{a little BEAR}

{B is #47. . on the next photo, he's right in the middle, below #6, tackling the other kid. . awesome, go B!}

B is having a great time playing football. He has improved so much since the first of the season. Shane and I both have always thought that he would be a good little football player because he's such an aggressive little nut, and he's built tough. He was a little timid at first. . who isn't when you're thrown into a game you're not familiar with? (Incase you haven't noticed, we do more baseball than football at our house.) He wasn't old enough to remember much when R & R played football.

B's on a team mostly made up of kids that are a year older than him. This is their second year of playing. It has it's advantages, though. He learns a lot just by watching what they do. He has made some new friends, and they treat him very well. The team has a great record (3-0), and so far, they haven't let any of the other teams score against them. The scores to their games have been 7-0, 34-0, and 20-0. I don't know what the outcome of the game was this last Saturday.

He couldn't have been given any greater coaches. They are positive, encouraging, and very fair in the way they treat all the players. Their kids each take their turn sitting on the sidelines too. The coaches love the kids, and they know the game of football. Even when they're teaching the kids what they've done wrong, they do it in a very positive and encouraging way. They don't treat B any different than the kids who have played a year already. He gets plenty of playing time. . well over the required eleven plays. It has been a very positive experience for B. I anticipate that the coaches will want to move up with the older players, though. I think they all have kids that are a year older than B. That's the only thing that makes me sad.
{B is to the right side of the "X-man", the one with the black X on his helmet)

It's been fun watching B learn to play football. I don't love the practicing four nights a week, but I believe every child needs their own thing that they do and love. Whether he chooses to love and play football or soccer or baseball, at least I know that he has made his own choice, and not decided to do it just because it's what his older brothers do. And if he decides to do ballet, we'll support him in that, too.

The only downside I see to the kids playing different sports, is now that baseball has started, the games conflict a little. We have been very blessed as far as schedules go, though. They, so far, have played in the same areas, so it hasn't been too bad. On Saturday, R & R were scheduled to play in Kaysville at 12 & 2, B was scheduled to play in Clearfield at 3:30. I was planning on leaving R & R and my mom in Kaysville while I took B to Clearfield at 2:30. (Shane was at work) On the way to Kaysville, B wasn't feeling well and threw up in the car, so I called the coach and we didn't go to football. The next two weeks, all the games are scheduled at home (luckily), so B plays in Garland, and R & R play in Bear River City. The times overlap a little, but not too bad. It could have been a lot worse. At least one of them aren't playing in Kaysville while one is in Logan. Then I'd really have a tough choice of where to go.