Basketball and black sock update

Today is the first Saturday since January that we have not had anything to do. Basketball season ended this week. This was a horrible season for Mason. His black socks continued to bring them bad luck. They did not win one game. They usually got beaten by at least 15 points. I am hoping Mason learned something from this. When we signed up to play ball you have to decide whether you want to play in the regular league or be drafted. If you want to go the drafted route you go to a try out and hopefully you get picked by a coach to be on a little more competitive team. If you don't make it at try outs then you get put back in the regular league and they are supposed to form the remaining teams into neighborhood school teams. We have never done the draft in the past because with two kids playing I always wanted them to play in the neighborhood schools so we wouldn't have to drive across town to practices. This year Mason told me he wanted to do the draft because it was his last year to play and it would help him prepare for Jr. High basketball. I thought that was a very mature decision and agreed. The day of try outs I told Mason it was time to go and he said he had changed his mind. He thought if he went to tryouts he would be on a team and possibly be on the B team and if he did the regular league he would be A team point guard and be the best on the team. He doesn't have a problem with self esteem. LOL That is what we did and guess what? He was point guard and the best on the team. The problem was the other kids didn't know what they were doing and you can't play basketball with one player. Mason would get so mad and I tell me those kids shouldn't even be playing. I tried to explain to him that those kids were in the right place. He was the one that chose to take the easy way and was in the wrong place. I also tried to tell him that in order to get better at something you need to push yourself and do something that is challenging. I am hoping he learned that.

On another note, Mason was the only kid that wore the high black socks the entire season. I took the boys to a high school game one night and when we walked in Mason said, "Look Mom!" and pointed to the players. Every one of them had the same socks on as Mason. I guess he does know what he is talking about.

Tanner's team didn't do very well either. They won 2 games, but they were at least pretty close. He and another kid on the team pretty much took charge. Tanner would bring the ball down pass it or shoot it and somehow get back to the other end of the court before anyone else. He is so fast.

To nark or not to nark

My 6th grader was put in a situation this week that really opened my eyes about a few things. He came home from school and told me he saw a fellow student with a bag of marijuana. The kid is a 6th grader at this school. I am so proud he told me about it. We talked it over and decided it would be best to report it to the school. We were very concerned it would be kept confidential and the principal assured me he wouldn't even need to talk to Mason. He would investigate things the next morning. I had only been at work a few minutes when the principal called me and said they had found the bag on the boy and the police wanted to get a statement from Mason. This is not what we had expected at all. I asked if he had to give a statement and if he did could I please be present when he talked to the police. He said he would call me back and let me know, but he had heard them talking about testimony and he wasn't sure the amount found was enough for the case to proceed. When he called me back he said he had spoken to the DA and they determined there wasn't enough in the bag to follow up with the police, but the school would take the appropriate action. Thank God!! Mason would have been so nervous if he had talked to the police and I don't think I am ready for any of the consequences that would come from any of this. I am still concerned about anything happening if someone finds out we told. I would hate for some retaliation against my son.

I didn't think we would be dealing with any of this for a couple of more years. Mason is only 11. I started second guessing our decision to tell, but I had a friend reassure me that we did the right thing. This could be the same kid that offers my kids drugs in the future. I can just pray that we did the right thing and be thankful that my son feels comfortable enough with me to tell me these things.

Secret to a healthy you...

Do you want to be thin, be able to climb trees like a monkey, be the fastest 9 year old in town? Well, Tanner has the secret. Today he got a cupcake as an after school snack. As he was eating the snack he was doing sit ups. So, it is not what you eat, it is what you do while you eat. Who would have guessed!

Oh, Tanner!

Tanner keeps life interesting. Last night as we were driving home from practice he informed me he knew where babies came from. I said, "Oh?" He told me they come from a very gross place. "You know, the same place on a girl that balls are on a boy." Always great conversation in the Holmberg house.


This has been a crazy couple of weeks. The boys are both playing basketball and baseball has started up again. Someone has a practice or a game everyday of the week. I feel like all I do is drive kids around. Brad has also been working a lot the last week and was called out 3 nights this week, so he wasn't even home. I finally got the boys into bed and sat down to relax before bed, when Tanner came down and told me he had thrown up. I asked where and he said on the carpet. I should have known that. Then it occurred to me that Tanner had Hawaiian punch at dinner. Of course he did!! He then got that, "I'm going to throw up look," and I yelled at him to go to the restroom. He ran in there and threw up in the sink. I guess I should be happy he hit the sink, but the toilet would have been so much better. I then spent the next hour cleaning up the, ide of his bed, the carpet, the remote controls, the game boxes, a baseball hat, and a sink. His bedroom now has two red stains on the carpet. He keeps saying he wants wood floors in his room and I am thinking that might not be a bad idea. Oh the joys of motherhood!!

