The One Where Lara Got Tackled

September 8 - 11,  2017
This weekend was the girls’ weekend to spend at their Dad’s house.  Somehow, I think I saw more of both of them this weekend than I do weekends when they are at my house!  Dichotomy of parenting teenagers, I guess.

This weekend started with our first home football game for the Pioneers.  Our first Friday Night Lights.  Lara’s first time on the sidelines for a Varsity game in front of the hometown crowd.  Emma and her dad decided to come too, since they were taking Lara home with them after the game. The trainers had all decided to dress up for the school day, so that moment had to be captured in a picture. 

 

Then it was time for business.  Back to the blue polo shirts and khaki shorts. 

Kick off happened under clear, sunny skies and the sun was setting on a beautiful (although a little windy) day.  As the game progressed, everything was going very well.  Pioneers were having a great game offensively, defense was holding their own and had kept Moore scoreless, we were winning, and there were about 7 minutes left in the half.  That’s when the Moore Quarterback was being pursued by a couple of Pioneer Defenders, and he decided to run the ball out of bounds.  Straight into Lara!  In her defense, she was totally paying attention and knew what was about to happen.  She took a couple of steps back, but that just had her running in to her Pioneers.  She was trucked, as the boys would say!  From my vantage point in the stands, she looked like she flew backwards a few feet, landed HARD on her bottom, then her head fell back on the track!  Watching that red hail flail about from the stands shook this momma to the core!  I took off towards the track (that surrounds the field), but I quickly saw the football boys pick her up, head ATC Aaron Harmon looked her over and sat her down for a breather.  All the players asked if she was OK, the Orthopedic surgeon came and checked on her and patted her on the shoulder, then the  cheer coach sat with her for a minute, and a fellow mom that was taking cheer and pom picks went over and hugged her for me, too.  I didn’t get to talk to her until halftime.  We were both pretty shaken up.

Damage report was minimal.  She was shaken up a bit, and MORTIFIED which caused more tears than the accident.  She did have some cuts and scrapes and a pretty bruise on her left hand.  Not sure if that was from being stepped on by the player or from the water bottle caddy landing on her hand when she fell.  She was sore afterwards, and she said she now had “mad respect” for her football brothers who do that day in and day out for fun. Her little brother Jake remarked how she handled it well, because she didn’t “have on pads or ANYTHING!”  He played football a couple seasons ago, and he said he knew that had to hurt.  Pioneers came out with the win, so despite the craziness, it was a good night.

Saturday was a calm day – the girls were out in Logan County doing their thing, so I am not sure what either of them accomplished that day.  Sunday, we had all agreed to go to the same church service at Life Church, and then Lara planned on coming home so she could finish homework and do laundry.  Our Sunday ended up being a little busier than that.  One of the girls’ really good friends had been sick most of the week and kept getting sicker, so on Saturday night she had been admitted to the hospital at OU Children’s for some intestinal issues.  So, after church on Sunday the three of us took an impromptu road trip.  We got some flowers and a balloon for our patient, and some things Mom needed, and headed out.  We spent about an hour visiting with her, then headed back to take Emma home and get back to Stillwater for the evening.  Even though it wasn’t the most positive of circumstances, it sure was nice to have a little girl time!  They both did homework in the car on the way down to the city, but they chatted and played music and kept me awake for the drive home.  Much needed trip, just the 3 of us!

Here's to another week! Lara has JV football in Moore tonight, and then we have Friday Night Lights here at home this week, too.  The weather was cooler this weekend, but we’re getting back up into the 90’s by the end of the week.  Not a bad start to the “Fall.”