It came down to the last game. Tulsa had 3 wins.
We had to win to tie. The tie breaker would be the number of points of scored.
This was a tough game. Kansas City hadn't won in this tournament. They wanted the win just as bad we did. At this point, they wanted at least this one win.

Our team amazed me this weekend. We had the fewest penalties ever this weekend. I would dare guess our penalty box visits were fewer for the whole weekend than in any one game we had through the season. These boys were playing the game.

The referees were another story.

Here are a few of the quotes:

During game 2 to our coach:
Ref says: Not counting the goal (our goal, they decided against it) and I am not counting the trip on the other team.
Coach: So you are saying the other team tripped our guy.
Ref: Yes and I am not giving the penalty.

During game 3:
At this level no checking is allowed.
KC Player sent our player, who had the puck on his stick, into the boards. Really hard. Imagine his parents watching him being slammed into the wall. No penalty called. Ref looked at our guys and said: PLAY FAIR!
And maybe that was the gentle reminder to not retaliate. But I don't think so. I think he forgot to look the other direction and say to the other team.

Again during game 3:
In the last 3 minutes the Ref address both teams and coaches and says: Alright, these last 3 minutes I am going to call a fair game.

?? ! ?? ! ?? Isn't that what a referee is suppose to do. Does he realize what he just said?

The score has been 1-0 since the first period. KC has the 1.

In the last 3 minutes, our kids played their hearts out. They did not earn a penalty box visit. We pulled our goalie. KC lost 2 players to the penalty box. It was 6 on 3 and 13 seconds left in the game and we score. The game is tied much to the ref's disappointment. We could tell it pained him to award the goal. Now we go into 5 minute overtime. First to score wins.

Noone quite knows how the puck got past KC's goalie. I believe the Lord allowed it to. Not that I think he takes sides in sporting events. But he does wipe out nations. He does set rulers upon thrones and removes them at his discretion. I believe there are times he chooses to honor those who are doing right at the moment they are choosing what is right. Other times he chooses to show honor upon them in heaven for all eternity. He knows the tender hearts of children who give it all and try to do right only for an adult to play favorites and try to manipulate the outcome to suit the adult's interests, instead of letting the kids be kids and play it out fair.
Never has a victory seemed so sweet as to be the mom and watch my son enjoy a job well done with his teammates and taste victory.

Blessed are the Feet....

To those who have prayed for us on this trip, thank you very much.
Hockey Player was Divinely Protected on Saturday afternoon.

I really like the verse from Romans 10:15
How beautiful are the feet of those that bring good news.

I love baby feet. I marvel over my children's feet how they grow and change. The difference in them now compared to when they were wee babies. I wrinkle my nose and try to not gag as they aren't quite so sweet smelling as they are getting older. But they are beautiful, for they carry my children to me and to others. Feet taking a beating. They can affect how a person feels overall. Tend need lots of protection and TLC.

A teammate unintentionally stepped on Hockey Player's bare foot.
Not a big deal unless of course the teammate is wearing sharp ice hockey skates.
A little to the left, a little to the right and our story would be different.
But as I started out with, Hockey Player's foor was Divinely protected by our Precious Lord.

FYI: I am not posting pics of the injury, was not a pic I could bring myself to take.

I can say this all calmly, but let me go back to the moment I heard.
Big O Daddy O: breathlessly asks, "Where are the bandaides? Hockey Player is cut. So and so stepped on it with his skate."
Me: I begin digging for bandaid. But my expressions is of alarm. A week and a half ago one of the team mates received 2 stitches for a gash to his leg. BODO tried to reassure me.
BODO: "It's not like cut to the bone or anything."
Me: I was undone. I had to go myself. BODO wasn't stopping this momma from seeing her boy.
BODO: following and saying, "It's not that big of a deal. Just a scrape really."
Me: I'll take care of it.
By the time I hit the rink doors, BODO was so far behind, I think he resigned himself to the fact this momma was going to take residence in the locker to take care of her boy's foot.

I got in there and there is a couple of bloody paper towels on the floor. He has another towel wadded up on his foot.
BODO was right, it wasn't too bad. There was no bone. It was more like a scrape, but more than a scrape. The blade shaved a chunk of skin off.

I then begin to do, what I know needs to be done. I send BODO to look for ointment. I clean it, hockey rink floors aren't the cleanest. Hockey players have to be really careful about staph infections. Skates and gloves can be really difficult to clean, dry out and disinfect.
BODO finds the ointment. We bandage him as best as we can till we can get to the hotel.

We clean it again and rebandage it again at the hotel. I didn't let him sleep with socks, to help it air out and form some sort of a scab. We start the process over in the morning. He was one tough cookie. He skated the first game as if there was nothing wrong with his foot. At one point, I saw BODO with him, which is very unusual. I knew something was wrong. The bandaid had slipped, or so he though. But only 3 minutes left in the game so it would have to wait.

Off the ice, another cleansing and it burned. Poor guy. But this time BODO carried him out of the rink to the lobby/concessions area to hang with the guys and left his foot air out. The "team medic" went and got him "new skin" but not before the next game started. So after all was done with the skating, more disinfectant and cleaning. And "new skin" painted on. HP, asks "how long is it going to sting?"
Poor guy.
Rides home with no sock or shoe.
His foot looks 10 times better. There is no redness and puffiness.
I can only give God the glory. Don't know how the blade missed more of the foot or the other toe, other than by Divine guidance. God's healing of his foot so quickly.

MidWest Championship in KC, this mom's scoop..

