We Did It!!!

Yahoo!  David slew Goliath!  The Woodland Park 7th grade Bulldogs are the Champions of middle school basketball!  We went in to the game with a 10-3 record and San Elijo went in with a 13-0 record.  The game was played at Mission Hills High School which is way bigger than the middle school courts and that proved to be no problem for Kyle's little team.  We were down by 8 at half time but came back to win by 14.  One of the players came up to me after the game and said "Coach told us to win this one for Mr. Moore because it is his birthday".  What a great family I have.  Kyle was ecstatic and told Brandon that everytime he sees that 2010 7th grade championship banner hanging in the gym he can remember his 28th birthday and that the kids won it for him :)  What a difference from the first game to the last.  This is the team that killed us in the first game and made Kyle doubt himself and his team.  What a comeback!  I vote Coach Moore the middle school coach of the year.  Who's with me?  A lovely side note is that the 8th grade team also won and that all four schools who were in the 2 championship games were from San Marcos.  I love this town!

Happy Birthday, Beer!

Today is my number one son's birthday.  He is my firstborn child and he turned out to be everything I dreamed he would be.  He is smart, funny, wise, witty, handsome, talented, righteous, kind and most importantly, he has the greatest hair ever put on a human head :)  He is in the process of finishing up the last bit of schooling he has to complete before he can be a teacher in California.  I want to go on record right here on this blog as predicting that he will one day be a California Teacher of the Year.  You heard it here first, folks.  He is the best teacher I've ever seen.  Ask any kid that he's taught in the last 3 years and they will tell you the same thing.  He is passionate about history and loves to teach it.  My dad was in education and everywhere we would go in the world, even Hawaii, we would hear "Hi, Mr. Miles!" from one of his former students.  That happens to Brandon whenever he steps foot out of our house.  We can't go anywhere without hearing very excited voices yell "Hi, Mr. Moore!"  I absolutely love being around him as he is one of the funniest guys you will ever meet.  He has made me very proud as a mother and I want him to know that I love him with all of my heart and that he can stay in my house as long as he wants (thank you, California, for having the dumbest rules ever in qualifying to teach in this state :) Happy Birthday, Beer!  (another one of Kyle's interesting nicknames)

Good day for basketball!

Wow!  The Moores had a great day yesterday.  First, Kyle's little 7th grade team won their playoff game to get into the finals.  So, tomorrow night they play in the championship game against, guess who? the first team they played this season that kicked their trash and made Kyle so worried.  Yeah, that's right, the one his mother said might be the hardest team they would face and to give his team another chance and don't give up on them.  (remember my feelings on "being right"?)  They beat him twice in the regular season but, hey, anything can happen in the playoffs.  Which brings me to my next bit of great news.  Hunter and the Mission Hills Grizzlies played their arch nemesis San Marcos Knights last night in the first game of the playoffs.  We had to play at their tiny, old, dark, ugly little gym because they were a higher seed than us.  It was standing room only and I'm sure we broke some fire codes.  They beat us in preseason in the last minute of the game.  Our two schools have never played each other in a playoff game in the history of the schools.  Hunter grew up playing WITH all of the San Marcos players on club teams and now had to play AGAINST them so he knows them all really well. I'm pretty sure I have some temporary hearing loss after that game.  Is that enough of a build-up for you?  OK... wait for it................
WEEEEEEEEE WONNNNNN!!!!!!  It was so great!  We were ahead pretty much the whole game, just like last time, but this time Hunter Moore hit some clutch free throws to ice it and our defense was smothering.  All San Marcos can shoot are threes and this time we didn't let them.  We won 57-50 and that gym exploded.  I was so proud of our little team.  They played like....Grizzlies!  Now it's on to Morse on Friday night.  We beat them in preseason but they are still favored to win.  Remember, anything can happen:)

Happy Anniversary!

Today is my 29th wedding anniversary.  Pat and I got married on the 5th anniversary of our first date so I have technically been in love with him for 34 years even though we've only been married for 29 of those.  And I am being very literal in saying that I have been in love with him since our first date.  He was 16 and I was 17 and on that first date I told him that I was going to marry him.  I knew it from the first moment.  That first moment might not have happened though.  I have a sister who is 1 1/2 years younger than I am and we frequently shared boyfriends.  This started getting a little messy so our mom made a rule that if one sister was interested in a guy then the other sister had to back off or ask permission to pursue him.  Pat is Cathy's age and so they knew each other before I really knew Pat.  I didn't want to get in trouble so I actually asked my sister's permission to love my husband.  I don't know what I would have done if she would have said "no".  Pat Moore is my match in every way.  He completes me.  He is quiet and patient when I am loud and rash.  He is wise when I am impulsive.  We have been together so long that we are now starting to think the same thoughts at the same time and are finishing each other's sentences.  He is the closest person to me and I couldn't have dreamed of a better friend and partner.  I love him more than I have ever loved anyone, EVER!  Long ago I wrote him a poem and one of the lines says it all for us: " Sometime before forever, we knew we'd be together and love each other past life's final days".  I feel like we have always been and always will be.  Thank you, Pat, for making my life Heaven on earth.  I love you MTA!  Forever Moore

Happy Birthday, Mama's Boy

Today is my little boy's 17th birthday.  I can't believe it.  Where did all that time go?  It seems like yesterday he was threatening my best friend with death if she didn't go away and leave me alone.  (He was 3) He was really the only one of my sons who was a true "Mama's boy".  He only wanted me and hung on me 24/7, driving me nuts if I didn't hold him all the time.  I didn't appreciate it then but I do now.  I love that he loves me and I love him with all my heart.  Now that his time is limited in my home I am appreciating every minute we have together and every experience he lets me share with him.  He makes me proud in so many ways.  He is a great student and athlete but even more importantly he is a great person.  He had to give a little speech to the incoming 8th graders yesterday as one of the athletes who has a high GPA (proving that you can participate in sports and still keep your grades up) and in the middle of his speech he mentioned his little sister and pointed her out.  She was very surprised and pleased and I was so proud of him for making her so happy.  He tries very hard to do what's right and he is hilarious.  He is the most unique of my cookie-cutter boys.  5 years ago I wrote his poem for him and I'm going to post it now as a tribute to a great son. 

