Lucky Thirteen and Counting

This is what we did all day long on Sunday.  This was our regions semi-finals.  We’ve been telling Jace all season that this was his last race.  But guess what?  He made it to the finals!  This heat placed him in second place based on overall time.  He is representing the Ladera Liquids in his division in the back stroke.  GO JACE!  He got two firsts in his individuals and two seconds in his relay races.  

In our region we compete against, The Tustin Dolphins, The Orange County Wave, and Splash Aquatics (newport beach).  SInce I am a newbie to this sport I have no idea who we are racing against tonight. I am told this is A. BIG. DEAL. I am just a proud mama that my little guy is there.   

I will let you all know how our team does tonight!  You can all rest assured I will be there with a raging headache, lots are tears, and the loudest cheers of all!  I wonder if I will ever stop crying when he races?  ….probably not

Go Jace Carter!!

At the request of one of my loyal readers I am dedicating this entire post to Jace Carter.  I am VERY lucky that I have a reader to thank for this request because I get shit all the time from the older kids, accusing me of having favorites, and of Jace being one of those favorites. 

This favorite child thing is tricky business.  I have so many kids and I love them all the same, but I like them all for different reasons.  If I am going shopping, hands down, Shaylee and Hadley are my girls.  Bronson and Hunter are HELL to take to the mall.  If I am in a beach mood, the little kids are ALWAYS ready to go to the beach.  The big kids only go when, and if, all their beach specifications are met.  Time, length of stay, temperature, and “Only if we can eat at Gallows.” Sometimes, I just want to go and hang out.  I don’t want to mess with the boogie boards and walking all the way to Gallows.  So, you all understand me here, right?  There is a kid for every season. 

With Jace, he is kid for all seasons.  He is the most lovable child, the sweetest, most thoughtful, happy go lucky, athletic, fun, and charming kid.  He is PERFECT. He is also a mama’s boy.  Now, Parker is a mama’s boy too, but he is still a mean shit.  He pitches fits and throws toys and bangs his head if life isn’t going his way.  Jace would have NEVER done those things, even at Parker’s age. He has been a LOVE from moment one.  

Here is a great example, the other day, as I got out of the car, Brandon said to me, “You are beautiful baby.”

To which I replied, “I wish I was because you deserve a beautiful wife.”

Jace happened to be in the front yard shooting hoops when he overheard this conversation.  He ran right over and said, “You want to be beautiful?  YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!”  And he said it with the most sincere seven-year-old heart and with such conviction that I believed him.   For a split second I felt GORGEOUS!

He is always telling me how happy he is, and how great of a mom I am. He thanks me for everything.  He is enough to melt the heart of anyone and everyone.  At swim team, all the coaches LOVE Jace.  Every single coach on deck knows him by name, whether he swims in their lane or not, he is loved by all. 

Add all of this to the fact that he is the cutest thing EVER and I just can’t help myself.  He is the ‘Chosen Child’.  I am not sure what to do about it.  He knows he has me wrapped around his finger and I guess the rest of the kids know it too.  Maybe they should just take some notes and be a little bit more Jace like. 

I spent most of yesterday writing this post in the salon while Kate was getting braided up.  Shaylee asked what I was writing about. I replied, “Jace.”

She said, “Here let me help you.” and took the laptop, and typed, “Jace Carter is my favorite.”

A moment later, one of the ladies at the salon asked me if I have had to deal with jealously in a family so big.  I smiled and pointed to Shaylee and replied, “Only with this one.” 

Shaylee went off on a rant about how she knows I like Jace the most and it bugs her that I won’t admit it. 

The lady asked Shaylee why she thought he was the favorite and this was her response.

“Because, when my mom had her boob job five years ago, and she was on all sorts of narcotics, she told us all that she loved him the most.”

…and there you have it. 

Here’s hoping you all have a little Jace in your life. 

PS. According to Hadley, Jace is just a suck up and acts like a shit when I am not around.   

Brandon gets knocked over in the middle of the race, but you can still see the finish.  YAY JACE!!