Uh Oh !

I received a call from our church at 1:15 on Thursday. It seems RJ decided to take matters into his own hands and stop a child from hurting others. Guess who got in trouble? That's right, RJ.

It seems this one child was swinging a piece of wood around on a stick and hit RJ in the back. At that time the other child's cousin started doing the same thing. RJ, politely moved his chair so he would not get hit again. Mild applause for RJ's actions.

When the group moved to the gym, the situation started again. RJ went to the kid (my heart wants to say PUNK) and told him to stop before he hurts someone. RJ walked away and the kid followed. The child then asked RJ what his problem was? RJ reached out and took the wood/string from him and the boy went to throw a punch. Without thinking (RJ's words), he reached up and put the kid in a choke hold. At this point, the adults in charge turned around , and guess what they saw? Once again, thats right...RJ choking a peer. His consequence for this (the churches punishment) is for RJ to miss the next field trip and not return to camp until Tuesday.Now in my mind, this is not a problem. If I had my way, he would not go back to this camp for the rest of the summer. The only problem is...he loves it!!!

I'm proud of most of his actions. The choking might have been a little drastic, but everything else seemed reasonable. We talked about the situation and he knows he should have gone to the adults instead of literally taking matters into his on hands!

So, where does this leave me? Doing some really haeavy praying that God will enable me as a parent and fill mu heart and mind with His compassion and love! Oh yeah...do you think you could send up a prayer for me also?

Have a good day guys! I'm giving you a great big thumbs up and in the words of one of my kids at RIP (the place where I work with behaviorially challenged kids)...You are doing the bestus ewes can do!

Oh the weather outside is.........

.....frightful! but the snow is so delightful! Wouldn't you agree? OK, maybe not! But I love snow! The fraility of it. It's here one minute and gone the next. To me, snow is so clean...but don't eat the yellow stuff! Anyway when snow happens around here, which is rarely, Nashville just shuts down. So, what did I do? Thats right, I pretended I was 10 years old again and played in it. RJ and I had a blast!

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We made snow devils. He refused to make snow angels, he's said that was to childish! What do I know, I'm just papa.

I will tell you this, the weight loss has made these days more enjoyable. I was able to climb a hill after sledding, and was not winded. It took a lot longer for me to say it was time to go in because I was tired. I never got tired, I got COLD!!!!!!

But things change! I realize I am not 10 years old anymore! and at the rate my son is going, he won't be that age for long either!

We went from this...

...to this is less than 6 hours!

At least I've got my pictures to remind me!

Have a great day!

Oh yeah! Mama Jo, this one's for you!

Childhood memories

As a child you remember certain things. Like the time we drove across country to New Mexico. I can remember sleeping in a tent on the side of the road. I can remember seeing a deer up-close on the edge of a ravine. And I can remember being big enough to borrow my father’s clothes. Yes, that’s right! There were times that I needed to dress up, and I did not have the right clothes. So I borrowed my father dress pants, shirt and tie. I even took his Sunday go to meeting shoes. Guess what? They fit!

Well the tides have turned! And my son is not happy! Beth purchased some pants and shirts for me for my birthday and Valentines Day. Now we had to wait until payday to get them out of law-a-way, buts that is OK!

When the clothes came home, I knew she had good intentions, but they were big on me! I suggested she take them back and get XL instead of 2XL. Wow, they fit! I can now wear clothes from the “REGULAR MENS DEPT”. That is a major deal in my book.

Now you may ask, “Why is RJ not happy?” You see, I have lost enough weight, that I can now wear some of his clothes! That’s right; the shirts he wears to school are XL. He has even given me a pair of Titans lounge pants, simply because they fit me! So, I can wear his clothes, and he got some really nice things last Christmas. I’ve got my eye on his Titans jersey!

To give RJ credit though, he is shrinking out of his clothes also. He had me put another hole in his belt just the other day. His waist has gone from a high of 42 inches to 36 inches. He’s doing well and I am proud!

Now, if I see him wearing Beth’s clothes, it’s time for a talk!

Have a great day!

Who helps you stay accountable?

Everyday I read several different weight loss blogs. Yesterday on Carbwire, they had a great article and video dealing with buddies or support groups. The main focus was on who is helping you succeed at weight loss?

Now they are not a WLS type of blog, but deal more with weight loss through low carb. I think the catch phrase is a good one, "Livin La Vida Low Carb" lifestyle. The blog itself has some great information on low carb products and recipes!