Nerd Alert

I am not a fashion diva. I know that probably comes as a surprise to most of you, but fashion is not my thing. I am comfortable in jeans and tennis shoes for the most part. I don't think I need to be put on that show What Not to Wear, but I could dress a little better at times. I do spend the majority of my time at my kids sporting events and these aren't exactly black tie affairs. I don't think I look bad and do know how to match my clothes.

I try very hard to make sure my kids look good. They always match even if they are just wearing basketball shorts and t-shirts. It drives me crazy when I see a kid that is wearing mix-matched clothes. Tanner has a good friend that always comes over wearing green shorts and an orange shirt or some other crazy combination. One day I was taking them to the movies and I made him go home and change into something that matched. I feel the same way about character shoes. You know like Bob the Builder or whatever cartoon character is in at the time. I guess teaching in some low income schools I would see the mix matched clothes, cheap character shoes, and uncombed hair and it isn't the look I want for my kids.

That brings me to today. Mason had a basketball game and before we left he told me he needed new socks. He has been wearing the no show socks and he wanted some that came up a little bit higher. We went to Academy and he picked out the ones he wanted. They are black and come up about mid calf. I told him I refused to buy him black socks to wear with shorts. He insisted that everyone wears them. I finally gave in and bought them and he changed in the car and was very proud of his "new look". All I could think of was an old man mowing his yard with shorts and black socks. The kind of person we always made fun of. We made it to his game and he ran out on the court. He was the only one with high black socks. After the game I asked him about no one else sporting this new look. He explained to me once again that all the kids at school wear them. I am trying not to sweat the small stuff, but it is hard. I also think the socks brought him bad luck. This is the first game in a couple of years that he hasn't scored a basket. His team lost 30-8. I let him know what I thought, but he said it wasn't the socks. At least I tried to help him. Maybe someone should call What not to Wear and we could do an intervention.

Not a jail bird after all...

I spent one entire day of my Christmas vacation taking a defensive drivers course to clear one of my tickets. I ordered my driving record and assumed it would be here in time for my court date today. I got a little nervous when it didn't arrive by Saturday. I haven't dealt much with the law and wasn't real sure what would happen if I showed up to court without my driving record. I told the boys I would call them if I needed to be bailed out of jail. I got to court about 45 minutes early and while sitting in the car waiting I decided to go through the paperwork. Oops I had missed getting a notary to sign one of the forms. I zipped out of the parking lot and was on the look out for a bank. Thank goodness I found one quickly and got my form notarized and got back with still 25 minutes until court. I didn't know where to go, but finally figured out. Wouldn't you know I was not the only person that didn't have all their paperwork. They have a process for idiots like me. I got a 10 day extension. Surely my driving record will arrive before then.

Today I was looking through some old pictures and found another picture of evidence I was a law breaker. The first picture is of me in my high school graduation gown. And yes that is a bottle of alcohol I am holding. I believe my mother was taking that picture and the alcohol was given to me by an adult cousin. Mom, how could you condone such bad behavior? It is a wonder I turned out to be such a productive citizen and not a wino under the bridge. I kind of remember that night. I believe I drank the majority of that bottle by myself and had my first hangover the next day. It was not pretty. Notice I said my first hangover. I am not a fast learner and have had a few more since then.

Happy 2010

This year was a little more low key than last year. We were invited to a couple of parties, but with Brad's new work schedule we decided not to go. Brad changed jobs in November and he now works in Texas City. He has to be at work at 6:30 and it takes him an hour and 15 minutes to get there and two hours to get home. He leaves the house by 5 and gets up at 4. His used to stay up late every night. Now he is in bed before me. The boys were invited to go to Time Square Entertainment with some neighbors. That left Brad and I alone. I don't think we have been alone on New Years in 11 years. We went to eat at Los Cucos. Had a couple of margaritas and really enjoyed each others company. Brad went to sleep around 9. I stayed up waiting for the boys. They were supposed to get home at one, but at 11:50 they were knocking on the door. I was glad to see them. We got to bring in the new year together. 2009 wasn't a bad year, but it could have been better. We hope 2010 is a wonderful year! Happy New Year!