Lost: Christmas Spirit

December 16, 2008

We do not have any decorations up yet. I have not even taken our Christmas photo for Christmas cards this year, so most likely you should not expect a card from me. We have no tree. I forgot all about Advent this year. I haven’t baked a thing. Haven’t invited anyone over for Christmas dinner, or even thought about Christmas dinner. I have not bought a single present. Haven’t listened to any Christmas music, except when in stores where I can’t get away from it. As a matterof fact I have found myself purposefully turning off the Christmas music, because I am in denial.

Most of this I can attribute to the fact that we were away in Florida from December 6th until 13th. And when I arrived home I was greeted by the remnants of an epic ice storm that knocked down trees and power lines, and most importantly cut power to our house.

So we turned around and went to a hotel for two nights while we waited for the power to come back on. We finally got home ten full days after we left. The kids loved staying two additional nights in a hotel, mostly because it had an indoor swimming pool. It was like a vacation from your vacation that we all talk about needing.

When we finally got home yesterday I had to do all the stuff that you have to do when you get home from vacation. Plus all the stuff that you have to do after your house has been without power for four days, to include cleaning out the refrigerator and immediately going to the dump. Calling the oil company to come and restart the pilot light on our hot water heater, I tried to do it myself, but after a couple tries I thought it best to leave it to a professional. Calling the cable company about the lines that are down and blocking our driveway. Dragging all the branches and trees away from the driveway. Doing laundry. A house that was spotless less than 24 hours ago now looks as if a cyclone has come through. Could I whine anymore? Wah, poor me.

Oh, and my laptop has stopped working properly. It suddenly shuts itself down because apparently my version of windows is not a “genuine version” Except THAT IT IS because it came with the laptop. Phone calls to Microsoft and Dell were completely unhelpful, each of them pointing the finger at the other one. In order to even get it to work I have to do a lot of finagling and hand holding and whispering sweet nothings at it. I am so close to tossing it out a window and then maybe beating it with one of the downed icy branches for good measure.

Add to this my oldest son who suddenly began asking me questions about our trip late last night and made me realize that his concussion induced amnesia is rather severe and doesn’t just include the events that immediately preceded the injury, but the entire week. He has virtually no memories of the week. I had already made him an appointment with the dr to be assessed and the appointment can not come soon enough. It is very weird, it is almost as if he didn’t know he couldn’t remember anything until last night. Like the fog lifted last night for the first time.

I thought he was acting a bit “off,” but he is a teenager. A teenager who just returned to his boring family after spending a week having fun, eating out at restaurants, and spending gobs of money on candy and junk food. I attributed those things to his being “off.” Now I feel bad about all the times I said, “Vacation is over, cut the crap already.” Really, bad.

Ah, guilt, the gift that keeps on giving. No need to get me anything else for Christmas, the guilt fits perfectly.

53-0

December 13, 2008

On Friday the boys played against the Bronx Bengals.

And they learned the meaning of ass kicking. Over and over again. Just in case they didn’t learn it the first few times.

The Bengals were far and away the best team that the boys have ever faced. It was surprising that they were not playing for first place. But I guess it is true that any team can be beaten on any given day.

It is a shame, however, that they have not learned about good sportsmanship and humility. I cringed at the language their coaches used at the kids. I cringed when they yelled at their team to “break some legs,” because I happen to like the kids attached to those legs. I cringed when their players taunted our players.

Their side kept shouting that we were going to give up. That we were going to call the game. But we played until the very end. We might have been getting our asses kicked all over that field, but we are not quitters.

In the end, our team and coaches could hold their heads up, smile, and congratulate themselves on doing their best. Or as one kid said as the game ended, “We might have lost the game, but at least we didn’t lose any players.” Yes, sometimes you have to be thankful for the little things, like no loss of life.

They came into this championship as the wild card. Even though winning would have been nice, it would have just been the icing on the cake. These boys worked hard to raise the money to get there. Once there they behaved in a way that would have made everyone who donated money proud. I flew on the plane with these kids and ate out in restaurants with them several times, people always commented on how well behaved and polite they were.

My son ended up with a concussion, though he LIED ABOUT IT at the time. It wasn’t until we arrived home later the next day that he admitted he had blacked out and was having headaches and dizziness. I wanted to grab him and give him a good shaking, but I thought it might not be a good idea since his brain was already injured.

Oh yeah, so there was football

December 11, 2008

Remember the real reason we all have traveled down here to Florida? Some days I forget since I don’t even lay eyes on my son. Son? What son? Oh yeah, there he is.

The boys played yesterday against a team from Brooklyn, NY. A team they had previously scrimmaged and beaten early on in the season. So we were all feeling, if not confident, at least optimistic.

