Ninja Challenge at Dream Big Gym

Dream Big Gymnastics is a our second home. Once I started handling the gym's social media last summer, the boys fell right into practice a few nights a week for wrestling and gymnastics - and loved it. (Plus a few months of weekend wrestling tournaments too!) I really can't believe we are just about one month shy of a year here, and I can not say enough good things about this gym.

A few weeks ago, a new class was added - Ninja Challenge. The boys got to try a few classes free in exchange for my additional social media promotion. The boys have actually enjoyed the class so much that they have decided to stick with it, enroll and make it their new thing.

Ninja Challenge is an obstacle course based program incorporating basic gymnastics skills, conditioning and flexibility for boys and girls ages 4-18. What I kind of love is that other New England gyms are also working on developing this program ... which will create competitive opportunities in NH, MA, CT, RI and VT.

The boys can't wait to compete.

The program incorporates standard gymnastics apparatus including vault, rings, bars, balance beams and Tumble-Trak. Other specialized ninja training equipment is also used, such as cargo nets, traverse walls, slack lines, ropes and ladders. Each portion of the obstacle courses also includes corresponding conditioning and flexibility stations. The desired result of this program is to improve children’s strength, flexibility and all-around athleticism.

I think the new cargo net is everyone's favorite!

The rings and the rock wall are something else they can't seem to get enough of!

I sort of wish they did an adult class because I would be all over that! Class Times for 4 - 6 year old Ninjas are Fridays from 4-5pm. 7+ year old Ninjas meet Fridays from 5-6pm. Classes started last month, but there is currently open enrollment.

For more information on the Ninja Classes, head to Dream Big Gym or register online.

Wordless Wednesday - Early morning weigh in edition

I don't know what it is, but I love taking photos of the boys right before they go into a tournament.

And that is what you missed!

Well I really fell off the blogging train for a few weeks there. Sick kids on and off, sick momma, super busy ... with a heaping lack of motivation. Slowly but surely I'm getting that motivation back.

Here's what you missed.

The boys competed in States. The Doodle Bop came in 1st in his weight class. The Bunny Bee 3rd. Things ran different for the Big Guy this time around and instead of wrestling five times, he only had two matches. He didn't place, but he fought so hard I couldn't have been more proud. Huge difference in how far he has come from the start of the season to the end. Our team is a machine. Our very first year together (it hasn't even been a year yet) and half the team took first in their divisions.

The Doodle Bop refused to get his last name on his champion sweatshirt like everyone else, opting for his first (so not to be confused with his brothers I am sure). Some days it's tough to get it off of him for bedtime.

I have started working out more - again. It comes in waves, I know. I joined Next Level Fitness and while it's still sort of intimidating to go in there alone, I do like it. So much fun to go in and meet the girls when our schedules line up.

I might be a weight lifter yet (someday). I even took the Big Guy in once and pushed him on an entirely too heavy (like stacked with over 400 pounds) sled.

I actually loved having him there with me. A few years from now, I see a little built in gym buddy. And since I'm only making it into the gym once or twice a week right now, I'm fitting in home workouts where I can too.

Two out of three kids lost another tooth. I took one out, the dentist removed the other.

The Doodle Bop filmed a commercial with Hasbro. No word yet on if it will air, they filmed a few that day and will let us know which ones get chosen.

The night before the Doodle Bop was due to film his commercial, long after the boys had gone to bed, the twins were chosen to audition in NYC for a brand new TV pilot - the very next day.

Because of course.

We made a commitment to something else first and we did not back out ... but it was so difficult. We hoped to be able to race to NYC with both of them as soon as the commercial was done filming, but by the time things finally wrapped we knew there weren't enough hours left to make it. The pilot has since been cast and filming has started so for now, that is that. I know that we did the right thing, but this also would have been a big deal for the kids. Trying to have faith right now that something else even better will come along for them.

