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Day Two at the State Tournament

It was day two at the state tournament here in Germain. We had two games on the west coast schedule today with our first one starting at 9:30. While the Mayor and his team also had two games on the docket starting at 9:00 on the east coast. Here on the west coast, I was hoping for a little later start to the day, but whatever.

Goalielocks’ team took on the Scorpions (Tampa area) this morning. The team is coached by Filip Kuba and Mathieu Garin. As an aside, I was a huge Kuba fan when he played for the Wild. It wasn’t our strongest hockey game, but they still found a way to win.

Meanwhile on the east coast, the mayor and his team were engaged in a dog fight with the Junior Bulls (one of the top seeded teams.). In the end, they found themselves on the wrong side of the score sheet losing 6-3.

Fortunately, the schedule allowed plenty of time between games for lunch and a little shopping. While Goalielocks stayed at the rink to support the U16 team and watch some hockey, I headed with hockey family to our favorite Italian restaurant. Lunch at Marsala Pizza was pitch perfect. The only way to improve upon our midday break from hockey was a sojourn to the outlets.

Both boys played again this afternoon with our game here kicking off at 3:45 and the Mayor’s game kicking off at 4:00. This afternoon our U14AA boys played the Tampa Crunch (worst name in the league we’ll maybe tied with the Crush.). To say this game was messy would be a gross understatement.

This game was a complete gong show from the time they dropped the puck. It was brutal. Obviously, hockey is a tough, physical skill, but these kids were head hunting. When one of their biggest players took out one of our smallest players, they celebrated the dirty play that injured our player. In the end, our player had to leave the ice. Like I said, it was a complete and total gong show.

Against the back drop of this gong show of a game, our boys were just off. As great as they had played last night, they were as bad as they could be this afternoon. For the first period, we only had one shot on net.

They went up on us and as we went into the third period, they were winning 4-0. Our boys started to play like we know they can and we started scoring. In short order, it went from a 4-0 game to a 4-4 game. Of course, as the game tightened up the game got choppier. It was one of those games you hoped that nobody on either team got hurt.

In the end, we ended up losing in a shoot out. (Deja vu from last night,) but still came away with the points needed to advance to the semis. On the other coast, the Mayor’s team was locked in a very tight contest with the Crush. Like our bantam boys, the peewee game ended up in a shootout. Unfortunately, the squad lost in the shootout. Fortunately, they walked away from the game with the point they needed to advance to the semis. Both boys are in action early tomorrow morning, so I’m headed to bed!

Lastly, special thanks to my wonderful peewee mom squad for all the updates and wonderful pictures!

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It’s State Tournament Time

It’s state tournament time here in Florida! Goalielocks and I made the trek across Alligator Alley early this evening. Surprisingly, the Friday night traffic wasn’t too bad. When we drove over last year for the Mayor’s tournament, traffic was absolutely horrendous!

Meanwhile back in Palm Beach, the Mayor and his team took the ice against the Florida Panthers Gold. That team had been undefeated in league play until today. That’s right our squad took it to them winning 4-3 in regulation!!!! Awesome sauce! I wish I had more pictures to share, but the hubby is manning the bench with Coach P.

When I spoke with the Mayor after Goalielocks’ game, he was so excited for his team. They worked so hard and they play for each other. Their squad is absolutely special!

In Ft. Myers it was a tight contest between our boys and the league leading Gulf Coast Flames. Honestly, probably one of the better games that I’ve seen them play. They were in it to win it and nearly did.

Our boys carried a 2-0 lead with 10 minutes left in the third. We had a couple of mistakes and some penalties that cost us dearly. Goalielocks’ partner in crime played one hell of a game and gave his team a shot to win it.

To say it was excruciatingly painful when they tried the game up, would be a major understatement. The boys didn’t give up though or lose steam. They kept pushing and working hard. In the end, it ended up going to a shootout. Sadly, we didn’t come away with the W, but we did get a point.

Now we’re at the hotel. Honestly, it’s been a bit of disaster. Our first room smelled like a testing room for Phillip Morris or a room above a cigarette lounge. Now we’re on our second room and the toilet doesn’t work. Consequently, the security guard is now in the bathroom trying to fix the toilet. It was temporarily fixed and then stopped working again. If it weren’t 12:30 am I’d be more adamant about the issue, but I need to sleep. Oh the humanity, Hilton’s corporate is definitely going to hear about this one.

