I Just Want to Play with my Friends and Trash Talk

It has been a week since I was going to post these pictures and continue my "embarrassment tolerance"  theory.  I am glad I waited a week.  I will tell you last Saturday was a hard one for me.  I grew up with a 3 sport Coach Dad.  The most important attributes in a good athlete, according to my dad was hustle and sportsmanship.  He may have never out right said this, but you knew it whether you were his daughter or a player on his football, basketball or track team.

These things are important to me too.

And to be honest Henry really could care less about either of those.  Not at a global level, more at a right this minute level, which is where Henry lives right now.  He really has no idea what happened 5 minutes ago and can really care less.

Henry plays for Upward Football 1st and 2nd grade level.  Let me tell you it is for serious 6-8 year-olds.  It is.  Not serious all the time, but serious football players and coaches--at least during drills and games.  Do not get me wrong, his coaches are amazing men who know how to talk to kids, but they are serious about this league.  I am glad they are and if my son were 4 notches higher more serious about sports, he would be at their serious level.  But really he wants to pull flags and laugh and makes his friends laugh and well do this...

He is my son after all.

I know, serious looking, but they are getting ready to...

...yep Pray.
We had a conversation the week before about bowing your head to pray.  I do not think that God necessarily cares if we bow our head to pray, but I said that maybe it was a good idea in these instances to focus.  Then Henry said, "Ya and God is a King after all."  Yep.  Out of the mouths of babes.  (I have always thought instead of saying, "bow your heads," it would be better to say, "look up."  What do I know, and I digress) 

This may have been a trash talking moment.  We're working on it folks.
It doesn't help when his coaches mention it in a slightly positive way or at least in a way that everyone laughs and then well, he thinks it is funny.  (Which it kinda is funny let's be honest, but sportsmanship remember?)

Capturing a flag

and his humble celebration afterward

He got to do this position (no, I do not know or care the football term for this position)

This would lead to an awesome touch down by Henry's long time buddy Joseph.  Who, by the way is NOT serious about playing in general, but man when it comes to football very serious.  We may seem him on TV one day.

When do I just get to play?  One of Henry's MY goals for the game was for him not to pull flags unless it was during a play.  He met this goal by the way.

Love this boy

Pouring some other kid's water on his head, yes, I walked over there and told him to cut it out.
Hey, I'm his mom

After the game I felt very frustrated by Henry's lack of focus and well he fooled around a lot.  And you know what?  Who CARES HE IS 6!  I cared, a lot, more than I am proud to admit.  It took me most of the weekend and a little into the week to figure this out for myself.  I have to figure this part of me out for Henry and Will.  I really want to enjoy them for who they are.  Not who I or anyone else think they should be.
Henry asked me in the car, "why are sports important again?"  Ryan and I went on and on for 20 minutes.  I do want him to be active, I do want him to learn how to be a part of a team, I do want him to feel the glory of victory and the sting of defeat.  And then I remembered I started sports when I was in junior high.  And I learned all those things.
But what if he doesn't want to ever play sports?  GASP!  What if he really does want to be a ninja?
Well then, I guess I will be a ninja's mom.
And a proud one.  And a safe one, because ninjas protect people at night and that is when I get the most scared.
For now he will finish this football season, but I think we will pass on basketball...for now.
I leave you with pictures from today's game...

Henry's longest run and his coach pointing the way.

Watch out coach!

Henry got his flag pulled, but kept running
because that is how Ninjas roll

Be who you are going to be #13
and I will be on the sidelines clapping
and well giving you the look when I need to because I am your mom

Football, Embarrassment and Eating Shirts

So, let me set this up a bit.  Will has been watching his brother practice and play for three years.  He chose to do football this year with his buddy Brady.  He has been so excited and proud.  

And then football practice starts:

Not feeling it.  Will's face is not just randomly like this in this picture, this is how he feels

Then comes the shirt sucking/eating

And a little of this face.  PS that is not sweat, it is spit

 And then steps in mom.  I give him wonderful, encouraging words that give him courage to get out there and give it his best shot.  Haha--we all wish.  No, I threatened him.  I told him he would have to do chores to pay us back the money we spent on the league.  And no, it was not a love and logic natural consequences talk (although, really how much harder would that have been).  It was a teeth together, somewhat sweet and sour "we're not doing this talk."  Okay with a little love and logic as I got myself in order.  Not sure if it was my lecture or the coach's pep talk but after a while...

