Some October Highlights

Mark's 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Tennis Mixer

 

Mark works hard once again this year to go solicite to local businesses and ask for donations for the Breast Cancer Mixer.  They raised $2500 for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and their MammoVan!

 

It is all possible through Mark's hard work!

 

(Photos are a bit blurry, I had to copy them from someone's camera - Thanks Ashley for taking the photos!)

 

There's my man! - Love you!

Hannah had a fun time too!

 

The women and daughters that were able to come and have some fun!

Check out one tennis racket in the air.  Mark bought a stencil and put the logo on our rackets! Great idea Mark! We all loved it!

Ashton finished Soccer

 

Ashton had a great time at soccer the past 6 weeks.

 

Family came to watch the last game.  But they changed the agenda and never had the kids play a game. My guess is the coaches thought it wouldn't work very well with this group of kids. I think they are right. Some didn't seem to pay attention too well.

Ashton trying to score a goal past dad!

 They handed out certificates, and all the kids seemed excited about it!

Ashton's buddy Cooper took the soccer camp too!

 

Ashton enjoying the fall leaves

 

 

 

Picked a Pumpkin at Central Market

 

 

After Ashton's soccer game last Saturday, we were going to go to a pumpkin patch. Unforturnately, the weather was aweful and we had little colds, so we detoured to Central Market to pick our pumpkins. Glad they had a tractor there for a great photo!
The kids were disappointed, but I am glad Ashton's class went to the pumpkin patch in the beginning of the month.

 

 

Celebrated the October Birthdays

Happy Birthday Kim, Christy and Mom!
 

I can not remember what was so funny, but I love it! (Little Autumn is so adorable!)

4 generations

The Boys! We are missing Matt. He had to work, but they all are handsome. Spider man is there to protect us too!

 

Pumpkin drawing!?!
This October seems to be pretty lame for the kids.  There wasn't a pumpkin patch. We didn't buy any candy early this year, and we decided not to carve pumpkins. Every weekend seemed to be busy, so we waited until tonight to figure out what to do with our pumpkins. I like carving in the garage to minimize the mess clean up, and it is normally very cold out there. Since I have a bad cold and feeling lazy, we decided to take sharpie pens and draw on our pumpkins. I did give them all a choice, but said I was going to stick to drawing. They all decided to give it a try this year. We stayed nice and warm in the kitchen and had a fun time trying to figure out what to draw. Of course Hannah's was the only one that showed any artistic ability, but Ashton drew the Death Star and it looks just like it!

That's just gross! We joked with her that she was turning "Goth" on us.  She was just having some Halloween fun!

Hey- look at that tongue! (And cute little dimple)

Love the tri-pod for moments like this!

 

District Champs!

The Jackson High School Tennis team did amazing in districts!  5 boys will be going to State in the spring. That is huge!

 

 

Luke George, James Okubo, Peter Cung, BEN MIETZNER, Everett Wang, Grant Follis

Ben placed 1st place in Boys Tennis.  He beat Patrick Chung tonight. It was amazing tennis, and such a great accomplishment because Patrick is the only boy Ben has lost to this whole season, and this is Patricks first loss.  Wow!  Way to go Ben!

Jackson's Mietzner shocks Chung (by The Herald-
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20121025/SPORTS01/710259792/0/PREPS_mobile&template=mobileart?X-IgnoreUserAgent=1)

MILL CREEK -- The fourth time was the charm for Ben Mietzner.

After losing his previous three matches to Patrick Chung this season, the Jackson singles player beat the previously unbeaten Cascade senior 6-4, 6-0 in the 4A District 1 Tournament singles championship match on Thursday at Jackson H.S.

"(Ben) was finally able to get him; it was a surprise," said Jackson head coach David Hutt. "(Patrick) always seems to get the best of him.

"Ben played really well and Patrick just seemed a little flat. He was missing shot he doesn't usually miss."

In the doubles final, Jackson's Peter Cung and Grant Follis beat teammates James Okubo and Everet Wang in a marathon match that saw both sets go to tiebreatkers. Cung-Follis won the match 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3).

