Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Trophy Life

The boys had their first chess tournament of the season this past Friday. I suppose our Russian chess master figured we might as well get the gang used to not having a date or other plans on Friday nights. As has already been documented in this blog, my sole purpose as a mother is to raise the biggest chess-playing, violin-loving nerds I can. It's my insurance policy against becoming a grandmother before my time.

My husband has been trying to thwart my intentions at every turn, insisting on hockey, soccer, and baseball. When a mother seeking intellectual development has children with a father seeking athletic prowess, the end result is inflicting a horribly over-scheduled life on their unsuspecting children.

Of course had I known I'd be spending 3 hours watching kids play chess in a church basement on a Friday night, I may have reconsidered my whole master plan. Instead, I witnessed a bunch of Bobby Fischer's kicking my kids' asses. Thankfully, Daniel attends a Bobby Fischer type school and his team placed 1st in the tournament.


They'll be managing my 401k in a couple of years.

Jack, being the only representative from his school, left with an "everybody wins" medal and no trophy. I bought him a chess key chain at the souvenir desk as a consolation prize. 

My youngest son, Joey, is obsessed with the whole trophy thing.  He waits expectantly at home with his father any time he hears that his brothers are at "Awards Night" for whatever activity I signed them up for that week.  He was inconsolable this summer at soccer when his brothers refused to share their trophies.

Due to my thrift store tendencies, I have neutralized the situation with the purchasing of several used trophies. 

The kids mocked Joey's "99th" place trophy.
Somewhere out in the world, there is a Jeni Thompson who was "Rookie of the Year" for the Aurora Sharks in 1999.  I wonder if she knows her mother dropped off all her old trophies at Goodwill last week? 

Hopefully, she doesn't read the blog.

4 comments:

  1. Like I said 'Real Women are sexy!' This post is a Pearl Beyond Price; and so is you, woman!

    Great work. I am sick with envy for your talents

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  2. Yay! Second-hand trophies are the best!
    That's all I give my children for birthdays.
    I love that picture-it captures so much of the story.

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  3. I was awarded only four first place trophies in my entire life and still have them. They often make fun of me to my delight having already experienced the fullness of Life. These four trophies together can brighten the darkest of rooms. What wonderful gifts. I'm blessed more than I deserve. Now go play in the middle of the street.
    MV

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  4. Pat - you are really too kind, but I'll take the pick-me-up!

    Gweenbrick - I knew you'd appreciate this blog entry. (;

    MV - That's awesome you still have your trophies. I'm fairly certain mine are at a Goodwill shop somewhere collecting dust. (:

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