Happy Birthday Baby Boy

Thirty years ago today we welcomed our bouncing baby boy. Nicholas Patrick Valenta joined our family early in the morning on November 23, 1981. He came into the world in a big way, weighing in at 10 pounds 5 ounces, and he's been larger than life ever since. He embraces life at full tilt and has never lost his childlike enthusiasm for fun.

I love the book Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. It always makes me think of Nick. I gave him this book when he left for college. We both cried.

"I'll love you forever 
I'll love you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy! 

We Have Too Much Stuff

I'm still on my clean out and de-clutter crusade around the house. Today's target was Nick's room, more precisely, Nick's closet.

Nick graduated from high school in May of 2000, then left for college in August. After that he came home for summers, and then he lived at home for about eight months after graduation until he found a job. For the most part, he's been gone for more than ten years now. But the problem is, he never completely moved out. Oh sure, he's married and has a house of his own (which is more than twice as big as ours), but he's never really moved all his stuff. It's like he's trying to keep a foothold here in case he ever needs to come back home.

My question is ... do they every really move out? Don't get me wrong ... he's gone, but his stuff is still here. And by stuff, I mean clothing that he hasn't worn in many years, shoes and boots that he occasionally wears when he comes home to go hunting, college textbooks and notes, photos of his high school friends, the suit we bought him for job hunting, a catalog case from his first job that he can't remember the combination to unlock, notes from a basketball camp he went to in 1996, assorted trophies and medals from high school sports, both high school and college letter jackets, a beautiful onyx chess set that has never been taken out of the box, and a variety of other "stuff."

Now, in all fairness to Nick, we also found a bunch of other stuff that we had just been cramming into his closet for the past ten years or so. I had stored pillows, mattress pads, quilts, blankets, picture frames, books, a picnic basket, stacks of magazines, a bunch of clothes that Grandad has outgrown, a briefcase, several overnight bags and suitcases, boxes of memorabilia from the kid's school years, a pair of lamps I want to rewire, and assorted other "stuff."

In short, even though I've been working on it for months, we still have too much "stuff" all over the house. Next up on the clean out list is my craft closet and then the closet in Katy's room. My goal is to get it done this week and have a garage sale within the next couple of weeks. My real goal is not to end up like those people on Hoarders. None of this stuff is coming back into my house. Anything that doesn't sell goes to Goodwill.

"Anyone who has ever cleaned out a closet and taken stuff to Goodwill knows how liberating it is. You feel lighter, your mind feels clearer." - Cecile Andrews

News from the Medical Front

Grams and Grandad spent most of the last week in Houston. It was time for Grandad's six-month follow-up visit with his electro-physiologist and Nick was also having some medical tests. Grams was along for cooking and driving.

In the six months since his last cardiac ablation, Grandad wore a cardiac monitor which sent data about his heart rate and rhythm to the cardiologist. The doctor reported that, during that 30-day period, there was not one instance of atrial fibrillation (A-fib). There were a few times when his heart had irregular rhythm in the lower chamber, but not significant and not related to the A-fib.

That's excellent news ... but ... it does not explain Grandad's continuing issues with shortness of breath and tightness in his chest. These have been happening with increasing frequency for the past month or so. They are severe enough to limit physical activity. When they happen, he has to stop what he's doing and sit down or lay down.

After some in-depth discussion, Dr. Rahsek agreed that those may be side effects of Multaq, the medication that regulates the heart rhythm. He instructed Grandad to stop the Multaq at once and see if the symptoms go away after a week to 10 days. Then, Grandad will once again wear a 30-day heart monitor to insure that his A-fib does not return. If it doesn't, he will be released by Dr. Rahsek.

He also instructed Grandad to go back to his local cardiologist and request a new stress test. The last stress test he had was five years ago, before his initial heart surgery. The symptoms he's experiencing could be yet another different problem with his heart or it could just be side effects from the Multaq. Time will tell.

As for Nick's medical issues, he has been complaining for some time now that when he swallows he feels "something in his throat." The results of the tests he had on Friday were good. He has GIRD (gastro intestinal reflux disorder) that has caused some minor damage to his esophagus and larynx. Those problems will go away with treatment of the reflux. That part should be fine with continued treatment. During the testing to identify that problem, they discovered a growth on Nick's thyroid which will need to be biopsied. After preliminary examination by an endocrinologist, the doctor is "concerned" and has scheduled a biopsy for next week. Marie is home for the next few weeks, so I won't have to go back to Houston for these tests.

