Mop-Up Man

Where to begin with football…I'm sure you're all wondering about an update. I've got a few pictures of Cade, but I haven't had a chance to post them. If I don't take them with my phone I have a hard time getting them from the camera to the computer. AND our internet is down again so that's also delaying the process. I have yet to see Cade in action. The first two games I was stuck in The Icebox for our final two events. We decided since Jay was a helper it would be better for him to go to the games and I would stay behind to oversee the business. I'm not sure that I've exactly missed out on anything except watching Jay become the Mop-Up Man….

Jay has nicknamed himself the Mop-Up Man. I'm not sure if a nickname is really a nickname if you give it to yourself, but if you're the one lacing up the football pants you can call yourself whatever you want…. Saturday night (after game #2) I think Jay had decided he was done with the whole football thing. I won't go in to all the details about it (it is really funny to hear Jay tell the stories), but this might tip you off as to how it went – we got beat 8 to 24 but we played a 5^th quarter so all the boys could play. Jay has somewhat taken on the role of crowd control. I'm sure the fact that he's a teacher has something to do with this self assumed role – someone has to pay attention to the kids on the sidelines or all heck will break loose. So instead of becoming fully absorbed in the game he is breaking up fights, telling them to keep their helmets on even if their head is itching and telling them to ask one of the other coaches why they haven't played yet when they ask him for the hundredth time. After hearing the kids complain about one kid too many times the kid ended up next to Jay. Jay put his arm around the boy and held onto his shoulder pads. Jay said that the rest of the game it was going to be them together. It was just them together until Jay had another boy act up. He then had his arms around both boys with his hands locked into their shoulder pads for the rest of the game. I wish I could've gotten a picture of that.

But my favorite self-assumed responsibility is bathroom duty. At two minutes to game time one of the coaches said "oh…hey, do any of you need to go to the bathroom"? Several of the boys raised their hands so up the hill they headed. Jay saw there were no adults going so he went because he knew what would happen. Don't we all remember how bathroom time was when we were in elementary? Jay went to keep order, but he quickly realized there was another duty that had to be done – 8 year olds with laces where their zipper should be and a D ring where the button should be. From Jay's description of this I'm guessing it must've resembled the calf roping event at a rodeo – I wish I could do the sound effects that Jay can do but it was him quickly lacing them up, telling them to GO, and moving on to the next kid. When Jay was describing this to me I wasn't thinking and said "they can't take care of their own pants"? Jay looked at me like I was dumb and said "they are 8 year olds with laces in the crotch of their pants. No they can not tie their own pants". I should've known since we have to tie Cade's pants..,actually, I let Jay do it. The few times I've done it Cade's underwear shows.

So I think Jay deserves to keep his self-named nickname. If it weren't for him the spectators might have seen a lot more at Saturday's game than they had planned on…. Jay will not be at this Saturday's game because Alabama is coming to Fayetteville. I think we are going to go with him, even though a part of me would like to stay behind just to see what will happen. Can you get a penalty in Mighty Mites if your pants aren't laced????