Mama's Boy

There's something about us, you and me,
a tie that binds us, that no one can see.
Other people have friendship and love
but you and I are a step above.
You have always been my pride and joy,
a genuine, original mama's boy.

Some might say you're just one of the crew.
How can the sixth one bring anything new?
But you and I know you are one of a kind,
the best of the bunch, there's no doubt in my mind.
The love you have for me brings me great joy,
my genuine, original mama's boy.

As you go through your life and the trials come,
and as blessed as you are you will still have some,
think of our bond and this love that we share.
That no matter what, I will always be there.
You will always be my pride and joy,
I thank the Lord that you're this mama's boy.

Happy Birthday my dearest Hunchamabilia!  I love you to pieces!

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today is my dad's birthday.  He would have been 73.  He has been in Heaven for 7 years.  I don't really think of him very often but today I was.  I am the oldest of 5 children and I know my dad wanted boys.  He had 3 girls first and then 2 boys.  So, for the 7 years that he only had girls, I became his surrogate son.  He let me help him around our ranch.  I helped build fences, I held baby lambs while he cut off their tails, I watched him cut off chickens' heads and then helped clean up.  He didn't talk very much and didn't seem very comfortable around me but he made me feel useful and like he really needed my help.  My dad was hot!  He was only 21 when I was born and he always looked young.  He was my high school principal and I was very proud of that.  Everyone thought he was cool.  He had black hair and long black sideburns and even the bad kids respected him because he was always fair and kind.  He had a hard time opening up to me so we never got super close but I remember when I was a teenager we were riding in the car one day and a song came on the radio.  I said I really liked it and I really liked the words.  He asked who sang it which I thought was a little weird because he didn't really care about stuff like that so I told him.  Shortly after that it was my birthday and to my utter shock my dad had gone out and bought me the album with that song on it.  It is the only present to this day that my dad has ever gotten me and I will never forget the feeling I had knowing that he had taken the time to go out and find that album and buy it for me.  It was called "Watching Scotty Grow" and I don't even know who sang it.  How's that for a random memory?  Anyway, my dad was an awesome dad who always took care of us and gave me a wonderful childhood.  Thanks Dad!  Happy Birthday.  I love you and I'll be there soon. 

Help!

My poor little pregnant daughter-in-law is feeling like poop and I wondered if any of you young moms out there have any tips on how she can feel better?  Did anything in particular help you through your "morning" sickness? (Dumbest name ever.  Who is only sick in the morning?  Must have been a male doctor who came up with that one.) I would love to hear what worked for you.  Vitamins?  Special foods?  Drugs?  It's been a century since I was pregnant so I was hoping maybe modern medicine had come up with something that would help.  Let me know!

Grandma much?

Yahoo!  My sweet Michelle is pregnant!! I am soooo happy.  I can't believe Logan is going to be a dad when he is such a child himself:)  I can't wait to be a grandma again.  Maybe we'll get a little boy this time.  I am so glad that they get to experience the incredible love that a parent has for a child.  Thank you Lichelle for making me so happy.

Lockdown!

Yesterday my daughter's middle school went into lockdown for an hour and a half. Apparently there was an attempted house robbery nearby and the suspects jumped the fence onto the middle school property so the police ordered the school into lockdown until they could apprehend the 4 suspects. The suspects started out with a gun but lost it before they got onto the school grounds. The kids, of course, didn't know any of this. They thought it was just a drill at first but when it drug out longer and longer they started getting nervous. Information came trickling into them from their cell phones and from the teachers' computers and I started getting all kinds of texts from my daughter. First it was a pedophile, then it was two rapists and then they had guns. There were helicopters flying over the school so I knew it was real. I was delivering my Meals on Wheels and had to keep pulling over to answer my daughters texts. I knew she was O.K. deep down inside but I started thinking of all the other school disasters I'd heard about and I started getting a little nervous. It helped a little knowing that her brother was in the classroom right next to hers as a teacher. While sitting on the floor in the dark and in hushed tones for an hour and a half my daughter gained strength from texting her family that she loved them and telling them to pray for her and getting all kinds of encouraging and entertaining texts back from them. Kyle reminded her that Brandon (the teacher) was a closet Ninja and would take care of everything. Dad and Kyle were ready to storm the school and take down any and all threats to their sister and daughter. Michelle (her sister-in-law) was reminding her of past funny memories and trying to keep her spirits up. She also encouraged her to think happy thoughts like the summer release of Eclipse (Twilight). I'm not sure but I'm guessing that at one point or another every student and teacher on that campus thought about their families and wondered if they would see them again and wanted to tell them how much they loved them. Just like the people on the plane that went down on 9/ll, the thing you think about the most when you think it's the end is your family and how much you love them. I'm so glad my family knows they are loved. They say it and hear it every single day. I hope it doesn't take a possible disaster for you to let your family know how you feel about them. End of soapbox speech.