Category: Kiddos

The last time I posted I was a nervous, bumbling wreck…and I was freaking out for nothing!

Well at first it didn’t seem like it. I was home all day Tuesday, the day of the test. Mario was out having a stressful day himself on his day off. I showered, put my wet hair in a pony tail, picked up the boys from school and got home to blow-dry and straighten my hair. And what happens? The power goes out! The first thing I think is, “OMG! The boys’ test is at 6! The light better come back on by then!”

Mom checks at her apartment: no light either. I call Mary to tell her about the problem and she checks with the city. Sure enough, 1,000 customers in the area don’t have power. GREAT! John was working so I couldn’t even go to his house to do my hair there! I was moping for an hour and FINALLY, the light comes back on! I do my hair and then Mario and I go to McDonald’s to get dinner (nuggets for everyone, bleh now that I remember…). Yadira had agreed to watch Emily while we tested so Mom could go watch us test. So I was still getting ready and still had to drop off Emily. Mary went ahead and took the boys to their test a 6, since I was running late and traffic was awful. Once Emily was dropped off, Mario, Mom, Alaethia and I went to the school.

It was around 6:15 and the test hadn’t started yet. I was rushing for nothing, but I was glad we were there and actually acquired seats. I grew more and more nervous as the boys’ test went on. But I told myself to suck it up and just do it. The sparring would supposedly only go on for about 30 seconds. As long as I slid back and kicked once in a while and just generally kept myself from getting hit my arm and knee would be fine.

The boys did excellently. Jaylen remembered to squat more during the Horse Stance and Eenan kicked high. They did great in sparring and broke all their boards. Eenan broke one with a Chito-chagi (sp?), which is a straight up-and-down kick. It took two tries, but he did it! The little girl (who’s Jaylen’s age) that was a blue-advanced going to red belt couldn’t kick one of her boards with the Hetsu. She wasn’t using the correct technique so she kept hitting the board with her ankle repeatedly. I felt so bad for her :(. At least she can execute the Hetsu for the most part; that’s the kick I fell flat on my back trying to do and I’m terrified of doing it now.

Ernesto gave Eenan all A+ and Jaylen got all A+’s except for his punches. But that’s something he can easily work on.

I ran to the pizza place across the street since the light in the bathroom at the school went out. I was so embarrassed but I HAD to go. I ran back when I was done and bought some shin guards since I didn’t want even more bruises up and down my legs. I was so nervous, and it didn’t help that my whole family was there and the place was FULL of spectators. It was the largest audience I’d seen during one of my tests.

So we’re going through the test. Do the basics: horse stance, side punch, low punch all the kicks. I do fine in the one-step sparring and chagiderio. AND THEN it’s time for the sparring part. I fixed the knee pad I’d put on over my welt and bruise, took a deep breath and began to walk to Mario and my stuff so I can put the shin guards on and Ernesto stops me. He asks how my wrist is doing and I tell him that it still hurts and try and turn it and wince. He’s thoughtful as he looks at my wrist and says, “No. I don’t think you should spar. The last thing we need is for you to get even more hurt.” I’m completely shocked and glance over at Luis, who’s got a smirk on his face and probably thinking, “You got lucky!”

I ask Ernesto, “Are you sure?!” I didn’t want to look like a wimp! “I can…keep my arm close and try not to block with this hand.” He says no, but I owe them sparring twice next test. I didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing LOL.

When the girls are fighting I can’t help but think, ‘Dammit! I could have taken them!’ Oh well. Next time.

The board-breaking is next and I execute all 3 kicks flawlessly. I broke one with a side-kick, which I’d already done before and did well, too. A chito-chagi (straight up-and-down kick) and the last one was a mula (donkey kick where you spin around and kick under your body). I did the mula really well, thank goodness! That’s the one that I was most nervous about!

