Boys!

I have a softspot for boys.

In high school I had friends that were girls, but mostly I went out with "guy friends" on weekends. I am married to a football coach, so that means 'boys' who I get to know and be around occasionally. When it came time to choose a few high school kids to help in class I chose two boys--football players, nonetheless. Most importantly, I am the mother of three boys.

God equipped me for boys, I guess. When girls at school argue and complain, I am quick to say "Get over it!". I would much rather see a good fight than hear one.

I like to be the mother hen and make sure those boys (who I like to think are helpless, but really aren't) are taken care of. For instance, today one of my helpers, Snoop, went down to make copies for me. I forgot a page and took it down to the lounge to him. He was eating some doritos I had seen him stick in his backpack earlier. I had to buy him a coke! Who eats doritoes with nothing to drink???? There is another reason I bought this particular kid a coke.........

Last week, I learned some heart-wrenching news about him. I knew that his mother was not around for him much. She never came to ballgames to see him or spends much time worrying about him. My husband mentioned to me last week that he and another coach wanted to basically adopt him. Not move in or anything, but do things for him. Every day between first and second period, he looks in the refrigerator in the fieldhouse to see if there is anything to eat. Who knows if he got to eat supper the night before!!!! I want him to come and eat dinner, but you have to bring him to your house and make him eat. He doesn't want anyone to know. Being the mother hen that I am, I am going to make sure he eats.

I bought sandwich meat, bread, and oatmeal pies (I learned they were his favorites from another football mom who fed the boys before games). So, this morning when I was packing my lunch, I made two bologna sandwiches and I got out two bags of partially eaten chips, banana pudding, and the box of oatmeal pies for my husband to take to the fieldhouse. I hope he took all of it. I asked Snoop about the oatmeal pies, but evidently he didn't get one this morning.

He is such a sweet, quiet kid. It breaks my heart that he has that kind of home life. If I had the room and his mother would let him, I would adopt him.