Since Brooklyn is a teeny bit bigger than our town (or towns combined) they obviously have a larger pool of kids and therefore have bigger kids. None of the kids on their team was any bigger than the biggest kids on our team, (this is where the whole weigh-in thing comes into play) it was just that they had a whole team of them instead of a handful like us. And it appeared that the boys found that intimidating.

Our boys really seemed to regain their confidence in the second half of the game. And I think if there had been two extra quarters we could have made a come back.

But then it would be called sixths, not quarters.

In the end Brooklyn won the game 21-6.

But we are ready for tomorrow, when we will play the Bronx Bengals for third place. It is just a fluke that we are playing another NYC team, by the way.

Go Warriors!

Tower of Terror Has Nothing On This Ride

This is 30 stories high.

There has been an ongoing discussion among players on the football team about going on this thrill “ride.”

From far away it doesn’t look all that tall, probably because it juts out into the sky with nothing to compare it to to give some sort of perspective. But once you get up close, it is frightening. As in I can not imagine why anyone would even consider going on it.

See that back pole? You are pulled all the way up and back to to it. Once you are up there you have to pull a release cord which sends you plummeting head first 13 stories. Then you swing out through the two poles like slingshot.

Seriously, I would never even consider going on this.

I did, however, give permission for three of my sons to go on it. I figure I have enough children to have a couple spares.

My oldest son and two friends getting ready to go on. The smiles and thumbs up signs are just bravado masking their abject terror.

I really can not believe that my oldest son wanted to go on this. It is so not typical of his personality.

When the ride was over one of the boys jokingly said to my son, “You were screaming like a girl.”

He corrected him and said, “That wasn’t screaming. It was shouting.”

My 9 yr old and 11 yr old sons with a friend. They were the group that seemed the least afraid. They were joking and laughing. Everyone half expected this little group to get up to the top and not pull the release cord. My 9yr old had that job. I’m not sure what would happen if a group got up there and didn’t pull the release cord. Thankfully we didn’t find out.

We bought DVDs of the boys going on the ride, because it isn’t enough that they price gouge you for the ride itself. You will get price gouged again for the DVD. And you will like it. When I figure out how to upload them to youtube I will.

The Weigh In

December 10, 2008

The team in line to weigh in. We were first in line. I would have thought that there would be many teams there jockeying for the chance to get there first and get it over with. But for a long while it was just us and the one team behind us.

My son, standing in line to have the official weigh-in. He was so nervous. I was nervous for him. He had worked so hard to get to this place.
I think this expression says, “Where is the food you promised to bring for me?”

Here is my son right before going behind the blue curtain of doom where the official scales were located. He is happy here because he knows that it is almost over, or because I was holding up the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwhich I had just bought him.

Right before he got on the scale. I don’t have a photo of him on the scale because I was too busy trying not to cry. I saved that for later when I was in the car alone.

I think he ate his sandwich in one bite after this. And then he drank a water and a coke. And then ate a banana. In the span of two minutes.

I heard from his coach that when they went out to the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, he was on his third plate of food before many of the kids had their first.

This morning they have their first game.

I should be helping to get the kids ready or packing food or even getting dressed, but instead I have been trouble shooting my computer which is NOT working properly. I have literally been working on it for hours just this morning. I am so frustrated with it that I am tempted to toss it in the pool. I keep shouting at it, “This is why people buy Apple!”

Scenes From An Airport

December 9, 2008

One of the coaches asked the check-in people at Southwest Airlines if the team could board first so that they could all sit together at the back of the plane. Since it isnot their “official” policy to allow that type of preboarding he said he would make an announcement and if none of the other passengers objected, then it would be perfectly fine.

As expected, none of the other passengers objected. In fact I think the applause that burst forth as the team was boarding was not so much in support of the team, but an indication of how happy they all were not to have to sit next to them.

The aggravation of dragging the carseat through the airport and security and onto the airplane was worth it. Miles had no idea that the could get out of the carseat. He thought of it like being in a car. Except with a tray that he could open and shut, open and shut, open and shut. He also had to smoosh Baby Maggie’s face into the window. (Named Baby Maggie after the Simpsons.)

Then they watched part of Wall-E on the DVD player.

And about 20 minutes of the flight had passed.

The boys were all great on the flight. Quiet and respectful. Not one of them slept.

When we finally landed, Miles looked out the window and in a very distraught voice said, “Why are we back here?” As if we were right back at the same airport.

He Made It!

December 7, 2008

7: 15 am

her: Did your son make weight? I’m all nervous over here.

me: Waiting in line for weigh in … I need a drink.

her: The suspense is KILLING ME.

8:49 am

me: He made it. Thank god. I cried.

her: Aww, honey!

5:02 pm

me: Now he is eating everything that is not nailed down.

her: Mmm me too.

3:47 am

I have been waking up so early the past month or so that I feel like I am almost turning into a morning person. Almost being the operative word.

Yesterday morning we met at the field to hand our sons over to their coaches. It was early. Most of us, including the boys, had not slept well. I hadn’t slept at all. It was like college, only with less sex and drugs and way more responsibilities. And wrinkles.

