Oh My!

What Mick Hubert, the Gator radio announcer, says during most games is what I was thinking this morning as my kids went off to school, once again decked out in orange and blue.  But this morning I should have taken a picture.  I think they went around the house finding anything they could with blue or orange on it.  The boys both left wearing gator pj pants that they received from their grandmother one year for Christmas (and which I don’t usually allow out of the house unless maybe if they are getting the newspaper). They topped them with gator t-shirts, jackets, socks, and my youngest even wore an orange and blue Santa style hat. 

It’s great to see them having fun with it all.  They have enjoyed getting to know the game of football better by playing it since our return to the States year before last.  And I’m glad that our gator team has had some good role-models, like Tim Tebow, for kids to look up to.  As we watched the game last night, we noticed several times when it seemed like players were intentionally trying to hurt others on the opposite team.  It’s sad that people feel they need to do that in order to win. 

I am a huge rule-follower, to the point where it drives my husband crazy when we are playing a game and can’t remember a rule.  I will drag the rule sheet out of any board game or even go to the internet if we can’t find the rules in order to play the game the way it is meant to be played.  I feel that rules are in place for a reason.  Sometimes they may need to be changed if they don’t work, but in general, if you follow the rules, I feel that the game (or any situation) makes more sense and flows right.  When people cheat or don’t follow the rules, it slows the momentum and can get frustrating.

The boys each have an event tomorrow.  I can’t wait to see my youngest in his first basketball game in several years.  He’s tall for his age (5’8″ at age 11), so sometimes I think he gets a lot of pressure on him from others who think he should be the next Michael Jordan.  I try tell the kids to just have fun when they’re out on the field, but they see how serious it all can be, especially on tv.  But in the end, I think if they feel like they’ve given their 110% and that their teammates are doing the same, even if they don’t win, they are enjoying the games.