New Beginningness - and other made up words

The other day my dad remarked on how little I've been blogging lately.

"You should probably just scrap the whole thing because no one is reading it anymore."

He doesn't mince words.

So tonight, as I sit here with my laptop in the family room with Bug, Munchkin, and Goober wrapped in blankets and watching Rango way too late for a school night, I've decided to wipe a little dust off the blog and see if I can't get this baby rolling again.

I know, I've made similar proclamations before.

The busier our family gets, the less I blog about it. Which is silly because it really just means there is more to blog about. And heaven knows I need to keep my brain writing if I ever want to finish one of the hundred or so novels, short stories, and novellas I've begun. So here we go again.

For the past month or so it's been all about football. Goober and Munchkin are BOTH playing this season.

Wanna see something freaking adorable?

Holy jeez, is that not the cutest damn thing you've seen all day? It is. Admit it. There's nothing cuter than a 9 year old boy in pads and a helmet.

Goober is playing on a team with boys he has played with since his first flag game and one of my very best friends has a son playing on the same team. Let's call them Squirrel and Little Hulk for anonymity's sake. Squirrel lives for football. Little Hulk is her pride and joy running out on that field. Her husband, Big Hulk, is one of the Assistant Coaches and built like an NFL linebacker. Big Hulk is always keeping a special watchful eye on Goober on the field and I feel secure knowing that one of our extended family is out there making sure he's safe. 

Last Saturday, in the super early morning, wet, humid, scorching heat that we have here in South Florida, Squirrel and I discussed our game preparation strategy with each other. 

Spaz: "We had Goober in the car on the way to the game and told him to close his eyes and quiet his mind and envision how great it would feel to win the game."

Squirrel: "Oh, that's nice. I woke Little Hulk up by shaking his bunk bed. I screamed 'CRUSH SOME SKULLS!!! KILL KILL KILL!!!"

Whatever works, right?

So far we've had two Saturdays of games and Goober's team has won both of their games. Munchkin's team has not put any points on the board yet - but the season is just getting under way. We've got lots of time.

She looks super cute in her uniform, too.

In addition to getting the football season underway, we've just finished up our second week of school, our first scout meetings of the new year for all three kids, and the ball is really starting to roll again. Our calendar is filling up with birthdays and meetings and games and shows and field trips and camping trips and more. As much as I get totally overwhelmed with all the running around and scheduling and lack of time, I know that I love this part of the year.  This part of the year always feels full of possibility and newness. Even more than January 1st, the beginning of the school year is a fresh start for a family of school-aged kids. It's the time when everyone gets to vow to do better, experience more, try something new. And we're doing all of that right now.  We're a-twitter with new beginningness.