On the bright side, I'm enjoying a 5-6 day visit from Her Highness. Her family will be camping for the next few days, so we picked her up yesterday evening and will have her until Monday or Tuesday. She slept from 11 p.m. last night until after 10 a.m. and she's napping again now. It's my Grams super power ... I'm able to make babies sleep. It's a gift.

Luckily, I'm a "glass half full" kind of girl when it comes to medical issues. I choose to think everything will eventually be okay for both of the men in my life. I just can't look at it any other way.

Play Ball

Last Friday evening, Nick and Marie treated Grams and Grandad to an Astros game. It was Aggie night at Minute Maid Park, so we all got Aggie/Astros caps and bags. Marie's brother Artie, and his girlfriend Claudia, joined us for a fun evening. Artie is a Braves fan, so that made things more interesting.

I should start by telling you that I am not a baseball fan. I mostly enjoyed baseball when Nick played little league. And I say mostly because, well, you know how youth sports are. There were those overly aggressive fathers who sometimes reduced their own kids to tears and the over-enthusiastic mothers who spoiled the fun for everyone. But, mostly I enjoyed it. I'm a huge fan of Americana and, what's more American than baseball? Plus, I loved the innocence of the kids. It didn't really matter if they won or lost. All that mattered to them was that everybody got a snow cone at the end of the game.

Years ago we would take the kids to Astroworld at least once a year and often try to take in a game at the Astrodome. There was always something special about that first view of the field when you walked into the Astrodome. But after professional baseball players went on strike twice in the 1980s, professional baseball just sort of lost its charm for me. After all, these are grown men who play a game for a living and get paid millions of dollars. I have a lot of trouble working up any sympathy for either the players or the owners. It just left a bad taste in my mouth and I just sort of lost interest.

So last Friday night's trip to the Astros-Braves game was our first visit to Minute Maid Park. I knew that the park had a retractable roof. Therefore I assumed that, since it was a very warm, sunny day, the roof would be open and we would be sweltering in the Texas heat. Not so. I was delighted and surprised to see that the roof was closed and the stadium was air conditioned. Yippee! We sat near first base in cool comfortable seats.

There are a wide variety of food vendors available at Minute Maid Park. We had Papa John's Pizza. It was pricey ... three personal size pizzas cost almost $30, but I do love me some Papa John's Pizza. Nick had a burger and fries and half of my pizza. I was disappointed that I didn't find Minute Maid Light Lemonade at any of the vendors near us. It's so hard to find non-carbonated drinks with little or no sugar in public venues. I thought, since this was Minute Maid Park, they would have a wide variety of Minute Maid products available. If they did, I didn't find it. I also didn't find iced tea, so I drank water. Later in the game I had a bag of pistachios which were also expensive, but very tasty.

We sat in the lower level right near first base about 30 rows back. The seats were surprisingly spacious and comfortable. As I said, I'm not a baseball aficionado, but I've been to a few arenas and stadiums for other events. Comparatively speaking, these seats were among the roomiest I've seen. Keep in mind that Grandad is 6'5" tall requiring an ample amount of leg room. There was enough even for him.

It wasn't a competitive game; the Astros lost miserably but it was fun. The other fans around us were engaging which made it a communal experience. As far as I'm concerned that's the only reason to attend a sporting event instead of watching on TV. The two young men who sat in front of us (there is a photo of them above) were particularly nice and friendly. And, since it was Friday night, there were fireworks. That meant, we got to witness the opening of the retractable roof, which was surprisingly fast. I wish I had timed it ... I would estimate it took around 15 minutes. The MLB info page for Minute Maid Park site says it opens and closes in 12-20 minutes which would make my estimate right on target. It was interesting to watch it open and it's also interesting to note that there is a person who "rides" the roof on the left field side as it opens. The zoom on my camera is not powerful enough to pick it up ... I could barely see him myself. Marie had to point him out to me.

The fireworks were fun too. It was crooner's night so the songs that accompanied the fireworks were classics we all loved by the likes of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Buble. It was great! We all leaned back, sang along, and enjoyed the show.

I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm sold on professional baseball again, but I would definitely go again. Minute Maid Park alone is worth the trip.

Confirmed

Grams and Grandad spent the weekend in Houston with Nick and Marie. We were there to celebrate with them as Marie received the sacrament of confirmation.

