The Sideline Mom

A first in seven years.

Football season is upon us. And normally we would be at the fields every night for the next couple weeks getting ready for the upcoming season of block's, hit's, tackles and touchdowns. But not this year. This is a first for us. In seven season's.

   

I wish I could say I'm ok with this but I'm not. At least not completely. I realize the boys wanting to do other things this fall is perfectly ok but at the same time I know and love what football teaches them every season they have a chance to be out there. 

 It helps them understand what being part of team means. Never giving up. Staying in it when the going gets tough and working towards a common goal. I love the comraderie they have with the other teammates and coaches. Working together in all things. Helping them become what I know that they can be. Winners no matter what the outcome of any game.

 

But this season looks as if  it will take a different turn. They will play fall baseball and participate in a few skateboard competions instead. Both at which they are good at and I know they will do well, I just feel that football has such invaluable lessons for us all.

 

Or maybe it's just that I will miss taking the pictures of them in action. Sports photography is my weakness ya know? But in all truth I know that it's the right thing to do this season it's just that I can't help wondering if perhaps we might regret it just a little. As we all know, we regret the things in life that we do not do more than the one's we do. 

So it's with a touch of saddness that I write this post because I know we will miss all the fun parts about football this year. The great families we have come to know and love, the kids, the excitement, the cool uniform's and the being involved with a great football organization like the one we have here in Brentwood. But truth be told we will even miss the difficult and unsavory aspects of it as well. The tough commitment, long hot practices, hard hits, heavy equipment and sometimes continuous losses. At least I know I will.

 

Just for the record Mo did spend about a day really thinking he wanted to play  this season after he had a sleepover with a buddy he played with last year. This friend was again playing this season and it put Mo in a tailspin. He said much to my surprise "I think I won't play fall baseball and not skateboard for now and go ahead and play football mom"! He said, "I really want to skateboard but I want to play football too." He's never been very good at decision making (something we are working on)

 

All in all that lasted about 2 days and he ultimately decided to stick with the original plan, and wait til next year to go back to football. Even at this age there are hard decisions to be made.

 

As for the A-train he is such a good pitcher that it's all he wants to do these days. So the decision was not quite as difficult for him. All in all I suppose it's the right choice for this year. So for now, high five's for all our peeps. We will miss you terribly. But we'll be out there to catch a game I promise.

 

We will be out there next season. Ready to Hit, Hustle and Never quit. You can count on it!

Over and out.

The Sideline Mama

"You must be willing to do the things that are not fun". - Pat Summit UT Basketball

"You have to be tough." -Mike Ditka Chicago Bears

"Play sports with passion, but always maintain balance in your life." -Sharron Backus UCLA softball

"Football is life with the volume turned up" -Unknown

 

 

This dude.

Yesterday I was going about my own business and for some reason I stopped and looked at Morgan and I mean I REALLY looked at him and I realized in a bigger way than usual that he was SO not a baby anymore. I already know this but it seemed to really hit me. First I wimpered, then I wailed then I ate a Twinkie. Just kidding I haven't bought twinkies in 17 years. Honestly.  I have issues, I realize this, but anyway he so looked like such a big boy to me. In every way. So I did what I usually do in those situations. I grabbed my camera. It calms my nerve's. Usually. 

See what I mean! He's got his typical trademark toughface going on here and all, but why does he look so much bigger to me? Perhaps it's because the round baby face is slowly disappearing, or his neck. It's thicker. Told you I have issues. Or quite possibly it's because he'll be 8 in a few months. I don't know.

  

 

Anyway you look at it my baby's growing up and I somehow must learn to celebrate this rather than mourn it.

It's life.

Have a wonderful celebrated day.

The SLM

Late Night Skate.. because they can.

The boys love to skateboard. No secret there. It's just that they want to skate 24/7. It can get exhausting. Not for them. For me. Especially when you have wonderful places like our local YMCA that think up nifty cool events like Late Night Skate nights that allow the kids to skate from 7-11pm on friday nights . I am so excited I can barley contain myself. 

Here are the boys having a totally rad time. As you may notice, Morgan would be the smallest of the bunch. But don't tell him that. Although if you did it wouldn't matter much because he think's he's just as big as the rest of them.  (yep, he is that tiny one right there in front) And to be very strait-forward and honest here folks, he can almost outskate all of them.  No lie. It's really fun to watch.

 

They skated non-stop. Nearly the whole 4 hours without a break. That's just the way they roll.

 

Luckily due to a cold-front that wafted down from Canada, or New Zealand or some other foreign country it was a really cool 65-70 degrees. I actually got a little chilly myself and they stayed much cooler than if it would have been the normal 85.

This one in the middle  had a good time also. He conquered the 8 ft ramp for the first time and continues to face his fears to do the things he so wants to accomplish out there on the ramps. I was really happy for him. And proud.

 

This one I have to tell NOT to try certain things just yet.(kinda like this crazy trick here below) For me it's a total "opposite ends of the spectrum" situation. Two boys on completely different ends of the fear meter. It's God's way of having a little fun at my expense. I'm convinced.

 

Although, I must say for the record that it's not that Mo lacks fear, it's just that he does not allow it to stop him for very long when there is something he want's to do. I think there is a lesson here in all of this but it's for another place and time. 

 So we are doing a lot of skating and shredding-aka lots of cool tricks and riding, and for me, sitting at skateparks. Sometime's late at night. Cause I'm the Sideline Mom right? It's what I do peeps.

 

So until next time, here's a question for ya... How long do you let fear stop you from doing what you know you're suppose to do? A week, a year, a day, a minute, forever? Pardon me while I go comtemplate this myself.