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Restart

Its March first and its time to restart on my new year’s resolutions.  To be fair, it’s not like I’ve abandoned them completely.  I just haven’t been focused, healthy or well-rested.  Life, you may say, has got in the way.   Nonetheless, there’s no time like the present to get refocus on achieving the goals I’ve set for myself in 2018.

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I set very specific running goals for myself for 2018.  My posterior tibial tendinitis somewhat derailed my running when they decided to rebel.  I haven’t been able to run really at all this year.  My ankles/feet are feeling better and the orthotics definitely help out. Moreover, my doctor has cleared me to return to running.  To celebrate this monumental day, I signed up for my first (of 8) 5K of the year.  The Mercedes Benz Corporate Run is a blast.  Thankfully, it’s a night run, which for me is a much better proposition.

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I set a resolution to attend 5:30 am classes, but that resolution fell by the wayside come February. We had multiple viruses and a concussion in the house, so my priorities were elsewhere. Plus, who wants to be that gal that bring the flu to the gym – not me!  This coming week, I’ll be back at with a M-W-F morning class rotation. I miss the circuit classes and the weights.

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All of these things will become much easier next week as the hockey season comes to an end.  Its a bittersweet time of year.  Bitter because the season is over, but sweet because we get our lives back.  Tomorrow Goalielocks and I are driving to the West Coast for his state tournament.  I wish the scheduling Gods would have scheduled both tournaments on the same coast, but, beggars can’t be choosers.  Wish us luck as close out our hockey season, hopefully in a grand fashion, this weekend here in Florida!

P.S.  Goalielocks has been headaches free for almost 3 days now!  He has returned to school and skated last night. He was happy to have skated, but it was a tough practice for him.

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In Like a Lion, Out Like A Lamb

Growing up in Minnesota, every year I’d hear the refrain, “in like a lion, out like a lamb.”  Funny in Florida, March is just another month of sunny, gradually increasing temperatures.  It’s still relatively comfortable, but it’s always sunny.  March in Minnesota, on the other hand, can be a mix bag of horrendous weather from snow storms to rain storms.

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Of course in Florida, the “out like a lamb” could refer to the snowbirds that may leave at the end of the month as Easter approaches.  Since Easter can take place anywhere from late March to early April, I always pray for an early Easter.   Usually once Easter passes, the majority of the snowbirds head back north as we can reclaim our city.  I can’t tell you the happiness that is seeing that first car carrier outside the 55 plus neighborhood.  Undoubtedly, the snowbirds dim my joie de vivre.

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As I count down the days and weeks to Easter, we’ve managed to get back into our normal routine.  Fortunately, Goalielocks’ headaches are gone!  I’m almost scared to type that less they return tomorrow.  He’s really hoping to be able to play this weekend.  He’s been back to school this week ,which has been fabulous.  However, it’s a bit tough to get back on the algebra train after missing two weeks of lessons.  Thank God for Khan Academy.

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March is a pretty exciting month.  There are so many people in our lives with March birthdays.  My SIL and I are one day apart next week.  We’ll get a break from the craziness of hockey with no travel this spring!  Can I get a hallelujah?  Also, this year will mark the first time we’re going somewhere for spring break.  We’re travelling to Atlantis  with friends that became family, which should be an amazing trip.

 

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Premonition

Premonition, mother’s intuition, a hunch… You know those pesky feelings that gnaw at you?  Here’s my beef with all of that…. I’m over the premonitions and intuition associated with the negative.  Last Saturday in New Hampshire, I had an overwhelming sense that Goalielocks’ injury was more than a “minor concussion.”  While it didn’t turn out to be a brain bleed, the recovery period has been anything but minor.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that my intuition kicked in and ensured my son received the proper care for his injury.  But why aren’t our mother’s intuition or premonition in tune with the winning Mega Millions or Power Ball numbers?  I call shenanigans on all of this.  There should be more premonitions about happy stuff, not just a foreboding sense of dread.  Like a premonition that you’re going to get a raise or promotion. It’s just a suggestion to the universe. #nbd

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Meanwhile in reality, Goalielocks was back to school for the second day.  This morning before we left, he took two Tylenol to help stave off a headache throughout the day. Consequently, he had a much better and more comfortable day at school. #forwardprogress!   He wanted so badly to go to hockey practice tonight, but since he’s still symptomatic we can’t in good conscious let him get on the ice.  If he goes through the day tomorrow without a headache, we may let him suit up and skate.  And I mean just skate to see how his head and body respond to being back on the ice.