They discuss the aspect of on line support groups and physical support groups as well. Jimmy looked at the importance of blogging about your journey through a blog or videos. I really enjoyed their video that coincides with the article. I don't agree with all aspects of their discussion, but the focus of support and success was a very important one. So, who in your life is helping you succeed at weight loss? Is it your spouse, a special friend, or just some Jimmy Joe Sue bob you met on the street?

For me that special person is my wife and son! Reason being, she got a head start and is a great example. When I had my surgery, she was there for me. When I hit that roadblock or stall, she was and is there for me. Every time I ask or suggested that we try this or experiment with that, she is there for me! So who helps and supports me...my wife! RJ is a great motivating factor in my life. He supports, defends, and even is ready to help me exercise. I think he might go on to be a Drill Seargent! He's got the voice for it!

Who is that special group...Well duh! It's you guys! With the wealth of knowledge that you have, the compassion, the support. I will put this group on the Tennessee Forum up against anyone in the world. Simply because...YOU ROCK!

SO my question is this? Who helps you stay accountable?

Have a great day!

Can I be any prouder?

When we started this weight loss journey, I knew my wife would be involved. I knew I would be involved. But never in my wildest dreams did I think my son, RJ, would be involved. He has embraced outr lifestyle of healty foods, sugar free desserts and special foods. Occassionally he will ask for a soda, but for the most part he is drinking water. there's not much I can say, so I will let the pictures do the talking for me.

March '07

March '07

Jan '08

Jan '08

Hope everyone has a great week!

Party, Party, Party!

Well, that pretty much sums up this week! Beth, (my wife), has come to the conclusion the more weight you lose, the more active your social life becomes. Sorry, no true data to back up that hypothesis, but it sure feels like it’s true. At least this last week does!

Let’s see, where do we begin…..last Saturday (12/8). We started the day with R.J.’s football banquet at 11:00. A fantastic time was had by all at the Hendersonville Skating Rink. Even I put on a pair of skates. It was fun except for two different thoughts:

1) Big people should not have wheels attached to their feet. Wheels belong on automobiles.
2) The day after skating, you no longer feel 48. You wake up wondering if this is what an 88 year old feels like!

After skating, R.J. had children’s choir practice. They performed their Christmas program at church the next day. Sorry the pictures did not turn out. The lighting was very dim. He did a wonderful job! I’m very happy he feels good about attending New Life. From there, we prepared for our Weight Loss Surgery Christmas Party. I don’t know how many people were there, but we lost 2196 lbs. Over a ton lost. YEAH!!!!!

Now, that was just Saturday! I won’t go into the details, but it sure seems like everyday is just as busy! Is this due to weight loss? I don’t know. What I do know is this, As we lose weight, our energy level skyrockets! In the 12 years Beth and I have been together, I have never seen her so active. I think I like! Maybe I will be able to keep up with her after mine. Who know?

Well, I’m off to get ready for the next round of what ever. I guess I need to check my social calendar. Wow, I’ve never had one of those. Maybe Beth’s hypothesis is correct!

Have a great day!

Here they come!

Well here we go! The last game of the season. It has been a fun and sometimes grueling time this year. Our guys didn’t win as many games as we thought they should, but they played their hearts out.

We made it to the Contenders Bowl (formerly called the 3rd and 4th place bowl), against the UNA Bears. It was a perfect fall day for football. The leaves were changing, the air had a chill about it, and our boys were ready to play. I will share this with you, we did not win, but the boys played probably the best game they ever played! The final score was UNA Bears 18 – Madison Titans 13. And I’ve decided today to let the pictures tell the story!

If anyone is interested, they can view all the pictures I have taken for the season by clicking on the link below.

Football Pictures There are around 70 photos!

To quote Dandy Don Meredith, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over”. Our season is gone, finished, buried in the archives of Mid State Youth Football League. R.J. is both excited and sad. Excited because he says he will finally be able to stay awake during class. Sad because he won’t get to hit the red tackling dummy anymore. Before you know it though…baseball season will be here!

One season ends...what's next?

I've been kind of lax in my football reports lately. Seems like life has grabbed on tight and is refusing to relinquish it's eternal grip! In other words...very busy! I've actually had players on R.J.'s football team asking when I will be posting new pictures and stories. It kind of makes you wonder who is actually reading this stuff, and am I keeping it PG! I surely hope so! So, on with the blog!!

