Why do I bother...

Why does football mean so much to me? It is very frustrating when the two teams you follow religiously...and by that I mean yes I have at one time in my life decided to watch a football game rather than go to church but I know God is a Cowboys fan, what with the hole in TX stadium and all, so I think he would approve; approve may be a little strong of a word perhaps he understands...are getting beaten up. Both the Bruins and the Cowboys just got physically whooped this weekend. Why do the teams I follow have to be a bunch of...whoa! that was close.

Madison went on a field trip to a pumpkin patch this Friday with her class. She had great fun. What with the pumpkins and all. Who wouldn't have fun at a pumpkin patch? A Halloween scrooge I suppose. Or in other words fundamental Christians. Now don't get your panties in a wad. I mean those freaks who think it is the devil's holiday and would never let their child dress up to celebrate it. That argument shows the willful ignorance of those people. Halloween is actually the day when candy company's try out their new products. It's kind of their Super Bowl. Crazy fundamentalists. What would be a good name for a Halloween scrooge? Comments please.

Anywho, Kelly went on the field trip with Madison. Some time during the trip she and Ms Chaffin, Madison's teacher, were talking and she told Kelly she had been teaching kindergarten for 13 years and in all those years she had never seen a more advanced reader than Madison. (Read this next line in your best Barney Fife (BF) complete with nose sniff)

That's my girl!

Now, if we could just get her to write better. It looks like my writing after a fraternity party.

Ian is beginning to speak volumes. It's not that he's saying anymore, it's just that he's really loud. He is talking more and other people are beginning to notice as well. We had a few people at church tell us he is speaking much better. He loves to read like his sister. That is a great sign what with Madison being the most advanced reader her teacher had ever seen. (BF) He counts to twenty and sometimes counts to forty-ten which apparently in the new math is 50. Last night we were flicking through the channels and he said "Sleeping Beauty" even before I knew what was going on. Sure enough, it was a commercial for the Sleeping Beauty DVD. I asked Kelly,

"He knows who Sleeping Beauty is just by sight?"

"He knows all the princess'."

(after changing the TV back to the football game)
"OK Ian, that is a quarterback and that is a linebacker."

Reagan knows what she's doing. She likes to pull the wipes out of the box and suck on them. When you see her and start walking towards her she takes off like a bat out of Hades. She knows we don't like her doing that. She is pulling herself up and walking on the edge of things. It's only a matter of time before she is walking. She'll be one years...year...a one year...12 months old in a month. Time is flying.

Sometimes, I look at my family and think how surreal it all is. How Kelly came to love me. How our children are so beautiful. How they are mine. How did I get so lucky? How did I get so blessed?

It may have been a bad football weekend but it was a glorious life weekend. Aren't they all?