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9.11.2011

Fanatic Fans

It's been an exhausting weekend.  Not because our schedules have run us ragged, but because our favorite teams have!  Our heads hit the pillow last night like bricks, simply because we had one of those Saturdays that drained every emotion from our bodies.  Between a triple overtime loss by our beloved Iowa Hawkeyes and a 1-0 overtime loss by Trav's high school soccer team, we had a stressful, exciting and exhausting day. 
I realize that not all people probably feel a loss as deeply as I do.  I can't help it.  I'm so competitive I can't passively watch a game without feeling the entire thing from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes.  If passion were a spiritual gift, I believe it would be my top one!  Sports just bring out a drive in me that lies dormant in just about every other area of my life.  I hate to lose, but I can appreciate a loss when a game is played well and is a fight to the bitter end. 
Both games were a little bit like that yesterday.  Down to the wire and close.  Unfortunately my Hawks lost to our arch rivals, so that did not go down well.  I am still licking my wounds from that.  Trav's team tied in regulation and they lost by a goal in one of the overtime periods.  BUT they played so great and they left everything on the field.  It was a very fun game and we were proud of our guys for fighting hard against a team that blew us out of the water last year. 
Anyway, I thought I'd show you our little superfans in all their gear yesterday.  I had Ava shouting "Go Hawks!" and it's my mission to teach her the Iowa fight song.  Carter has some time to learn the drill, but he sure looked cute in his Hawkeye stuff! 
Rockin her tutu that I made 2 years ago, during her first football season!
She loved wearing this, I think we're on the cusp of her getting into dressing up and wanting to wear princess stuff.  So far she hasn't really cared, but the minute I put this on her yesterday she ran around the house, dancing and twirling and singing.  So fun!
Go Hawks!!  We're #1!!  (although sadly, not yesterday)
I had to get a pic with my little Hawks in training!
We are loving the black and gold in our wardrobes!! 
AND Carty's Iowa paci was appropriate for the occasion.
Sweet :)
After a 4 hour marathon and 3 nailbiting overtimes, we (I) got our composure together and packed up to switch gears and head to the soccer game.  A sucker made Ava feel much better about her Hawkeyes, but the same did not work for her Mother.  I limped to the game, still fuming about our STUPID play calling in the 3rd overtime, on the 4th down with 1 yard to go.   
...Excuse me for a minute, I can't even stand to think about it....
Ahem.
Ok, that's better. 
Anyway, we had a beautiful night for soccer at a huge new high school that is close to our house. 
They have a gorgeous stadium and my kids just loved climbing and exploring every inch!
Even Carter figured out how to get the best view.
Of course our main objective was to cheer for Daddy and the boys, and Ava made sure she followed directions.  It's so fun to hear her yell, "GO Stars!"  or to recognize some of the players and cheer for them.  She particularly likes to cheer for a boy named Connor, I think because she has a friend named Connor.  She likes to ask me, "That Connor, Mom?" whenever someone runs with the ball.  I did have a moment of laughter when I made a quiet comment to myself about their coach and a "cheap" move he made.  She made sure to yell "CHEAP!"  as soon as I said it, which made all the parents around me laugh as I made another mental note to think before I speak, unless I don't care about her repeating it at decibal levels! 
It was a full Saturday for the Armstrongs and after 2 big losses, we treated ourselves to dinner out :)
Tonight Trav's Cowboys play so depending on how that goes, we may or may not watch!  I'm not sure our hearts can take much more disappointment this weekend! 
As much as it takes out of me, I do LOVE this time of year and all the excitement Fall sports bring. 
Hope your teams fared better than ours this weekend!!

1 comment:

Ron and Peggy said...

Ava looks so cute in her Hawks skirt. Carter is always ready to rumble with his big sis, isn't he?