Hoooooooooooooop, Skid Marks, Boys are the ENEMY!

Wow!

I can't believe it took me until today to make this post! It has been a crazy weekend with basketball, church and preparing for back to school after spring break! 

Hoop..... I am so glad that it is over! We spent way too much time at Dora~! 

Andrew's team worked hard and did a great job! They placed 5th overall in the tournament, falling after their 4th game. I love watching this team play! The kids all have amazing attitudes. They are good sports, they try hard and have fun. Sure, they get disappointed if they lose, but they never lose heart. In my opinion that is much more important than winning! I must also commend the parents of Dora... Not one time did I hear a parent scold, fuss at or put down their child, a referee nor the coach. All around us there were parents from other teams and communities that we would hear yelling at the ref, yelling at their kid or even an entire crowd from one team that were screaming and making tremendous noise in an effort to distract a girl making a free-throw. The girl was probably 11 or 12! To me, it demonstrates such poor sportsmanship! 

Many coaches were witnessed yelling at kids on their team and treated their own kids the worst. It was sad to see a young boy whom Andrew was playing against admonished by his father (the coach) for falling down and getting hurt. "What's the matter with you?!?! You're fine!! Get up and play!!!!!!!!!" his father yelled in a horribly mean tone. He didn't even appear to stop and consider that his son might actually be hurt. :o( 

It really broke my heart for that boy. This is, after all not the NBA. Theses are young kids, still learning and developing their skills and their self-esteem!

I must commend our coach, Jake Van Ruiten for his fine performance!

 Our boys took the floor, before and after their games, bowed their heads and prayed at half court. It was amazing to witness! This is a public school! Also, Jake would sit on the side-lines and allow the boys to PLAY! There was no yelling and screaming. There was no shouting at 3rd and 4th graders. I am sure that he would give reminders to the boys as they came off the court, "hey man, great job... remember, next time do this.... ".  The only stress ever displayed by coach Jake was simple. We would occasionally see his ball cap move a little further up off of his forehead!! LOL! Never once though was a child admonished, yelled at, fussed at, embarrassed, or made to feel that they were not up to par... including his own son! Jake, I am proud to have you coach my son. You are a fine example for him to follow. Thank you! 

Haileah got to PLAY!! Haileah's team placed 2nd in the tournament. The girls walked off the court with silver medals! Woo Hoo! They all played well. Of course there were many cute fumbles, mishaps and faux pas! They are after all, first and second graders. They too,  had a wonderful coach who loved the girls through their game. 

Unfortunately, Haileah did have an asthma attack after her game. We had given her a breathing treatment about an hour or so before her game, but the activity level during the game and after (she was trying to keep up with her friends who were running up the stairs!) got the best of her. We had to use her rescue inhaler 4 times before she could breath. It was scary! She recovered ok, but I will be making an appointment for her today to look at new medication options. 

SKID MARKS... Well, on our way to Dora we saw the skid marks left by the semi-truck that nearly hit us! It was a little scary to see! I am thankful for out guardian angels! If you drive the Dora Hwy, please slow down and pleas be careful! 

Boys are the ENEMY!!!!! This is the very first year that this over-protective mom has let her guard down a little and let the kids (especially the girls) have a little freedom and not have to be sitting within 5 feet of me. Haileah was playing under the bleachers, pretty much right under me and the also over by the wall not far from me. She was in my view  and of course I would stop and look to check on her every few minutes while I watched Andrew's game. All of the sudden a friend tells me to get Haileah because she is talking to a boy who is 14 and was kicked out of school for inappropriately touching little girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHH! 

I stand up and immediately call her to me as I see her play slapping him. At the same time another friend is walking toward them and speaks to the boy. My friend did not even speak to him and he was already denying that he did anything!!!!!! According to Haileah, he was taking her shoes off, trying to tickle her and asked her to sit on his lap. Grrrrrrrrrrrr! I had looked at Haileah not 5 minutes before and she was no where near a boy!!!!!!!! Unfortunately, my foster parent training reminds me that he was testing her and attempting to groom her to see if he could get close to her. He also was caught last year trying to lure a friend's daughter into the locker room "tunnel" where the basketball team makes their entrance. I happen to know the little girl he harmed last year. the family moved back to Utah very quickly not long after school began. I had no idea why they left so abruptly.  The boy was at the game because he attends another school that was playing in the tournament. When Corry arrived, I informed him of what had happened and it was a good thing for the boy that he was no where in sight. Haileah's daddy's first response was "WHERE IS HE?!?!". 

Needless to say, Haileah didn't leave my side pretty much the rest of the day! (Mika wasn't there and of course Ambrelyn was with me every second!) So, I had to have a little talk with the girls about boys. We pretty much determined that they are the enemy! Especially if they are big boys! Especially if Mom or Dad are not around for some reason. It is such a fine line... Protecting our daughters without making them paranoid and fretful over everything!  We will keep on praying for protection for all of our kids from the enemies of this world! I will continue to be over-protective I am sure!! 

Overall, it was a fun weekend!  We are grateful to have our children at a school where most (nearly ALL) of the parents are on the right track, have their kid's best interest at heart and are watched by lots and lots of other mom's eyes! We are also so blessed that our kids have had nothing but wonderful, supportive coaches throughout their young lives! Our kids are praised for their efforts, regardless of the outcome!!!!!!!!!!

Have a blessed day!!!!!