Last night my beloved Bulldogs played the Vanderbilt Commodores, and right before the game started I asked Alex if he wanted to watch, too. He was all about it. At five he’s still not completely familiar with basketball terminology, but he’s big-time competitive and would probably watch a candle-making contest if there was going to be a clear-cut winner at the end.
Plus, in his mind the Bulldogs are always “the good guys,” and like most little boys, he lives to see a good guys vs. bad guys showdown. The only thing that would make said showdown any better is if the police walked on the court and took the “bad guys” to jail at the end of regulation.
For the first ten minutes of the game Alex subscribed to my “alternate activity” basketball-watching philosophy. While I wiped down the kitchen counters, he played with one of his Star Wars toys. Before long, however, the game captured our undivided attention, and we decided to go sit in front of a bigger TV and watch. No cleaning, no toys – just basketball.
It was divine.
When Alex was almost a year old my sister and I took him to the State / ‘Bama game. He wasn’t walking, was just barely talking, and if not for the bright lights and loud noises, he probably would have fallen asleep. But we had a blast.
Saturday night we sat in our very own house, watched every single play and cheered like crazy. At one point Alex even asked, “Mama? Can the players hear us through the TV when we yell for them?”
“No, baby, they can’t,” I answered. “But I like to think they can.”
“Me, too,” he replied.
And so we screamed.
Back in 2004 Alex sat in Sister’s lap and drank a bottle and, if memory serves, lost a shoe somewhere around row eight.
Saturday night he screamed “DEFENSE” and high fived and read Sister’s text messages over my shoulder.
He’s growing up, that boy. And the older he gets, the more he seems to understand his mama’s unique brand of basketball crazy. I can’t help but think that we have big Bulldog fun in store in the days and weeks and years to come.
By the way, the “good guys” won last night. 73-66. We could not be more delighted.
Go ‘Dogs.
His eyes are ridiculous. I don’t know how he ever gets in trouble. He’s bat those baby blues at me and before you know it, I’d be buying him a toy and serving him ice cream.
When he’s old enough to date (you know, in about 27 years), I’d make sure that he wore sunglasses constantly. The girls won’t be able to handle all the blueness.
And Go Dogs. My team is so bad this year (we DID beat Alabama this week, which isn’t saying a lot b/c they’re even worse than we are) that I’m not that into basketball. But I’ll pull for my Tigers and adopt your Bulldogs. mkay?
If I put basketball on the tv, will you come over and clean my house? :-)
Woo hoo! Go Dawgs!
My little boy (4 1/2) is not into sports at all…but he certainly knows when we sing “take me out to the ballgame” we say “Root root root for the BULLDOGS!” Ha!
What a cute story about you and your little man!
the ball stuff is all blah blah blah to me, but that baby is beautiful! he has the most gorgeous blue eyes.
I’m gonna eat that boy up!!!!!!
And, of course they can hear us screaming at them! ;)
What a sweet post!
Yeah… your Dogs beat my Hogs the other night….
But, I have wonderful memories of watching basketball/football with my son — and he is only 18 mons. old. I treasure each and every single Hog moment with him :)
I love this post. I don’t have any kids of my own, but my youngest nephew will be 3 in May and we’re at the place where we can watch movies together. I love it! Keep enjoying your little man! Have a great long weekend!
OK…I’m a Vandy fan…not sure if I like being the “bad guys”. :)
My youngest daughter (3) snuggles with Daddy and watches NASCAR. She knew #29 before she could talk. :)
They looked good, didn’t they? We were pleasantly surprised. I have a vivid bulldog memory of my son when he was about 7 years old at one of the Alumni Baseball games. He was raised a good Bulldog Baseball fan and lurved Will Clark. Will was at that game and my baby and I sat on the top of a dugout for 2 hours waiting in line so he could get Will’s autograph. I’ll never forget the look on his face. Nor the look on my 2 year old daughters face in the stands “can we go now?” She ended up being a bulldog herself, on the women’s basketball team and my son played college baseball for one of Will’s teammates. He still has that signed card in a frame in his room. Good memories!!
Sounds like blissful mother-son bonding to me! You’re lucky he likes it (basketball) ~ I LOVE sports but, alas, my son does not… :( I LOVE him anyway!!!
Love this post! So glad to know that you & your little man bond over basketball! I grew up loving sports and still watch college sports as much as possible! Wish I could get my daughter to watch with me but she is into other things. Oh well, she does bond with me quite well on road trips that involve shopping – hallelujah!
The Bulldogs ARE always the good guys.
What a cutie!
Sophie, that one year old picture of Alex is adorable. I don’t know how you did much else but LOOK at him back then.
Is that the bigger tv you moved to?
Oh MaMa of the Boo – my blog notifying widget tells me you have a new post up titled “We Found Them” – but the wicked interwebby mechanisms say “page not found”. Most puzzling – of course we are watching our second football playoff game and my head is somewhat numb (after cheering for Kurt Warner!) . Just thought I’d let you know the interweb is falsely advertisting you
About that adorable little man and the basketball thing – he really is absorbing everything around him – good that it is clean cut sports, Star Wars,love, Jesus and oh yes – cheese – much cheese
And what if Alex decides to go to Mississippi instead of State? Then what? And please don’t shoot the poser of the question. ;o)
It’s good that you’re providing your son with a lasting legacy by which to prioritize all that is good and righteous in life. ‘Cause really – if we can’t hold basketball dear to our hearts, what else is there?
He’s getting so big!
So fun! But I’m really sad that you went back to partial feed in the reader. :(
The last photo, with A up on the counter with both a) the game on TV and b) some sort of Star Wars doohickey, tells me this: As a parent, you are doing everything right.
I should know. I grew up on a steady diet of Star Wars and SEC sports.
Me oh my – he’s darlin’!
I love it when these babies get big enough to love what we love. Setting aside Star Wars? That’s a boy who adores his Mama!!
Oh that’s pricelses. I just love the visual! So sweet and so growing up. The picture with Sister is sweet.
Just wanted to say hello. You don’t know me, but I know of your blog from Kelly’s blog. Stop by mine sometime if you’d like. http://www.travelwithlauren.blogspot.com
I took my 7-month-old to the Hump for the first time this weekend! She loved it! After cheering on the Dawgs at several games at Scott Field, she was ready to check out basketball too!
I don’t remember how I found your blog, but I love it!
Way to raise that boy right! I have a habit of cheering for whoever Alabama is playing, and it confuses my 3-year-old. He’ll say, “NOOOOO!!! Go BULLDOGS!” Isn’t it great when they learn what we teach them? :)
GO DAWGS!!!! BEAT LSU!!!!!!!