Southern Football & Lunatic Mommies

I've been called many things in my life. Never have I been described as competitive. I firmly believe that one person's good is every one's good. I revel in other people's good fortune as if it were mine. I have a No-Schadenfreude policy.
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Your kid walks before mine?
Good for him.

Your kid breezes through math without effort?
That's great.

Your house is bigger.
It's pretty.Can I come over?

Your husband does housework?
Aren't you lucky!

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When Justin and Jack started football last year, I was happy that they would play a sport. Soccer bored them to tears in past years. They wanted contact. They chose football.

Not flag football.
Full pads, helmet, tackle football.


I normally sit on the bleachers and halfway watch the boys. Mostly I try to keep my preschooler occupied and keep mosquitoes away from baby. I would really rather go home early and put them to bed.


I remember the first night of full pads, last season. Mr. Smartypants was annoyed with Justin because he wasn't hitting his practice partner. Justin is taller than most other 8 yr. old boys and was paired up with a little boy half his size! I knew he just refused to hurt him. As a mommy, I understood. Mr. Smartypants gave him a 'pep-talk' during his water break. A rather passionate peptalk. He explained that he has to tackle boys even if they are smaller. He had never realized that he would be expected to actually knock people over. Permission was granted. It was on!


I gave Mr. Smartypants the evil eye and told him he was being a mean, over-competitive father. I mentally disparaged his parenting, his manliness, and his character. It wasn't pretty. Let's just say it wasn't my finest hour.


Then, it happened. Justin got a different partner to tackle, and then was put in formation. He hit, he tackled, he sacked. I heard the helmets and pads cracking together and I changed. I was hooked.

My polite WASP-y exterior belied my excitement. I wanted to jump up and belly-bump the mommies next to me. I wanted to yell praise on the field like a drunken NFL fan. I could have crushed my Diet Dr. Pepper on my forehead.

Instead of causing permanent humiliation for my sweet son, and millions of dollars spent in psychotherapy, I decided to just smile and give him a discreet thumbs up.


I'm a football mom. Who knew?


So, I admit it, I've become the mommy I used to make fun of!


If you see me yelling on the sidelines, challenging other mommies to an arm-wrestling match, or painting my face & belly the team colors, pull me aside and smack me!

A small shout out to my alma mater... U.T.  Go Vols.

Love to you all, Alli

{p.s.- i know, i know, i'm supposed to have the Q & A post today. sorry, it isn't done. i stink. i'm still going crazy in the hotel room with the boys and trying to plan the conference next month. i'll post the Q & A soon. promise!!}

Comments

[Valarie Lea]

I am having such dilemma over this weekend. I was born and raised A Vols fan and now I am married to an Auburn Fan. I am so confused!! Go Big Orange!

[Valarie Lea]

Shhhh don't tell my husband I just said that :)

[Mandy]

I have become a football mom this year too! Who knew I would love it so much? I hoot and holler with the best of 'em from the stands when my boy makes a big tackle! He's the smallest & youngest kid on the team and he gets the most tackles so I guess I have a right to be proud, right??

We're headed down to see the Vols in action in a few weeks. Go big orange!

[Darla]

My child would be the one half the size of yours, but he'd try his best to knock yours to the ground.

On Saturday the "big" dawg he was playing against got kicked out of the game for stomping on my child with his clete, cuz let me say, there's nothing worse than a "little" dawg who keeps on charging at you. I could honestly see why Mr Big Dawg got frustrated.

[Alli {Mrs. Fussypants}]

Yay, fellow football mommies.

Go vols!

[The Stiletto Mom]

Fussypants, your boobies are showing in that picture. :)

[Christine @ Serenity How?]

Boobies AND a toolshed. Way to put it out there for your team! :)

[Marcy Massura-The Glamorous Life]

I am so right there with ya.
I was totally OPPOSSED to my boy playing football. And now...I LOVE IT.
Go Bulldogs! (that is our team out here in California!)

[Felicity]

Oh I never knew I was 'that' type of person either! A friend took the boyfriend and I to a football game and within a few minutes into the game I was the one jumping up screaming at the ref etc! *gasp* So unladylike!

[Heather @ Not a DIY Life]

love me some football!!! too bad we don't have any little boys in our family. That would totally be me on the sidelines.

[Mrs.D]

I followed my baby brother from 3rd grade football to Senior year, and it was a wonderful time. I miss it greatly... I have yet to see a game this year. (he graduated last year.) But on the upside, he's working on getting a spot on the football team at WKU next year. Keeping my fingers crossed. Enjoy every game, Fuss! The years fly by!

[TX Poppet]

I thought after the first year of football, I'd stop being so scared watching the kids play. Six years later, I fret and worry about these big ol' senior boys like they are still pee wees.

Oh, and I still can't help cheering when one of the boys on the other team does something spectacular. Football moms are an odd bunch, aren't we?

[Kelly]

On the Blissfully Domestic site, is there any way to have a printable version of the recipes? If there is a way, could you kindly point out where it is??? Thanks!

[Beck]

Ha! My kids are... not athletic, to put it politely. But lots of kids are in hockey around here, and it's so funny to see the polite little religious mom from down the street turn into this bloodthirsty, shrieking maniac.

[Karen]

Kids do the darndest things to us, don't they? Whoda thunk? At least now you'll be able to enjoy the games. :)

[Jennifer, Playgroups are no place for children]

Go Vols, indeed!

Hey did you know I was moving....to Tennessee. We'll practically be neighbors! I'll be about 2 hours east of you...

[Janna]

You go, football mom girlfriend!

My older son (9) would be snapped like the smallest of twigs in a FLAG football game, so we play basketball! My younger son (2) is built like a linebacker - football may also be in my future.

You know, the blog world really brings those together that may not necessarily go together other wise. For example, I just found out that one of my favorite bloggers is a Florida fan. Now I find that you are a TENNESSEE fan. I only have two words for you...

WAR EAGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Adrienne]

Fussy,
I must confess; I took your post to my writing class today. Using your story as a starter made our writing prompt really fun. One student wrote that she was going to be just like you--signing her paper "a football mommy wannabe". Another wrote a note inviting you to come over to watch football at his house.
You've got a fan base of your own here in Oregon.
Go Fussy!

[meritt]

I just popped in from Twitter and had to smile. Competition always did NOTHING for me. I was a leasing agent at an apartment complex with 714 apartments when I was first married and the managers though 'competition' would make us get more deposits. Dude, pitting us against each other just made me angry and rebellious so I wouldn't get deposits! LOL.

Then I became a Mommy.

It happens. :)

[AmyL]

LOL I joined the football ranks this year too. When I found out what was going to be required of the boys I was appalled. Just the schedule alone is daunting, and then there's all the tackling. Now we're halfway through the season and I find myself shrieking from the sidelines "GO!! GET HIM!!!" with everyone else.

I thought for sure I'd have to work hard to 'pass' as one of the football parents. Instead I became one. Change is good for the soul, isn't it?

[Kelly @ Pass the Torch]

Oh my! Love the new look, Alli!

;)

[Octamom]

I'm still working on becoming a good, yelling, cheering, actually-knows-what-the score is soccer mom...but it's good to know there's hope...

Um...not to panic you, but the last shot...is that from the mold in the house? You know, the hair growth, odd skin color, mammary changes... Shouldn't your attorney have a copy of that pic? ;o)

Blessings!