Football quiz

Below is the transcript of an actual conversation, at lunch, that my husband had with our son Scotty (11): Scotty: Dad, can you please quiz me about the rules about sports? Dad: Ok, which sport? Scotty: How about football? Dad: Ok, how many plays do you get to try to make a first down? Scotty: I think 5 Dad: No, it is 4 actually. Ok, how many yards to you have to go to get a first down? Scotty: 20 yards. I think I heard that once. Dad: No, 10 yards. That's ok though. Scotty: Sorry, I don't know much about football. Dad: No big deal. Ok, how many points for a touchdown. Scotty: 6 plus you can get some additional points for doing something after that I think. Dad: Good job. 6 for a touchdown and 1 "extra point" for kicking it the ball through the goal posts afterwards. You could also get 2 points if you just ran a plan and scored. Scotty: Cool. Dad: Ok, so you can score with a touchdown and extra point and also with a field goal (here dad explains what that is). What is the only other way to score? Scotty: (hesitates thinking for a few seconds). You could throw it through that fork looking thing (goal posts). Dad: No, close though. The defense could score if they tackle the offensive player in their own end zone. That is called a safety and is worth 2 points Scotty: Why is it called a safety? Dad: No clue. Ok, what happens if the quarterback throws the ball and a receiver drops it? What is that called? Scotty: A fumble? Dad: No, an incomplete pass Scotty: (hits his head). I knew it started with and "i" (remember he said fumble) Dad: No problem. What are the three main things a quarterback can do with the ball? Scotty: Let's see. He could pass it. Dad: Good Scotty: He could drop back with it. Dad: You mean drop back so that he could then pass it Scotty: Oh yeah, I guess that is the same thing. He could charge with it. Dad: He could what?? Scotty: You know, charge with it, into the defense Dad: You mean run it. Scotty: I call it charging Dad: Ok, but we are learning about football. In football that is called running Scotty: Ok I guess. Let's see, he could give it to somebody Dad: You mean hand it to a running back. Scotty: Yeah, one of those guys. I didn't know their names Dad: Great job. Ok, what is the name of the position that the quarterback throws the ball to? Scotty: Hmmmmmm. Not sure. Dad: Hint, they "receive" the ball. Scotty: A receiver?? (stated more as a question than an answer) Dad: Cool. What are your options on 4th down? There are three main ones Scotty: Normal play (funny enough); that kick thing Dad: You mean a punt Scotty: Yeah. I don't know the other one Dad: You could kick a field goal Scotty: I thought that was a punt.... And this then goes on and on and on. My husband says he actually gained a new appreciation for Scotty while they were talking. Football is NOT important. It is also something all other kids know about except for Scotty. However, Scotty knows a ton of stuff they don't know. He is a neat kid. That being said: Scotty has an encyclopedic knowledge of the rules of basketball and soccer (the two sports he plays and enjoys the most). Perhaps if we can get him interested in medicine and government he can cure cancer and save the world. Also I don't want to forget: -tonight when I had a friend over scotty tells me he loves me right in front of her like it is no big deal. I love his uninhibited nature. I hope he never loses it. -I love when the kids hear Charlie babbling and swear that he has said something so complicated that there is absolutely no way that he could have said it. That happened today and it had something to do with someone referring to our dog and Jack swearing that Charlie said, "and I want a HOTDOG!"

Patience...Please

I hated homework when I was in school, and I think I hate it even more now. Yes, I realize it is summer, but we do a little tutoring in the summer. The homework, if you can even call it that, is super simple and not a difficult big deal. But my son can make it seem like we are building a freaking rocket at 9pm when we should all be sleeping. I adore him, I really do. He is fun, and funny and loving and a kind boy. But when I need to sit down with him to do homework, you would think we are bitter enemies. My patience wears quite thin, my head begins to throb and my voice is NOT calm. He cries. He bargains. He refuses. Oh what fun. I realize that there are people who have bigger patience situations than I, but this one is my little thorn right now, so it is on my mind. We don't learn patience by example. We learn it from being plunged into situations that call for it. I think God can see that I haven't learned patience yet. That's why I keep being thrown into little "patience needy" situations. So, darn it, I need to get with it! Patience Please I Pray! also I don't want to forget: -Charlie has been waking me in the mornings by climbing into my bed and squishing me all the way over until I am nearly falling of my side of the bed. He just continually rubs his head into my head, or chest or whatever under the guise of nuzzling, but I think he really wants the bed to himself. -Elaina went to spend the night at her little cousin's last night. Her excitement on the way out the door was so sweet. She really loves her cousins, and especially adores spending time with the girls. -Ben smiles all the time. We should all be more like Ben. -My 9 yr old just dressed my 2 yr old. -My 4 yr old just put my 2 yr old's shoes on him for me. -My 4 yr old just made my 2 yr old's bed. -My 11 yr old just helped unload the dishwasher. -My 2 yr old just put his own dish in the sink. Helping at home is good...maybe I can get someone to make MY bed...

