October 20th, 2007
Mark Jr. won once again in flag football. The team is really starting to come together. We are now 4-2-1. We started out the season 0-2-1 and have been on a 4 game winning streak. Considering our team last year went 0-8 this is a huge deal for us.
The confidence is paying off for Mark Jr. He had a huge run play. Since he generally is the center when he is playing, I designed a play for him. We call it the delayed center. Basically he snaps the ball to the QB then drops back behind him. He just waits there scanning the field for where its open. He counts to about 5 then the QB turns and hands him the ball. Invariably one side is open and that is the side he is to run on. So the play is done, he starts running and gets by a few guys and goes 3/4 of the way down the field. Considering Mark Jr. isn’t a very fast runner this was a huge run.
At the end of the day we won 14-6. Mark Jr. got 3 flags and that huge run. He had one very bad penalty. He isn’t used to being a wide receiver and he lined up offsides. Naturally he did this on a play where we ran the entire length of the field for a touch down but it was called back. Since he wasn’t used to playing WR I kind of understood his mistake. We learn from our mistakes and that is why they are playing – to learn.
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October 13th, 2007
Mark Jr. had board breaking for the 1st time in karate. Getting him to understand about getting “in the zone” has been working very well for him. He was maybe the 5th or 6th kid to go up and break a board. Its a bit scary going up to the board when you haven’t seen a bunch of other kids do it a few times. He saw maybe 4 or 5 kids then it was his turn.
His 1st board break was to be done with a hammer fist. This is basically when you make a fist and swing down. Kind of like you were going to hit someone on the head with the bottom of your fist. You get 2 preparation swings to help with aiming and concentration. Then you just go for it. This is when all the parents hold their breath and hope their kid doesn’t hurt their hands. He winds up and swings!!! CRACK the board breaks!!! He did it!!! He broke his 1st board. He was so excited and I was so proud of him. We saved the 1st board he broke so we could mount it on the wall.
He then had to break board with a palm strike, a knee, then another palm strike but this time with the boards set between 2 concrete blocks – so they could strike straight down this time. When he did the palm strike he didn’t break it the 1st time. He kind of missed it with his palm and instead struck it with his finger tips. He tried again and got it. I had been taking pictures of all of it. When we reviewed the pictures I realized why he missed. He has been closing his eyes on each strike. I guess you gotta see your target to hit it 
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October 12th, 2007
Well its my 1st time breaking boards in karate today. I was the 3rd person up. I had assumed the high belts would be breaking boards 1st to show the lower belts how its done. No such luck. It was low belts to high belts. A black belt had gone 1st to show us how its done. Then another yellow belt, then me!
We start off with a hammer fist. I check out the board before I had it to sensei. This might not be a board I’d want to build my house with, but its real wood. Not something that is just going to break by itself. I’d have to really hit it to make it break. I’ve broken a number of bones on my body already, so I’m thinking whats one more I take my 2 warm up swings and I go for it. I could have probably broke 3 boards as hard as I swung. It was exhilarating. My 1st broken boards!!! They will be mounted on the wall just like Mark Jr.’s.
The next strike is an elbow. Its not really an elbow its more a forearm. This one should be easy I’m thinking. I’m just hoping I don’t crack sensei in the face. I take my 2 warm up swings and CRACK the board breaks.
Our next strike is a palm strike. I go up with all the confidence in the world. I take my 2 warm up swings, I pull back and yell KIA!!! Right as I smash sensei in the fingers. OOPS!!! He jumps back and shakes his hand in pain. Honestly I didn’t even feel his fingers but he says I hit him so I must have. After he gets feelings back in his fingers he holds the board again for me to swing. I take my 2 warm up swings and CRACK the board breaks. Phew!!!
Next is a knee strike. This one cannot possibly go wrong in any way. I take my 2 warm up swings and go for it. CRACK the board breaks. When you do this, you don’t realize but your foot that is planted on the floor almost comes off the floor when you kick with your knee so hard. Seeing pictures of all this afterwards really shows alot.
Next is a front kick. I fell I have a pretty strong front kick. At least its not bad. I’m thinking this board is history. I take my 2 warm up kicks and WHAM right into sensei’s fingers. This time I felt it. Not as bad as he did though. This time it was really bad. I could see big pain in his face. He said, “the next one that hits me is holding a board for me!” Talk about pressure. I know that one must have really hurt bad. So I take my 2 practice kicks again and smash the board. Barry who went after me kicked sensei in the fingers also so at least I wasn’t alone. Sensei had another black belt hold the board for a few attempts since he was a little sore at this point.
