Bullet Points
August 26, 2008
Because sometimes writing coherently is just too much work.
- My oldest son needed to lose weight in order to play on his football team. (I really hope I can still speak of this need in the past tense, as of tonight he has made weight.) He has been the most miserable dieter in the history of dieters. He sulked and moped and yelled at everyone, all while complaining about how hungry he was. Did I mention that it was only 2 pounds he needed to lose? I mean a good poop could probably take care of it, right?
- So he lost the weight. (Apparently complaining burns a lot of calories.) He cut back on his carbs and added two miles of running to his daily routine. He literally has not one ounce of fat left on his body. Before anyone asks, the decision was his. It was either lose the weight or not play this season. There isn’t a team in the next weight division in the town we are playing for. We could travel further away to another town I suppose, but we couldn’t do it for a variety of reasons.
-We then had to find 1lb 4 oz to lose off of his gear. Let me tell you that you have not lived until you are in a cramped office with your son’s coach for an hour weighing all of your son’s pads, pants, shirts, and cup looking for places to cut the weight. This included literally cutting his jersey. Those ounces add up. The jury is still out on the need to shave his head.
Today I went out and bought him a new pair of cleats because they weigh a full pound less than the ones he currently has. Did you know there was such a weight differential in cleats? I didn’t. I never really cared either.
- My younger son got these forearm protector things to wear. Everytime he holds his arms up I have the urge to shout, “Shazam!”
- Our kitchen remodel is almost done. It is so close that I can almost taste the food I will be cooking on my stove. I am so over the camp stove. And the grill. And washing my dishes in the laundry room sink. I am just thankful that no one can see the amount of paper plates we are using around here. I can still carry my reuseable grocery bags around and feel smugly superior without anyone being wiser.
- My husband is on week three and a half of a four and a half week sabbatical from work. We have spent every single day working on the house. We are still married.. And more importantly, still alive. Every day I talk to Susan and she asks me if I am calling for bail money. There is still one more week left, don’t go spending it yet.
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Wow- your weigh-ins are picky! In our area- the league we play in allows the kids to wear what they want- and it’s not in uniform. So usually for the kids trying to make weight- they’re stripped down to their briefs!
August 26th, 2008 at 11:27 pmoh yay, does this mean more kitchen pictures are coming soon? if it makes you feel any better, which it prob won’t, we haven’t had any mirrors in our bathrooms for more than three months. it is very odd to brush your teeth or blowdry your hair or check your face w/ no mirrors. remodeling is not for the faint of heart.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:10 amFour and a half weeks of fulltime remodeling togetherness? I wouldn’t even risk trying it, myself. We can barely spend an hour hanging pictures together.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:20 amWow! Wasn’t your eldest pretty trim already. How long does he have to keep his weight down? The whole season?
August 27th, 2008 at 12:32 amI never knew that football players had to lose weight to make a team…I knew this about wrestlers, never knew it about football. I thought it the opposite, actually.
Here’s hoping your remodel is done soon and all family members remain in tact.
Chris says: Well, if you are right on the weight limit cusp it is usually better to lose a couple pounds and play down a division. ‘Tis better to be the older and heavier kid on the team than the youngest and lightest on the next team up. Make sense?
August 27th, 2008 at 12:54 amIt never ceases to amaze me - the things we do for our kids.. you are a good mom…
August 27th, 2008 at 6:17 amxo
LBC
When the kitchen is complete, hubby needs to take all the kids out for a day, so you can have a little private time in there.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:28 amI guess I have just been raised in the deep South, but down here where football is concerned, the bigger, the better! I have never heard of weight limits in football!
August 27th, 2008 at 8:16 amOn weight limit for football… how long is the season? Will this be much harder for him at the end of the season? He can’t just put growing on hold.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:22 amDid you suggest to your son to wear the space suit from Vision Quest and run while listening to Journey and Madonna? It worked in the movie! haha
August 27th, 2008 at 9:04 amWe are not a sports family and I am learning so much how school sports work. I was surprised about the weight issues. But, just wanted to add I think your husband needs the time away by himself without a hammer and come home to the biggest homemade meal ever to show him how much you love that new kitchen!
August 27th, 2008 at 9:32 amWow, lose weight to play in a certain football league. That doesn’t happen where we live. But, Mr 18’s coach wanted him to lose weight to run cross country. I thought he was insane, Mr 18 only weighed 145 lbs, but coach wanted him at 138. Mr 18 whined the entire time about not getting being able to eat “anything good!” Apparently when you only weigh 145 pounds even when you run 10 to 15 miles a day it’s still hard to cut weight. That fact doesn’t give me much encouragement to lose my extra weight, there’s no way I can run 10 to 15 miles a day!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:10 amI have never heard of kids so young needing to lose weight for football (can you tell I grew up with 3 sisters?) I had several friends in high school that were wrestlers and it was completely unhealthy - they would spit into cups all day to try and dehydrate themselves and live like anorexics for most of the year. But, it was all ‘in the name of sports’ so it was somehow okay.