*

We played probably the best game we have ever played 2 weeks ago. Final Score...Murfreesboro Raiders 0 - Madison Titans 35. What a game, what a day! It was perfect weather for football. The boys just took control and never looked back. I guess the worst part of the day was watching my father fall down the bleachers. This being only 2 weeks after Rotator Cup surgery! It was one of those rare moments that remain frozen in your mind. Here was the man who has taken care of me for my entire life, falling! Literally falling down to the ground! Bowling people over like pins in an alley on league night! It was scary… both him falling and the sense of mortality I felt. Kind of like a kick in the pants saying, “Guess what buddy, you’re not getting any younger”! Thank God for the woman at the end of the bleachers though. I pray she is all right. If not for her, Dad would have hit the ground full force! And yes, he is all right!

*

The next week we played our arch rival UNA! This meeting was a lot better that before. In our first meeting this year, they beat us 32-0. Yeah, it was definitely a blowout! This time though, they scored first and completed the 2 point conversion for a score of 8-0. From that point on, our guys held their ground. It was a defensive battle of mammoth proportions. R.J. even got in a sack of the quarterback, and almost blocked a pass. This was the ending of the season. Yeah!!!! Go Titans Go!
*

Now we are up to date! Finally!! Anyway, yesterday was the first playoff game against GraMar Pirates. Now this team has beat us twice, and we have never even finished the game. Both games ended at the beginning of the 4th quarter by using the “Mercy rule”. You see, if a team is ahead by 30 or so points’ going into the last quarter, the game is called! Yes, we were expecting our season to end by the 3rd quarter! The Pirates took no prisoners in their onslaught of the Madison Titans. I think it was worse than a bad remake of “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Our boys did well though. They scored this time, which is a major accomplishment! Final score Pirates 34-Titans 7.
*

To end, I would like to show you how the Titans start the game. It speaks highly of our coaches; they did a great job in instilling sportsmanship and integrity into a game dominated by sometimes angry parents and spoiled children!

*

What are we gonna do?___ Hit hard!
What are we gonna do?___ Play with heart!
Who are we?___ Titans !
Who are we?___ Titans !

If you didn’t know___You better ask somebody!

Some times you feel like a nut.....

Sometimes you don't. Well my son is nuts! There is no doubt, the apple does not fall far from the tree! Today, R.J. andI had the pleasure of manning the RIP booth at a local elementary school Fall Festival. Now it was boring at times, but also fun! R.J. had the opportunity to play games, grab a goodie bag and fill it up with freebies, and meet some very unique people! But he also had some down time where he had to make is on fun!

So, without wasting another second of your time, may I introduce the next participant of "American Idol".

Hope you enjoy!

Overtime!!!!!!!

Overtime means one of two things...Extra money in your pocket, or someone did not win during regulation play! In this case, it's the later!

(

What a game! It was probably the most defensive game played all season! The 1st quarter was a battle of control. The ball switched sides more than a tennis ball bouncing across tennis net! Finally during the 2nd quarter, the Titans took control and scored on a 20 yard run by Nate “The Great”. At halftime the score was 13-6 ,Titans over the Murfreesboro Raiders.

The 2nd half started with a 45 yard kickoff run back for the Raiders to tie the score at 13 all. The rest of the game was once again pretty much a defensive battle. Our guys were awesome, (especially R.J.). Every time I turned around that son of mine was a wrecking machine! It feels really good to yell across the field,”Go Tank”! That’s my boy, ‘nough said.

The game ended in a 13 – 13 tie. So overtime ensued! We got the ball first on the 10 yard line. We could not capitalize on our possession. So, the Raiders got their chance. All in all, the final score was Raiders 19, Titans 13. Our parents were all up in arms that the Raiders cheated! My thoughts…If they cheated and it can be proved, then let’s protest! All I worry about is that my son had fun!

So, once again the Titans took the field only to lose! To borrow a line from ABC’s Wide World of Sports…”The agony of defeat”, prevailed! But guess what…My son had fun! I feel like the Dad on the Publix commercial, when I ask R.J. how he feels, his answer is always the game…”Man that was awesome”!

Have a great week!

Fly Bys, Pain, and Hot Air...All in the same day!

As you can tell from the title…yesterday was fun, painful, and disturbing! We had another hot one! Or at least it seemed that way. At game time the temp had reached 92 degrees with very little cloud cover. Every once in a while we at least got a small breeze, but that was spectators who were full of hot air! I guess the most fun was had, when the local airport graced us with a fly by right before kickoff. It wasn’t an F-14, but a 747 will do! Kinda cool if you ask me!

The game in itself was brutal! UNA has probably one of the best teams around at preparation and training. They are also probably the best at bending the rules! Anyway, the first half was rough. UNA started out with a run back on the touchdown, and followed up with 2 more before halftime. The Titans stayed strong though! We scored right before the half with a 40 yard run. At the half, the score was 19-7, guess what? The final was the same.

