In the Marasco house, we LOVE football! Be sure to understand me when I say WE, because I don’t just mean that my husband watches it while I tolerate it. NO, I am a HUGE fan of football, as well! Every year, starting sometime in July we begin to anticipate the excitement of football season being just around the corner.
This past weekend, the long-awaited football season finally started! We loaded up the van (yes, it’s true, I drive a mini-van – but it’s a hip, cool one … I promise :)) and headed to Manhattan,Kansas. Manhattan is the home of Kansas State University where my hubby and I both went to undergrad! We hit Filling Station, a local coffee shop, on our way to I-70 and then headed west. As I sipped my drip coffee filled to the brim with cream and Stevia, my husband and I chatted with our oldest son (age three) about Willie the Wildcat, football, and of course, Bill Snyder (K State’s football coach). Our son is obsessed with Willie the Wildcat – to the point of me using Willie the Wildcat videos on YouTube as a positive reinforcement for listening and obeying. It’s almost becoming a problem, he wants to watch them so often …
Anyway, as I mentioned, football is a big deal in our house – but I haven’t told you why. Matt and I both have strong family traditions surrounding the game. Flash back almost thirty years ago, and I made this same drive weekend after weekend with my parents. This weekend I was honored to sit in the same stadium with my son that I sat in as a little girl with my family. I was able to tell my son about how, when I was five years old, I sat in this stadium and cried my eyes out because I didn’t know if I wanted to be a football player or a cheerleader when I grew up. (I’ll let you guess which uniform I ended up pursing!) We sang the K State fight song, ate purple popcorn, and cheered for “another Wildcat first down.” Sharing a love of K State football is a family tradition that I’m proud to pass on.
The day in, day out responsibilities of being a mom are hard work (my husband says, “the hardest”). There is no clocking out or calling in sick when you just aren’t up for parenting that day. I have found in my journey as a mom that sharing traditions with my children and creating new ones is a joy that always brings me much-needed energy and helps me to break out of the mundane! Getting the chance this weekend to carry on the five generations-strong tradition of K State football with my boys was so special. Getting to watch my son’s face light up filled me with so much JOY.
We have other traditions that we’ve started in our home, as well, like Thursday family movies nights, an advent calendar for the holidays, and many more. I’d love to hear from other moms! What are your family traditions?
Aww, be still my purple heart 🙂