Gasparilla Classic Invitational 2016

First, some pics of Jordan's recent gymnastics competition down in Tampa..



Tropicana Field.



Inside the arena..

and goofy airplane selfies..















The gymnastics salute.  The size of this arena and all the activities happening all at once was overwhelming.  It is such a testament to these kids who maintain such focus while they compete.



Jordan did fantastic.  This is him at the podium getting the second place medal for the pommel horse.  The first place winner shook hands, which was lovely.  This kid and his twin brother were the team to beat up there.

Jordan earned two fourth place finishes (vault and parallel bars), a fifth on high bar and a sixth place for his floor routine.  His scores overall were high enough to earn him an All Around - 4th place, which pretty much rocked his world.



Seeing our good friends who drove down to see us was so special.



The Bermuda Boys Competitive Team. posing by the BDA flag after two days of competition.



The view from the Marriott Hotel at the airport.  Watching Southwestern airlines taxi off and return just about made his weekend.

Tim Daggett Invitational - January 2016

Jordan just got back from his first gymnastics meet of the year.  Together with his team, he travelled to Springfield, MA for the Tim Daggett Invitational.  He competed again in level 5.  Jeff accompanied him abroad over the weekend of January 29th - 31st.Grandma H and Grandpa Michael joined them (and shot some of these great pictures too.)



Jordan was excited.  He's worked hard all summer through the fall and winter, after recovering from pneumonia in August.  He sprang back though, and has been working on perfecting all the events and bonus points.

Back home, Mina, Theo and I anxiously awaited results.  I refreshed the online meet scores at least twenty times, and was glued to my phone, texting Jeff for the details.

"How is he?  Is he nervous?  Does he seem nervous?  What did he eat for breakfast?  Remember not to give him a huge lunch before he competes!  Stick with a big protein breakfast in the morning, and keep him away from junky snacks!"

I was obviously more worried than Jordan.  He did amazingly well.  Out of six events, he medaled in four of them.  His scores were high enough to put him in the top ten gymnasts in his division.  Out of 47 boys, he ranked 9th.

It hasn't been forgotten that this meet came on the same week as the anniversary of Jordan's heart transplant (January 26 - 11 years ago.)

Our heart angel, Breanna, lives on and lives strong.  I hope she would be proud of what her guy is up to.

This is what a transplant patient can do.

3



5













Breakdown:
Floor - 9.5 (11th)
Pommel - 10.2 (8th)
Rings - 10.8 (6th)
Vault - 9.5 (12th)
Parallel Bars -9.9 (11th)
High Bar - 8.9 (12th)
All Around - 58.8 (9th)

Turning 11 - Birthday celebrations for Jordan.

We are going on six years now since we moved to Bermuda; and somehow during that time, this guy turned 11.

This was what Jordan looked like when we first moved here.  November 2010.  At the playground at Somersfield Academy.




And now:  January 17, 2016.



How did that happen again?

To celebrate, we had a full weekend of festivities.  Grandmas Helene and Grandpa Michael joined us again from New York.  This makes their 12th visit to Bermuda!





Ice cream is yummy! So is the birthday breakfast brunch at Bouchee! Thanks for the special treat, Helene and Michael.

Jordan had a birthday movie party at the Specialty Cinema in town.  We watched the first episode of Star Wars - IV, "A New Hope."  Big thanks to Ana, who handled the booking.  After some miscommunication regarding party times, she contacted me later and adjusted the price of the party to reflect the mistake.  I never asked her to, she just offered.  I love recognizing great customer service like that.  The staff at the cinema the day of also should be commended for keeping their cool and carrying on during the onslaught of 15 boys.

Oh look - there they are.

Group shot.









Jeff was the welcoming wagon:





shenanigans.



The Star Wars cake, courtesy of The Marketplace. They did a great job, and given Bermuda prices, it wasn't that expensive.








Loads of presents from his friends.



That evening, we went out to dinner at Portofino - a family favorite.  Jordan was serenaded by the waiters, who delight in calling him various names.  It's usually Pasquale.. this evening they chose Miguel.  They also know he is a huge fan of the Parmesan cheese.  When the waiter comes by with it for the table, he heads to Jordan first.

Their desserts also don't disappoint.



This guy was allowed to leave the confines of his cage for a little while as well.  Look how nicely he is buttering his bread.  That lasted for about 30 seconds.  And then he was a disaster.  He's not the best age for restaurants yet, but we try in limited doses.  Portofino is fabulously accommodating on that front. 