"It was a great tennis match," Hutt said. "The score says it all. It could have gone either way, but Peter and Grant had a little edge over James and Everet."

Snohomish's Andrew Ivelia beat Kamiak's Joseph Lee 6-0, 6-2 for third place and Edmonds-Woodway's Jason Smarr and Dylan Merrill won the doubles consolation final to take third place. Both Ivelia and the Warriors doubles team will take on a Kingco competitor on Saturday for a spot at state.

Before Thursday's final, Hutt said he and Mietzner talked about controlling the tempo of the match and keeping Chung away from the net.

"I told him to be consistent and keep the ball deep in the court," Hutt said. "Patrick can control the net and it was important for Ben to be the aggressor."

Ashton's Tongue-Tied is Untied

Tuesday, October 23rd was the day.  The day we have been counting down for over a month. Ashton seemed fine for weeks when we would mention it, and then the day before he started saying he didn't want to go. I don't blame him. I was feeling anxiety attacks myself about putting him to sleep. The surgery itself is supposed to be a very simple and quick procedure, but the complications of putting someone to sleep for surgery could have possible side effects during or after.But putting all of that aside, I decided to be strong and tell Ashton that the special day has come.

 

Ashton was scheduled to check in at 8:25am.  He couldn't eat past 2am, and no drinking past 6:30am. He woke up at his regular time and was able to watch one of his favorite shows "Octanaunts" before we headed out the door.  He did ok with no eating and drinking. We didn't even mention food or water, so he didn't think about it.

 

We had prepared him for weeks and the past few days we really talked about it. When we had toured the hospital a month ago, they had given us paperwork that showed pictured and explained what steps he would have to take, like taking his weight and putting on the robe. They even gave us a mask to take home so he wouldn't be scared when they put it on his face. We would be with him as he fell asleep and when he woke up we would be right by his side. Because of this and because of the fact I wasn't sure if we were allowed to stay in the room, I told him I would be there the entire time. Then the nurse was talking to us about some of the things that would take place and happened to mention out loud that we would leave the room as soon as he feel asleep.(Geezz...is she new or something. Does she not understand what she just did. These are the things I am thinking as Ashton is crying and screaming in my lap) Ashton heard her say we would be leaving and then he went hysterical. Once we had calmed him down, we told him they had changed their minds and said we could stay with him the whole time he was there. A nurse also came in and gave him a fun toy to get his mind off of it too.

 

Then they gave him a mask so he could smell the Strawberry Candy that he will get when he lays down and they put it to his face. Just to prepare him and make him aware it was coming. It was so funny to watch him with it.  He loved the smell and kept sniffing it.  He looked like he was getting a sugar high off of the smell. He was hilarious!  

 

We were then left a lone for a few minutes while we changed him into his robe and I took some photos. He seem at ease and calm about it once more.

 

 

They had the movie Cars playing on the TV. We weren't in there very long to watch any of it, but perhaps it was a comforting thing to see something like that playing in the background when we first arrived.

Sniffing away...mmmmm..yum!

He was opening up and practicing for us

The nurses finally returned and it was time to put him to sleep. It was really hard on Mark and I to watch this. At first he seemed ok with the mask on his face, but then he seemed to realize he couldn't take it off his face. He kept trying to push it away and I had to hold down his hands. It was very sad to see him this way. He faded off quickly and we left to the recovery room. It was so devestating to see him like that and then have to walk away and wait somewhere else. I am so thankful Mark was able to take the morning off and be there so we were together waiting. I think I would have melted down had he not been there. Even thinking about the other kids in other rooms having surgery or recovering makes me think Ashton's wasn't at all bad, but a nurse said to me "But this is YOUR kid". So true. Our little guy.  Thankfully the surgery went quickly and they wheeled him in the recovery room still sleeping. We weren't allowed to touch him or comfort him when he first woke up. They said that kids either come out of it crying, screaming and uneasy or they come out calm and quiet. Ashton was confused at first then calm and quiet. We have such a good little boy.

