Sure I love football, but he is my baby afterall.

Oh my, today is the day. 

On Monday, Middle Child began and ultimately survived his first ever TWO-A-DAY. 

That's football lingo for "the beginning of hell or the time period of practices where you can no longer feel your feet because they hurt so bad, your arms and legs are bruised, your lower calf muscle will probably be cut from a cleat at some point, your chest and back is likely to have numerous scrapes, and you will puke at least once a day for good measure, or to make sure you are still alive. Because in the south, two-a-day practices occur in the heat. You know when it's nice and HOT....with a heat index of 110.  And you are required to run sprints in the wonderful afternoon hours of summertime."

Middle Child and Elder Son have been slow to move around the past few days. They lay around and moan a lot. The up side is I'm not having to get on to them constantly for wrestling in my bedroom floor in the evening hours during commercial breaks. They are just too tired. And their thighs hurt.

And today, they begin FULL PADS.  Which is football lingo for, "today you will get drilled. you will lie flat of your back. you will be thankful for padding, but reluctant to go full speed at the tailback ever again. and you will puke at least once for good measure, and to reassure yourself, yet again, you are still alive."

Oh yes, today, Middle Child will have his first ever experience with FULL PADS. Football is a contact sport afterall. He's been anxiously awaiting this time for a while. Elder Son went through this rite of passage a couple of years ago....he knows what's coming.  And I don't think he's being very helpful to his little brother. 

Yesterday, when I picked them up from their 2nd practice of the day (hence TWO A DAY), I stopped a couple of the Varsity players for a quick chat. Or rather a stern statement.  From the mama of that 75 lb. squirt on the team. With my mama face on and eyebrow cocked. 

"Hey, (biggest lineman on the team), y'all need to take it easy on Middle Child tomorrow, don't hit him too hard. I mean,  it wouldn't be very good for one of the biggest members of the Varsity squad to hit him at full speed, now would it?" 

To which the biggest lineman replied, "Oh, Mrs. Kimberly, we are gonna take care of Middle Child, I promise we'll look after him." 

I also gave the same statement to a couple of other Varsity players before returning home. 

Later I find out, Middle Child had been weaving his own safety nets as best he could prior to today's HITTING drills.  Turns out, he was passing out gum at practice yesterday to a few of the known Varsity hard hitters in an attempt to get in their good graces.  One of the first on his list to achieve mercy status with was the quarterback, a senior athlete.  Back during spring practice, Middle Child gave us an eye witness account of when the quarterback hit Elder Son at full speed.  And "lit him up"....football lingo for Elder Son got drilled. Elder Son survived, but the memory of that hit is still as vivid as the day it occurred.  

Middle Child will probably have one of those vivid memory jolting moments to chalk up in his career today. 

And thus I think it would be a good time for us all to pray.  Fervently.

Because Middle Child ran out of gum yesterday.....