Marie being anointed, the priest moved right in front of her just as I snapped the photo

The confirmation took place on Sunday evening at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Although we've been practicing Catholics for our entire married life, this was a unique experience. Our Lady of Lourdes is actually Giáo Xứ Đức Mẹ Lộ Đức which is a Vietnamese parish of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The church hosted confirmation for several parishes last Sunday, which also was Pentecost Sunday. I think there were close to a hundred adults who were confirmed that night. Most Catholics are confirmed as teenagers, but often, for one reason or another, while they are baptized as babies and receive communion around eight years old, they never get around to confirmation. Such was the case with Marie.

I want to tell you a little bit about the church. The building is only about a year old and is really, really beautiful. This is the second new church I've been to in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, and they are really exceptionally beautiful in the traditional sense. So many modern churches look like retail establishments. These buildings are much more traditional and I'm sure much more expensive. But, kudos to their architect. They really are gorgeous. This church has mass in the Vietnamese language with one mass in English on Sunday.

Photo from here

As you can see, the church is beautiful. But, the church is not the building. The church is the people and this church has some wonderful people. You could tell they were proud to be hosting this event and they were proud of their church. As we arrived that evening, I was intrigued to see several ladies in traditional Vietnamese clothing. As it turned out, those dresses were lay minister's vestments. The Eucharistic Ministers wore white and gold and the Hospitality Ministers wore bright pink.

I snapped these photos with no flash because they were taken during the mass. I thought the traditional dress was a beautiful addition to a very special celebration. Eucharistic Ministers at our church and at most churches dress exactly like the photo below. Serviceable and neat, but much less beautiful.

Photo from here

I have to say that I was very disappointed in the behavior of quite a few of the people who attended this mass. Before the service began, an announcement was made requesting that everyone refrain from flash photography and from moving forward to take photos during the service. There would be ample time afterward to pose for pictures and the Vicar General, who was bestowing the sacrament, would be happy to pose for photographs after mass. Over and over during the very long service, people with cameras got up and walked in front of everyone to snap a photograph. Some even had their friends stop in front of the altar and pose for pictures during the mass. It was very disrespectful of others who were straining to see their own loved ones as they were anointed.

Marie chose Christopher as her saint's name. Saint Christopher is the patron saint of travelers. Marie is definitely a traveler herself. Next week Marie will start her new assignment with Exxon in Norway. Here is the newly confirmed Marie with her husband and sponsor Nick. Congratulations Marie, we are very proud of you!

I thought you might also like to see that today I have a new blogging assistant. Her Highness is asleep on the sofa right next to me. Yesterday we drove home from Houston to Corpus Christi. Then we met Katy in Three Rivers last night and I came back to San Antonio with her to spend the week taking care of Her Highness. Grandad will come up for the weekend. Our Little Princess has gone with her Daddy and big sister Mady to visit family and friends in Louisiana.

As you can see, we're both working very hard. Nice work if you can get it.

Wordless Wednesday

Our Little Princess and Uncle Nick

My Favorite Christmas Pageant Ever

While Grams was dusting, doing laundry, and just generally cleaning house today, I ran across some photos of my kids in Christmas pageants. I have a couple of them framed in my living room and they were dusty. It reminded me of how much I loved their school performances and how much I miss them. See, my kids are not kids any more. Katy is 31 and Nick is 29. It's been many years since they were in school programs of any kind.

So I spent a little time looking through my albums and boxes of old photos looking for the pictures from these treasured memories.

The stories of my two children and their various performances are vastly different.  Here's Katy's stage debut at day care.

Nick's was a little different. He's supposed to be standing in line with the other kids on the stage. Instead, he's sitting on the front of the stage and smiling as the crowd giggles at him.

For at least two years, Katy was an angel in the Christmas pageant. It was a non-speaking role. I like to think that real angels have beautiful red hair that glows like hers. She always wanted to be the Blessed Virgin, but I think the role of an angel fit her perfectly.

Nick played the little gray donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem. This was the Nativity story told from the animals' point of view.

Katy and Nick were both elves at various times.

Over the years there were many other performances. I have pictures from some that I don't even remember.

And then there was my absolute favorite Christmas Pageant ever! 

Nick was in kindergarten at Annaville Elementary School. It was a neighborhood school with a real family feeling. Everyone knew everyone. We were neighbors and friends. The school has been closed for several years now as the district has moved to a primary, intermediate, and middle school format. The kindergarten school pageant was always a big event. Families crowded into the cafetorium and strained to see their little ones on stage. Because there were so many kids, the performance had several acts. All the kids in Nick's group were dressed in clown costumes because they were Jacks-In-The-Box. Moms had sewn the costumes and the kids had rehearsed for hours. Nick was a very cute clown. In fact, all the kids were just precious as only kindergartners can be.

