I went to a Davis High football game on Friday. Yes, it's true. I’m currently watching my 3rd child make their way through the hallowed halls of the proud Darts and had never actually attended a football game. Not for lack of interest, because I do remember bringing it up now and again that I liked the idea of the whole town kind of shutting down on Friday nights to go support Davis Football. But now here Brandon is a senior and I was going for my first time.
I’m thinking my previous lack of attendance may have something to do with the fact that I knew I’d likely end up sitting by myself considering each of those three kiddos would've preferred to sit in the student section cheering with their friends, rather than keep me company. And though I have no problem going to a movie, concert, restaurant or play, by myself…a football game seems somehow different? Maybe it’s the lack of assigned seating meaning I’d have to find a section of bleacher where I could squeeze in between two other families and that's just somewhat…awkward, yeah?
I’m thinking my previous lack of attendance may have something to do with the fact that I knew I’d likely end up sitting by myself considering each of those three kiddos would've preferred to sit in the student section cheering with their friends, rather than keep me company. And though I have no problem going to a movie, concert, restaurant or play, by myself…a football game seems somehow different? Maybe it’s the lack of assigned seating meaning I’d have to find a section of bleacher where I could squeeze in between two other families and that's just somewhat…awkward, yeah?
So now you are wondering WHY I went to a Davis game? Truth be told, it didn’t have anything to do with actual football. That was just the frosting on the cake. No, I was there because Lilian was dancing at half time. Dancing, yes. "Lilian dance?" you are asking yourself. "When did that happen?” We are not dancers. We are musicians, actors, gymnasts and soccer players. Unless you count choreography or the random tap number in musical theatre, dancing is not our thing.
In this case it was a fundraiser for the D’Ettes, the school drill team to which a neighbor of ours belongs. And we like to support her. Plus, Lilian just thought it’d be a fun thing to do with her friends and soccer teammates, Julie and Sophie, who had also signed up. So the girls took a break from the soccer field and became for a night, Junior Drill on the football field. They wore matching D-Ette t-shirts with gold ribbons in their hair and danced to “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray. Because in a funny little twist that seemed super appropriate, the theme for the D-Ette’s half time show was Broadway and the 5 different age groups of kids all had dance routines to various Broadway tunes. So though Lilian was dancing on a football field as a member of a D’Ette’s junior drill team, she was doing so to a song from “Hairspray,” which in some small part kind of normalized it a bit?
In this case it was a fundraiser for the D’Ettes, the school drill team to which a neighbor of ours belongs. And we like to support her. Plus, Lilian just thought it’d be a fun thing to do with her friends and soccer teammates, Julie and Sophie, who had also signed up. So the girls took a break from the soccer field and became for a night, Junior Drill on the football field. They wore matching D-Ette t-shirts with gold ribbons in their hair and danced to “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray. Because in a funny little twist that seemed super appropriate, the theme for the D-Ette’s half time show was Broadway and the 5 different age groups of kids all had dance routines to various Broadway tunes. So though Lilian was dancing on a football field as a member of a D’Ette’s junior drill team, she was doing so to a song from “Hairspray,” which in some small part kind of normalized it a bit?
Anyhow, the fab soccer trio had a great time and felt pretty good about their performance. And the Davis Darts shut out the Bountiful Braves 17-0 so we were happy about that as well. Plus I got my whole Friday Night Lights football experience checked off my bucket list. Score. Literally.
Feeling all adventurous, the very next night I did something else I'd never done...
Interestingly despite the fact that I was born a Texan and then lived the past 40 years in Utah, and those sorts of roots and connections would almost guarantee a life surrounded by western type sensibilities and culture….I have never, ever attended a rodeo. Not even the very famous and traditional Days of ’47 rodeo put on every year in Salt Lake City in July. Until last night that is. What can I say, I got curious.
