BIG little fan

Late, late, late night! Dennis was winding down, about to go to bed, when he found me on the couch, sweating my way through the BCS Championship football game. We had given him several 10 minute warnings about bedtime, but David was stretched out in bed playing on his computer and I was too caught up in watching and looking away and watching the game to tuck him in and read a bedtime story. Dennis wanted to know what I was doing, so I told him Auburn was playing a game. He immediately asked "can I watch too?". I chose to see this as interest in the team and game rather than a ploy to stay up, plus I wanted the company. I got out the chips and dip and we partied together on the couch. He jumped up and down on the couch when it was warranted (and sometimes when it wasn't), and we happily enjoyed the game. David joined us for the final minutes of the game and got frustrated with Dennis while I was out of the room (tense moments in the game too nailbiting to watch). I came in to find a tied score and a crying kid, not good at all, so I scooped up Dennis and took him to his room to tuck him in (mumbling to David to go back to what he was doing while the team was winning). We read a story and I was headed out to get his medicine when David spoke up with "2 seconds left, setting up for field goal" and I detoured to the den to hold my breath. When the kick was good, and after I finished jumping up and down, I yelled for Dennis to come out and celebrate with us. He happily did so, jumping and yelling "war eagle" and "I love Auburn" and then telling his Daddy that he wants "some Auburn pom-poms, an Auburn shirt and white pants, and an Auburn football helmet." We partied around the den for a few more minutes, watching the band play, watching the players celebrate. Dennis' shirt features the number 02, so he was especially interested in noticing the quarterback.

We are not die-hard football fans. Whole seasons have gone by without me even turning a game on, remembering on Tuesday to ask those who truly care what the outcome of the previous Saturday's game was (or Googling it in an attempt to hide my utter disregard). I don't know why I picked this year to tune in to my inner rabid Tigers fan, but it sure was a good year for it! I watched many of the games this year, all stomach clenching, nail biting struggles. Some may say that's exciting, but I think it was just plain stressful! But I persevered, and more importantly, so did Auburn, and I watched and not-watched all the way to a national championship. Excellent! And now we have an even more dedicated little Auburn fan in the house, delighted to join me for some time on the couch with game food. It was fun explaining the game to him (and how did that job fall to me?), and watching how thrilled he was over the win! I can't believe I wrote a whole blog post about football! There's some 'Bama belle in me after all. Who would have thought?

War Eagle!