Football Orphans?

We've all heard the women who describe themselves as "Football Widows" when their husbands glue themselves to the couch with chips, beer, and a port-a-potty nearby for the entire Fall. But we never hear much about the Football Orphans. If a neglected wife is a football widow, what happens when both parents are football fanatics?

On Saturday afternoon my husband watched the Nebraska season opener and I found myself chastising him for ignoring Hollis, who clearly wanted to play with Daddy. I said "T, the world does not end when football is on. Play with your son!" I don't want to paint T as a neglectful father. He's anything but that, but I felt he was unreasonably caught up in the game. I like football as much as the next gal, but our kids don't understand that.

Fast forward to Monday night - my team is now playing. It's pre game for the Miami - FSU game on ESPN and Mommy keeps shushing Hollis while trying to hear Lee Corso's prediction on the outcome of the game. Hollis even went so far as to dig his junior football out of his toy box and repeatedly toss it at my feet to try to get my attention. I barely noticed when T took Hollis up to bed. Hmmmm.... Maybe I understand now, T!

Right now I'm taking a break from the game b/c I was yelling so loudly at the TV I was afraid I would wake the kids up. I found myself thanking the Gods of ESPN for not starting the game until 8pm when I started adding my own expletives as Miami's coach chewed out his new special teams coach on national TV. I'm sure Hollis would have enjoyed the vocabulary lesson if he'd been awake! Obviously, I tend to get a little too caught up in football. So does my husband. I guess H&H will be Football Orphans for the next few years until we can indoctrinate them in to the Football Cult. Once H&H can sing the Monday Night Football theme song or hum the music to Sportscenter, I will consider the job done. In the meantime, maybe T and I will have to alternate games....

Oh, and GO CANES!