Portland

Warning! If you can't abide proud mamas - don't read this:


SO. CALIF.
OREGON
ILLINOIS
NEW ENGLAND
NORTH CA.
VIRGINIA
KANSAS
NORTH TEX
ALABAMA
S. JERSEY
METRO NYC
CAPITOL
COLORADO
NEVADA

Fencers came from all of these states and more for the National Youth Fencing Tournament in Portland, Oregon last weekend. National....not just state or regional. National.

And I am burstingly, obnoxiously, happily proud of my son who, after several disappointing tournaments this year, fought his way to 6th place! In. The. Nation.

AND, he is only 11, playing in a field of 11 and 12 year olds.

AND, in the pools (1st part of tournament where they fence to get ranked) he beat the guy who went on to get the gold!

AND, everyone concerned agreed that the judge on his last bout was out to get him, totally unfair and just plain wrong. Joe even yelled at the judge! Coach had to tell Joe to stop. Another time, I'll have to write about how fencing is 1/2 skill, 1/4 luck and 1/4 which judge you get (more or less).

In addition to all that, ARG* got to go on a cool trip with his Dad, eat lots of hamburgers and strawberry shakes, view a cool Jackie Chan movie and ride a trolley bus. Yay!

Hey, we mom's gotta take these moments and milk them for all they are worth! They don't come very often. They are precious. So, I am very happy for my little big guy. My man-boy (I would blog about the early development that runs in my family, but that would be too cruel to him).

I hope times like these will build him up on the inside - that he'll know he can do hard things all on his own and succeed.


*ARG - new alias for my son. It's closer to the truth, but still respects Safety Man's wishes.