No, I don't have a tattoo. But Ned does. We love that movie. Do you know that movie?
While enjoying an after-lunch sanity break, I'd drifted almost to sleep when I heard the sound of rushing water. Considering our recent adventures, I thought for sure something truly awful had happened and came bolting up from the couch, upending three children in the process. (As a side note, I now believe early settlers had so many children so they could pack fewer quilts. Two or three of those little guys piled atop you, and you're warmer than you'd ever be with five or six handsewn quilts.)
A quick inspection revealed that no pipes had burst, no neighbors had turned a firehose on our non-flaming home, and Emily was still asleep in her crib. That meant... no, it couldn't be. We looked out the window and YES!! it was RAIN! Glorious, beautiful, wet rain. Rain, coming down in torrents. That meant two good things, in particular: 1) I didn't have to remember to feel guilty about not watering the garden, and 2) the rest of the afternoon could be spent relaxing and enjoying the rain. Well, mostly.
It didn't rain long enough to cancel football practice, of course. But that's okay; James enjoys it, and Zorak had offered to take him today so that he could get a feel for what's going on in practice. There are some, erm, concerns, about the way things are being managed. Personally, I have no desire to be loping onto the field, looking all hormonal and bloated, because no matter what comes out of my mouth, the five men on the field who do not see what's going on will only hear, "Blah-blah-blah... My BAAAAABY!" Zorak, on the other hand, can amble out onto the field, utter the same exact words, and the five men on the field will hear, "You know, we lost fifteen yards in Saturday's game because of holding. Don't you think this ought to be addressed before it becomes habit?" Ridiculous? Definitely. A hill worth dying on? No. I have no delusions that I can somehow undo generations of ingrained gender beliefs. It was enough to remind the coaches that perhaps the mouthguards would do more good IN the children's mouths, eh?
On the upside, James is developing excellent leg muscles from dragging 70-pound kids around the field while they dangle from his sleeves. And, eventually, he's going to get angry enough that he's going to come off the line hard enough to knock them clear out of the way in the first place. So. There are benefits, if you're willing to find them. Or make them up, if necessary.
And did I mention it rained? It was a warm, August rain, too. The boys and I were two steps down the front porch, aiming to play in the rain, when the lightning (evidently, the close, August lighting) made an appearance and sent us scrambling back up under cover pretty darned quickly. Thankfully, we did not have nearly the upheaval Jennie did! So, I'd say it was a quiet, rainy afternoon, and much appreciated.
Baked ham, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, and fresh bread -- that's what's on the table tonight. Good "Come On Autumn" food, isn't it? It's ready and waiting, and now, while the big'uns are out doing big'things, the littl'uns and I are going to finish a movie and make popcorn.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
6 comments:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea!!
So how is James liking football after his first real game?
Hey, that's right! You're good!
Well, tonight he's one dog-tired kid. Only 22 children showed up to practice. 11 for offense. 11 for defense. He's a lineman. Two hours straight against the single largest kid on the team (this kid is over 100#). Over. And over. And over again.
Then they set it up where he took on two-at-a-time. He did okay with that. But it was when they set up plays with three of the big guys taking him on that he started to crack. Dear heaven, what are these men thinking? Oh, that's right. It's all about the back end. Occasionally, they might remind the line that they need to block... or maybe keep their mouthpieces in, but other than that, these kids do not matter to the coaches, and they've made that pretty clear. (I am not happy with the coaching, to be honest. FIVE men, and none of them can be bothered with the linemen?) Anyway, he gathered his composure, sucked it up, and saw it through. I'm proud of him for that.
He did break through and get a tackle. I asked how it felt, and he said, "Physically, not good at all. Mentally, it felt pretty good, though."
His left arm is bruised and cut up from shoulder to elbow. His face is pretty puffy and still red, too. I know, to some extent, that's part and parcel of the game, but I'm probably glad I wasn't there tonight.
But none of that answers how he's liking it, does it? Well, he is sticking to his conviction to withold judgement until the end of the season. I'm proud of him for that. I wish I could do the same. ;-)
Dy
You know, that's pretty mature of him to withhold judgement until the end of the season. And his stick-to-it-ness is impressive!
Yes, the linemen are unappreciated and taken for granted (unless they do something wrong), but they shouldn't be at this age. A boy who's a lineman at 9 could grow up to be a QB. And a star QB at 9 could end up as a kicker. Or on special teams.
Please. Physical development changes so much during those jr. high years that you can't pidgeon-hole players in grade school. You have to teach them all the basics of everything. But that's probably something for Zorak to address. :)
And boys need that physical brutality, I think. Braden swims an hour a day, 5 days a week (2 hours a day in the summer) and he *needs* it. We live in the 'burbs, and he's not doing much physical labor, so he needs the physical outlet. It's hard for us moms to watch, though.
Good for him, though! Please tell him I loved the photos and thought he looked very tough!
“Football is like life -- it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.” ~ Vince Lombardi
I was going to make some cheery comment about nice rain, but after your comment above, oy vey. Is this what I have to look forward to as the mother of boys? Wow. You're a good good woman to handle it with the grace that you do.
You are a brave mama. I'd have pulled him from the team. Glad your lightning wasn't quite as close as mine, too! Nobody is hurt, and the house is fine, so I'll just chalk this one up as an unplanned adventure. In a way, it IS a little exciting...you know, once the feeling comes back to your numbed fingers.
Isn't the rain lovely? We have also had a bone-dry summer up here and the last week or so we have finally been blessed with rain. I didn't realize how much I had missed it!
Good for James for sticking things out. I hope he ends up enjoying himself. Football can be such a fun sport, with decent coaches.
Hopefully the rest of the season will get better for you!
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