We went with hopes of bringing home the trophy. It wasn't to be. They ended the weekend this morning with afantastic win. Hard fought and very physical, but they stayed in it and didn't let anything get by them. These boys fought for each and every goal with all they had this weekend. It was some of the most physical games these guys have played to date. At times, it was hard to believe the refs did not make calls for roughing and checking on some players. Maybe they knew many of these players would move up to PeeWees next year, where checking would be allowed. Who knows? No injuries, that is a major relief. Hockey Player got in there and knocked a few players off their skates, all with in the rules of the game making this momma proud.
It sounds so odd to cheer for my boy to knock someone down. I will explain.
Hockey Player does not weigh 70 pounds, significantly less than 70 pounds. He plays defense. Defense! One of his teammates weighs 150 pounds and is 10 years old! He, also, plays defense. So a couple of months ago, I had a heart to heart with Hockey Player. I GENTLY told him if he couldn't start playing more aggressively, I would seriously consider not letting him play next year. His eyes just about popped out of his head. He has a better chance of staying on his feet if he is the one to initiate contact when playing. If he always backs down or lets the other team initiate he will be less able to stay standing and would just get plowed over and possibly injured. I preface all this with, all within the rules of the game. I don't want him to be a fighter. I want him to play smart, play safe and protect himself. So this weekend, I saw him fight for the puck, not with his fists, but within the rules of the game and knocked a couple of players onto their butt-pads! AND he protected his goalie. This morning, a player from the other team was hitting our goalie with his stick and Hockey Player took him out! Sent him to his rear, again all within the rules of the game. So proud of my brave "David". He doesn't let size intimidate him. Hockey is a God given passion for my guy. God has lifted all the barriers for him to play. As long as God keeps opening the doors I will encourage, drive and cheer him on. But I will still be his mom and want him safe, even if that means he has to knock someone else's player to the ice...all within the rules of the game.

Another highlight for this mom was game 2 on Sat. The team's 3rd goal of the team. Hockey Player ended up at the blue line. He stopped, took a breath and a look see. He saw who was open, sent the puck on its way, where it was passed one more time and then went home to the goal. It was a beautiful play. It took longer to type than it did for it to all play out. Our opponents were looking around and trying to catch up. It was beautiful. I so thoroughly enjoyed seeing that goal and Hockey Players participation in it. So often, I have missed his assists and goals, someone always need my attention at the very moment when he is playing. Drives me nuts. But, also, makes moments like these so much more special!

MidWest Tournament: Way to Go Warriors!

Hockey Player and laundry....

Hockey Player is ten.
But it wasn't really all that long ago when Hockey Player couldn't stand to be dirty.
He is a boy at heart in all honesty.
But up until he was 5 or so when I finally got firm with him about dirt and life and told him, "Life is dirty sometimes deal with it!" he drove me nuts. He was the only kid in soccer who managed to come off the soccer field clean. He didn't like soccer because of the mud. While the other boys were barrel rolling and sliding in the mud, he prefered to sit on the bench or tiptoe through the mud. As a toddler he would stick his hands in the mud and cry. I would wash his hands only for him to repeat the process much to my annoyance. He started off being a tidy eater. He eventually discovered he was able to throw food, but once he was done he wanted his hands cleaned up. Never could understand how he could find utter joy and be totally devastated at the same time. He delighted in experiences which required messes but could not stand being dirty and would holler and fuss when he realized he was dirty/messy. Just about drove me nuts.
Now Hockey Player has an aversion to anything clean in his hockey bag.
He wants to stink. He wants to have the stinkiest, smelliest, most disgusting hockey bag. They even offer an award for it every year. His goal this year is to earn that award. I am thinking of bribing his teammates. Anything, to get past the desire for this new achievement. Maybe if he wins this year, he will be more inclined to let me clean his gear on a regular basis. I am not talking floral, pretty scents. Just good old-fashion soap and hot water!
Today, he asks Big-O-Daddy-O to take him to Sports Authority.
Why?
He has a gift card for there.
He has a coupon that expires this weekend.
He wants a new Under Armor shirt to wear under his hockey gear.
Why does he want a new shirt?
His is yellow....
It is suppose to be white.
It is yellow becuase it needs to be washed.
It is yellow because I won't open the hockey bag for all the stench that is contained in it and he won't turn over his gear to be cleaned.
When I explain the yellow color and the need for washing and that just maybe the shirt could be white again, all Hockey Player could say is, "Oh."
He still wants to go to Sports Authority.
I told Big-O-Daddy-O he had best get a black shirt.
I have resigned myself to be grateful that he gets in the shower when ordered to.
I find myself, also, grateful there is no award for the smelliest kid of the season.

Not your typical Christmas Party....

For the first time we had a hockey Christmas party. It was great fun.
The big attraction....Dad vs players dodgeball!
The game quickly turned into siblings & dads vs players dodgeball.
Dads were encouraged to come to the party for their chance to "pound" their sons!
Both sides took their jobs very serious.
This mom attempted to play 2 times. Both times I was out with the first ball I threw. Those boys sure can catch a ball even if all they ever do is practice hitting a puck and not catching it.

Hockey and Holidays....

December 5th, we had "Friendship games" scheduled.
Papa just laughs at the name...
"Friendship, BAH! Its a game. A game is a game."
"Time to knock them on their rears!"
Can you tell Papa is a coach?
I got some great shots of the team.
But some even better pictures of Big-O-Daddy-O and why he couldn't wait for Christmas.
Why St. Nicholas Day became his favorite day of the season, hockey season that is.