 

The next night was a Monday, and the actual date of Jordan's birth, but he had gymnastics after school.  He doesn't get home till after 8, but we all waited to eat with him (well, except Theo..)  A cheese plate and wine helped tide over the grownups until we feasted later. 

First there was steak.  Then there was cake.

 

I made a two layer chocolate cake and covered it with sprinkles.

 

He loved it.



Hard to believe that our time here is now marked in terms of "this will be the last time.."  But it's true.  I'm fairly certain this will be the last time we will be celebrating Jordan's birthday in Bermuda in January! 

Hope he remembers it fondly. 

Summer Setback, 2015.

Unfortunately, Jordan's camp experience didn't go as planned this year. After a week at gymnastics camp, he came down with a high fever.  He complained of chills, pain and was sleeping constantly.  The camp nurses brought him to urgent care and his chest was X-rayed.  He was eventually diagnosed with pneumonia. Phone calls from the health center are not what any parent wants to get when their kid is away at camp.  It's especially hard when you aren't even in the same country.  Funny to think that last year's big health drama was a call from Mina's camp warning us that one of the bunk mates had to be treated for lice. 

Simple times.

Jeff flew out to the States early, withdrew Jordan from camp and brought him to Grandma H's to recover.

Over a few days, his fever continued, despite Tylenol and antibiotics.  The infection in his lungs remained and he got very dehydrated.  We made the decision to admit him to an ER in Pennsylvania, and he began IV fluids and new antibiotics.  Jordan's cardiac team at Columbia was in touch with the hospital to discuss testing and medication.  Jeff has been by his bedside the whole time.

A couple days later, Jordan is recovering (fingers crossed).  More tests continue to make sure the infection isn't in his bloodstream or affecting his heart or organs.  That is really scary to even think about.  His fever is down for now (fingers crossed) and Jeff says he is starting to go back to being his normal, goofy self.  See pic below once fever broke.



Jordan was supposed to be enjoying the last couple weeks of August in the same camp that Mina is in right now.  Obviously that isn't going to happen.  I emailed the camp director and asked that Jordan be withdrawn due to medical reasons.  They were understanding about it.  Jordan hasn't said too much about not getting to go, at least not yet.  I'm also not there with him, so I have no clue exactly what he's thinking.  I'm still here in Bermuda, with the baby, trying to process all of this from afar.  Traveling with the baby and trying to juggle his care while being in and out of the hospital didn't seem to make much sense at the time.

I think that's the reasoning.  I don't know.  I regret not going.  Trying to gauge how Jordan is doing based on emails, texts, phone calls and Facetime is not the same as being physically present in the same room with someone.  I'm feeling massive amounts of guilt as a mom, as well as a bit of resentment.  Who cares if it was a hassle with the baby? Why did I agree to stay home? Maybe trying to make everything run smoothly shouldn't have been a priority. I don't know why I agreed to this.  I am kicking myself. 

The other thing that's been bothering me about this situation is the feeling of let down on Jordan's behalf.  Maybe he doesn't care right now that he missed out on the rest of camp, the adventures to Hershey Park, the water slides in the lake, the bungee jumping and overnights in a tent with campfires and s'mores.  But at some point, he's going to think about it, particularly when Mina comes home and talks about what a fun summer she had.

I really wanted them both to have a fun summer.  That's why we agreed to let them go to camp again this year and for a longer period of time.  I put aside any doubts  because both of the kids have gone to camp before.  I put aside any doubts about Jordan's health because I trusted he would be well cared for.  I made the call, as I have done a million times before, to treat him like any other kid and not let being a transplant kid affect every aspect of my decision making.  I never wanted that to be the defining characteristic about him.  I just wanted him to be normal.

I keep telling myself that any kid could have come down with pneumonia at camp.  It's not just something that happens to a transplant kid.  When you make the call to treat your immune-suppressed kid like everyone else, you have to be willing to accept that shit will happen sometimes.  And then you get to second guess yourself to death.  Did I do the right thing?  Should he have stayed home?  Was it too much expecting him to be away by himself?  Was there something I should have done differently, said to his counselors before, packed warmer clothes?