The boys had their final tournament of the season over the weekend (out of order after States but it was rescheduled from a prior snow day). I went sick, and managed to become the crazy screaming mom on the bleachers when a boy from another team was losing so he started pulling one of the boys hair from the roots during the match. My kids would Never do that. I was beyond angry and Al actually had to tell me to quiet down. It is seriously hard to be a wrestling mom - or parent - and watch other kids occasionally try to hurt your child on purpose, outside of the rules of the sport.

 

In the end, all three medaled. I am beyond proud of these guys.

And that is what you missed!

(Stick around, I might even blog tomorrow.)

Vacation recap ... because I'm too tired to come up with a good title

Sending the Doodle Bop back to school on Valentine's Day, I thought we were finally done with illnesses. We pretty much stayed in last weekend because of the snow storm. The wrestling tournament was cancelled. The boys got a little sledding in ...

but something that I could not place still seemed off.

Monday morning I found myself trucking all three boys into the pediatrician. This time? The Big Guy has strep. I knew it. Well, I didn't know it. He didn't have the typical symptoms ... but I could not shake the feeling that someone else was now sick. And I was right. More antibiotics and we missed my godson's birthday party. Someone was quarantined again (till Wednesday) and the kids were furious about it.

Movies and video game time on the couch at home for a few days. The boys were thrilled to get to meet Daddy for lunch at work and then get back to gymnastics practice on Wednesday. Thursday we met our friends for an afternoon of bowling.

Al took the day off on Friday so we could take the boys out to see the Lego movie (in 3D) and spend some family time before wrestling practice.

Today? Was amazing.

My baby medaled! He fought hard every single match, winning one out of four - and still coming very close on the ones he lost. I held my breath as Al took him to the medals table. We knew he might have medaled, but didn't know for sure. Al threw his arm up in the air and gave me a big thumbs up. I nearly cried watching him walk back through the crowd. The look on his face said it all.

Look out States, here we come!

It was opposite day for the twins. While the Doodle Bop is used to crushing his competition and taking first, he came in third. The stitches have dissolved, but he was worried about his chin the first two matches. It was the very last one I watched him bounce back. The Bunny Bee beat every single opponent taking first place - for his very first time.

We celebrated (at the Bunny Bee's suggestion) by taking everyone out to lunch and letting the Big Guy pick the place. Super sweet. Love these guys.

Tonight I packed lunches, had the boys help me put away the laundry, and watched the Doodle Bop repeatedly dissolve into tears. Crossing my fingers we get back to our regular schedule tomorrow, but I can't help but wonder if I'm about to see a relapse of sickness.

Because of course.

(At least we have a few weeks to rebound before States.)

We are Corbos

Once upon a time, I was a hockey mom.

I was totally cut out to be a hockey mom too.

You're cold? Sorry, you should have put on another layer before we got to the rink.
You got checked? Go check that kid right back!
...and my favorite as well as most frequent ...
Why are you off the ice? Are you bleeding? No? Well practice isn't over and I don't want to see you again unless there is some blood involved.

And I meant it all.

I'm not a hockey mom anymore. I am a wrestling mom. Practices each week are one thing. Most of the boys get hurt from time to time. You see them cry. It's hard when the one crying is your own baby, but at the same time you know they are OK. They are among friends and someone is always quick to distract whoever gets upset. And they go back to smiles just like that.

Not so with tournaments.

Last week was our very first one, after almost six months of practices. It was exciting and heartbreaking all at the same time. The Doodle Bop gained the confidence he needed taking first in his bracket. He was the one I went in worrying about. He is the one who doesn't do as well in practices when matched against his twin or other friends. The Bunny Bee took second in his bracket. It was the Big Guy that I was crushed for. He didn't win a single match.

It was so hard to watch him go out there each time and get taken down over and over without scoring any points ... but I am beyond proud of that kid because while I watched other kids from other teams quit, leave the mat and cry (sometimes during the match even) my baby kept at it. That kid is my hero.