It was easy to kick my son out of the car and send him on his way. I had joked that I was only going to slow down as we approached the field and yell,”Tuck and roll!” as I booted him out the door. It was easy because I was meeting him at the airport with the rest of the family and joining him on the same flight to Florida.

I have more stories and photos to share, but right now I am on my way out the door to the OFFICIAL WEIGH IN. I am feeling semi confident that my son will make weight. But when I allow myself to think that he possibly might not make weight, well, I feel sick. He has worked so, so hard for this. I have a bag of food that he and his friend have requested. Subs, chips, and 4 different kinds of pie.

Send us some positive weigh in vibes, prayers, whatever it is you have out there internet, please. I would be eternally grateful.

Procrastination Takes Many Forms

December 5, 2008

In an effort to NOT pack or clean the house I brought my daughter for a manicure today. Of course I go with the barely visible nail polish. I mostly like manicure because they get rid of the unsightly dried up cuticles. I can’t seem to keep nail polish from chipping for more than 24 hours, so I never get a bright color.

My daughter, on the other hand, picked out bright purple glitter polish and then had flowers painted on two of her nails. Her manicure cost more than mine did.

She is such a girly little girl. The manicure thrilled her to no end. She already wants to know when we can go back.

*****

Her: So when are you leaving?

Me: I have to leave the house at 3:30am.

Her: Why don’t you ever fly at a normal hour? What is wrong with you?

Me: Nothing is wrong with me. It is EVERYONE ELSE who makes me fly at these ungodly hours.

Her: So the kids have to get up that early?

Me: Well, I think I had probably better bring them with me. You know, rather than let them find their own way to the airport. That could get messy…

Me: Oh sweetie, before you go to bed put on your clothes. They are right there waiting for you.

Her: Clothes? Is she wearing her clothes to bed?

Me: Oh hell yes, do you think I am fighting with people at 3am over getting dressed.

Her: Haha hahahahaha

Me: Oh sweetie, not your shoes. You don’t have to sleep in those!

Her: God I love you.

Me: It’s because I make you feel better about your own parenting, right?

Her: Well, I take what I can get.

Me: I’m always here for you.

*****

I have already threatened to leave a couple of misbehaving kids home if they don’t go to bed already. Or at the very least shut the hell up and let me believe they are sleeping.

And an FYI to my 8 and 9 yr old sons, if you are jumping from bed to bed in your room I will not believe that you are asleep when I run upstairs and fling your bedroom door open. No matter how still you manage to lay while my head spins around on its shoulders. Don’t make me leave you home.

Nothing like better parenting through empty threats. Because I am certain they really believe that I will leave them home alone and fly to Florida.

I still have to finish the last minute packing (Must remember all the assorted chargers and electronics!)and clean up the house. And set the coffee pot so that my oldest son and I can stumble into the kitchen and hook up our caffeine IVs without having to do so much as grunt at each other.

Instead I am here typing this, listening to old songs on you tube, feeling wistfully nostalgic.

Travellin’ Boys

December 4, 2008

Full contact football practice inside the gym. Holy cow they hit each other hard.

And you know how I know this? Because not long after this photo was taken I got a helmet in the sternum when two players came flying at me.

It hurt so much that it took my breath away. It still hurts today when I move, or breathe, or poke unnecessarily at my chest. All the football players took a knee while I sat there and willed myself to not cry.

Honestly, I am thankful that they hit my chest and not my face. I have paid too much for these teeth over the years to have them all knocked out. My son thinks I am tough now. I hate to break it to him that I gave birth to him and his freakishly large head through MY VAGINA, that was tough. This? This was nothin’.

*****

Tonight was our last practice before Florida. Tomorrow night we bring the boys’ packed bags to the field for inspection to make sure no one forgets things like their cleats or helmets. Or underwear, though they are boys so really no one expects them to actually CHANGE their underwear. Then at 4am we travel to the airport.

Just what every early morning traveler hopes for… a plane filled with children and adolescent football players.

*****

As of this morning my son weighs one pound UNDER the weight limit. There was much rejoicing. The mother of one of his friends bought my son and her son lightweight flipflops. You know the kind that you get when you have a pedicure? Those feather weight almost paper-like disposable flip-flops? It won’t at all be obvious which kids are close to the weight limit. The pediicure shoes, lightweight short-shorts, and cropped jerseys won’t give it away AT ALL. What? It is a new fashion trend! I have already told my son that he is not to wear underwear to weigh-in. Why risk those few ounces? He looked at me like I am crazy. Which, I am.

*****

I am still trying to pack for everyone. I know I am making this unnecessarily difficult for myself, what with all my lists. And yet, I can’t help myself. We have three largish suitcases, one carry-on, a laptop, six backpacks, a carseat, and a partridge in a pear tree.