Football season is in it’s third week and in full obsessive-insanity in the state of Alabama.
Tattoo shops are filling up with loyalists wanting to bleed for their team, babies all over the state are being given abusive names such as Crimson, Saban, and Chizik, and billions of dollars are being spent just to watch a bunch of teenage guys named things such as Ha Ha Clinton-Dix run around a field and fall all over each other.
(Which, really, makes a name like Crimson seem not so bad.)
Our family is no exception, except for the tattoos and baby naming. To celebrate the season so far, we have:
1. Had Chris and Ali tailgate and go to a game while Noah and I went to the mall, much to the shame of his male ego,
2. Had friends over to our house to watch an away game,
and,
3. Taken both kids to tailgate all day, but then coming home before the game.
And this weekend, we will complete the cycle by,
4. Leaving the kids with the Grandparents while Chris and I tailgate all day and go to the game.
The complexity of our vastly varying tailgating practices can be a bit confusing, which leads to many questions of clarification from our friends and family.
And I get that. I’m usually confused, too. Luckily for me, Chris has the schedule memorized and offers me a refresher course on a regular basis.
One of the questions that people often ask is, “What do the kids do during tailgating?”
They find ways to entertain themselves – sometimes better than I do, quite honestly.
Noah, for instance, uses all football events as an opportunity to pick up the ladies.
But he knows that the overly-obvious “How YOU Doin’?” doesn’t work with the modern woman, so he plays it cool.
Even when they seem interested, still cool.
So cool that they can’t get his attention no matter what they try.
(well, maybe a little attention…)
And then, the victory grin. Smooth, I’m telling you.
Ali, being a bit more introverted, reaches within her OCD soul and pulls out her hoarding tendencies.
After collecting every nut in the city of Tuscaloosa (except for this guy),
(And yes, that’s an old picture. We are certainly not in coats around here yet)
She then launches off into fantasyland, building cities and towns for said nuts.
…but then, the plentiful and very disturbable-in-a-pigpen-sort-of-way dirt becomes more fun than the pretend.
And, while everyone else within a 200 foot vicinity is coughing and fanning away her cloud of nast, she becomes One with the Earth, nearly blending in with the ground.
…to the point of traumatizing me with painful memories of my eighth grade rub-on tan fiasco.
(Although I’m pretty sure I looked worse back in the day.)
Noah, however, is not tempted by the dirt. He never lets down his playing-it-cool vibe –
…after all, you’ve got to keep it clean for The Ladies.
I thought I knew college football dedication growing up in the midwest where there isn’t much in the way of pro sports in the surrounding states. Then I met and married someone who went to college in Alabama. Good grief, that is a special kind of crazy right there.
Oh yes. So “special”. But entertaining, for sure!!
I thought that hockey season up here in Canada was bad! I’m glad the kids enjoy it though… especially Noah!
Hockey would be a fun change!!! Not many opportunities to go to hockey games down here…maybe we need to set up an Exchange Fan Program??
ROLL TIDE!
It only seems crazy to people who haven’t grown up in the shadow of Alabama football.
I love how Noah is such a ladies’ man! That’s precious!
So true! Also, I just realized last year that in other states, people typically only cheer for their college Alma Mater – I thought that you were born into being a fan everywhere like you are here!
That little cheerleader with Noah is just adorable! Where did he find such a pretty girl. Lol! Those pictures turned out great. They are so cute. Oh my! I’ve never seen Ali get so dirty tailgating before. Looks like she had fun!!
The cutest cheerleader ever, for sure!!!
And yes, that was definitely the dirtiest she’s ever been, tailgating or not!!!
So cute. I just hope the Micheal’s lady has never found your blog. Letting a child play like she wants to and get that dirty has to be some kid of unforgivable sin on the part of the Mommy. Personally, I love it.
So you’re saying I probably shouldn’t take her to Michael’s looking like that? THAT would be a fun adventure.
Those pics of Ali are awesome! They’ll be great for a wedding slideshow one day :)
Omigosh! I think it’s great that you’re coming up with fun experiments for the Michael’s lady! Have you considered having him carry craft scissors or rope in the cart for you? Maybe replace his zippy cup with a Zima bottle or something! I love your very positive attitude! Just yesterday, a woman saw me with my two kids (and the baby had gotten OUT from the strap in the cart and was trying to stand up), and she mentioned she doesn’t shop with her children. I just smiled and said that must be so nice.
Cute pics of the FB season! I feel like I’m watching Mutual of Omaha Presents, Wild Kingdom… =)
I like your ideas!!
And yes, there are many similarities to southern football and rabid animal mating rituals.
Wow, I have never seen Ali get so dirty!!!
Love, love, love the pic of the little cheerleader tapping Noah on the shoulder. Too cute!
I’ve followed you on twitter forever (don’t even know how that ever started??), but just now found your blog and it’s so cute! Love the tailgating pics!! We’re crazy nut Alabama fans too, so I can totally relate. Can’t wait for the big game this weekend!
Go Noah! I wish my girls had a good excuse like a tailgate party to end up covered in dirt. The just have boring choices like Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Let’s just say I’m looking forward to cooler weather and a tub that doesn’t have a new dirt ring every night.
Ali looks cute even dirty! And Noah is definetely the ladies man!
The pictures of Noah are adorable!!
Ali knows where it’s at!
I was laughing out loud at the pictures of Ali in the dirt and your comments :)
Glad the kids enjoyed themselves, hope Noah feels better and you get some rest, so you and Chris can still have a tailgate date Saturday!
*SIGH* I was so excited to find your blog! The Mom Jeans & Tot Locker posts had me rolling. However, I just can’t hang with the whole Alabama thing… being from Arkansas and all! Wooo Pig! LOL!
Ha!! Sorry about that!! If it makes you feel any better, I’m just a fan through marriage. Good luck tomorrow! Or not. ;)