Something bothered me after we got home. The boys seemed older, more experienced. I started looking up the rules and realized that the Big Guy is most likely the youngest kid in his entire group. Just eleven days separated him from the bracket his brothers (as well as his entire team minus one older boy) are in. While it doesn't seem fair now, he will at some point be the oldest and biggest.

We had several pep talks this week. And we went from insisting we were quitting, to maybe even starting to look forward to today's tournament. The Doodle Bop took silver (second) in his bracket, the Bunny Bee copper (fourth). During one match, this boy was doing a number on the Bunny Bee and I was fighting back tears as I watched him fight back tears, struggle to breathe and try to continue wrestling. He came off the mat with instant bruises and scratches on his shoulders and it killed me.

Watching another child shove your child's head into a mat? Makes you second guess so many things. It's a sport. It's just a game. But you have these moments of ... oh my God.

The Big Guy had to wrestle five times because his bracket is large. He lost the first one ... but that second one? Went on forever. I have never seen him fight so hard. And he won. It was amazing! Several of the team parents had made their way over to cheer him on and it meant so much to me. He needed this win. I didn't even care how the rest of his matches went. Now he knew that he could win. Against older and more experienced kids no less.

He lost the three after that. I still didn't care. I had a feeling he took fourth place and we went over to the awards table to find out his standings. Fifth out of six ... I hadn't even realized there were six kids in the bracket. No medal. Only the first four medal. I knew the look he gave me. We walked to the car in silence and I waited for him to get angry with me for "making" him wrestle.

Instead he dissolved into hysterical tears and that was even worse. My heart was broken for him again as he sat next to his brothers wearing their medals - knowing that his entire team walked away with medals - and he was the only one who didn't. The Bunny Bee offered him his medal. It was incredibly sweet. It took everything I had to say No, you earned your medal and he will earn his as well.

I wish I could make him understand that success is not measured in medals, but in progress. The win that I thought would mean so much, now means nothing to him. All he can see is that his entire team got medals again, and he is left out. It hurts my heart more than I can express.

I'm not that parent who feels like everyone should win. I'm not all for the everyone gets a trophy just for participating. But I can see it from his seven year old perspective. All of his friends ... even his little brothers ... why not him. I thought that one win would be just what he needed to get his confidence back up again. Instead, I have tucked a crying child into bed all these hours later.

I don't know that my heart can take it. I don't know that I am cut out to be a wrestling mom.

But I don't get to feel that way right now. Instead it's all We are Corbos. We don't quit. We stick with it. You will earn that medal. I love you. Goodnight.

I shut the door and turn up the music because the crying is making me want to cry.

I know he will earn that medal. And it will feel beyond amazing when he does. It will mean so much more because he had to work so hard for it. It's getting him to see that he can get there that is now the challenge.

Someone pass the wine.

Report card celebration

For the last few months we have not been home very much on the weekends. Friday nights are always spent at wrestling practice, Saturdays are errands in the morning followed by wherever we need to be running that afternoon and Sundays seem to be full as well.

I have several unfinished posts full of photos of our weekend travels. I'm thinking maybe I should combine it all into one, keep it wordless and call it something like ... Where we go on weekends. But who has time for that. Maybe later this week, I don't know.

This weekend was our first slow weekend. And by slow I mean just wrestling, errands and a baby shower. Friday afternoon the boys came home with excellent report cards so Al and I took them out to dinner before practice. Johnny Rockets. Poor choice considering our time frame. We were the family with the loud boys (which doesn't usually happen when we eat out) ... the ones who spilled a large Coke all over the table and floor ... and more. That family.

The boys chowed down on their onion rings and sweet potato fries and burgers and shakes and we barely made it to wrestling practice on time.

When practice was over, the Bunny Bee complained he had just been elbowed in the stomach by accident. He then proceeded to guzzle 2 small bottles of water right in front of my eyes in the time it took us to get his wrestling shoes off. Why I didn't stop this child or slow him down I don't know.