The Davis County Fair was back in session this past weekend at the county fairgrounds in Farmington, and one of the events was the big rodeo on closing night. I talked to Lilian about it and the two of us decided that we were going to experience all the rodeo hoopla and have a new adventure. Except then she got invited to a big birthday party at Sophie’s house. Imagine Lilian holding a scale where one side is hanging out with her mother, and the other is partying with a bunch of her besties...well, can you guess which holds more weight? Hmph.
I had a decision to make...should I go by myself? I mean, I suppose I could’ve. This, unlike Davis football games, did have assigned seating. But having never been, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about going by myself. Another option was to bail on the whole evening, but I'd actually really been looking forward to it...so believe it or not, I convinced Bryan to go. If it’s an unlikely event for me to attend, can you imagine Bryan at a rodeo with men in cowboy hats who are riding on horses, trying to stay on bucking bulls and broncos, and roping calves as fast as they can?
(Yeah…we didn’t really love the roping calves as much. Poor little baby cows.)
But I told him he could bring his kindle and read the entire time if he wanted, and he indeed did take me up on that.
(Although he was rather interested in the cowboys trying to stay on their bucking broncos.)
I found the whole thing quite fascinating, entertaining and rather fun, actually. The horses were incredibly beautiful and graceful, even when they were bucking as hard as they could. The event lasted a good 2.5 hours and Bryan suggested Cafe Rio on our way home. We were both dealing with allergies from the animals and the hay or whatever stuff they were prancing around on, Bryan's discomfort a little more intense than my own. I doubt he will ever agree to go to a rodeo again. But the Cafe Rio dinner gave us the opportunity to have some food, chat about everything we’d seen, and let our sinuses calm down from the hay fever/allergy issues. I count the evening as a resounding success. Another bucket list item checked! Although I have to admit, I still may be interested in attending the big Days of ’47 rodeo and see what kind of differences there are between a big state rodeo and a smaller county one. Maybe next year?
Interestingly despite the fact that I was born a Texan and then lived the past 40 years in Utah, and those sorts of roots and connections would almost guarantee a life surrounded by western type sensibilities and culture….I have never, ever attended a rodeo. Not even the very famous and traditional Days of ’47 rodeo put on every year in Salt Lake City in July. Until last night that is. What can I say, I got curious.
The Davis County Fair was back in session this past weekend at the county fairgrounds in Farmington, and one of the events was the big rodeo on closing night. I talked to Lilian about it and the two of us decided that we were going to experience all the rodeo hoopla and have a new adventure. Except then she got invited to a big birthday party at Sophie’s house. Imagine Lilian holding a scale where one side is hanging out with her mother, and the other is partying with a bunch of her besties...well, can you guess which holds more weight? Hmph.
I had a decision to make...should I go by myself? I mean, I suppose I could’ve. This, unlike Davis football games, did have assigned seating. But having never been, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about going by myself. Another option was to bail on the whole evening, but I'd actually really been looking forward to it...so believe it or not, I convinced Bryan to go. If it’s an unlikely event for me to attend, can you imagine Bryan at a rodeo with men in cowboy hats who are riding on horses, trying to stay on bucking bulls and broncos, and roping calves as fast as they can?
(Yeah…we didn’t really love the roping calves as much. Poor little baby cows.)
But I told him he could bring his kindle and read the entire time if he wanted, and he indeed did take me up on that.
(Although he was rather interested in the cowboys trying to stay on their bucking broncos.)
I found the whole thing quite fascinating, entertaining and rather fun, actually. The horses were incredibly beautiful and graceful, even when they were bucking as hard as they could. The event lasted a good 2.5 hours and Bryan suggested Cafe Rio on our way home. We were both dealing with allergies from the animals and the hay or whatever stuff they were prancing around on, Bryan's discomfort a little more intense than my own. I doubt he will ever agree to go to a rodeo again. But the Cafe Rio dinner gave us the opportunity to have some food, chat about everything we’d seen, and let our sinuses calm down from the hay fever/allergy issues. I count the evening as a resounding success. Another bucket list item checked! Although I have to admit, I still may be interested in attending the big Days of ’47 rodeo and see what kind of differences there are between a big state rodeo and a smaller county one. Maybe next year?
