Hoops

I (daddy) do not get the chance to write in the blog too often, so I am going to take the opportunity of taking Mason to his first big college basketball game to write. Mason got a basketball hoop for Christmas so he has been totally obsessed about shooting baskets, so I knew that he would LOVE to go.

On Thursday January 3rd Illinois State was playing host to Creighton.  I thought, what a great opportunity to take Mason to his first "big" college basketball game then to be able to see the #16 team in the nation play.  That afternoon mommy and I decided that it would be a great time to have a daddy/son outing.  I called my buddy Mike (assistant Athletic Director at ISU)  to see if there were any available tickets left knowing that it was a "big game".  I was lucky enough for him to tell me that he had 2 tickets in the 13th row of the lower bowl.  CHA CHING!  What great seats for your first basketball game.  Knowing that Mason would not need a seat I immediately called my best friend Mike to see if he wanted to join.  After I told Mason that we were going all he would talk about was going to "basketball hoop"  This kid was so pumped up...

When we were talking about going to the game before he went down for a nap for the day we talked about what all we would see and do at the game.  Mommy mentioned eating dinner and eating a hotdog.  Of course Mason is like his dad and really likes to eat hotdogs.  That is ALL that I heard about the whole way up to the game and when we got there.

After eating his whole hotdog, it was time for the game to start.  He loved the crowd and the cheering.  Mason sat on my lap or stood right in front of me the whole game.  When ISU made a big run at the end of the first half to pull within 3 points and the crowd was on their feet yelling and cheering, Mason was right in with them yelling and clapping his hands.  He figured out real quick what to do.  He had a smile on his face the whole time.  

During the game he was OBSESSED with knowing where "Redbird" was.  That was Reggie the school mascot.  He wanted to know where Redbird was the ENTIRE game.  I am not sure that he would have liked him close up but he really did from far away.  

The game did not turn out quite the way that we wanted it to with ISU losing.  Although it was not the ending that we were hoping for it was a great game and a great time.  It is things like this that I love to do with my kids.  I know right now they probably do not know what it is all about, but I hope one day they will and they will do the same with their kids.  

After the game Mason got to go on the court and get his

picture taken.  He wanted to shoot a basketball so bad.  Next time we are going to have to take a little ball in with us so that he can dribble like the other kids.  

Mason had so much fun and talked about it so much the next day that now Makayla wants to go back with him.  So, it looks like there is going to be another ISU basketball game in our near future.  I just hope this time that mommy and everybody will join us.