Smackdown!!

Nathan joined the Wrestling team and  has been practicing since October.  Monday-Saturday including most holidays,School or no School, Rain or Shine .  It was mandatory.  This is a sport that this old mining town takes seriously.  Most of these kids have been wrestling since 3yrs of age.  They're known as "Mat Brats".  I wasn't sure if Nathan would be able to cut the muster with the experience his teammates  had.  With a good coach and his determination, it all paid off.  His first match was on the 19th and won.  I was afraid it was beginners luck. Last night we went to his second match in East Chattanooga.

 

This kid (that has our opponent pinned down)  has been wrestling for 9 years.

The lightweight kids were the most fun to watch. They didn't give up easily. I was amazed at how flexible the human body is.  They looked like pretzels out there.  The kids really got into it.  Emma was so pumped.  You couldn't come within a 3 foot radius around Emma.  She was off the bleacher lunging forward and yelling, "Get Him! Keep Squeezing! Flip Him!" 

We were 30 minutes into the game when we realized that we were sitting on the opponents side.  Our team hadn't lost a match and we were the only one's left cheering.  I had to ask Emma several times to stop booing for fear that our enemies would retaliate.


The matches roweled Barret up.  He was having his own match with Scot's right arm. He says he wants to be in wrestling.   Emma said she want to as well. 

I must admit I was into it as well.  Andrew was in my lap and cried out a couple of times that I was squeezing him too hard.  It wasn't long after that his pizza kicked in and a foul odor surrounded me.  I forced him off of me. I just kept my eyes on the game.

Here's Nathan (on the right) and his opponent.

 It was over in 14 seconds.  Nathan walked away a winner! 

 

Here's Nathan shaking hands with the opponents coach AKA Guns and Roses Lead Singer  Axel Rose

You couldn't even tell that this was his first season EVER!  My dad was a wrestler back in the day. My Grandpa tells me that he was very good.  Ahhh... I guess it's in the genes. 

Soddy won 64-6.  I think Axel should go back to singing =)

Snow Day

The kids went back to School on Wednesday the 6th.  Mother Nature decided to bring us frigid temperatures in the 10's and snow on Thursday.  So back out they were. Woo Hoo.  My house was a mess and the pantry was empty.  The driveway was iced over and couldn't get the truck out.  So what do ya do with 4 energetic kids?  Go outside and burn some energy.

The kids got a piece of cardboard and slid down the driveway.  Andrew saw The Christmas Story on TV during the holidays and thought he would see if his tongue would stick to the metal post on the mail box.  It was 12 degrees outside. It worked.  He left some of his taste buds. It was too late to stop him before Nathan and I realized what he was up to.  Oh well... Live and Learn.

He loves the snow. He has a plastic container of snow in the freezer still.

It wasn't much but, it was so cold that it  lasted a week.

A snowball fight put an end to all the fun. Here is the instigator.