  

Hope you have a spectacularly fearless day!

Over and Out.

The SLM

 

 

 

My great summer find.

Most of you know I love flowers. If you don't know that...  hey peeps, I love me some flowers. They are one of my things. Always have been. So when I hit the market each week, I look.  I may not buy. But I always look for sure dude's and dudette's. So this week as I sauntered by the floral department to what do my wandering eyes should appear.. these babies!

 

Gladiolas. And glad they did make me. But the price was even more spectacular. Try like 20 stems for the nifty, thrifty price of 6 bucks. Say what? (Whole Foods-Franklin for you locals) You got that right.  I had to double check, but tis true. Two bunches for 6 daa-la! Only thing I love more than flowers... a bargain. And perhaps camera equipment. I digress.

Anyway they are beautiful in every single way, so those babies came home with mama and have been blessing my eyes ever since.

 

The color is so beautiful it's hard to describe. A rosy, pinkish coral with just the slightest hint of purple. Spectacular! They're disposition, elegant, strong yet tender.

 

And the petals so exquisite I could stare all day. That is if I didn't have 18 loads of laundry, 68 piles of dishes and 1893 other things I have to get done. I never exaggerate much.

 

Even the colorless white one's made my heart go pitter-pat. They just do, don't ask me how or why. I don't know. 

I said to the check out girl. These beauties just made my whole month! The bagger said "Wow, doesn't take much to make you happy does it?" Nope I don't suppose it does. If you think flowers are not much. But to me they really are something.

May your day flower with beauty.

Much love,

The Sideline Mom

Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals. Some seem to smile, some have a sad expression, some are pensive and diffident, others again are plain, honest and upright. -Henry Ward Beecher

Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light. -Theodore Roethke

 

 

Funny face I love you.

Mo has taken it upon himself to make sure I get in a more photos here and there. It's his new mission. He's not a bad photographer I must admit. Maybe just another way he is taking after his mama. (smile)

So I suppose you'll be seeing a lot more of me round these parts. So here goes. (there is a black smudge on the bottom of my lense I did not know about til after 4 days of taking pics-nice)

 

Quite composed here I must say. So nice and serene. Then...

 

we got a little nutty.

 

Then we headed into crazy territory.

 

Oh my. Then our nice peaceful lake snapshots all went to hell in a hand basket.

 

I suppose that's enough for now folks. We'll try again next year.

 

Have a wonderful funny face day.

The SLM.

Bye.

 

Yesterday we said our goodbyes.

"You wear grief as a badge of how well you loved, grief is an expression that you loved well." - Elizabeth Lesser

Our whole city is grieving. Grieving like never before. We lost a Titan. THE Titan. The Ultimate. The mammoth warrior Steve McNair and it is such a huge loss. We are grieving here in Tennessee and the world over. 

It was hard not to love him. Nearly impossible. With a smile and attitude so radiant it could warm the most glacier like football fan's on the coldest of game day's. He grinned and the glow from those pearly whites lit up the entire vicinity in which he stood. I think that's how he stole our heart's from the beginning. That smile. A winners smile. There was also his love of community, people and the kids. His graciousness in giving back. All of it was heartfelt and he made it look effortless. He was a true giver. Then of course there was his ability on the field. I had never been so mesmerized by a football player. Never really watched much football before the time the Titans and Steve came to town. Steve McNair was the first quarterback, first player, I ever really watched intently. Perhaps it interested me because just a few months prior to the Titans coming to town I had my first son and I just instinctively gravitated towards what I thought or knew my boy would someday be interested in.  Football and the centerpiece of football. The quarterback.

 

Steve holding Austin at 6 months old. I think he said something like it was good practice for him since his wife was soon expecting they're first son. I think Keith also told Steve to try not to "pass" Austin if he could help it. We all laughed. It was a good day.

 

Perhaps it was because the NFL had come to my town and I felt an certain connection or ownership to the organization and I thought of him as my quarterback. 

 

Titans Superbowl parade. Downtown Nashville. We were excited!

Perhaps it's a combination of all of these things but more than anything now I think it was more about who he was personally and the way he played the game.

 

Watching Steve McNair and the Titans preseason practices at TSU before they had they're own practice facilities. First season they came to town. Here Eddie George and Kevin Dyson are taking a breather and being interviewed before they signed autographs.

I remember most of all loving the moments when he would be in a tough spot and had to run the ball. The scramble, the determination, the tenacity, the skill and ultimately the victory. The heart. He had it and a lot of it. That is what we loved so much about him and that is why we hurt so much today. We loved him well.

He was the beauty of life in motion. He won us over with the love he had for us. Love of his family, friends and fans. He did what he did on that field for the people he loved and he did it in a way that showed us just how much he loved us. He loved us well also. All of Tennessee will be forever grateful for that. It's said that gratitude is the heart's memory. I, one solitary fan am grateful for his time with us and that we had the chance to love and know him. I know I forever will be grateful for that. We will miss him much. In our hearts he will forever be our beloved #9.

All my prayers and thoughts are with his boys, family and loved ones. May they find peace through all of this.

Over and out.

The Sideline Mom

 

 

1,2,3 jump!

And that's what they did. ALL weekend. Just got back from 4th of July trip to North Carolina to Keith parents house. It's along trip but I think while there everyone enjoy's themselves. The boys love this most of all...

jumping off the dock. Big fun.

 

And diving.

 

Oh, and flipping too.

 

And then more diving , of course.

 

Then a pose

 

or two, for good measure. Goofballs.

 

And then swimming until they smelled mostly like fish.

  

I think I spotted gills forming on Mo's back.

But a good time was had and that's what counts right?

More stories to come.

Over and out.

The SLM