If the crown fits...

So yesterday I went to the Middle School to work at the School Store. This is how it goes: Arrive at the school at 9 am, get the cash box from the office and have someone open the storage closet and the store. Count the money in the cash box to verify that there is still the same amount of money in it as there was when they counted it yesterday. Put Gatorades, waters, muffins and granola bars out on the counter. Grab a handful of ones and quarters. The bell rings, kids come running down the hall, some of them have been at school since 7 am (Tyler) at practices (cross country and football) and then 1st period is Athletics, so they are hungry...as they run past you, they hand you money and take food and you throw change back at them as they continue on to class. Five minutes later the tardy bell rings, the kids are gone. Count the money again, sign the paper and put it all in the cash box. Put the waters, Gatorade, muffins and granola bars away. Lock the doors, take the cash box to the office. Done.

I got to see Tyler run past me all freshly showered. It was the first time I have seen him in the Middle School setting, and it kinda hit me like a ton of bricks, he is big. And so cute. It was weird being there. I remember 7th grade. Not a lot, I think that I have blocked out most of Jr. High. I remember going to registration. I remember gym. I remember "To Kill a Mockingbird." (As a side note there, I had put off finishing this book, the night before it was due, I was so tired and didn't think I could finish. My mom read it to me when I couldn't read any longer so I could be finished on time...remember that, Mom?)

I went to Kaysville Jr. High for 7th grade because Farmington Jr. had not been built yet. We had gym outfits, and I remember we had to take them home at least once a week to get washed, or we got demerits. How have things changed? Tyler was issued a gym outfit at school. A Prosper Tshirt, green basketball shorts, and socks. After athletics each day, he has a clip with his locker number on it and he clips all his clothes together and throws them into the laundry basket. The next morning when they get to school, his clothes are washed and in front of his locker. And I didn't wash them. Someone else did. I love it!

It's funny that our kids think we are so old and don't know how they feel or what they are going through. Ironically, it's the feelings that we remember the most...yes, kids, we know how you feel. And it is almost harder to watch you feel it then it was to feel it ourselves.

So here is the football game report. It came from Maris, who is, as we all know, completely unbiased when it comes to our children's athletic prowess. So, take it as you will, this is how he said it went down.

(the bus that Tyler rode to Bridgeport.)

So, the White team played first. It was a scrimmage and they didn't play it like a game. Each team got to run through 15 offensive plays, while the other team did defense. They didn't keep score, but they did get touchdowns. Then they started the clock and ran through one quarter. (Bridgeport didn't score against us, but we scored against them, so if we had been keeping score, we would've won...) Then it was the Green team's turn, they did the same thing. Tyler starts on defense as a linebacker. Bridgeport, in the last play had intercepted the ball and taken possession. It was 2nd down, Bridgeport's quarterback (who Maris said could fire the ball really well) throws the ball. Tyler turns, puts up his big old hands high in the air and snags it for an interception, brings the ball down and is tackled...but we regained possession. Maris was very proud. Tyler was happy. The coaches were excited. And the crowd went wild.

He also plays tight end on the offense. Maris said he blocked well. Again, we scored, they didn't, so if they kept score, which they didn't, we came out on top.

Still no jerseys with numbers. It was a practice game so they wore practice jerseys.

And Tyler felt good about his effort and himself. That's all I want. He was still grinning this morning when he left for school. And he has to stay after school to do an English test that he missed yesterday to go to the game...my baby is growing up.