Well, let's start out with a Wills Point Football update from last Friday night:
Wills Point Tigers: 7 / Kaufman Lions: 10.
That's right, we lost our first game, which really sucks, especially since the Lions lost their
first two games and their first win was over the Tigers. It was a good game...Our offensive line
did awesome. I think that maybe there were team members that came into the game a little
over-confident, knowing that we had won our first two games and that Kaufman lost their first two games. Bottom line is that the Lion's were hungrier for a win. We increased our passing game, which totally keeps me on the edge of my seat...every time I see us throw a pass, I almost can't look...so afraid it will be intercepted. Intercepted it was at this particular game...a couple of times, which I think drastically affected the outcome of the game.
Clay's friend from college, Terry came to the game with us. Terry's dad is a football coach for Rowlett High School...it's a 5A school. They're 'big-time". Wills Point is only a 3A school. Well, Terry really enjoyed himself. We got there a little late, so it was slim-pickin's on a seat. We ended up sitting in an area with the "Uber-Fan-Mom"...Jane Anne. Terry had never experienced the small town football experience. Rowlett shares a stadium with several other Garland ISD schools. He was really impressed with the fact the game was being played at the actual school and that a big part of the town turned out for the game. I think that Terry was afraid I was going to make a scene with my Helmet-Shaker...Absolutely not possible with "Jane Anne" right next to us...she was all over Terry, leaning on him, there was a lot of Terry-touching going on. She screamed, yelled, cheered and jumped up and down the whole game. I'm surprised that her voice didn't go out. (note to self, don't sit by Jane Anne again) For the first time, parents around us actually acknowledged our presence. We are at every football, soccer, band and school function and have always been, since the boys have been in Wills Point, and only now are people noticing us. One mom asked if we were "Spencer's people". When I said "yes", she pointedly told several people around us, "This is Spencer's mom"...they were acting all happy to "finally" meet us...don't see the big deal. But I guess the acknowledgement is nice, since all these years, people just look right past or through Clay and I...so I know they don't have to say anything...cause they usually don't.

Wills Point Homecoming is this Friday. We are playing Gladewater. So, in San Diego, where I grew up, Homecoming didn't involve "Mums". I've seen homecoming mums about and truly just thought they were gaudy and unnecessary. For the first time, Spencer asked me to help him with a mum for his girlfriend. I have offered in previous years, but he always insisted on buying one from the local flower shop. This year, he decided to put a little faith in the never-failing "Lolivision". There's a place that I go to get my cake supplies and they also have tons of wedding stuff as well as tons of cheer and spirit stuff. Last week I went there to get everything we would need to make Emily's mum. Boy was I ever overwhelmed!!!! Things that I knew: Emily is a cheerleader, on the tennis team and the school colors are royal blue and white. They had mums ready-made with teddy bears, bells, whistles, and tons and tons of trinkets. I had no idea about tradition or protocol with homecoming mums. So I asked a nearby patron for some help. I was bombarded with questions and rules about mum-construction. I found out that on the mum was to go both Spencer and Emily's names, their extracurricular activities were to be included through trinkets (football, cheer, tennis, band). I found out the ribbon streamers needed to be a certain length, graduated by different widths of ribbon...did I want one main mum, or two or three....how was I going to depict the school mascot....I must have looked like I was going to cry because the "Mum-Lady" grabbed me and my cart and took me all over the store, helping me get the right ribbon, mums, gave me tons of suggestions for decorating with trinkets. She was awesome! I brought it all home and on Saturday, Spencer helped me assemble it. We went back on Sunday to pick up a few more trinkets...then put the finishing touches on it. Spencer was really, really happy with it. He said it was much nicer than anything he could have purchased in Wills Point. Gave me the warm fuzzies....I think it turned out okay...even still, I think it's a ridiculous tradition. Get this....even though this mum looks huge, it's not. This is teenie-weenie compared to some pre-made ones I saw...how does one wear one of these and stand erect? Better question: How does a guy look at his "girl" wearing one of these absurd homecoming accessories and utter the words "Baby, you look great" and keep a straight face? Knowing that in the back of his mind he is thinking about how he could have better spent that $50.
It's only the beginning guys, only the beginning.