kids – Page 13 – Writes for all Mommies

Summer Memories 2015

09/08/2015 WFAM

This summer was the first time my boys ever played organized basketball. There was a part of me that really dreaded this. On some level, I knew my boys were going to have some challenges mastering the sport. I was absolutely right. They both quickly learned that remembering all the rules, dribbling while in motion and taking a shot with someone twice their size right in their face were all rather impossible. On a positive note, they both looked absolutely adorable in their uniforms. So, basically, they always have their looks to fall back on.

In all seriousness, I knew the season was going to be tough when the first team the boys played was adult-size and had been playing together for six years. I actually thought it could have been longer than six years as I was pretty sure I had seen their center driving his own car to the game (not really, but I did want to check his birth certificate to verify his supposed under 10 age). Needless to say, my boys are not so motivated to hoop it up anytime soon. Long live soccer!!

Over the course of summer, in between basketball practices and games, I got to spend a tremendous amount of time with my guys. For the most part, I found this time to be truly delightful. I enjoyed their humor, their company and their energy for life. It wasn’t all smooth. There were some classic moments such as these:

Full Speed and the Situation I took the dogs for a walk and instructed the boys to get themselves ready for soccer camp. Here is actual text communication sent from Full Speed, “Where are you? We have a situation with the Gatorade bottle.” Two minutes later I received this text, “The problem is I can’t open the Gatorade.” Thankfully, this ‘situation’ was quickly resolved but the text cracked me up for the rest of the day.
T.Puzzle’s Hug Aversion T. Puzzle hates it when I ask him to hug me. He acts as if he is being sentenced to death and tries all sorts of creative ways to get out of it. I told him to ask his brother how to handle it. Full Speed said, “When Mom wants a hug, just man-up and do it.” Still, to no avail. I eventually had to take a hard line with him and he will give me hugs but there is still a lot of resistance. So, it surprised me when he approached me for what seemed like a genuine unsolicited hug. “Wow, T.Puzzle, that was so nice.” He looked at me and said, “Dad told me to find you and said I had to hug you, so I did.” Okay, thanks?
Full Speed’s Independence When your ten year-old has ‘situations’ with Gatorade bottles, sometimes when you ponder the future, you wonder if he will be able to live independently. Full Speed was looking in the fridge and he couldn’t find something. “Mom, where is it? I can’t find it anywhere!” I walked over, opened the door and promptly found it in two seconds. I said in a rather exasperated tone, “I really am going to have to live with you when you are older, aren’t I?” He replied, “No, Mom, because I’m going to be the one who puts everything away so I will know where stuff is.” Touche’.
T.Puzzle’s Future Living Arrangements Since Full Speed has established in his mind that he will be living independently from his parents in the future, he has lots of ideas about how this will happen. He talks about possible occupations, where he wants to live and hopes I will take care of his dogs when he has to travel. When I ask T.Puzzle about the future he is often mute on the subject. Even though he is hug aversive, deep down, he really is attached to me and I think he can’t fathom living anywhere else than where he is right now. Full Speed’s solution is simple. T.Puzzle can live with him. Well, that’s all fine and good, but I’ve noticed Full Speed can be very particular in his ways. T.Puzzle is a little more free-flowing with life. “How are you going to live with your brother if he annoys you on a regular basis, Full Speed?” He answer was simple, “My house, my rules.”

THE END

children, family, motherhood

The Living, Breathing, Walking, Talking Contradiction

30/04/201530/04/2015 WFAM

T.Puzzle brought home an assignment. He needed to read an article, write three facts he learned and give his opinion about the content. I thought it was an ambitious task and asked him how he felt about it.

“I think it will be easy except I don’t really remember what an opinion is,” he replied.

“That’s ironic since you are full of them,” I said as I went on to describe what it means.

That’s T.Puzzle for you. Full of honest feedback all of the time, whether you want to hear it or not. Most of the time not, but even in the moments when he is shockingly honest, I admire his ability to speak his mind.

For example, in our house, if a parent asks you to do something, you are expected to do it the first time. T.Puzzle has yet to master this.

“T.Puzzle, please take the dogs out,” Mad Dog asks.

“I thought the dogs were YOUR dogs,” is his reply.

He says stuff like this all the time. The words roll right out of him with no thought of impact or consequence.

He is a wonder to me. When it comes to sports, he is such a passionate competitor, that he is often yelling at his teammates (he even gave his coach a talking to after letting the opposition score in a practice scrimmage!) or stomping out of the backyard as not enough plays fall his way playing football with his brother.

