Footbawl and R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I realize we're freaks here in TN because of our love for football. Yeah, that's not the only reason we're freaks - we talk kinda funny too but that's a story for another day.

I can understand crying when you get hurt and believe me, these boys are taking some good hits - the bruises alone speak volumes. I feel like I should make Cowboy wear long sleeves. Not to mention, when he first started playing - his seasonal allergies flared and we had a HUGE issue. I took him to the doc because he kept having bloody noses. I was worried that it was iron related (coupled with the bruises, seemed appropriate) or something else and when he looked he said he just has some inflammed vessels in his nose. That's great and all - but my child STILL to this day sneezes out of his nose. It's a learned skill and I have tried FOREVER to get him do the sneezing blow out of his mouth. Instead, once he starts a bloody nose, it makes him sneeze...>SEVERAL TIMES<. You can just imagine my panic when I'd have to worry about the crime scenes he was creating. Heaven help us if CSI ever comes to this house with that little UV light they shine to detect blood...we're screwed. I can just hear it now "Sorry Ma'am, you can't get blood splatter like that from a sneeze" "Of COURSE you can!" "Then why is it all over the house and in a trail from the bathroom to the living room to the bedroom?" "Well I can't talk him into sneezing in one location" "You should get a lawyer" "Cowboy - sneeze now!!!!!!!" Yeah I don't see that working either. I had him carry a towel with us wherever we went out because for the first few days, it was a MESS! I'm sure I looked like some kind of freak in the stores when I'd see him get that squinted eye, I'm about to sneeze and blow out all over this place look. I'd immediately start digging for the towel. He's doing much better now - thankfully no more bloody noses.

Last year we had an issue with a boy calling him STUPID (bad word in this family) every single day and he'd ask me when he'd stop. I told him his best response would be to shrug and say "SO"....and then when given the chance to tackle him, earn his respect by showing him that he can take him down. They were ALWAYS pitted against each other. Cowboy flattened him one day and the kid got up - pushed him, Cowboy pushed him back and both boys got in trouble by the coach. AFTER practice, the kid came up to ME and said "I just wanted to let you know Cowboy is a great football player, I'm learning a lot from him this year". *blink blink* *blink blink* WOW! I picked up my chin from the ground and thanked him. Cowboy and I had a great discussion at dinner about earning respect, the right ways to do it, etc. The kid never talked to him like that again and as a matter of fact he moved and was at the football game the other day watching Cowboy since his game was later in the day.

So my brother-in-law was in town to go fishing with Nerdtoad (dh) and we are giving them our old boat so he was going to drive it back home. We were at football practice and Cowboy comes over in TEARS - oh yes TEARS - because one of the kids called him a coward. WHAT?!?! HOW DARE HE! WHICH ONE IS HE? 'scuse me...Mama Bear jumped out. So we remind Cowboy, he needs to earn his respect by hitting hard and taking him down on a play....proving him wrong. His response.... "I CAN'T he's on DEFENSE TOO!" ROFL I had really hoped this could have been another one of those perfectly laid out character lessons I could work off of....was I ever wrong. Maybe during drills tonight, with a nudge from me to the coach, this kiddo and Cowboy can earn the respect of each other and end footbawl 2.0.