Next is a side kick. Having had a problem with the front kick I was just hoping this one went smooth. Sensei wasn’t holding the boards at this point so he could give his fingers a break (figuratively speaking of course). I take my 2 warm up kicks and CRACK the boards break. Phew…
Now for the test. Sensei is having us break 2 boards at a time. We are to break 2 boards with a palm strike, at the same time, held by 2 cement blocks. Miss this time and I will be coming down on cement. So needless to say the boards wouldn’t break, the cement blocks wouldn’t break and maybe my hand would instead. I concentrate, take my 2 warm up swings and KIA, I smash the boards. They break!!!
A nice day of board breaking. Really exciting.
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October 6th, 2007
Today was picture day in flag football. We were 2 minutes from the fields when Mark Jr. realized he forgot his jersey. So we race back home, get the jersey and head back to the fields. We made it just in time for our pictures.
I’m trying to get Mark Jr. to understand about competitiveness. He enjoys playing football but has been treating it like a backyard game instead of a competitive game. Mom’s don’t understand this sometimes and Dad’s try to explain it to them. There is no smile as your running or catching or playing (most of the time). Its concentration and aggression. You celebrate good things, you get upset at things that don’t go your way. That is getting “in the zone.” He has a problem getting in the zone.
Well today that changed. He is trying much harder in karate and flag football. He usually plays center and nose tackle. Very few times does anyone get past him if they are within his reach. Today he got 5 flags. That is pretty good.
In the end we won 16-6. We are on a winning streak!
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September 22nd, 2007
We had a big party today. It was actually a double party. It was a 5th birthday party for Johnathan. It was also a “come see the house” party as well. We have lived here over a year and haven’t really had people over for a bunch of reasons. No furniture, no time, getting things in order, etc. We decided we would have a big party and invite everyone over.
Johnathan had a great time because it was his 1st big party. Lots of kids running around creating havoc! Not good for my blood pressure but its all in fun.
It was a bit scary because when we got up in the morning and looked outside it was raining. All I could think of is 75+ people all in the house. Maybe 30 minutes before people were to start arriving the clouds broke, the sun came out and it was like a new day had started. The weather was great!
We don’t have deck furniture just 2 benches I made out of the scrap composite boards and poly (plastic) framing. There is almost nothing on this deck I have to worry about. Its all made made stuff. We will get deck furniture next year. Paying cash for this deck is enough money for one year.
Food wise we were covered (as usual). Millie’s mom made Puerto Rican style pepper steak and rice. I made 60 empanadas and baked ziti bolognese with home made sauce (well mostly home made). Millie made chicken parmesa. Then there were ancillary things like salad and breads. We were up cooking until 5am. Everyone ate well!
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September 15th, 2007
Well it took a while but we finally got our 1st win in Flag Football. Some of you don’t know but we went 0-8 last session. This was our 2nd game of this session and we won! Final score was Vikings 22 Jets 13. Mark Jr. got 2 flags on defense. On our last touchdown it was Mark Jr.’s turn to get the ball. It was a very windy chilly day so there weren’t many pass plays called on our side unless we had to call them. So we decided to go for 2 points where we could run or pass. The play was a delayed run on the center. Its executed as the running back does a fake hand off. After he runs past the QB, the center, Mark Jr., moves back behind the QB and gets a view of where the players are. We try to have most every gather around the same side or area so that would leave a section of the field open. Then after counting to 5, the QB will hand the ball off to Mark Jr. and will run his heart out towards the end zone. He found the hole and started running. He made it! We got the 2nd 2 point conversion of the game for us! It was a great game for the Vikings.
It has become a ritual where after the game I take Mark Jr. to get his favorite breakfast sandwich – a bacon and egg on a Kaiser roll. Its not exactly breakfast time when we finish playing but that is ok, its a daddy-son bonding thing. Since he won, I also got him a GIANT chocolate-chip cookie. Next session I think Johnathan will be old enough to play. I can’t wait!!!
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September 13th, 2007
Last year I was the main coach and Mark Jr.’s flag football team, the Rams, and we went 0-8. We didn’t lose all the games by much, but we did lose every single one of them. Turns out midway through the season, the guy that ran the league figured out that my team was misclassified and we should have been in a lower bracket. Damage was done by that point so it was more about the kids learning and we continued what we were doing. By the end of that season, a few of the kids did learn a few things about football. Mark Jr. was getting better a little at a time.