Who do you say I Am?

About a week ago I recall the priest at church speaking on the passage in the bible where Jesus says, "Who do you say I am?" He questioned the congregation on who others would say we are. He reminded us that it was people like our children and spouses whose opinions we should be most concerned with. And ultimately God's opinion of us as the most important. Ever since that sermon, that question of "who my kids say I am" has been on my mind. Some days to my chagrin I know they would say I am a dictator. Telling them what needs to get done, and making sure they do it. Other days they would call me a teacher. Making them read, making them follow along doing art projects. I recall a specific day that they may call me a clown. Dancing crazy in the kitchen, trying to cheer up crabby kids. Some days 'doctor' as I kiss and bandage boo boos, other days 'meany' as I refuse to let them do something they want to do or buy something they want to buy. Still other days, too many other days, they would likely just call me 'busy.' But for the last few days I have been none of these. For 4 days I was not physically at home, and for the last 12 hours I've been literally attached to 2 recovering toddlers, watching cartoons and holding them, feeding them, patting them, just BEING with them. And they really just want to BE with me. Even as I went for a bathroom break, I soon heard little footsteps and a knock at the door, "Mommy? Mommy?" They just want to be where I am today. And just being where I am is making them feel better. Jesus taught, healed and more, but people just wanted to be in His presence, touch Him and have Him touch them. Just being with Jesus was enough for people who believed in Him. Mothers have been given this mission, to be like Jesus for our children so they can believe in us and in turn believe in Jesus. I pray we can even give them a glimpse of Jesus each day. Because without even looking closely we can see Jesus in our children. It would be great to live up to who our children are and who our children would say we are on our best days.

Home Sweet Home

Got in late last night from being gone for 4 days. Kids were all asleep. I went into their rooms, checked that they were all breathing, and then crashed into my own bed. This morning I was plunged back into motherhood as I doled out tylenol for fevers, gave baths for church, and got decorations for the bike parade. Today I get to spend between my two youngest boys on the sofa watching movies and cartoons. Welcome home : ) (I'm ready to be home with these kiddos and make some more moments to blog about)

Elaina, Ben, and Charlie

I've been waking up to buzzing Instead of fingers prying my eye I've been eating all my meals No little fingers in my pie. I've been shopping through the day Instead of playing puzzles and blocks I've been having lunch with friends Instead of matching little socks. I've been saying prayers at night But saying them alone No little ones to pray with me For loved ones one by one. Tomorrow when I'm home I'll get so hugged and kissed Tomorrow when I'm home I'll enjoy the kids I've missed : )

Jack

Being out of town, I miss Jack's smile. Sounds cliche I know. But think about it, how many people in your life when you look at them are smiling and laughing and joking around during the day. Not many. Your boss? Your co-worker? People on the road? People at the store shopping? Your spouse? Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. It is a rare but wonderful thing to get sucked into a chuckle, or lured into a smirk by simply seeing someone else doing it. Its like the hiccups, but WAY better. And I miss Jack giving me the "hiccups" this week.

Scotty

Since I will be away from my kids for the next few days on a trip out of town, I've decided to blog about what I miss about them each night. Tonight I will do Scotty. Scotty (11) asks me about 5 times a day, "how ya doin' mom?" I didn't know I would miss that so much , but it do! It is nice to have someone care so much about your well being. It is sweet that he really wants to hear me say, "just fine!" Or "great, Scotty!" Every now and then I am in a super crabby mood and I may answer, "not great, scott, not great." Then I totally kick myself when I see his little dejected expression. He just wants to know mom is happy. I remember being a kid and wanting my mom to be in a good mood too. It just gave me a nice comfortable feeling. Which gets me thinking about how kids must feel who have parents with issues in their marriage, or big weight problems etc. I mean those parents are very likely never in a really good mood. How sad their kids must be to never have that comfortable reassurance. I should work to keep this disposition even when struggles come along, because they will, and really, it is easy to respond in that happy disposition when all is well, but there is no time more important for my kids to feel comfortable, safe and secure as when we are going through challenges. That is when they need that reassurance the most.