We get our usual helpful lecture on what we need to work on before we get our belts and then we got our belts. It’s the best feeling :). We took pictures with the group and we get our stuff together and go. I tell Mario how excited I am that I broke the boards so well and can’t WAIT to see the pictures. He says, “Um. I didn’t take video.” WHAT?! I couldn’t believe it! The screen-caps I could have gotten from them would have been so awesome! Oh well. I tried not to be TOO upset.

The guys promised that by next test in June I’d be ready for sparring. Darnit, I better!!

I’m in such a shitty mood right now. I don’t even know WHERE to begin. I guess I’ll begin from the beginning.

I woke up with a feeling of foreboding. The boys and my Taekwondo test (yellow-advanced to orange belt) is tomorrow and I just felt so nervous, especially about the sparring part *stomach flips*. I was possibly even more nervous about the fact that my period is about 3 weeks late, give or take, and I’m REALLY praying it doesn’t decide to make an appearance (literally) DURING my test!

I know I can’t be pregnant since I had my tubal (I REALLY hope I’m not. Everyone always cheerfully reminds me, “You COULD be the 1%!”), so since I’m not, what the hell else is going on? The hypochondriac in me starts replaying all those Mystery Diagnosis episodes I’ve ever seen that have anything to do with the uterus.

I had to wake up early because I had an appointment, so I got ready and tried to shake the feeling away. Ate a quick breakfast of milk, homemade Rice Crispies Treat and a banana (I know, gross). Mom came over to watch the girls, Mario left to work and I went to the appointment. Appointment was over and then I went to Walmart for a few things.

I’m driving home and see the Golden Arch up ahead. I felt really down and thought, An iced coffee and some chocolate chip cookies should cheer me up! So there I go to the McDonald’s drive thru. I know better. I’d been eating really well and avoiding junk food (I’m finally at 119 lbs. My goal is 110). BUT. Since I know that Luis (my TKD instructor), John and I and several others are starting P90X this coming Sunday at 12 noon, I’ve been eating everything in sight, weather it’s healthy or not. My logic is, “Ehh, after Sunday I’mma lose all these pounds and calories!”

I get home and John’s already here, paying his bills online. He shakes his head in disappointment when I emerge through the door with my medium coffee and cookies in hand. I tell him how I’ve been stuffing my face like there’s no tomorrow and he bursts out laughing and says, “Me too!”

Spend some time with the girls and I wash dishes while they eat lunch. Then I eat lunch. I could hardly eat, partly because I felt disgusting and gluttonous from my 500 calorie snack (I looked it up) and partly because I felt nauseous and had a headache thinking about my test. I can’t think about it without my heart skipping a beat and my stomach flipping. I know I’ve got the basics and kicks down, and maybe even breaking the boards with no problem, but the SPARRING! Ernesto’s pairing me with 2 14-year-olds, one of which is Luis’ COUSIN and has competed before and fights like a guy! The other’s a white belt, but she’s taller and both are much faster than I am! I know, I know: I should stop being so hard on myself and think positive. But I’ve never actually fought anyone “for real” before! When I “spar” against Ernesto or Luis, they’re teaching me techniques and letting me kick them! I don’t feel prepared at all!

I got Alaethia ready and we picked up the boys from school. Got a summary of their day, helped Eenan with homework and then started getting ready for TKD. I seriously felt like barfing just thinking of going.

