Okay. Since we've put some distance between last week and this week, I will admit that last week was bad... really, really bad. "Sit in the corner and suck your thumb" bad. The week itself was about to hang around and destroy our weekend, which had great potential to be a really, really good weekend. It was up to me, Mom, to turn this around. To stop the bad in its tracks, and start the good.
What to do? What to do? I could just announce that we were going to forget about last week and forge ahead. That would work with Mikie and Austin. Roxie, Josh and I tend to hang onto things a little longer (like years and years longer). We could all try to pretend it never happened. Again, Mikie and Austin can do this... Roxie, Josh and me... not so much.
So I decided to make a little Declaration, and not just in word only. I went to Hobby Lobby and bought stationery and actually typed out the following Declaration, sealed it in an envelope with each person's name on it, and hand delivered it to them as they walked through the door Friday afternoon.
Friday Night - Hobo Supper at Grandmother's with Cousins (Roxie will spend the night).
Lunch together.
Mom will head to the Botanical Gardens with Austin and girlfriend for a photo shoot.
Everyone -- enjoy your weekend! You deserve it!
I have to admit, everyone breathed a sigh of relief after reading the Declaration. It kind of put an end to the bad and gave everyone a glimpse of the good that was coming up. It really helped Roxie, Josh and me move forward, and like I said above, all three of us have a little problem with that.
Now for the beginning of teenage week. The following are two versions of basically the same party with a few helpful hints on how to pull them off successfully.
Football Party (Version 1 - Actually Playing - Boys)
Ages 6-8; 9-11; 12-14; 15 and Older
This will not work for everyone because you need a place to play. We're fortunate we live on a street that has a huge empty lot on the end. It is great for football games.
A couple of years ago, I told Austin to invite as many friends as he could for a touch football game. He did and with ten boys they played for two hours nonstop before I called them down to our deck for snacks and drinks. After the first game, I tweaked a few things and this is how we do it now.
I usually have the game on a Sunday from 1:30 to 4:00. This gives them two hours of play, 30 minutes to eat, and then everyone has time to go home and get ready for church.
Austin invites his friends for a football party. Josh has a separate party for his friends. Their ages are only three apart, but the play can be a lot different. Austin's friends at 17 like to play hard tackle. I can let them do this if I don't have to watch.
I go to Wal-Mart and buy a case (24 bottles) of water, 12 canned Cokes and 12 canned Sprites and fill a rolling cooler for the guys. When they arrive around 1:30, they carry a cooler full of drinks down to the lot and commence playing football. That's when Roxie and I get really busy. We make slice and bake cookies (3 to 4 rolls); pigs-in-a-blanket (3 cans of crescent rolls); 4 - 5 bags of microwave popcorn; chips; trail-mix; etc. I keep the canned drinks in the refrigerator, and as soon as the boys hit the deck, I bring out the food and the cold drinks. They'll play at least two hours before I call them down for food.
They sit on the deck eating, drinking and reliving the football game until it is time to go home. Like I said, they have a great time. It is easy clean-up and a great way to get to know new friends and keep in touch with the guys you've known most of your life.
One day it rained, and it was the best day. They played "mud ball" for about an hour before they came down for snacks. Of course, they couldn't eat on the deck in the rain, so we opened up the basement doors, brought down towels, old t-shirts (which we collect now), and as many nylon basketball shorts as we could find. The boys ate, changed, talked about the game and headed home. It was the best game ever... for them. (I had two loads of laundry to do after that one.)
We've had one real injury in the two dozen or so ball games we've hosted, and that was two broken fingers. Always let the other moms know they're playing tackle. They have always said fine, because whenever the guys are at their houses, they're in the front yard doing the same thing. It's a "Weekend Warrior" kind of attitude.
Football Party (Version 2 - Watching a Televised Game)
Ages 10 - Older
You would think this one was a no-brainer, but not so! It is very much a party that has to be planned carefully. If you have too many kids, it takes just one or two who lose interest in the game and want to do something else to totally turn the football party into total chaos. You'll probably need to keep this one down to two or three friends who love the game just as much as your son.
Again, as soon as the game starts, so does the cooking. Because I don't let the guys eat and drink all over the house, I don't set out the food until half-time. But when half-time comes, get in the kitchen, boys, because there will be food... and plenty of it!
I'll usually serve a meal with snacks at these parties. Chili cheese dogs, nachos, etc. with plenty of chips, popcorn, trail mix, cookies, etc. I tell the boys to eat up during half-time, and as soon as the game starts back, the food goes away... only to reappear at the end of the game for a refill before they head home. (Also, believe it or not, if you put out a big bowl of sliced bananas and sliced apples, they'll devour those, too. And it helps me feel "not so guilty" for just feeding them every kind of junk food known to man.)
These parties are very loud, and it usually doesn't hurt to have Dad sitting in the room watching the game with the guys, just to make sure things don't get out of hand. We have found that guys of all ages do not mind (they even understand) a Dad wanting to watch the game. Now Mom is a different story. I'm supposed to be in the kitchen, barefoot and cooking. (And if there are any feminists out there, being barefoot is my choice... I'm always barefoot inside; and being in the kitchen cooking is being a Mom, and I love being a Mom!)
I've also found it is usually better to just invite kids who cheer for the same team. Mixing Alabama/Auburn fans usually ends up with some kind of fight, and a lot of trash talking. Having an All-Auburn or an All-Alabama party unites everyone in the same cause... beating Bama, or vice versa.
If the game is over before too late, it is great fun to let the guys go outside and throw the football for 15 to 30 minutes before parents come to pick them up. It helps get rid of alot of pent up energy and adrenalin from watching the game.
Again, the main thing to remember about these parties are they are easy to plan, but having too many kids can cause the party to get off track. Once, we had a party where two guys played basketball, two guys wanted to turn the TV off totally and just play X-Box, one or two guys wanted to wrestle because they had lost interest, etc., etc. Definitely not the way you (or your fanatic football son) want the party to go. They can have a great time with a total of three or four at the party.
Tomorrow's recipe will be a really good slow cooker meal. You can put it on in the morning, and supper will be ready when you get home tomorrow night. That's the best.
Oh, and Wednesday's Seasonal Tradition is great for teenage girls and there is NO clean-up whatsoever! Perfect!
Have a great Monday, Declare it a Good Day... and don't let anyone tell you differently!
Talk to you tomorrow.
