Go Cougars!

A few weeks ago we went to the "Family Day" BYU basketball game with a bunch of other MBA families. Jack said our tickets were at the top...he wasn't kidding. Yes, that is the wall behind us. It was actually kind of nice to be able to lean against it instead of just sitting on the bench with no back. Anyway, we went to the game, but I don't think I watched much of it at all---partially because of my lack of interests in the sport (hey, I went to see friends and because it was $1), partially because of the children of mine, and partially because I was chatting with friends. I didn't think Jackson watched much of it either. He was interested in the treats that other moms who were more prepared that I was brought for their children. Jack took him for a walk for the better part of the game.

As we were leaving the Marriott Center, our very own Cosmo was standing outside just begging us to get a picture taken with him. Ok, maybe not begging, but willing, and either all those people standing around him were just hanging out there or we jumped in front of the line, but I didn't feel too bad. It was freezing out and we had a baby. And nobody seemed angry. Anyway, I handed the camera to a guy to take our picture, and we went up and said hi to Cosmo and then posed for a picture.

Little did I know, this moment would scar Jackson's life forever. And we have it captured on camera:

See? Cosmo turned his head and his big schnauz hit Jackson in the face. And then the next picture has the "Get away from me you big furry thing, how dare you hit me!" look.

Of course our friend Cosmo didn't know he hit Jackson...and Jackson was a little upset that he got the silent treatment and Cosmo didn't even apologize. Don't worry Jackson, he doesn't talk to anyone. But for a week after this, several times a day, Jackson would whine, "He hit me with his nose on my heeeaddd." I was a little concerned that this would turn Jackson off from BYU forever, but he seems to have gotten past it now.

But remember how I thought Jackson wasn't paying attention to the game at all and how he would rather have been eating other people's snacks (I may or may not have let him eat some goldfish in a ziplock bag that someone left on the ground. I'm sure they were from someone in our group...I just don't know exactly who) than watching what was going on miles away on the tiny court? I must have been wrong. Because every day he runs in circles around the table in our living room and says, "I play football game! Go Cougars! BYU!" (He calls basketball football, not sure why). When he sees anything basketball-ish he yells, "We did go there yesterday!" (yesterday = anything in the past). He recognizes the BYU logo. I had on a "Y" shirt today and he said to me, "Mommy! You wearing a BYU Cougars shirt!?" So maybe BYU is in his future.

It's kind of fun to see how such a little thing like going to the basketball game where I thought he wasn't even paying any attention has made such an impact on him. Makes me wonder what else we should be doing to give this kid more memories to build. I'm glad to know that he appreciates our attempts to get out and do something fun every once in a while though.