I get there and Ernesto’s on time LOL. I start stretching and Esther gets there with her son. (She’s the girl now taking class with me; Norma dropped out around November.) We start jogging, then take turns doing kicks. Then we take turns beating up Bob (the dummy LOL) or kickboxing with Ernesto. Luis arrives as we’re doing that and then Mary, Alaethia and the boys arrive. As we’re getting ready to put on the chest protectors and head gear, two dads show up with their kids. Great! An audience! I hate that >_<. Well we start sparring. I'm actually doing pretty good, getting 2, 3 kicks in and Esther's doing pretty good seeing as how it's her first time. Ernesto separates us, gives us some tips and gets after me for not using any of the techniques he showed me during Saturday's practice. So we start again. I'm blocking, kicking, sliding back, kicking and then I blocked a kick Esther was heading towards me WITH MY FIST! Her knee pushed my wrist into my arm joint. The same wrist that I've had that Ganglion Cyst in for the past 2 years. The same cyst that had JUST popped about 2 weeks ago after doing pushups in class. It popped again and I seriously thought I broke my wrist. I was just going to try and continue, but when I tried to close my first I said, "OW!" and clutched my fist to my chest. Ernesto came over to see what happened. He asked if I could move my fingers and I almost threw up and passed out when I saw my fingers just DANGLING there. I kept trying to make my brain make my fingers move but nothing happened! He started to massage pressure points along my arm and FINALLY, I began to feel my fingers again. It was the worst shooting pain from my finger tips, to my wrist, to my elbow. It was like hitting your funny bone really hard, times 10! I was so embarrassed on top of being in the worst pain in my life. I couldn't believe how stupidly I reacted; why didn't I just slide back and kick instead of trying to block?? I sat in complete agony while the boys were in class. I kept trying to move my fingers and pump my fist, but every little movement I made was awful. The boys' class was finally over and I drove to the ATM to get cash out, since Mary had paid for my test so I wouldn't have to drive so soon after my injury. We get to Aziz and as I slide out of the seat I feel a terrible pain in my knee. I had a HUGE welt! I hadnt even noticed I'd been hit there, or my shin LOL.

The pain in my wrist overrode everything else. I vaguely remember Esther kicking really low, so I’m sure a few more bruises will show up tomorrow!

Mary made sandwiches for the boys and Mom fed the girls. I had leftover nachos from yesterday, even though I shouldn’t have. But it was the lovely comfort food I needed right now. I can’t wait for Mario to get home. I need to be cuddled.

John made me feel a tad bit better when I was texting him about my ordeal and I tell him, “And that’s because we were just practicing! Imagine tomorrow when I fight a girl 14 years younger than me and a belt more advanced!” He replies, “You must fight to win, grasshoppa!” LMAO! That’s why I love my brudder!

I just hope I feel well enough to test tomorrow! And if I do, I hope I don’t come out injured any worse than I did today! Luis’ cousin, I’m told, mostly kicks to the head!! This type of stuff is what makes me want to just drop out and not continue. I hate sparring! It’s not like I’m ever going to compete. I don’t want to be a quitter, and I don’t want to seem weak, though. One thing’s for sure though: I’m never blocking with my fist at that angle ever again!

(You know, I’m glad I still have you, blog. Even though I neglect you, you’re always there for me when I need you. I feel tons better after getting all this off my chest!)

Just updating really quick to wish my Emily a happy birthday in this last hour of the 24th :). We’ve had a good day. We visited Sally and Quentin and she made us an amazing breakfast that Emily really enjoyed. Alaethia, my little bird, picked at her food as always and was much more interested in playing with Quentin and his toys. We visited Mary and her coworkers and everyone cooed over how pretty the girls are :).

I picked up the boys, John came over to do laundry and I got ready for Taekwondo. It as Ernesto teaching today and he put on a chest protector and was my Target as he taught me sparring techniques. I was super tired by the end of class, to say the least. I got home and washed up and made Emily a brownie fudge cake. Mario picked up Dominoes and we had a nice little dinner at the in-laws’. John and Mom were there, too, of course and Elda and the boys came over. It was the cutest watching Emily make her squinty smile s she watched the candle burn while we sang her happy birthday. And she had a blast feeding herself cake and smushing it all over.

Jaylen’s sparring equipment came in so I picked it up. He’s excited. As I was walking out of the school Ernesto tells the two teens there, Salvador and Junior, how well I was doing my mula kick. It was nice to hear :).

And in closing I ant to say I just feel so blessed to have Emily in my life. All 4 of them. I still remember when I found out I was pregnant with her; it was such a shock and I was so scared. But she is the apple of all our eyes. Happy Birthday, my tiny buddy :). I love you!