4th grade football

Ok, so I am sitting at the football field yesterday watching 3rd and 4th graders tackle eachother to the ground - some rejoicing in their ability to pull their opponent to the ground, some frustrated that they didn't make their tackle or score the touchdown, and yet some picking the grass, daydreaming - (so funny when you see a kid out there like that who totally doesn't want to be there but mom or dad signed them up). What I think is fabulous though about little league football is the amount of kids who can succeed on the field. Other sports are so individually focused (baseball - you make an error and everyone knows, or basketball, where there are 5 kids on the court) but football - a slightly obese child, who has the ability to sack the quarterback, jumping up in triumph and celebrating his skill is totally FAB. I am not a huge fan of football - but I am a HUGE fan of pumping up kid's self esteem. Kids are so fragile - they pay attention to everything and this has become apparent to me when my 10 year old mentions things to me that I would have thought he didn't notice or care about (like what another parent said to him after the game or how a friend treated him at school). Building kid's self esteem is so important and football seems to be an avenue to several kids to experience the chest bump, the high five, the "way to go - you ROCK" feeling!

Fabulous coffee

No deep thought here but just reflecting on all of the years I missed out on they yummy taste of a cafe mocha or a delicious coffee with cream and splenda! Did this coffee era always exist or has it just been popular with the start-up of Starbucks and others..I have no idea. I remember my mom and dad always drinking coffee (plain black) but don't remember seeing coffee bars on every corner and in the lobbies of churches.

We went to a church while on vacation in Destin, FLA one time and they had a coffee bar in the lobby (like a real Starbucks - so funny). Anyway, although I missed several years of (college years until about 3 years ago) - I am making up for it now! I LOVE COFFEE! I like the taste (and obviously the caffeine).

Our fabulous country

I have tried to commit to being an informed voter so I am watching both conventions with an open mind (I wish everyone would do that). Anyway, I love the fact that we live in a country where no one dictates to us how we should vote. I love the fact that we are free to express our opinions and develop values based on our beliefs. Can you imagine how you would feel if someone dictated to you what you should believe? It would be ok for a while if they were "preaching" what you wanted to hear but the first time they (he/she/it) mandated something you didn't believe in or could get behind - wow....that would be awful! At least in this country we can educate ourselves and we are able to ask questions and seek more information!

I got in the middle of an e-mail stream from one of the those silly forwards (I don't know why people forward crap via e-mails without checking out the source anyway). Anyway, this forward had to do with Obama so I was copied on all of these back and forth e-mails between an extreme right and an extreme left (two peas in a pod if you ask me). Finally, after reading their opinions I simply said - "isn't it nice to live in a country where each of you can express your opinion and no one dictates to you how to vote - it's a beautiful thing..God Bless America (although I am convinced that God would have no part of politics but that is for another day and another blog).

Funny - neither person replied and they kept arguing back and forth - both being ugly to the other.

I am thankful that I don't have to agree or live by either one of their beliefs - God bless this fabulous country!