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Meanwhile, both boys are playing in the state tournament this weekend albeit on different coasts at different rinks.  The Hubby will be staying local with the Mayor while I’ll travel to the west coast with Goalielocks.  At this point, we don’t know if he’ll be ready to play next weekend, but he wants to be there.  Unequivocally, its the right call as its a team sport and he wants to support his team.  After this season, I’m just ready for a trip to the beach.  This season is one for the books.  You know the ones filled with lots of premonitions and unseemly characters…. I’m probably going to bring my T6i to the west coast, there may be some video blog content and hockey videos coming this weekend.

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Wacky Week

It’s been a wacky week or so since we returned from Boston.  With the injury to Goalielocks’, we really haven’t gotten back into our normal routine.  Although today he was finally able to return to school.  Unfortunately, his headache came back in second period lasting the rest of the day.  We’re hopeful, as is he, that tomorrow will be a better day.  It was much wackier than my imagination could have conjured.

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Anyway, as I was saying it has been a wacky week.  You may have noticed that our family is filled with blondes.  Can you imagine when you throw in a head injury to a family of blondes? It’s no bueno.  Our first night back in Florida, my hubby grilled us some chicken breasts.  When I got home, he was lamenting that the chicken breasts were taking way too long too cook.  He thought perhaps he hadn’t thawed them completely or maybe it’s just that they’re thick.  Oh no, it wasn’t either of those things.

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Apparently, when you grill and use a handy dandy thermometer to check the food’s temperature, you should probably make sure you know temperature scale you’re using.  Yep, if you keep taking the temperature of the chicken breast in Celsius, you’ll be hard pressed to get that chicken over 85 degrees.  He did give it the old college try, but figured it out when the chicken was still only 80 degree Celsius (a.k.a. 176 degree fahrenheit.)  Surprisingly, the chicken breasts were still pretty tasty and not entirely too dry.  In his defense, the kids had changed it to the metric system for their cooking use and didn’t switch it back.  Why the kids use the metric system from time to time is an entirely different post.

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In other news, I ended up with a sore throat, laryngitis and a cold this weekend. I know, you probably heard the men in my life celebrating the silence this weekend. On Saturday night, we did a movie night.  The hubby had to run out to Publix to get groceries for dinner (since he didn’t grocery shop in my absence.)  While at Publix, I asked him to pick up some sorbet and a little treat from the bakery (like a chocolate covered strawberry.)  He asked me what sorbet flavor I wanted and I responded (as loudly as I could,) “anything but mango.”

Apparently, the only word he heard was mango.  I can’t really blame him since my voice was totally gone.   However, I’m super allergic to mangoes.  I mean, spent four months on prednisone because of my mango allergy.   Can you guess what flavor sorbet he brought me?  You guessed it: mango.  As for my small treat from the bakery, a large mango key lie pie. Oy vey!

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To be fair, my allergist did think I’d be able to eat mangoes again.   However, I wasn’t really up for tempting fate with my already swollen throat and laryngitis.  Why tempt fate, right?  So I did… Because Publix pies are amazing and who could really resist it?  Not this girl!  The world didn’t end, however, after a small bite of the pie, I woke up to a mild allergic reaction.  My face was red, but this quickly abated.  Nonetheless, this won’t be the year I go back to eating mangoes.

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Restful Weekend

It’s been a restful weekend for us, which is just what the doctored ordered. I’m still not feeling well, which sucks. However, Goalielocks’ headaches are no longer omnipresent and have lessened in severity. Hallelujah!! This was pretty amazing news today!

If you’ve ever been concussed or had a child concussed, you’re probably familiar with the waiting game. It truly feels like the headaches and symptoms have lasted forever while you’re in the middle of it. In contrast, as you/they start feeling better, you realize it’s only been a week.

Meanwhile, in our aquarium the coral has really taken off. All of our fish like to congregate near it. It’s truly beautiful and I cannot wait to see it grow. The sunlight has helped proliferate the algae growing on the back glass. Consequently, we added two snails into the aquarium. One will help keep the substrate clean, while the other will help clean up the glass. We also added another coral frag to the tank.

