Football and Hugs

Janeen is always asking what traditions we have as a family, and when I can't think of one, I decided its best to start a new tradition right then and there. I knew I needed to do something to make Thanksgiving more meaningful and heartfelt. We needed a new tradition. So, what could be more meaningful and heartfelt than a Thanksgiving morning family football game?

It sounded like a great new tradition to me except for the fact that I don't like to play football, and I have three daughters and no sons. First, I had to borrow a football from Jackson next door, and then I had to convince my girls to come and play with me. The oldest and youngest where quite willing just to go outside with dad unaware of their impending doom. Hailey, aka the smart one, needed some tough coercion (I told her I'd take away her new plush Eeyore toy from Disneyland if she didn't come and play because, "This was a new family tradition, and we were all going to do it whether we liked it or not!"

Explaining my simplified rules was quite a breeze. That is, until I came to the part where I had to explain tackling. My mind paused for a moment as I contemplated the ramifications of telling my girls to throw each other to the ground. Visions of broken arms, tears, and hair-pulling flashed trough my mind. Instantly the words came to me, "Lucy, after I say 'hike' and give this ball to Hailey, she is going to try and run pat you and between those two trees. You need to give her a hug before she does that to stop her from scoring." The first "hug" was a success, and Hailey and Lucy went crashing to the turf in a roar of giggles. Lucy actually ran a tight defense, holding us scoreless on our first drive!

Thus, the new Bawden tradition of Football and Hugs was born. Next game: Thanksgiving morning, 2013!