Jeff sent me this picture today.  Jordan is off the IV drips and is walking around again.  His temperature is still down, but they are going to keep in the hospital one more night to observe him as they switch him to an oral antibiotic, and to see if he can keep his fluids down.  He looks incredibly big in this picture, as he sits there goofing off with a surgical mask.  I don't know how other transplant parents manage the balance of achieving a semblance of normality for their kids.  Ten and a half years later, I'm still trying to figure it out. 

We've never let Jordan's health issue dictate how he was treated when it came to basic matters.  He started preschool at two and a half, was surrounded by regular kids, exposed to all the same germs and colds they were.  He was always carted around to parties and play dates and big open pits of germ ridden balls at play zones.  He's gone to amusement parks and flies on airplanes.  In short, he's pretty much been a regular kid.

With the exception of this year (when we pulled him out of school for a week during a chicken pox scare) I don't recall any major incidents of altering normal behavior because of his immune issues.  Granted, some of my blasé attitude is because Jordan is on a very low dose of suppression.  Comparably speaking, his level of medication is minimal.  When we inform his anesthesia docs and nurses before every biopsy about his meds, they look incredulous.  Most transplant patients take a lot of meds.  Jordan has been lucky.  In so many ways.

I am going to try not to let my attitude affect Jordan's reaction to this.  If and when he decides to talk about it, I need to help him put this in perspective.  He missed some fun at camp.  That is a real bummer.  Sometimes bad things happen.  But there is still some summer left before school starts and we'll have to find a way to have some fun at home.  I'll leave my sober depressing thoughts for after he goes to bed.

Competition.

Jordan recently competed in a gymnastics meet held at the University of Maryland - the Mid Atlantic Invitational.  This is the second year he's been at this meet.  This is the first time he medaled in an event.

It's a tough meet - coming as it does near the end of the season.  Level 5 is usually well represented with boys who have been competing every weekend as part of sectional and regional meets.  Most of them are seasoned and used to how a meet works.  Most of the boys are used to having a good day or a bad one and being able to brush it off, knowing another meet will happen the next weekend.

It's a little different for our boys in Bermuda. 

They only had three meets this year - all overseas.  So when they compete, it involves travelling, overnight stays in hotels, missed school days,  a lot of attention (and some pressure) put on them to do well, represent not only their gym, but also Bermuda.  The boys were written up in the  paper, sometimes they are mentioned on the radio, and I also noticed that Jordan's school had his picture on its home page with a write up.  To Jordan's credit, he is very nonchalant about the attention.  It doesn't seem to affect him, which is good.  At the meets I have attended with him, he shows remarkable focus.



Thankfully, this was a good meet for Jordan.  At his last one - the Tim Daggett Invitational, despite excellent scores, he did not make the cutoff for medals.  It hurt him.  He puts so much work into training every day - both at the gym and at home.  He chose to challenge himself by competing at a higher level for the first time, when he could have played it safe and dropped to a lower one.  But, he didn't. 



On the rings - Jordan's best event.



Look at this face.  He is so proud of himself.  As he should be.

The thing is though, as I was editing this picture, something caught my eye.




This little guy down here. 
Maybe he's bored?  Maybe he's a little wistful?  Slightly jealous?  I don't know.  It just struck me that on any given day, that could be Jordan or any other boy out there competing.  They all want to win so badly.

This is a tough sport for these  guys.  The strength training and hours they put into it aren't always rewarded with bling around their necks.  Some days are good.  Some days aren't.  Wins are often measured in tenths of a point differentials. 

We've faced some long talks with Jordan, explaining good sportsmanship, and how every little misstep out there results in the difference between a win and a loss.  More important though is knowing you are improving on each event and doing your best.  Even without a medal, we try and reinforce setting personal goals for the season - getting a kip, perfecting the flairs, trying out the bonus moves.  We encourage him to cheer on his teammates and congratulate them for their wins too.

It's not easy. When a win is so easily measured by a medal, translating other success milestones is much harder.  I've been doing some reading lately on athletic mental coaching.  It's really fascinating to read about collegiate and professional athletes whose discipline is more than just physical training.  So much of it starts with what's in their head.  I suppose if we all had that inner strength, there would be no stopping us.



Mina faces her own athletic challenges as well. Her recent running wins at sports day aside, she has spent the majority of the shool year complaining about gym class and "all that running!!"  Day in and day out, she would step into the car and immediately launch into how hard the day was because of gym.  It's particularly frustrating for her because she does so well academically.  There has never been a parent teacher meeting I have ever attended for her that did not begin with the teacher praising her for her work.  I don't mean to brag, although it does sound like it.  She deserves all the credit.  The worst complaint I ever got about her was one teacher suggesting she put too much pressure on herself when she scored only 19 out of 20 spelling words right.  Apparently Mina burst into tears and considered it a "failure."

