Tales of the Ordinary Days

Friday night lights at Skutt Catholic Moylan Field I love this time of year. Hoodies and fleece blankets are officially pulled out, ready for football games and bonfires that fill our weekend nights. Kids and parents have now nestled into a new school year. School spirit fills the air. My youngest son is now a junior at Skutt Catholic High School. His road to completing high school is becoming shorter. Past the halfway point of his high school journey, the days tick away as my journey through these fun years is coming to an end as well. My oldest, Zach, began as a fresh-faced freshman in the fall of 2007. Since then, not a year has passed that I haven't had a son walking through the halls of Skutt. Living one mile from the school, door to door, I have been blessed with a home brewing with constant activity as an extension of the school. From pasta feeds in the backyard to a meeting place for kids before and after school events, I have enjoyed every minute of the teenage cha...

2009 ~ 2015 Tonight I enjoyed watching my 15 year-old-play some high school football. It was rainy and a Monday night closing out a long holiday weekend. A lot of reasons for preferring the comforts of home. But that thought never crossed my mind. The Lane boys love their football. And their mom enjoys cheering them on. Tonight was no different from when my years of football began in 2000 with Zach as a pee-wee Steeler. Following a win at Skyhawk Stadium tonight, I waited for Grant to come off the field. As my mind floated with plans for dinner and retrieving dry clothes, Grant's went down the path of which friend was 'having people over'. No school for Skutt tomorrow. But always the gentleman and likely trying to schmooze his mom into releasing him to the wilds of his friends, he grabbed me and asked one of his female friends to snap a picture. The picture to the right was the result. As he put his black glove on my shoulder, I was quickly reminded of his size....

My kids are so different. By now my oldest son has viewed the above picture and is rolling his eyes. Although Zach is a man of few words, I know what he is thinking. "Time to close the yearbook." Ben holds on. Zach moves on. And Grant is now smack dab in the moment. As I drove home from work yesterday, I watched the sun set on a cool fall night and remembered the same drive a year ago. Instead I was driving to my son's state championship football game in Lincoln. Fast forward a year, Ben is now graduated and in college. And Skutt is back in Lincoln, playing for a back-to-back state championship. I teared up as I drove. Great memories poured into my mind and into my heart. No doubt it was a memorable night. Now that I can reflect on a win and a great night, I can also share a personal confession. I was not the good mother cheering from the stands. Instead I sat in the bathroom and paced the interior halls by the concession stands during the...

Skutt Football 2014 This morning began like any typical morning. At least what a "normal" Monday morning feels like to me. The alarm went off at 4:45 as a stark reminder of Garrett's 6:45 flight back to Denver. After a quiet and dark drive to the airport, I dropped Garrett off and headed home. Grant was the next who needed to get out the door. Today was the first day of official football practice for Skutt Catholic. Two-a-days with the first practice at 6:30 a.m. For the last 8 years, the start of high school football has been our official sign that summer is over. Somehow this pivotal date always sneaks up on me like a pouncing cat on an unsuspecting mouse. Boom. Today I acknowledged in disbelief that it really was August 11th. Planning for our busy May, full of graduation milestones, seems like yesterday. I am still cleaning up from the party. But such is life. This creep that starts slowly, but ends quickly, happens to us every year. This morning I was startl...

I'm in Mexico. And to be honest, I'm not quite sure how I got here. April and May have been a whirlwind. Birthday milestones, work, graduations, honeymoon to San Diego....and now, Mexico. Yesterday at lunch with colleagues, I was asked the question on where we were to stay on this trip. I wasn't sure. Garrett then asked about the airline and time of flight. Ummmmm...I wasn't sure. But I knew I had the paperwork handy, so could quickly check prior to our departure the next morning. "Sandy, this is so not like you," was Garrett's comment to me. I am the forever planner. I am always looking ahead and have my Outlook calendar implanted in my brain. But for this trip, I had completed lapsed. I really hadn't a clue on the details. Just that days were blocked off on my calendar. For Mexico. Somewhere in Mexico. What I did know was that Zach, Ben and I had up-to-date passports and that a travel agent said we were good to go. No worries. But I ha...