 

The doctor came in and told us it was a good thing we went ahead with the surgery because the tissue cord under his tongue was pretty thick and it was the cause of his gap in between his bottom teeth. That definitely makes sense.

 

Here he is just waking up. They gave him Apple juice, a purple popsicle and some gold fish crackers.  

The nurse is removing his IV. He kept trying to grab it when he first woke up. It must have been really bothering him.

He was in a daze while eating.

It is policy to be in a wheelchair after surgery and taken to your car.

Waiting and wondering what's next.

We are finished and excited to go home.  The local pain medicine hasn't worn off and he seems pretty happy. I had to take advantage of his happiness now!

He can already get that tongue past his lips!

 

On the car ride home he started feeling the pain in his mouth. Poor guy. The rest of the afternoon he hardly spoke, and when he did you could tell it bothered him.  The challenge of the day was to get food in him because of the pain.  I finally convinced him to eat a Protein Pumpkin Pancake with melted Chocolate chips. We cut it in super small pieces and he loved it.

 

By the evening, he seemed to be talking a bit more. He said it still hurt, but was coping with it better.

This morning he is bouncing up and down and seems to be his normal self. The eating was still challenging for him, but he did it. Some of his words are still similar, but I think once his tongue heals I will need to work with him in correctly saying each letter. I wonder if he has just gotten use to using his outer lips to pronounce some things. I do think this has helped him, and I am glad we did it!

 

 

Fact sheet:   Tongue-tie (Ankyloglossia)

Most of us think of tongue-tie as a situation we find ourselves in when we are too excited to speak. Actually, tongue-tie is the non-medical term for a relatively common physical condition that limits the use of the tongue, ankyloglossia.

Before we are born, a strong cord of tissue that guides development of mouth structures is positioned in the center of the mouth. It is called a frenulum. After birth, the lingual frenulum continues to guide the position of incoming teeth. As we grow, it recedes and thins. This frenulum is visible and easily felt if you look in the mirror under your tongue. In some children, the frenulum is especially tight or fails to recede and may cause tongue mobility problems.
Speech – While the tongue is remarkably able to compensate and many children have no speech impediments due to tongue-tie, others may. Around the age of three, speech problems, especially articulation of the sounds - l, r, t, d, n, th, sh, and z may be noticeable. Evaluation may be needed if more than half of a three–year–old child’s speech is not understood outside of the family circle. Although, there is no obvious way to tell in infancy which children with ankyloglossia will have speech difficulties later, the following associated characteristics are common:

• V-shaped notch at the tip of the tongue
• Inability to stick out the tongue past the upper gums
• Inability to touch the roof of the mouth
• Difficulty moving the tongue from side to side

As a simple test, caregivers or parents might ask themselves if the child can lick an ice cream cone or lollipop without much difficulty. If the answer is no, they cannot, then it may be time to consult a physician.

Appearance – For older children with tongue-tie, appearance can be affected by persistent dental problems such as a gap between the bottom two front teeth. Your child’s physician can guide you in the diagnosis and treatment of tongue-tie. If he/she recommends surgery, an otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon (ear, nose, and throat specialist), can perform a surgical procedure called a frenulectomy
Tongue-tie Surgery Considerations

Tongue-tie surgery is a simple procedure and there are normally no complications. For very young infants (less than six-weeks-old), it may be done in the office of the physician. General anesthesia may be recommended when frenulectomy is performed on older children. But in some cases, it can be done in the physician’s office under local anesthesia. While frenulectomy is relatively simple, it can yield big results. Parents should consider that this surgery often yields more benefit than is obvious by restoring ease of speech and self-esteem.

Ben in the Everett Herald for districts today!

Michael O'Leary / The Herald

Ben Mietzner of Jackson returns a ball to Patrick Chung of Cascade during their match on the second day of the Wesco 4A south tournament a Jackson High School.

 

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20121023/SPORTS01/121029926/1007#History-of-success

Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 12:01 a.m.