"Where would she get an idea like that Mrs. Trimarchi?"

ugh...

It was nice to see her so happy with her ribbons for second place in two athletic events, and a third place in relay.  She has many talents that aren't always splashed out in the papers.  So it's heartening to see her so happy when it's her time to shine.

Of course, then there's Theo.



All he needs to make him happy is some food.

 Life is good when you are just 6 months old.

Jordan's project - show and tell.

Jordan's Show and Tell project - visiting Grand Cayman.

 

This year's attempt involved more effort on his part than last years (bringing our dog Oscar to school), so I applauded that.  But for the life of me, I couldn't really understand why he chose to focus on a few hours spent on Grand Cayman rather than something more encompassing - like, e.g, the week on the Disney Cruise.

"What was it about Grand Cayman that you liked so much?"

"I liked the flag.  It was colorful."

"Ok.. but apart from that, what was it about being in Grand Cayman that you liked?  What would you want to tell people about?"

"The beaches.  I like the beach."

Sometimes, it is a struggle getting someone to open up about an experience, especially when he is just 9 years old.  I mentally pictured how one would convey the glory of a Cayman beach to a bunch of kids from Bermuda - home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

I went with it though.  We did some research online to identify all the components of the flag and what they represented (the turtle, the pineapple, the waves, the motto.)  We studied the origins of the country and a brief history of its ownership. We printed out some pictures and discussed layout and design.  Then we sat down and planned a little about what he would say.  I made him jot down those notes on the poster board so he would remember them when standing up before the class.

Public speaking takes practice.  Notes help.  It's also amazing to me how comfortable the kids are these days doing research online.  I still monitor it, but they get the concept of key word searches and the different search engines they can use. 

Finding your sport.

Growing up, I played a lot of different sports:  tennis, softball, rugby, basketball.  Some of them I loved, and some I just did to occupy time.  But they were always a fun thing for me.  I like sports, and still do.

My kids are still in the process of figuring out what sports, if any.. are for them.  Maybe there will come a day when they decide they don't want to be a part of organized activities, and that's their choice.  For now, though, I like to keep them active.  We keep trying different things.



Jordan has been doing gymnastics for a while now - starting as a child with the sort of tumble tot, babies rolling on the gym mats and chewing their feet thing.  He's stuck with it over the years, and I encourage him a lot on days when he'd rather be goofing off at home playing Minecraft.

 Don't get me started on Minecraft.

For one, I think it's a good sport for his body type.  It plays to his strengths - he's short, compact and very strong.  Perfect gymnast material.



The other factor is the focus on individual performance.  Jordan was asked to join the boys invitational team here in Bermuda, which was a lovely chance to develop his skills.  While there is a team, which practices three or more times a week - each boy ultimately has to compete with himself to earn his scores.



I think that appeals to Jordan.  He's spent so many hours standing around in the ball fields watching the clouds go by, or waiting for the odd chance a soccer ball strolls by him.  He doesn't seem to get the frenzy that some boys display when it comes to sports like soccer or baseball.  I get the feeling he just doesn't care.  I distinctly remember him telling me his favorite part of the baseball games were snack time when it was over - particularly if I was the one bringing the cookies.  M&M cookies with chocolate AND butterscotch chips, please, mom!

But with gymnastics - it's all him.  He has to perform all the requirements of the level he's assigned, remember them, fine tune the precise elements to earn the maximum number of points without deductions.  Ultimately, he can't blame anyone else for the result. 



I'm glad he's still part of a gymnastics team though.  Whenever he feels like slouching off, I remind him that his teammates will be at practice, and they depend on him to hold his end up.  Part of being on a team means showing up, putting in your time, and getting better.

He's understanding that more as he gets older.  TO his credit, he's been doing a fantastic job this term with the long hours he puts in each week.  (Long driving too!!) 

Highlights this month include a fundraising exhibition at city hall - cool video!  And this past weekend, Jordan had a "fun meet" where an American coach and men's gymnastics trainer came down to teach the boys about scoring, and run some practice drills with them. 

 

 

 

Jordan's first real competitive meet will be in January, in Connecticut.  He's very excited about travelling abroad to compete and stay in a hotel with the team.  It sounds like such a fun adventure!!