Then the I don't feel good tears started. Al rushed him over to the bathroom and he threw up twice. For a split second we thought he was sick sick ... but then it dawned on us. Oh my god. Look at what we let him have at dinner, topped off with a shake. Then this baby wrestled his little butt off for almost two hours and drank water so fast that OF COURSE this was going to happen.

Awesome parenting.

We got everyone in the car, gave the Bunny Bee a bag because he was convinced he was sick, and the Doodle Bop started whining he was going to be sick too and took the bag from his brother. Seconds later? HA HA HA! I'm not sick! My throat just hurts!

Um ... what? That would be our Doodle Bop. One kid gets sick and he's either sick right with them or having some mega sympathy pains. The Big Guy could not stop laughing (while also inching as far away from his brothers as he could while still strapped into his seat belt).

Getting out of the car, the Doodle Bop grabbed his brother's wrestling bag. I will take it in for him! Melted my heart. Once we were inside? He was showering his brother with stuffed animals and other things to make him feel all better. Like a soccer trophy.

I asked the Bunny Bee why he was clutching his brother's trophy as I tucked him in. Because ... remember last year I didn't want to play so I didn't get a trophy? 

The Doodle Bop chimed in with Yes! So now he will feel better!

Love these boys.

In other news, we will not be having a last second dinner before wrestling practice ever again. What a report card celebration.

October ups and downs

This last week has been so ... emotional. I have hated this week of October for more years than I care to count now. While the boys and I always look forward to the feast on the hill and the Columbus Day Parade, it still gets mixed up in the loss I can't help but associate that weekend with.

I felt a mess all week, but it took me a few days to figure out why. I felt - and still feel - so much guilt for not going to the cemetery this year. Why did I not go.

There were just so many ups and downs this week. The house showing that (again) didn't pan out was a definite down, as were some issues with school. I didn't work out at all - no runs, no fit squad. It seemed like each time I made a plan to do something, something else came up and I had no control.

But mixed in everywhere with all the things that made me sad or went wrong, were so many good things as well. Like getting to spend a few days watching my sweet little friend Belle.

The trailer coming out. Jumping up and down outside of gymnastics practice as Al and I watched on the iPad. The Bunny Bee. That line. Oh my gosh, that line. The boys getting to see it.

Watching Twitter explode.

Watching the boys at wrestling practice on Friday. Look closely at that pic. In the window and the doorway? All of the parents crowded around cheering and loving every second, as we realized how far all the boys have come in just a few short months.

Discussing the upcoming tournaments.

Celebrating my niece's 1st birthday!

Right now I am trying to remember to be thankful for each and every day, no matter how overwhelming things sometimes seem. While I will never forget the angel babies our family lost no matter how many years go by - we got to celebrate this sweetheart right here.

And in another month and a half?

We will welcome her little brother.

Summer summer summertime

I know.

I know.

I promise I have not disappeared.

I am pretty sure this is the craziest summer we have ever had. The boys and I try to hit the beach two times a week. Favorite place for all of us. When we are not at the beach? I am shuttling the Big Guy between PT, OT and other appointments ... and all three of the boys to swim lessons, wrestling and gymnastics.

I know, right?

And then there is work. I have 4 clients now! So exciting!

What have I forgotten. Oh yes, the realtor coming this week so we can start the process of finally getting this house on the market. Cleaning spree would be an understatement.

Last night we hit St. Mary's Feast. It was the first time since the boys were born that we were able to go at night, which was really exciting to them. Crazy late night, but it was so worth it to see the boys enjoy the fireworks.

This morning, I dropped the boys off at VBS. They won't be able to finish the entire week due to some appointments near the end, but I wanted them to get a few days in since they had so much fun last summer. Grabbed a coffee and it's time to get my social media - and my clean on.

Catch you all on the flip side.