We had a flag football scrimage today against the Eagles. Mark’s new team is the Vikings. Due to my bad season last year I decided to be an assistant coach instead this time. Just in case I was the reason they did so bad. I didn’t think that was the case but I felt guilty none-the-less. I asked Tim, the head coach for this team if I could call some plays during the scrimage so he could see what I think would work. I had a lot of delayed plays. So a fake double reverse handoff would be one guy running across to take the fake and the other guy that would get the handoff wouldn’t actually move until he counted to 2 or 3. 1st time we did this we ran almost all the way up the field. Everything we did was delayed. The guy that was to get the ball would almost always be delayed. This way he could wait for all the defensive players to start moving, he could see where they were then when he would start moving, he had an idea where he was going to go before he even started. We did great this time. I am hoping it transfers to this Saturday’s game.
Mark Jr. got 3 flags, 1 run for no yards and a dropped pass. He has progressed as a defensive player. His offense still needs some work.
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September 13th, 2007
Well we had our first parent teacher conference for the year. As usual, I quizzed Mark Jr. about not having me getting surprise news from the teacher. So I ask him, “Is there anything you need to confess now BEFORE we go in? Don’t make me get bad news that I am not expecting!” We’ll his response was, “No nothing I can think of.” This was a 1st since usually there was something he would confess. So off we go to meet with Mark Jr.’s and Johnathan’s teachers. I get there 10 minutes late because Mark Jr. had a flag football scrimage game.
So I meet Millie in the cafeteria and she has bought me a school t-shirt. Now I am all for supporting the school and kids but this t-shirt has a baby lion on it and its a bright blue. Lets just say its not the most masculine t-shirt I own. They should have just made them in pink!
We have a quick meeting in the gym where the principal goes a few things. While this is happening the teachers are making their way back to their classrooms. Millie and I decide to split up since we have to meet with 2 teachers. Millie meets with Johnathan’s teacher and I meet with Mark Jr.’s teacher. Since I am the disciplinarian mostly it made more sense for me to go to Mark Jr.’s classroom as we usually expect him to get punished after this. Even though its only the 2nd week
Turns out there was nothing at all to worry about. The school year is young so lets see what happens. Anyhow I meet Millie in Johnathan’s classroom. She says the teacher, Ms. Horvath, said she would need to speak with us to explain about Johnathan. Another session was going on so we had to wait for it to finish before we would have a minute or two to speak with Ms. Horvath.
The moment has come. Ms. Horvath is alone and we can speak with her. Apparently Johnathan has been whining and not listening. This week Ms. Horvath said the kids where in the computer lab and there is something called a “smart screen”. The kids were told very specifically not to touch the screen. So what does Johnathan do? Of course he didn’t just touch it, he PALMED it with both hands. Needless to say that didn’t go over well. So it turns out the little boy has been a little devil.
My aunt Maria always said she hoped I had a kid that was as bad as me. Originally we thought that would be Mark Jr. Well its turning out Johnathan is becoming a little devil in disguise So Titi I got one!!! She is looking down on me and laughing I am sure. I can hear her say, “REVENGE!!!” Needless to say I put her though the wringers when I was young.
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September 6th, 2007
I went to pickup the boys today from daycare. Miss Aleta, Johnathan’s daycare teacher, said he was excited when he got off the bus today. I said, “Yeah he enjoys school right now.” She said, “That isn’t what I mean. He was giving us a problem coming off the bus each day. He doesn’t like getting off the bus!” Maybe the thrill is wearing off?
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September 4th, 2007
This afternoon was going to be very busy. I was going to pickup the boys and take them to Karate. I had to pick them up around 3:45pm so I could get them home, cleaned and dressed for Karate. Mark’s class is at 4:30pm and Johnathan’s is at 5:30pm. So I have to get them both there by 4:30pm. I pickup Johnathan and go looking for Mark Jr. They say he hasn’t come off the bus yet. So I take Johnathan, put him in the MDX and we wait for the school bus along with the teacher that is waiting for other kids as well. So the 1st bus comes and he isn’t on it. He isn’t supposed to be I find out so that is OK. The 2nd bus shows up and he isn’t on that bus. Problem is he is SUPPOSED TO BE ON THAT BUS!!! The driver gets on the CB and says, “does anyone have a Mark Vivanco on their bus?” There is silence. She said they were all probably driving and trying to yell to the back for someone to respond to the name. No one came back saying anything so she said she will keep on them and call the daycare back when they find out where he is. I figure its a good thing Millie isn’t here because she would be going ballistic. I am trying to remain as calm as I can be and I am not calling her at home to tell her he is currently missing. Its been about 20 minutes I have been waiting for someone to come out of the daycare to tell me they got the call and they know where he is. My phone rings and its Millie calling me from home (she stayed home that day) asking me if I was waiting for Mark Jr.? I said, “YEAH!” She replied, “He is here. They took him home.” Apparently Mark Jr. thought he was taking the same bus number he took in the morning. So he got off when it came to his stop. Well at least he knew were we live These kids will give me a heart attack one day!
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