Mom: Family, Friends, and Football

Football. We love it. We hate it. But it seems like however we feel, we are still there every Sunday watching, hoping, cheering. It can make us happy. It can make us sad. Still every Sunday there we are. The best thing about football is that it brings people together. My favorite part about football is that every Sunday we gather together with family and friends to watch the game either at home or at FedEx field to cheer on Chris and the Skins.

For many of the games we have family or friends come to visit from out of state and attend the game. The first year I moved to Virginia, we had a group of family or friends come to every home game. They came from Utah, Wyoming, California, Alaska, and Ohio. It was always four or five days of entertaining – doing the DC tour, going out to dinner, cooking, but mostly just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company. The best day of all is game day! We start planning early, usually the day before getting our tailgating food and drink ready. I don’t think that there are any games that I don’t make yummy jello shots the night before. On game day we pack up everything and head out to the game so that we can be there at least three hours early. Our tailgating food has consisted of chicken wings, burgers, chili, burritos, hot dogs, chips, Woody’s famous Buffalo Chicken Dip or ham and cheese ball, and sometimes even just sandwiches. Drinks have also been fun – soda, beer, Bad Juan margaritas, Pink Panty Pulldowns, B52s, Long Island Ice Tea, hot chocolate and Hot Damn or Butter Shots, and various other great creations to get us going before the big game. Oh yeah, there’s always the jello shots too!

When the Skins play away, we also plan game day parties with family and friends. We usually have the same kind of food and drink, we just gather at someone’s home. Even when there is more than one television, everyone is usually gathered around just one of them cheering, screaming, or sometimes even cursing.

Game day also seems to be the day of massive text messaging. Before Tanner moved here, he and I would text after almost every play. Now I watch the games with Tanner, but I get texts from friends and family all over. Sometimes I never hear from anyone all week, but on game day, let the text messages flow! Even though we’re far apart, the texting makes it seem like we’re all just watching together.

So for at least the last two Skin’s games and hopefully playoffs, make your game days the best! The season is coming to an end too fast. Get together with your family and friends, enjoy the food and drink and cheer your loudest for the Skins to WIN! Mostly enjoy each other’s company. Happy holidays to our family, our friends, and mostly the fans.

Posted in: Family, football, Mom, Redskins