On the flip-side of this often impertinent, highly competitive young man, lies this ginormous well of empathy. You have to watch him closely and for days at time to catch glimpses of it, but when you find it, it’s spectacular. While he likes to see others fail at something finding it hilarious, if he thinks someone is being hurt, it deeply touches him. Whenever we watch a movie where it seems as if someone is being injured, he needs to sit by me and we have to talk through in detail how it is all make-believe. Recently, on a trip home with Mad Dog and Full Speed, there was a very bad traffic accident. Having seen the smashed up cars knowing people had been in them made T.Puzzle quiet for a long time after.

In the mornings, on the days Full Speed works out with Mad Dog, T.Puzzle and I sit in silence. We seem to be on the same wavelength. In this perfect silence I sense the totality of him. He is one-third Mad Dog, one-third me and one-third of something else entirely.

How will this wonderful mash-up of a personality unfold?

I have no earthly idea, but am so grateful to be a part of it however it turns out.

One minute frustrated over losing a game…

Snuggling with our dog in the next…

children, humor, motherhood

Life or Death Football

12/04/2015 WFAM

Imagine long ago the intensity of competition in a gladiator arena. As these men battled for their lives, one could understand that emotions would be volatile. When playing a sport on the beach or in the backyard, I’m not quite understanding a need for such emotional volatility.

My sister and her extremely awesome family came for a visit. While we were staying at the beach, it was only natural that this time would evolve into a sporting event of some sort on the sand. The first game we played was touch football. It was my two nieces and Full Speed vs. myself, T.Puzzle and Mad Dog.

(series of photos showing boys’ near daily, often serious backyard football training)

This may shock you, but I am not very gifted as a football player. I don’t let this stop me because if everyone doesn’t take it too seriously, my lack of skill and poor understanding of what I am supposed to be doing, is actually quite entertaining. Like I said, if you don’t take it SERIOUSLY.

Unfortunately, both my boys take it hard-core seriously. It’s like we are all back in that gladiator arena and if we lose, we DIE.

Thankfully, Mad Dog thinks I’m adorable so when I stink up the field, he happily lets it go. I find wearing short-shorts or extra tight pants helps my cause with him, too.

However, with my boys, you know, the ones I carried in my body for NINE months and gave LIFE to, they have no mercy for their dear, old Mom.

T.Puzzle yelled at me when I dropped a passed. Then, he yelled at Mad Dog for not passing to him and making the awful decision to throw it to me. When Mad Dog did pass it to him and he dropped it, he yet again yelled at Mad Dog for his ‘terrible throw!’. When my super awesome niece, made a super awesome catch that she marched into the end zone, I hugged and congratulated her. T.Puzzle was appalled. “Mom, how could you cheer for the other team!?!” He was so mad he could barely look at me.

On the other side of the field, Full Speed was completely frustrated by his inexperienced teammates. Sometimes, as QB, he would throw it in the sand on purpose instead of risking a throw to one of his unqualified (in his mind) receivers. Then, on the rare occasion my team would score, he would take his anger at this out on T.Puzzle. This could be a late hit, an early hit or any rough hit in between which all are completely illegal in a game of TOUCH football. When one such hit reached an extreme level, I intervened and called a do-over for that down for my team. If looks could kill, Full Speed would have murdered me on the spot.

Mercifully, the game ended and T.Puzzle handled the loss graciously of course. He stalked off the field and refused to play anymore for the rest of our time at the beach. Super fun.

I was so glad that it was over and I said to my sister who had witnessed the game in its entirety, “Wow, my boys and their level of competitiveness is pretty brutal.”

She kindly said, “They are both very passionate and hate to lose. It’s a good thing.”

“Really?” I replied. “Because I just find it annoying!”

If I hadn’t been on the field, I may have found it more amusing than anything else (or if I wasn’t genetically responsible for them). I’m guessing by the time they learn to manage their competitiveness a little better (as Mad Dog has to some degree), I will be too old to play anymore.

Either I need to grow some thicker skin to keep playing now, or wait it out and purchase a beach-compatible motorized wheelchair so I can rain down the thunder thirty years from now.

children, humor, motherhood

Buckets of Fun

06/03/201506/03/2015 WFAM

As a wife and mother, I have learned to pick my battles. Over the years I have honed what is worth fighting for and what is not worth the effort. I have even gone so far as to fully embrace the Buckeyedom that envelops my family’s life. Ultimately, I’m more concerned about my family as a unit than what team we cheer for (however, please note, I will be cheering for the Illini in the Big Ten basketball tournament).

Being immersed in the Buckeye culture, I’ve come to look forward to our annual Buckeye Cruise for Cancer (over 2 million raised this cruise for the Urban & Shelley Meyer Fund for Cancer Research). This was our eighth Buckeye cruise and the first time we decided to take the boys. It happily coincided with a National Championship win. We all had a blast.

