Not Yet Two and Already Defiant.

May 27th, 2009

Toby Joe and I love soccer. We’re huge fans of the English Premier League. Today’s UEFA final between Barça and Manchester United is a match I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. I’m giddy with excitement, watching the clock and preparing snacks. I really think this one is going to be awesome. Emory and I will probably watch it together once he gets home from school.

Every time Emory sees a soccer match on TV he yells, “OCCAH! OCCAH!!!” And I beam with delight.

I was so excited about this I signed him for a toddler soccer league this summer. How that’s going to be possible—like, how these people plan on getting a bunch of 2-year-olds to play something remotely resembling soccer—that’s not for me to figure out. Thankfully, that’s not my job. Laughing about it? Definitely my job. Organizing it? Not so much.

Toby Joe and I also watch a lot of college football. Pretty much every Saturday in fall we’ll have a football game on the TV. We really look forward to Penn State.

But, I still wouldn’t call us as a very “sporty family”. We don’t watch basketball, hockey makes me nervous, and baseball tends to bore us both. Don’t get me wrong, I love attending live baseball games—partly because I love overpriced, domestic beer—but I don’t particularly enjoy watching it on TV.

But this weekend a Mets game made its way onto our TV somehow. They were playing Boston. So we left it on, because while baseball isn’t particularly entertaining for us, Boston fans usually are.

Naturally, because we wanted Emory to love soccer, he became obsessed with baseball. Just like that. He’s so into it, I had to warn his teachers just this morning about his desire to swing everything in sight. I told them that it’s in their best interest they keep all long, hard objects out of his reach. For long, hard objects are no longer just broomsticks, lint-rollers or hairbrushes; they’re baseball bats. And baseball bats are meant to be swung! And swinging hurts people. Believe me.

“Why baseball?” I have scoffed “Where did I go wrong?” I have cried. “Is this because I pushed too hard for soccer? Why, Emory? Why?” I have begged. To no avail.

“BEEBALL MAMA! BEEBALL!!”

I’m coming to terms with his desire for baseball over soccer. I suppose I can deal with baseball. And I’ll put him on a t-ball team the moment he’s old enough. I want my kid to do whatever it is he pleases. If baseball becomes his passion, I will give him my blessing.

But if he becomes a Red Sox fan, we’re putting him up for adoption.

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14 Comments on “Not Yet Two and Already Defiant.”

  1. Kizz said at 11:16 am on May 27th, 2009:

    Being a Red Sox fan is in the heart and blood, you cannot change it. If, in your heart of hearts, you must turn him out for it you can send him to me. I’ll raise him right. :)

  2. sam said at 1:23 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    it’s okay em, become a sox fan. you can come hang out and be cute around me all the time.

    also, BARCA BARCA

  3. mihow said at 6:02 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    Sam: Barça indeed!

  4. MelHow said at 9:34 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    His Uncle Rob would be so proud!!! Oh, and he would totally understand if you had to give him away if he became a Red Sox fan. I mean, seriously, who wants a defective kid;)

  5. Amber said at 11:46 pm on May 27th, 2009:

    If he becomes a Mets fan instead, he can come hang out with me anytime! That’s adorable. (Also, yay Barca!)

  6. Torrie said at 8:31 am on May 28th, 2009:

    Woohoo! A new Mets fan!
    We’ve trained Willa to say “Lets GO Mets!”

  7. mihow said at 8:39 am on May 28th, 2009:

    Ha! We were trying to get Em to say, “BOOO BOSTON!” but it came out more like “bee bo bobbee”

    We’re still working on it.

    I grew up going to Yankees games and watching them on TV as well. (Brother and father are huge Yanks fans.) But I don’t hate the Mets like many Yankees fans. I actually like both teams just fine.

    But Boston? Never gonna happen. ;]

  8. houpley said at 9:09 am on May 28th, 2009:

    adorable!
    we get jack to call the hogs (arkansas, razorbacks….anyone?…crickets…..)
    anyway, it’s supposed to be “woooooo, pig souie!” but he shouts “woooooooo, bla-daba!” which i think is even better.

  9. Melissa said at 9:35 pm on May 28th, 2009:

    houpley!!! OMG calling the hogs is the BEST cheer EVER!!! A stadium (LR or F-ville, take your pick) full of fans doing that cheer is awesome. It will totally make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You keep working with your little one — he’ll get it pretty soon.

    Go Hogs!

    (and sorry for all the caps everyone. I miss Arkansas sometimes…)

  10. Brad said at 12:19 pm on May 29th, 2009:

    Go, Em! Beeball all the way! Red Sox suck!

  11. Keith said at 3:33 pm on May 29th, 2009:

    Why so anti-Boston?

    I have a friend who trained her son at 3 to say “Boston Sucks.” He says it to strangers on the subway who wear hats with the letter B on them. It’s crazy. Thankfully, he thought (and still thinks) that I play for the Red Sox, so he adds “…except for Uncle Keith,” when I’m around.

  12. mihow said at 3:47 pm on May 29th, 2009:

    I’m not really that anti-Boston.

    But, hey, how do you Boston fans feel about the Mets? Or the Yankees? ;]

  13. Keith said at 6:32 pm on May 29th, 2009:

    I don’t mind the Mets, unless you want to get into the whole travesty of them being a sad replacement in the travesty that sent the Brooklyn Dodgers to LA. And yeah, hate the *current* Yanks. You got me there. I could go on about baseball for a long time, but let’s do that over a bottle or three of wine sometime…

  14. tallasiandude said at 2:36 pm on June 3rd, 2009:

    I’m ok with the Mets, but I hated the Yankees even back when I was growing up in L.A. (which I guess gives you reason to hate me twice.)

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