Wouldn’t Be the Weekend Without It
October 19, 2008
The obligatory football photos.
Even with pneumonia , the boy plays football. One of his coaches remarked to me last week that he was a tough kid. I agreed. It doesn’t come from my gene pool. I pulled a muscle yesterday and have been bitching and moaning about it every chance I get.
He sat out a practice this past week and it just about killed him.
“I can still play!”
“You can hardly breathe. And when you run you cough uncontrollably. I think you can sit out ONE practice.”
“Well, I can still hit people!”
“That is too bad he is going to miss the game.”
“Oh,he isn’t going to miss it.”
“…”
“My God, I have turned into one of them, haven’t I?”
But really, does it look like I am forcing him against his will?
Presenting the injured and the overweight.
Four kids couldn’t play today. My son was the only one who couldn’t play because of a weight issue. He was two pounds over this morning. When we arrived at the field this morning it was 34 degrees outside, not counting the windchill.
We went inside to weigh him and he was two pounds over, even wearing the lightweight soccer cleats. The only extra thing he had on was his long sleeved underarmour. So we had him take it off and reweigh. Needless to say it didn’t weigh 2 pounds. Afterward my son told me that once he didn’t make weight wearing the underarmour he was glad that he didn’t make weight without it, because it was too damn cold out.
Tomorrow afternoon I leave for a working trip to Chicago. My sister-in-law is coming to watch the kids. Yes, she of the cleaning her windows with Q-Tips. My house is so not up to her standards. I am pretty sure that there are crumbs in my toaster. At least last time she babysat I only had to worry about cleaning the van.
I have a list a mile long of things I need to do before I leave, and yet I have managed to do none of them. I am not sure what to pack. I have a hard time deciding because I like to bring things for all possibilities. And I do mean ALL possibilities, even those that have virtually no chance of happening. But I also don’t like to check my bag. And the chargers alone for all the electronics need half the suitcase.
I know what you are thinking. My life, it is HARD.
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I just wanted to mention that your blog is one of my favorites to read. Someday I’m going to get my own going.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:15 amKeep up the great work.
Heh, sometimes I amuse myself with how horrified you’d be at the sight of my house compared to yours. I guess your sister-in-law would just instantly keel over!
I thought they just weighed the kids once. What, a 13-year-old is expected to leave off that whole “growing up” thing for the season?
October 20th, 2008 at 7:02 amHey, I think your life IS hard. You have all those kids. I only have 2 and I think that’s too many some days. At least the husband and I can divide and conquer here. You’re outnumbered.
October 20th, 2008 at 7:02 amEvery weekend the sight of the “heavyweights” making their solemn trek to the scale cracks me up. I tell my son “for pete’s sake, this is not THE GREEN MILE!”. You certainly wouldn’t know that by the looks on their faces. And then we all hold our breath until they get the thumbs up/down. Apparently, I’m a little more emotionally invested in this than I’d like to admit. I really enjoy your football and baseball field observations. Thanks!
October 20th, 2008 at 7:59 amI don’t envy you cold football games and practices. I’m just a wee bit excited my oldest gave up ice hockey this year. No more freezing ice rinks at 7am, yippee! If it weren’t for all the old people driving, we should move to Florida.
October 20th, 2008 at 8:46 amwhat is the deal w/ the football? do they have to be some EXACT weight?
Chris says: No there is an upper weight limit that varies based on age.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:31 amI’ll help you: It will be COLD in Chicago. And probably windy…lake effects, etc.
We, down near St. Louis, are expecting chances of rain Thursday and Friday (pleaseGodno we have an overnight camp thing with the 5th and 6th graders), but I’m not sure if it stretches all the way up to Chicago.
There, see? You can leave all the summer lightweights at home.
October 20th, 2008 at 10:39 amWhen my son played for the public school football team, he was weighed before every game.
October 20th, 2008 at 11:21 amOnce he started playing for his Catholic gradeschool, he was never weighed again.
Not sure what that means, but I do remember cringing when I saw him squared off against a kid who was twice his size!!
Are you sure your sister and my sister aren’t related????
October 20th, 2008 at 12:07 pmYour sister-in-law would vaporize if she saw my house. The cat hair alone would permanently damage her peace of mind.
Re the packing, have you seen this site - http://www.onebag.com/ I haven’t had a chance to put their theories to the test yet, but some of their suggestions look good. In theory.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:11 pmWow. Here, they only have to make weight once. And then they are free to gain whatever they want. And most do! I was even told this year that if I’d let my just turned 12 YO play (who is 5 foot 6 and 145 muscular pounds) they’d look the other way about the 130 lb limit for 6th grade football. Crazy stuff.
October 20th, 2008 at 2:09 pmAwww you are coming to my “neck of the woods”. Raining and crappy here. Can you bring some sun with you? Thanks!
October 20th, 2008 at 2:39 pmI love your football photos..I’ll be glad when I grow up enough to let my boys play football. They are only 3 and 5 right now but I am terrified for some reason. I was an athlete, played collegiate sports but never anything as physical as football and it scares the begeeezes out of me.
October 21st, 2008 at 1:41 pm