I’m glad your son just had a little bit to lose!
Becky
August 27th, 2008 at 10:32 amWow, you’re a brave woman, writing about oldest son while he’s in the middle of a diet-induced cranky spell, home remodeling with husband for over a month, and doesn’t home-schooling start again shortly? Some days I wish I was you with that huge house, lovely family, fantastic writing and photography skills…today’s not one of those days.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:39 amOh, I feel for you, with no kitchen! I just bought a house and immediately had a major flood in the kitchen and living room. Two months of living in my bedroom surrounded by boxes (I hadn’t unpacked anything yet). I will share in your rejoicing when our kitchens are finished.
And I second the vote on You Are A Good Mom- the things we do for our kids!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:45 amFootball . . . sounds like a new chapter of life to gear up for. Oh Lord, keep him safe!
August 27th, 2008 at 11:46 amWow, did Hubby take off just to work on the house?
Does Son #1 (he who shall not be photographed, right?) have to be weighted again, or is he off the hook?
August 27th, 2008 at 11:55 amA four week remodel? Eek. We do home improvement too but in bits and pieces. I can’t imagine plugging away for that long.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:56 pmOur sons are into football in a major way. All 3 played Pop Warner (youngest still does) and each had to lose weight at some point, and like your son, didn’t have a whole lot to burn off. The irony is I’m, well, let’s just say “statuesque” and it was funny trying to tell them “you can’t eat that til you make weight!” I tried to lose along with them, but no dice. Of course I wasn’t running suicides and doing “up-downs”. Good luck with your season! ( :
August 27th, 2008 at 1:44 pmThose are several more excellent reasons to tell C. Peevie he will NOT be playing football. Thank you. I was close to being worn down, but now I will hold firm.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:59 pmChris, I don’t think I could survive that long with my husband under my feet. Plus the fact you are remodeling you must be a SAINT !!!!
August 27th, 2008 at 2:36 pmBoy, that weight thing is scary. I though obsessing about the scale was just a girl issue.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:13 pmLucky for you son that the new kitchen isn’t ready, all the good food wouldn’t help his weight loss at all.
Can’t wait to see pics of the new kitchen. We had three months without a sink or stove when we did our kitchen reno. No paper plates back then for us just lots of take away! I admire you for being able to do a new kitchen with seven children, we struggled to cope with just the two of us.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:56 pmThanks so much for mentioning the cleats. My youngest son still needs to lose one more pound to make weight on Saturday, they also weigh them with their cleats on. I’m off to weigh his cleats, what did the new cleats weigh and what brand were they????
Julie
August 27th, 2008 at 6:21 pmIt makes complete sense now…always time for safety.
August 27th, 2008 at 6:24 pmGeez, I wish I only had to lose 2 pounds to meet my weight goal! Although I must say, I probably complain just as much as he does.
August 27th, 2008 at 6:47 pmI am ridiculously excited to see your kitchen. When can we see?
August 27th, 2008 at 7:23 pmI feel your pain. My boys were/are wrestlers. Ug. They were cheaper to feed that way. Wait ’till he’s spitting…yes, SPITTING, to get those last ounces off. Crazy I tell you.
August 28th, 2008 at 5:38 pmI don’t know what I’m more jealous of - your new kitchen, or the fact that your husband elected to take time off to make it a priority and the two of you survived it! My husband and I worked full time while raising just two kids and we couldn’t even pull that off for more than 11 years!
August 29th, 2008 at 9:18 ami just finished reading all the archives of your blog! what am i gonna read now? that entertained me for days. gosh, it was fun watching miles grow up so fast - light-speed. you forgot to answer your poll question. and have you noticed that you post a LOT less now than you used to? it drops off steadily and i think this month is at an all-time low. maybe you’re taking lots of pictures of your finished kitchen. don’t forget us out here, waiting patiently in the blogosphere.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:34 pmYour son seems so young to have to worry about weigh ins. Wow, your football team is strict! My son play high school football and he’s never been told to lose weight–even though he seems to gain weight by end of summer. He does, however, seem to lose the bulk of it during “hell week”.
August 30th, 2008 at 11:01 amWhoa. Sports are CRAZY! Always wished mine was more athletic, but not anymore!
August 31st, 2008 at 10:48 amYour comment about your son taking a good poop made me laugh out loud
Home improvement is an absolutely nightmare, I don’t envy you!! But the recent photos, it’s looking excellent.
September 10th, 2008 at 5:04 am