Our Cruise Day Arrival

Boys meeting Anthony Schlegel, a Buckeyes’ Strength and Conditioning Coach

Family pic with the National Trophy

Full Speed politely dancing with meâ€¦I love this kid!

T.Puzzle’s awesome balloon hat from Cozumel, Mexicoâ€¦love that smile!

At the Cozumel dock

Upon our return, as I’ve already allowed some Buckeye decor into my home, I wasn’t all that excited to add more helmets and footballs signed by who-knows-what. In my opinion, we have plenty. Then, it all came down to a bucket. Why on earth did Mad Dog need to bring home a bucket from the cruise? Keep in mind, it was used poolside to hold beer. Yes, that makes it sound more attractive, right? It’s not. It’s a bucket.

It’s.

BUCKET.

Mad Dog passionately insisted we HAD to bring the bucket with us. So what if it advertises a beer we don’t drink? Who cares that we don’t really need it for really anything at all? The only thing that matters is that it has a Buckeye logo on it. That is it. That is all.

I didn’t fight it. The bucket is home.

Now, if it was a Downton Abbey bucket, then, it would be amazing AND completely necessary!

children, family, gratitude, motherhood, Ohio State Football

The Story of a girl and her Buckeye

19/01/2015 WFAM

This is the story of a midwestern girl. She grew up in a rural town and never thought much beyond the outskirts of the farmlands that surrounded her. On a whim post-graduate school, she moved to Chicago. There, she met a Northwestern matriculating Buckeye. She didn’t think much of football but she did think much of the Buckeye. Quickly, she fell in love. Not so quickly, he did too.

Their romance wasn’t always a fairytale. No matter, the girl followed her heart again and again. On her convoluted path to finding everlasting love with this most handsomest of Buckeyes, she journeyed to Arizona with him to her first Ohio State National Championship game. As fate would have it, they won in a spectacular double overtime fashion.

January 3, 2002 Final Score: Buckeyes 31, Hurricanes 24 (the girl still has the sweatshirt which she stole from her Buckeye) — January 3, 2002
Final Score: Buckeyes 31, Hurricanes 24
(the girl still has the sweatshirt which she stole from her Buckeye)

This prompted the Buckeye to believe in miracles.

He got over himself finally and proposed to the girl.

She said yes.

She married her Buckeye at Disney World that same year.

She didn’t even mind when Mickey had to show some Buckeye spirit. I mean, she was finally married after all. She was in a generous mood.

O-H-I-O

Two, awesome little Buckeyes soon followed. Understanding that her Beloved bled scarlet and gray, the girl agreed to raise their family strictly Buckeye.

the girl, her Buckeye and their first baby Buckeye

Two more National Championships followed. The girl didn’t attend either as she had her little Buckeyes to care for and tickets for such events are a rarity. Both of these ended in heartbreaking losses. Her Buckeye made it to both of these. He likes to pretend he never went as both games stir painful memories for him.

Flash forward to present day and the Buckeyes had done it again. They were ready to take on the Oregon Ducks for the National Title. The girl hoped and prayed that somehow her Buckeye would get to go.

The Wednesday before the game the Buckeye called the girl.

“Are you sitting down?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“We have four tickets to the game.”

“What! FOUR?”

And, that’s when this story starts getting really, really good.

The Buckeye and the girl packed up their little Buckeyes and hit the road. So what if it was 30 hours round trip? This was the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

As the weekend unfolded, the anxiety of the pending game was almost too much for the girl to take. She tried to keep her focus on being grateful to spend this adventure with her 3 favorite boys regardless of the game’s outcome. It wasn’t always easy.

Finally, game day arrived. As this little family made their way into the enormous stadium, nerves were at an all-time high. There were Buckeyes EVERYWHERE. It was like they were attending a home game at the ‘Shoe. The band was impeccable, the crowd was electric, the jumbotron was massive,â€¦.it was AWESOME.

As the game commenced and the Ducks methodically marched down the field and scored on their first possession, the littlest Buckeye burst into tears. As the waterworks flowed, his heart lost its ability to believe in a Buckeye victory.

The Buckeyes quickly answered and spirits were lifted instantly but remained precarious until solidly into the second half.

As the fourth quarter began to dwindle, the girl couldn’t believe that she was there. That the Buckeyes were going to win. Her Buckeye was joyous. Her little Buckeyes rejoiced. The whole stadium erupted as the final seconds ticked away.

She was there.

With them.

Celebrating a victory.

Wow.

A once in a lifetime moment.

And, yes, she’d marry her Buckeye all over again.

See you next year!

THE END