How I spend my Saturday mornings

 

Yup. This is how I've spent most of my Saturday mornings since school has begun: watching Jr. High football. I love it except for the fact that it has been near or above 100 degrees for every single game and the stands always seem to face the sun (but what doesn't face the sun in California?) and as uncomfortable as I am, I get a little worried about the players, especially #71, my favorite starting center.

 

 

 

Lining up for the play and staring down the other players. That's his third favorite part of playing.

 Here's his second favorite part: the thrill of the snap!

And here is his favorite thing of all: blocking the players even when they are twice his size.

 He held this player off through the whole game

 

 

 

 

 

 Not MY favorite thing to watch but he sure does love it and is getting so much better at it. He's earned several "hammers" for his helmet this year. When I asked what that meant he said (I swear!) "Hard head".

 

Me: You get a hammer sticker for having a hard head? Uh...

Him: No mom, it's for hard hits.

Me: Oh. Well then... 

 

 The front line's had several plays where they've completely cleared the path for long runs straight up the middle and even a touchdown or two. When the runners brag about making the touchdown, Joe (gently I'm sure) reminds them who helped them get that touchdown. 

I never thought I'd love watching my own kid play football so much, especially when he comes home with bruises and cuts all over his body. By the end of the season his arms and legs are nearly solidly bruised.  I never thought I'd see a kid of mine proudly pointing to each bruise and explaining how he got it. Can you really get that giddy over hitting and being hit? I guess so, if Joe's anything to go by. And just a little shout out to all his siblings who helped him learn how to take a beating and still be laughing about it while in pain. I guess you all get a lot of the credit for who he is on the field.

 Go Team!

Be careful what you wish for...

So, in getting the wish of all wishes (for me anyway) my emotions have ranged from being higher than a kite, to dragging myself through the (metaphorical) sewers. You know the saying "It's all fun and games until..." Well, I found out what that "until" means. It means that you get to dream your fantasy dream about being a nurse until you hit the ground and have to spend the next 4 weeks at a flat-out run trying to get everything on the admission's list done "or you will be dropped from the program." Jeezelouise.

Try finding your immunization card when you had immunizations almost 50 years ago. So then you get to do the titer tests and pay an ungodly amount of money for someone to say "yes, you do have immunity for that." Then try to find a place that will do the immunizations you must have updated when your family doctor doesn't do them and the county health department doesn't offer them to adults.  Then get a TB test done, background check, drug testing (that's a whole nuther story in itself but note to self---don't do this on your birthday or on the day you start your period. That's all you get from me about this), get a physical, arrange for malpractice insurance, do the HIPAA training, sign-up for and start two classes you didn't know you would need before the end of school, figure out and finish financial aid junk, and on, and on, and on.  I'm exhausted and keep wondering what the heck I was thinking. You may think me shallow (I think I am also) but the one thing that has kept me going was one little paper included in my packet. It was the page that showed the various styles of uniforms I could order. I makes me so happy for some reason. I mean some of them are really cute! Then there is the page that outlines the classes I'll be taking. Gets my heart beating a little bit faster. Every. Single. Time. Let's start already!!!!