Cold, Wet Football and a Big Toe

Calls from the nurses office at school are never good. There was the one from one of the boys in Kindergarten about the bead that he had inserted into his nose...all was well when he sneezed and it came flying out. Then there was the "your son had an allergic reaction to cashews, the paramedics were called, but he seems to be ok now...could you come and get him" call. How does someone get to be 14 before you find out about an allergy like that? Poor Brian. Then last year Billy broke his finger in phy ed and we got the call. Well, yesterday there was another call. It was Billy...he had stubbed his big toe in weight training class. Stubbed as in pulled the toenail back and blood and swelling and ouch! My compassionate reaction....well, you're playing football this afternoon aren't you?? Just kidding....sort of. The nurse said he shouldn't, the football trainer said tape it up and you'll be fine. I said, it's up to you but wait until it's time to go and see how it feels. It felt ok enough to for him to play...so he did. In the cold rain. Poor parents...um...I mean poor kids.

Whimpy sports like softball are canceled when it rains. Not football. Football players are tough. They play with sore toes. They play in the cold rain with sore toes.

Sometimes when they play football in the cold rain it looks more like rugby. Like a rugby "scrum"....isn't that a cool word. Billy was in the middle. Squish.

Even with his bad toe, Billy almost blocked a punt. The coach almost blocked my view. Sometimes I feel like I have a sign on my head that says "stand in front of me" because I don't really want to watch anyway! I line up with a good view to take a few shots and more often than not, someone will move in front of me and create an eclipse.

I think I need a longer lens to clonk them on the head. I think maybe 49 degrees and windy and rainy makes me cranky. Billy is looking a little cranky too.

But I think that being a little cranky is good when you're playing football....

...in the cold rain with a hurt toe. He toughed it out, he didn't complain.

The boy is growing up. And they won their game in spite of the cold rain with a hurt toe. Now if we can just avoid any more of those calls from the school nurse we'll be just fine....oye.