Spotlight on Jackson boys tennis

Timberwolves build on their long history of success

As it usually does, Jackson boys tennis team heads into districts a favorite

By Aaron Lommers, Herald Writer

 

 MILL CREEK — To say that the Jackson Timberwolves boys tennis team has had its share of success over the past decade would be an extreme understatement.

As a team, the Timberwolves didn't lose a match this season — or the past four years for that matter. They are 151-9 in the past 10 seasons and an even more impressive 112-4 in the last seven years. Their run included a team state championship in 2010-11.

The success has come for the individuals as well. In 2010-11, the same year as the team state title, Michael Chamerski won the 4A state singles championship and Mitch Williamson placed fifth. Neither player is still at Jackson, but the players that are had their share of success this past regular season. Sophomore Ben Mietzner, juniors Peter Cung, Grant Follis and Luke George, and seniors Everet Wang and James Okubo all helped the Timberwolves continue their great tradition this season. All six players have played singles at one point or another this year and between them all there were just two losses.

For a look at the brackets for this week's district tournaments, click here.

Mietzner is the only player with a blemish on his record with two losses to Cascade's Patrick Chung. But it's hard to be too upset at the defeats, Chung is the top-ranked singles player in Wesco.

Okubo and Wang are also the first two players at Jackson to go through their high-school careers without suffering a regular season defeat.

“It's kind of different actually,” Okubo said. “At first, it was always knowing about the past with (coach David) Hutt and how he's always striving for the undefeated season. It was just kind of different because it was so surprising that first year when we had all those seniors and us and we all went undefeated.”

The players said they don't feel any added pressure because of the unbeaten record.

“Just do your best out there,” Wang said. “Mr. Hutt doesn't tell us 'You have to win or you are walking home in the rain.'”

Now that the regular season is over and the 4A District 1 boys singles and doubles tournaments begin today, the focus shifts to having a good showing at districts and trying to advance to state.

For the Timberwolves No. 1 singles player, Mietzner, it could be another chance to knock off Chung. Mietzner goes into the district tournament with the No.2 seed from Wesco South, hoping for an opportunity to face Chung, the South's No. 1 seed in the district championship.

“He's a tough player,” Mietzner said. “He's just really strong physically and mentally. I just have to try and beat him some way. I've got to find a way.”

Mietzner lost to Chung in two sets the first time the two faced each other this season. The second time around Mietzner won the first set, but Chung rallied to win the final two sets to take the match.

“It's been pretty close in the rallies,” Mietzner said. “During the match the scores kind of look differently.”

For most of the regular season, Wang and Okubo alternated between the No. 3 and No. 4 singles spots for Jackson, but in districts they will play as doubles partners, taking the No. 2 seed from the Wesco South into the tournament. Cung spent most of the season as the No. 2 singles player, but he too will switch to doubles for districts, teaming up with Follis, who spent most of the season in the No. 1 doubles spot for the Timberwolves. Cung and Follis have the South's No. 1 seed going into districts.

The transition shouldn't be too difficult for Wang, Okubo and Cung. All three players played doubles periodically throughout the season as well as in practice to prepare for the switch going into districts.

“It's obviously a different game,” Cung said. “Throughout the practices, during the season and before the season, we actually practiced doubles a lot most of the time and we do singles on our own time outside of the school. So through practice we actually go pretty prepared.”

With Cung and Follis being the South's No. 1 seed and Wang and Okubo having the No. 2 seed, there is a chance that the two teams could square off for the district championship, something that the Timberwolves players are looking forward to.

“I guess it's human for us to have a little pride even when it comes to playing with friends like that,” Cung said. “Obviously in a competitive environment you are looking to win, but with them, we have played together a lot in practice. When it comes to matches it reminds us that outside of this one match we can still be friends.”

That said, don't think that the winning team won't exercise bragging rights if need be.

“If we need to we will bring it up,” Cung said with a laugh.

While most teams have players who transition from singles to doubles for the postseason, George will play a different role. After having teamed up with Follis for most of the season at No. 1 doubles, George will switch to singles for districts, taking the No. 4 seed from the South into the tournament.

