ATTENTION : Fall is missing. Repeat. Fall is missing. Gone. Where oh where could fall be? I don't know, but it sure as hell is not in central Ohio!!!!!

I am NOT a fan of winter. I don't even like the 6 months of winter we get normally, sooooo having it start in OCTOBER is unacceptable!!!!! We went from 80 degree weather, pretty much straight to what we have now, which is NOT fall.

We got snow the other day. We had wind chills this morning of 23 degrees. Right now it is 40 degrees, but will be down in the mid 30's by the time football practice starts. ( That's without the wind chill factored in.) "Sorry Max, you're on your own. Mommy will watch you from the van, ok?"

* On an only slightly different note, Max is playing in the championship game this coming weekend. The team they are playing is the only team that beat them this season. Last game between these two was torture. In the end, I waited by the gate for my own son, but secretly imagined myself choking the opposing players as they walked/strutted off the field. Oh crap, did I just type that out loud??? Seriously, boys lacking in any type of sportsman-like conduct. Wish Max luck!!!

**On a much different note, our halloween party was this past weekend. We did not have our own camera there, so I will have to wrangle up some photos from anyone sober enough to hold a camera steady...could be a challenge, but I think I'll find someone.....

Today I picked Mom up from the airport. We did a little shopping, then headed home. I asked Mom if she wanted to stop by the barn first, to see the horses. As we head down the road, I see Eric walking along the side of the road. He had what I thought were the dogs' leashes in his hand. I figured, "Damn, the dogs ran away, again." I then noticed that they weren't leashes but lead ropes. Shit! So, Mom drives the kids to the house (about 125 yards away). Our two neighbors, Eric and me - all trying to wrangle two horses. Quite a sight. They've only gotten out one other time, and our neighbor was able to walk right up to them. However, this time, the neighbors three dogs, one horse and two cows might have put a small wrench into those plans. After awhile, Eric got close enough to throw a couple apples to them. "Apples? Oooh!! Yum!" They are suckers for apples. We finally got them back to the barn. Now, I really wish I could have been there to see the whole thing go down. Eric said he opened a gate on the far side of the barn to get a big ladder through. Minnie saw this and came around the corner at full speed. Eric didn't have time to close the gate, but considered throwing the ladder at her. Nope, not a good idea, so out she went. George made a loop around the pasture and said, "Oh, HELL no". He jumped the fence to get out with Mama! Well, they're home and George only has a small scratch on his leg from his leap. I tell you, it's never a dull moment around here!!!!

So, this is Eric's first time out. He said the shooting part wasn't so hard, (shocker, seeing as how he is a Marine) but the horse part he struggled with.


Apparently, getting Uno to go was a challenge. He later learned, he had the brakes on - pulling back on the reigns.

My cowboy.

I think he really enjoyed himself out there. This is a really fun weekend activity. Our own horses, could get trained to shoot -especially George. I think this is a possibility before next season, which starts in the spring.
Just had to get another picture of Al, in. This was Al on Rocky, pre-shake.

Ummm.....wow. This is my 6 year old!! This past weekend was crazy. We had football games spread all over central Ohio and Eric was participating in a clinic shoot. I posted awhile back about our friends who do the cowboy mounted shooting. We go and watch them quite a bit, but have never done it ourselves. This was Eric's chance. After Jay's game, Ally, Jay and I drove to Wooster, to watch Daddy. We got to see him (you'll see that later), but I had to leave to get to Max's baseball tryouts. I left Ally there - is there really anyplace she'd rather be????? Eric calls later to say that Ally was "warming up" Rocky and he shook, which shook her. (Horses will shake their whole body to rid themselves of flies, etc.) It just freaked her out for some reason. She didn't want to get back on. Well, she had been talking about wanting to do the course, but was chickening out. She finally built up the courage and got 'er done.


She is on Uno, Mark and Dawn's most recent horse purchase. He's a very good horse.

The announcer talked to Ally the whole time she was waiting to go. He finally asked her if she wanted him to stop talking to her over the PA system. He got a "yes" nod. He got the hint.

This is all Al! She reigned Uno all by herself. Mark just went in front, so she knew which way through the course to go!
I know exactly what was being said, here. "Way to go, cowgirl!!!"

Ally gets stage fright pretty easily. We first got a taste of it when she refused to go onstage for her dance recital. Then, again, when it came time for game day during t-ball. (practices were a breeze). I am so flippin proud of her! She overcame her fear and did it! On the way home, Eric turned on the OSU game on the radio. Ally was still walking on clouds....and told Eric that if he was so proud of her, he needed to shut the game off. (ha ha ha!!) Apparently, she wasn't done talking about her experience!!

That's my girl!!!!!!!

Here he goes!! That kid ready to tackle him looks so big!! It's hard not to gasp at each and every hit.

I 'm not sure if Max knows Eric is taking his picture or not. It would not surprise me if Max is "practicing" his moves. Cocky? Perhaps, but I prefer.....confident, motivated and goal-oriented. He's already thinking of which college would be best to get drafted out of.....you gotta admire a kid with dreams!!
How can he even see the ball with that helmet on?! That's what I want to know......

Football Mom....................pads in/ pads out/pads in/pads out........stinky gear, stinky van, stinky boys..........sitting in the extreme heat/ sitting in the extreme cold...........bleacher butt...........concession stand food.......... 2 1/2 hours of anxiety and nail-chewing..........seeing your kid say "Hi Mom" on ESPN..............worth it. Yeah, yeah, I may have big dreams, too, but it could happen.

I warned you there would be more football pictures! This is Jay congratulating one of his best buds. Would it be wrong to run out on the field to pinch his cheeks???? So cute.
It's amazing to watch Jay play. He's always up against kids much bigger than him. This kid can tackle!! I guess wrestling/fighting with Max all these years has been great practice.