R.J. was pretty banged up the whole day. Once again, the opposing team was double and triple teaming him all day. Right before the half, the UNA Bears ran everything they had right at R.J. My boy was tough though, he never stopped or complained. during the half, the coach helped R.J. work through the pain.

The most disturbing part of the day was the opposing teams fans! At one point, a female fan was right in my ear screaming for her son to straighten up or go home! A parent from our side made the comment, “Wow, some one is taking this seriously”. Well, she thought I said it! She yelled at me and said, “I hope you having fun”! Note, if you are reading this, please add attitude with a capitol A! I told her “Yes, I am having fun, my son is enjoying himself”. I will stop the story here as I don’t want to offend anyone…just use your imagination to finish it!

You know, I believe people like this are living their lives vicariously through their children. Evidently they never amounted to anything when they were young and this is their chance to try again! Well, my son did have fun. Even though they lost, he had fun! These type parents believe it’s all about winning. When you ask R.J. if that’s true, he answers like this…”It’s not all about winning, it’s about playing fair, and playing with heart”. that’s my boy, and I thank God for him daily!

Oh Yeah!

I believe there are days that are destined for certain activities. You know what I mean…Hot summer days are great for swimming, fishing, or boating. Cold, snowy days are perfect for hot chocolate, building snowmen, or watching a good movie by the fire. Well yesterday was probably the best day for football. Not to hot, or to cold, just perfect! And what a day it was!

The Madison Titans were on fire. These boys came to play, not play around, but to play football! I could not have been prouder of these boys. They have made progress every week. From their first game against Gra-Mar (33-0),where is was 117 degrees on the field, to yesterday , they are a much different team!

Murfreesboro Raiders kicked off, and we ran it back for a touchdown! This was only a fore shadow of what was to come. R.J. was a human blocking machine! Every play he was double and triple teamed. That did not matter to “The Tank”, he bowled over these guys like they were made of air! Once again he played the entire game, both offense and defense. When the game was over, he told me he felt great and was ready to do it again! What a guy!

I think the biggest thing to come out of R.J. playing ball, is his physical well being. When he puts on pants that were to tight last year, and they fall off now, is amazing. My son has gone from 190 lbs. in January, to 162 lbs. as of this morning. I am proud; not only of his weight loss, but that he has adopted my nickname from High School! I think there’s enough room in the family for another Tank! If not, he’ll just have to make room!

Anyway, that is the recap of our game against the Murfreesboro Raiders! Hopefully we can keep it up against UNA next week. Game time is 12:00 on Sat. 9/22. Oh yeah, I almost forgot the score….Madison Titans 27 – Murfreesboro Raiders 0!

Go Titans Go!

Now I tried something different this week. this was the kickoff return I mentioned earlier. I thought I would try to videotape it and post it on the blog! We will see, hope you enjoy!

What a day!

Well Saturday came and went. The problem was, it went faster then I expected. R.J. woke up not feeling well at all. Typical allergy symptoms...runny nose, upset stomach, cough. You name it, he had it. We talked about the football game and what he wanted to do. Of course, I made him aware, the choice was his to make, not mine.

RJ

I was raised with the idea that when choices were to be made, you had to make them. A lot of people want decisions made for them. I don't buy into that train of thought. Even before I was a father, my thoughts revolved around this philosophy. I want to be the dad who is there no matter what. When my child makes a bad choice or decision, I want to be there to pick him up, dust him off, and talk about what he has learned. When he makes a good choice, I want to praise him, and rejoice in the choices he has made. Well, enough about what I believe, back to the football game!

rj

What a game it was! R.J. sat on the sidelines for the majority of the game But that was OK, it was his decision to support the team, even from the sidelines. It was a dust bowl on the field though. We had several touchdowns or long runs returned on penalties. But guess what, the other team did too!

The score was 6-0 at halftime. A BIG improvement over last week! The other team came back and scored at the beginning of the 2nd half to make it 13-6. When all was said and done, the final score was 19-13. Another loss, but an improvement, none the less!

The best part of the game though...R.J.! With 2 minutes to go, R.J. put on his helmet and decided it was time to play. The response from the crowd, coaches, and teammates was overwhelming! They were shouting his name in unison and clapping like you would not believe it! On his first play, he was triple teamed, and still busted through for the sack! When all was said and done...it was still a little to late!

One thing about it though...this was not the same group of kids that took the field last week! This was the Madison Titans, and they were ready to play!