Eating Crow

Oh I hate it when I have to eat crow.

And I had to eat crow tonight.

I had to eat crow for Jared.

Oh, my poor baby boy.

But he obeyed his Momma, and that's the important thing.

Late this afternoon was a double-header soccer game. It was first game of the semi-finals for our high school soccer teams. P.E.C.I.'s Junior and Senior teams have both made it to the semi-finals. Jared is on the Junior team and Jake is on the Senior team.

Jared's game was first, and they played amazingly (they've played excellent all season). They won 9-0, with our "adopted son" Matthew playing in net, receiving a shut out. He was really bored for most of the game because the opposing team did not have many substitute players, so most of the game was held in one end of the field!

So, congrats to the Junior P.E.C.I. Panthers on their first win of the semi-finals.

The Seniors were playing next, and Coach Dave asked Jared to be a linesman and operate the flag, since he was finished playing and was sticking around for Jake's game anyways.

At one point in the game, Jake is running like a mad man with the ball to the net and it looks like he's got a great chance at scoring.

But.... nay-nay.... the goalie gets in his way and blocks the shot, and somehow Jake does a forward somersault in front of the net. He picks his head up a bit, looks dazed, and lies back down, face down in the dirt....and doesn't move.

Now, at this point, I'm thinkin', "Is Jake really hurt? or is he being a "drama queen" and playing up the opportunity in hopes that there will be a call from the referee for a penalty shot in favour of our team?" I mean, you just never know with that kid what's goin' through his brain.

Well, he's still laying there. The whistle finally blows, and the opposing team's goalie bends down to see if Jake's alright. Fellow teammate Brandon runs to Jake, and after a while Jake sits up, then stands up with assistance, holding his right eye, and he walks off the field to the bench.

[insert Momma's sigh of relief!!!]

Now y'all know that, being the Momma Bear that I am, I instinctively want to rush around the field to my little cub and see if he's OK. But he's 17 now, and I'm figuring Jake would think that wouldn't be cool, especially because of his fellow "cool" teammates and also the fact that there were tons of young female spectators on the bleachers.

So.....

I wait.......

and wait........

and I watch........

and I watch some more.......

and I don't see the Coach waving me over.....

and I don't see the First Aid bag come out........

so I'm thinkin' we're OK and that there'll be no trip to the Emergency Department today........

MEANWHILE, the Ref comes over to where the crowd is, and points to Jared, who is flagging, and says something along the line of "I do not want to hear that kind of talk out of you again and if I DO hear it again, you'll be watching the rest of the game from the PARKING LOT!!!"

Then I hear one of the girls on the bleachers say to one of the other girls, "Well, he's just worried about his brother."

Apparently after Jake went down, there was a ruckus on the sidelines and some things were yelled out to the Ref. You've all been at sports events, and you know that every call the Refs make, some parent or spectator has to put in their two cents.

I knew Jared had made a comment after Jake's somersault, and I had heard him make another one before the Ref came over, so I told him to button it! (I do not tolerate my children back-talking to any Refs or Coaches, or even players for that matter, in sports; and my kids KNOW that. Years ago I told them I'd come onto the field or the ice myself and haul them off if I ever heard them lippin' the Refs... and they know I'd do it, too!)

So the game finishes up a few minutes later. The Senior boys win 3-1 in an excellent game.

Jared needs to return the flag to the Referee, so I said to him, "Jared, you go and apologize to the Ref for your comments." Jared politely mouthed the word "No" to me and shook his head. I said, "You will apologize right now to that Referee for your comments or I'll walk you over there myself!"

So, Jeb walks over to the Ref, returns the flag, and I see him say something and the Ref answers back, and everything appears hunky-dorey, and I am proud of my son for apologizing for his behaviour.

Well..........

A fellow parent, who we had been watching the game with, said to me, "Michelle, the Ref wasn't speaking to Jared when he made that reprimand. He was speaking to another parent.... THAT guy over there...", and he pointed at a parent leaving the field with his wife. I said, "Are you SURE? because it sure looked like he was talking directly to Jared." He said, "No, the parent was standing sort of behind Jared, but the Ref was talking to the parent, not Jared!"

Ooooooooh brother..............

Or should I say, Oooooooooh son................

At this point Jared is walking back across the field in my direction. I went to the field to meet him and said, "When the Ref was talking about watching the game from the parking lot, was he speaking to YOU? or the parent behind you?" Jared replied, "The parent behind me." I said, "Well then WHY did you apologize to the Ref if you didn't say anything?" Jared said, "Because I DID make a comment when the play happened, but the parent shouted something out louder and the Ref came over and gave HIM trouble."

Is that crow I smell cooking?

Yes.... it's crow.

Guess what "I" am eating for supper!!!!!

I grabbed my baby boy and apologized and gave him a big smoochie and hug right there on the field. I told him that I thought the Ref was yelling at HIM and that's why I was "suggesting" that he apologize.

Now, as it turns out, Jared DID make a comment anyways, but I STILL feel like I need to eat crow.

So, wanting to make sure I can sleep tonight, I decide I'm going to talk to the Ref about this, since he's only about 15 feet away from me.

I politely asked him if I could clarify something with him, and he was most kind and understanding. He assured me that he had been reprimanding the parent and said that he would NEVER speak to his linesman that way. He said he hated to even talk to a parent that way in front of students, but sometimes things can get a little out of control at games; and since he felt the game was going very well, he wanted to keep the crowd under control. I told him I most CERTAINLY understood. I really think the reason that many kids are problems today is because they have parents who are disrespectful to those in authority at sports games.

I told the Ref that I made a big mistake with my son and that I would have to make it up to Jared by baking him an apple pie. Jacob says to PLEASE not bake them ANYTHING!!!!! hahahhahahaahaha (By ME baking something, I hope you all realize that it means I would pick up a frozen Farmer's Market pie and simply turn on the oven! hahaha... I don't bake pies anymore!)

So, rather than apple pie, I'm thinking a big huge slice of humble pie is in the works for me!

But I'll tell ya, I sure am proud of my Jebby for obeying me and apologizing to the Ref. I've got darn good kids, let me tell ya.

And Jacob's injury? A huge big welt under his right eye. It's about the size of a killdeer egg.... OK, maybe a robin's egg.... but he's so tall now and my eyesight is getting worse, let's just go with a killdeer egg size to make it a good ol' injury. Goalie's cleat connecting with player's face..... I'm surprised it's not the size of an ostrich egg!

Killdeer egg

Now if y'all will excuse me, my humble pie is being served......