Farewell to Football

So, this weekend was the climax of Ryker's second football season. This year, he played exclusively defense on a darned-good team -- undefeated! I thought the defensive line was superb, but I am also a little foggy on what a down is, so consider it motherly bias. Ryker is developing a bit of a nervous personality. Funny, I didn't see it coming with the thumb sucking, nail biting and general clingy behavior he exhibited in his early years. Hmmmm. Anyway, he gets VERY nervous before football games and spelling tests. On the way to the championship game, he would not stop talking about how afraid he was. Finally, I told him to pray. It always makes me feel better. This is him praying in the back seat on the way to the game. I assumed he would pray for peace or to play well or to not be so nervous, but he prayed for what every 7-year-old boy would pray for: to win!

Unfortunately, they didn't win. They had an amazing season and sadly played against a team that would have quite easily won fairly, but the boys were pulling on jerseys and hitting from behind. It was sad, especially when one particularly large kid on the other team shoved two kids from our team from behind with his shoulder. I was feeling really sorry for the first kid -- who was hit hard and bowled over on the ground. Imagine my surprise when it was No. 50. He got up, but a few moments later was trying to pull off his helmet and was crying. Broke my heart! And then I did a terrible thing. I told Ryker if he wasn't seeing stars he should go right back out and play. Oh, the horror of this mother! What? It wasn't like I told him to go do it right back to the other boy! The mom behind me already said that! It was a tough game. Here's the whole team, proclaiming their undefeated status during the season. Sorry about the lighting. There were 40 moms and grandma types with cameras, and someone made them move from perfect shade lighting into this patchy sun. Makes me shudder!

I couldn't resist this last shot as we were getting in the car. I wasn't sure what was more dirty -- my boy or my Jeep. But only the boy got a bath. Can you believe that front tooth didn't come out during the game? It's hanging on my a mere thread. And now, more than 24 hours later, it's still in there! That hit hurt more than yanking that tooth out will!