Go Dawgs...Sic Em!

Have I mentioned I LOVE college football? Now as a kid, I never would have said that! I can remember being so annoyed at my parents as they spent some portion of Saturdays in the Fall either screaming at/for the Gators on TV or the radio. But, all that screaming rubbed off on me and college football is one of my favorite things about the Fall. TJ and I are trying to ingrain that same love in Trip and Mady. And, what better way to do so then start making an annual trip to Athens to see the Dawgs play. So, the trick is to go to a game against a team that no one really cares about, because the crowd is much less rowdy and tickets are easier to get! This year we spent the entire weekend in Athens. We got into town on Friday evening and went straight downtown to have dinner and ice cream and walk around a bit. Then, we went back to our hotel for the night. This was the first time we spent the night in a hotel without Mady being in a pack and play. TJ and I decided it would work best if we each shared a bed with a kid instead of the kids sharing a bed. So, we flipped a coin and TJ got Trip and I got Mady. Oh wow, does that girl move during the night! She was all over me, curly hair in my mouth, body laying sideways on top of mine...I had no idea such a small body could take up so much space! Needless to say TJ spent the first night snoring away next to Trip while I snuggled/struggled with Mady. Our hotel had a free breakfast in the morning, so we took advantage of that at the crack of dawn when Ms. Moo woke us all up! The best part of breakfast was a run in with Santa...that's right, Santa is a Georgia fan! The kids were so excited, not sure if it was Santa or not. So, Mady walked right up and asked him and sure enough, it was the REAL deal. He even handed them each a wooden coin that said they'd been spotted being good by Santa. Let me tell you, that sighting worked wonders for their behavior the rest of breakfast...they were great! Then, it was off to campus to tailgate before the game. We found this great spot on campus near a grove of huge Magnolia trees. The kids could play in the trees! They loved it. We were joined by Graham and his family which is always such a fun treat for all of us. Trip and Nicholas especially have fun together. Sweet Nolan was not feeling so well, but he was such a trooper! The game was fun especially since we finally won! We also got to see Hairy Dawg (the costumed mascot) and Uga...or Russ (the real bulldog). After the game, we were exhausted. I thought the kids would pass right out that night, but I was wrong. They were having so much fun, making each other laugh, playing in their beds, they didn't even care when TJ took away their lovies! Even though we wanted them to go to sleep, it was such a sweet joy to hear the laughter coming from their beds! And, I got to sleep with Trip that night too, which was much more enjoyable than the night before, although, I still got punched in the face twice. We all had a great time and are looking forward to making this an annual tradition!