We got a little throwing

A little catching

He caught it!

A little Tomlin kicking

Even some throwing

 And then we were back to this...

 But that's okay.
 I did a little thinking on this.  I think it has a little bit to do with embarrassment toleration.  I made this term up.  Some people call it shyness, stubbornness or even introversion.  I think my term works best.  This boy has low embarrassment toleration.  He does not like doing things in front of people that are watching his every move (and laughing--this is what parents/grandparents of 3-4 year-olds do when these kids do something good, bad, weird).  It is a lot of pressure for their systems.  Child Development is really important to me and I love learning about it and reading about it--I may be a little obsessed.  I am pretty sure somewhere it says that structured play/sports is not developmentally where 3-4's are (older than that even).  But here we are, knowing this and still wanting him to engage and be a part of something.
Also, let's be honest this is about parent embarrassment toleration, another term I just made up.  True confession: I was kinda embarrassed he was not jumping in like all the other kids and wondering what all the other parents thought of...wait for it...ME.  Oh man, Lord Jesus help me let him be who he is.  Does it really matter if he jumps in or just sits?  How hard should we push--if at all?  Who knows?  I am actually not looking for an answer.  I mainly just want to keep learning how to love my boys and pray they are confident, loving, strong, happy, whole people.  And try to keep perspective on how much YMCA micro football once a week for 45 minutes matters in the whole scheme of his life.
The pictures are fun anyway.

The big brothers club

These boys...more on Henry, Football and Embarrassment Toleration to come

Hello? Is this thing on?

I decided to start blogging again.  I am not changing the name or the About Me information (for now), because who really cares about that.  I have decided to start blogging again because I was taking pictures at Henry's football game today and really wanted to explain them to my family.  There is Facebook, but I have more to say about real things.  I also don't just want my life to be about happy pictures that make our life look perfect.  I have things to say about life and parenting and how hard it all is and how worth-it it all is.  It is not going to be blogging like the blogging that is out there in the world.  I am not wanting to go viral, or right a book, or be famous. This is old school.  This is for my family and friends if they want to read.  If you don't want to--I promise there won't be a quiz the next time we hang out.  Just me, real, raw and weird.

See? Real and Weird.

Stay tuned...

*my mac is freaking out right now, because I am making it do work again.

I Can Bowl

Cousins ready!

Bowling shoes just their size

Henry loved watching his ball

This was Will in his one still moment

My best picture of the day

Get em Zaner Bug

Fun times with our family

Today Henry said from the back seat, "I need you and I don't want to do this by myself."  I said, "Who are you talking to?"  Henry said, "God."

Later when I asked him to tell Ryan what happed in the car he said, "I asked Jesus into my heart."

Who knew?

There is more to the story than that, but for now, that is enough.

Reid

Dear Reid,

We missed your big day.  Breaks our hearts.  Makes me cry because I love you so much and want to always be a part of the important days of your life.  I have been to important events like your first sermon or your graduation from high school.  But here we are in Oregon and there you are marrying the love of your life in San Diego.  Instead of going into a deep depression because I missed your day, I am going to remember all the significant days that we have had with you and will have with you.  I know that we disappointed you but remember?  We named our child after you--here is the blog in case you forgot.  I know you still love us.  

So here is a walk down memory lane.  So bad new is I stole these off the wedding blogs of Molly & Connor, but I do not have my old pictures on this computer and I am not savvy enough to get them off my hard drive.

Could I love these four people more?

so sweet

I love you too.  Look at my gross lip

Is this your favorite one?  Geez.  Thank you for taking part blame even though you had nothing to do with it.  You were so my right arm that year.

And then you grew a mustache...

Even though the pictures above and below look like they are from the same visit, they are not.  You always "stop by" on your way anywhere in the Southwest.

You stopped by Mesa, AZ to see this boy days after he was born.  You are so faithful to our family.

Henry forgives you for having a mustache

This is you after your engagement photos "stopping by" again to visit us.

There you two are.  Love you guys cannot wait to see you married.

Dying our Eggs

Vinegar and Hard Boiled Eggs...gotta love it!

My sweet measuring boy

Loves vinegar just like his mom

I told Henry to show me his name...he held it way back

Sticker time

Where'd you get those lips

their favorite part was Super Hero Squad stickers

he wanted to make each of them beautiful he told me

Cannot wait to eat these this week, I will try not to take for granted all the hard work that was put into them

Next Up...wait for the Easter Bunny