And I thought I hated football!

Back in 2003, Babe and I decided that we should have one more baby to make ours a family of four. Come October 2004, we welcomed our 6 pound 10 ounce baby boy and I was over the moon about it! I grew up with a sister, so I knew that dynamic well enough to want to experience something different as a mother. A girl and a boy seemed perfect!
Nas has been all boy since he was old enough to display 'boyish' traits, so when he took to throwing balls, I didn't think much of it. But because Babe is so into sports, I knew basketball would surely be in the cards - heck, I love basketball, I figured our son would too! Fast-forward to Nas at age five.
"Don't you want to play basketball?" I ask, hopeful.
"No, basketball's boring!" Nas informed me.
Instead, my son, the one I nurtured inside me for nine long months, kept safe from sick people and dirty kids (even his sister!), and breastfed every 30 minutes because he felt the need to cluster-feed, wanted to play FOOTBALL. I tried to debate this from every angle. But Babe wasn't buying, so of course Nas wasn't buying! Later, Babe thought "easing" me into the football thing with flag football might work. I bought.
Needless to say, I'm the proud football mom to the Eagles' number 18. Nas is just starting out, so he's playing flag football, but I'm pretty sure he will want to start playing the real deal soon enough - why wouldn't he, the kid is a natural! What mom doesn't think their kid is the greatest? Sure, but MINE pulls flags like no other on his team! MINE runs from end zone to end zone with little or no effort - TOUCHDOWN! MINE even loves it when his Mommy is cheering (LOUDLY) on the sidelines! Oh, well, not that last one so much. At least he doesn't ACT like he loves it.
I know a few moms who don't think football is the best sport for a kid to play, but if football is what my son would like to do for now, or into the coming years, it is his choice to make. All I can do is provide the safety precautions, say a prayer that God will keep my baby and all the other mothers' babies safe...and cheer on the Eagles and number 18 like I'm their number one fan - because, well, I AM!