I have a confession to make. But before the confession, I need to preface the setting of my declaration. Tonight was date night. With date night, typically comes margaritas. And with our Thursday night margaritas, we are almost always at our favorite hang out, Roja. And at our favorite hang out, we typically run into people we know. Tonight was no exception. Walking out of Roja, we ran into Ben's previous girlfriend's mother. It was nice to see her, as she and I broke bread on many occasions over our children's three year courtship. She commented on the positive feedback she heard on Ben's Senior Studies presentation. And then she noted a comment from her daughter on omission of Ben's family in support of his very important presentation. I had no rebuttal or excuses. There was no doubt I wasn't there. And with no good reason. I went on to explain that Ben didn't want me there. He and I discussed and decided it best that I not go as I would be to...

The Blonde Bomb (a.k.a. Ben Lane) Although my hope is for Ben's blondish-orange mop to be short lived, I've grown used to this look. I would go as far as to say, I'm fond of his shock top. When he first arrived home with his newly dyed do, I didn't feel this same sentiment. It was a bit of a shock to look at each day, but warm a reminder of the unity of the Skutt football team. Silly was the thought of the adults. Good karma was the thought of the boys. Obviously the boys won out. The hair followed them to the championship game. The title win is now becoming a distant memory, but the hair remains. I have noticed other players with new buzz cuts or hair dyed back to their normal color. Not Ben. He is going to enjoy every inch of blonde until it grows out. He foresees no buzz in his future. The nickname sticks. Ben's Muppet-like hair is fitting to his over-the-top personality. Although a football decision, I could easily see a changed hair color in Ben...

Our fans from up top :) I am sick of hearing about Bo Pelini. No offense to those embroiled in the debate. I'm not being judgmental, just honest. As many throw around their coveted opinions of the University, I am going to take this time to thank UNL. Some well-deserved diversion from controversy for a simple act of kindness is due. This gesture may seem small to others, but it meant a lot to us. And that's what the greatest acts of kindness are all about; small gestures that generate a lasting impact. When our high school boys earned a trip to Memorial Stadium to play for the championship, we were thrilled. Traveling to this venue for their grand finale was a treat. As we planned for this event, it became apparent that the outdoors on a late November night was not an ideal option for many of the boys' grandparents. Ben's grandpa is recovering from heart surgery. He can't sit out in the cold. With two grandsons on the team and a love for Memorial Stadium, ...

Ben and Alex Kramer celebrating their state championship win with the crowd I am just the mom. Ben shakes his head when I confuse football positions and show weakness on the "X's and O's". He believes I don't know much about the game. In all actuality, I know a lot. While I continue to broaden my tactical understanding, I am in tune to the truly important aspects of football. Never underestimate the observations of an intuitive mother. What I see are life lessons. I'm a storyteller by nature. So I am going to tell the story of two young men with two very different football experiences. The stories are deeper than football with valuable lessons that extend beyond the field. Both players have just finished their high school careers. But their experiences were markedly different. Although their goals to excel seemed aligned, the deeper goals were not. Boy #1: This boy chased his dream of being a football star. He was told at a young age that he wou...

Skutt Seniors <3 This picture makes me smile. The boys took their last stand under the Friday night lights of their home turf. A parent snapped this photo after their winning game. On to the State Championship. Glory days. This is the phrase that came to mind as I looked at their faces. Glowing smiles. Eighteen year-old joy. A great journey to Memorial Stadium. This group of boys is nothing short of a band of brothers. They've had each other's back every step of the way. This season has dealt some with adversity; on and off the field. But the boys have reacted by rallying. They play as a team. They win as a team. And they support each other as a team. Together they are having a ball. My son is one of many blonde bombs that fill the Skyhawk sidelines. Today I ran into a handful of his counterparts at the Husker game. They run in packs. Rarely do you see one player without two or three by his side. Still brimming with excitement over last night's win, the...