As we head back into our work week, Goalielocks will be headed back into school for the first time in over a week. I had hoped he would have been able to work on homework last week, but both hubby and the Mayor forgot to pick it up.

Lastly, congratulations to the Stoneman Douglas hockey team for winning the Florida state high school tournament. Both of my older boys have played with many of these kids over the years. Not only did they win, but they all brought their medals back for the memorial at their high school. Each player put their medal on one of the crosses. They’re incredible!

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Rest and Relaxation

As frantic as last weekend was, this weekend is all about rest and relaxation. Goalielocks has been sleeping and resting most of the week, while I returned to the frenetic pace of everyday life. The piece for this, of course, is some virus that has left me voiceless, congested and with a sore throat. Although, on a happy note, my orchid started blooming today.

Thankfully, Goalielocks seemed to have some improvement in his headaches today. They’ve been a 5-6 (on the pain scale of 1-10)?all week, but this morning his headaches was at a 4. Unfortunately, it got a little bit worse he ran a couple of errands with me, so we’ll have to watch his activity levels.

I finally got back to Kohl’s, so I could put my Kohl’s cash to good use. And boy did I ever! Both younger boys are completely restocked on underwear’s and socks. Hopefully, we’ll get at least a couple months out of these socks!

I also picked up an Instant Pot, which looks pretty cool. It seemed like everyone got one for Christmas and love it, so I’m excited to try it out. If you have any good recipes, please share!

We also headed to the pet store or two looking for some new marine fish for our tank. We have one store that’s close to us that has an amazing array of marine species and aquariums. My boys wish we had a tank large enough to accommodate a shark, but that it way too expensive.

We did however add another clownfish, a goby, a live rock, a carpet an anemone and a feather duster worm. The tank looks pretty cool with the new species in there. Moreover, our two clownfish have already paired and our getting along fabulously. It will be fun to watch them both. We’ve named them Coral and Marlin (a.k.a Nemo’s parents.)

Since I’m sick, I’m already in pajamas ready for bed. Since it’s so early, I think we’ll put on a movie. It’s a perfect night for a movie.

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Slow And Steady

Slow and steady wins the race at least according to the Aesop’s famous fable The Tortoise and the Hare. It’s also an accurate depiction of concussion recovery. We’re now four days post concussion and the headaches have yet to abate. Goalielocks is still experiencing a constant bad headache. Although the Tylenol is helping reduce the pain.

Yesterday was the first day he didn’t experience any nausea. His appetite has returned as he enjoyed some flank steak encrusted in pepper and spices. This is a nice step forward. We are hoping the headaches would follow suit and stop, but they haven’t. Since his headaches have remained severe, we’ve kept him home from school since our return from Boston. Fortunately, the school is sending his home work home with the Mayor tomorrow.

We’ll be back at the doctor later in the week to check on his progress. We’re hopefully for good news, but head injuries operate on their own timelines. Consequently, we’ll have to be patient with the recovery timeline and with him as he recovers. Thanks again for all the concern, well wishes and support.

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Made It Home

We made it home from Boston and I couldn’t be more grateful. Yesterday it looked like we were going to be in Bean Town thru Thursday! If I’m being honest, even though I was stoked he was cleared to fly, I was still very nervous.

This anxiety of course carried into both flights, but the first one especially. I could see him wincing in pain as we took off from Boston. At that point, he finally acquiesced and took a Tylenol. Meanwhile, I was a mess the whole flight.

I’m incredibly grateful to the great Delta flight attendants that brokered a seat swap, so I could sit next to him. In addition, to the seat swap, they gave him free earbuds and some nice treats from first class. They also checked on him quite regularly. I’m so thankful for them!

We made it home and he’s fast asleep. As expected, the flight made his headache somewhat worse. Fortunately, it seems the nausea has improved. He’s hoping to get back to school tomorrow, but it will really depend on how he’s feeling in the morning.

Expectedly, we’re both completely exhausted physically, emotionally and mentally. I haven’t quite processed the last 48 hours fully, but I’m sure in the coming days I’ll work through it. Plus, now I’m back home so I can go in my yoga silk and unwind. Thanks for all the support and your continued prayers and well wishes.