The program started and the kids sang their song. I don't remember what the song was, but the kids were performing beautifully. During the song, the Jacks were to pop in and out of their boxes several times. All was going well until the little girl next to Nick tried to pop-up out of her box and fell over. As you can see in the picture above, she's already having trouble with her hat falling in her face. What happened next was heart-warming and touching. Nick looked over and saw that she had fallen and was crying because she was embarrassed. It was then that he purposely knocked his own box over and fell right next to her on the stage. You see, he realized that she was embarrassed and thought that she would feel better if she wasn't the only one who fell. The crowd laughed a little then broke into spontaneous applause.

While what some people saw was Nick clowning around, I saw the kindness that is innate in his personality. I've never really had to worry about him being a bully or not standing up for the underdog, because it's just part of who he is to be kind and generous.

I do so wish that I had that performance on video. But this is one of those cases where I try to do as Luke 2:19 tells us the Blessed Virgin did. "Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." For me, it was the best Christmas pageant ever.

I can't wait until Our Little Princess and her sister have school performances. You can bet I'll be there if possible.

It's the Merry-Hearted Boys Who Make the Best Men

Grams has told you about many of the women on my walk. Now I want you to get to know my son Nick. Watching him turn into the man he is today has been one of the biggest joys of my life.

As a youngster he was always the class clown and had a reputation for disrupting class and giving teachers a hard time. He worked hard to overcome that and has grown into a good and decent man mostly through his own sheer will and determination, and his father's prayers. He managed to overcome a learning disability and earned two college degrees at the same time. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from Schreiner University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Technology from Texas A&M University. He earned both of them at the same time and played collegiate basketball and golf. He knew from the beginning that he wanted to be an engineer and he set his mind and focus on it and never stopped.

He has a natural athletic ability that was evident from a very early age. He learned to dribble a basketball about the same time he learned to walk.  And he's good at almost any sport he tries. He likes movies and video games.

He is kind and will never stand by silently and watch injustice. He stands up for what is right and decent. But he won't back down from a fight. When necessary he will stand up for himself, but never without fair warning. He once warned a guy in a bar who was trying to pick a fight with him "I have ADD and I'm off my meds. If I fight you I will not be able to stop."

The ease with which he understands advanced mathematics has always amazed me. (When my kids were in school, I was disappointed to discover that I don't know how to do fourth grade math.) He has an analytical mind and takes the time to mull things over and see them from different points of view. He's fair minded and a good friend. He has a large group of friends that he's been close to for years, some of them since nursery school.

He was always the sweetest child. He was the little boy who would pick flowers and bring them to me. When he was about seven years old he decided to run away from home. He only went as far as the corner of the driveway where he sat for hours tossing stones at the front door. He was always a cuddly baby and loved to sit on my lap and be rocked. When he was well into his teens, he would still occasionally drop his 6'2" body into my lap and wrap his arms around me. 

Like most parent and child relationships we had our problems. Against our advice and wishes, he withdrew from Schreiner at mid-term of his first year, walked away from his scholarship and basketball team, and transferred to Blynn Junior College in College Station to be near a girlfriend. When she broke up with him a couple of weeks later he was devastated and depressed. But after that semester he went back to Schreiner and completed his studies there. He even went back to the coach and got his position back on the basketball team. That made me very proud and gave me a glimpse of the man he would become.

The day Grandad had his heart surgery he was a rock. After everyone else had left that day, when our nerves were stretched taut after waiting for hours and hours, he walked through the restricted doors right to the coronary ICU nurses' station. He told the nurse straight out that we'd been there for more than 15 hours, we'd been told several hours earlier that we'd be able to see him soon, and then we had heard nothing more. He explained that we just needed them to tell us one way or the other. It would be fine if we weren't able to see him, but his Mom needed to go eat some dinner and get some rest. Like magic, the doors were opened and we were taken to see him.

He chose a wife who's just as smart as he is. Marie holds the same degree from TAMU that he does. And, did I mention that she's a beauty queen? She holds her own with him and doesn't take any crap from him ... and he likes that about her. He proposed to her at her graduation, in front of a packed house at Reed Arena. It was one of the sweetest and most romantic things I've ever seen. I was moved to tears and honored to be there.

I'm so proud of him and the life they are building together. They're not yet 30 years old and own a beautiful home in Houston. They both have good jobs and are building a solid life together. When I think of Nick, I think of the old Irish proverb -- "It's the merry-hearted boys who make the best men."