“It is different, but I think I transitioned really well,” George said of his move from doubles to singles. “It wasn't really uncomfortable or anything. It was nice having the whole court to myself and just being able to run anything down. It wasn't too much of a big deal.”

Homecoming

Ben and Hannah both went to Homecoming this year!

We had a friend that plays tennis at the club offer to do Hannah's hair.  It was so nice of her to take the time out of her busy day to swing by and help Hannah out.  Thank you Monique!! Hannah loved her hair!

 

I had to get a picture with my gorgeous kids!  They look amazing!





Had to play around with this photo.  Love the colors, love the girl!



Handsome Kid!



Next comes the challenging part. I wanted to be at Ben's friends house to take photos of him, and I wanted to be at Hannah's friends house to take photos of her. Ben started at 4:30 and then I rushed out of there and headed to where Hannah was. I was lucky and the girls took forever to get their hair and makeup done, so I was in time to take both of the kids pictures.

 

The evening started out with Ben and his friends.  There were a lot of them! Amazing how many parents there were taking photos. It was hard to get everyone to stare in the same direction. 

 

Ben's date. Hannah Yoon.  She is a friend of Ben's.

The first gal is Sabrina.  Ben went to homecoming with her last year. This group is all friends.

Good lookin' group!

One of Ben's best buddies, Tyler.

Fun pose deserved some Vibrant colors to go with it!

 

Hannah had a great time with her friends tonight!

 

 

I love her dress on her.  She specifically asked for this hairstyle for the sweet subtle look.
Beautiful Hannah!

 

 



Ben heads to districts next week!

Prep boys tennis: Wesco 4A South Division Tournament
(Copyright 2012, The Daily Herald Co.)

MILL CREEK -- Patrick Chung of Cascade remains undefeated on the season, winning the Wesco South 4A singles championship by dispatching Ben Mietzner of Jackson 6-1, 6-4 in the final match of the South Division Wesco 4A boys tennis tournament at Jackson H.S. on Wednesday.

The two have faced each other before, and Mietzner has yet to come away with a win, but the sophomore still has time to catch up to junior Chung. All of Mietzner's losses this season come from Chung according to Jackson head coach David Hutt, who said the difference is Chung's development as a player and his opportunities to play high-level players regularly.

"They are the top two players in the league. It is hard to describe. Both those guys beat up on everybody, it just comes down to experience," said Hutt.

Wednesday's match came after both players had already secured a spot in the district tournament, but it still had meaning. "I don't think the thought that they were already through to the district tournament next week lessened the pressure that these two athletes felt. They both have a great competitive spirit and they both wanted that title," said Cascade head coach Ashley Layton.

The upcoming district tournament will be a chance for Mietzner and others to get some more experience with high-level opponents, and for Chung to try to continue his streak.

The top four finishers in singles and doubles make the district tournament. Joseph Lee of Kamiak got the third place slot beating another Jackson player, Luke George, who got in at fourth place.

The doubles championship match was made up of more Timberwolves, with Peter Cung and Grant Follis beating teammates Everet Wang and James Okubo. The match was a 21/2-hour marathon that finished 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Hutt said that, though the path to the final was not easy, both teams seemed in control of their matches.

At Jackson H.S.

Top four singles and doubles finishers advance to district tournament. Singles--Finals: Patrick Chung (C) def. Ben Mietzner (J) 6-1, 6-4. Third-place match: Joseph Lee (K) def. Luke George (J) 6-2, 6-3. Doubles--Finals: Peter Cung-Grant Follis (J) def. Everet Wang-James Okubo (J) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Third-place match: Colin Kim-Sung Yu (K) def. Dylan Merrill-Jason Smarr (EW) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

Autumn Marie Cormier

I'M A GREAT AUNT!  WOW! 

Little Autumn Marie Cormier was born on October 7, 2012

8 lbs 13oz   20 1/2 inches

Giving birth is exhausting, but she is perfect! 

In Nicu with daddy

Of course a big bow for little Autumn.  It is the style!

Going home!