Hoop Dreams

We are obsessed with basketball at our house right now. Junior Jazz ended the Saturday before our trip, and Max and Benny loved it so much, we are doing it again at another venue next month.

At any given moment during the day you can hear a basketball bouncing downstairs and being shot into their adjustable indoor hoop. Sometimes it's at 6 feet; lately it's down a bit so they can practice slam dunks. Why? Because their favorite show right now is the recording of Saturday night's NBA Slam Dunk Competition.

Many times if I'm downstairs doing laundry or sewing or hanging out with the boys, I'll hear, "Watch this, Mom!" and it's either a long shot or a dunk again.

Andrew even wants to be a baller. He begs for me to hold him up to put his smaller ball through the hoop.

They can't wait until the snow melts and they can shoot outside again using the hoop on the garage. I can't wait, either. They keep trying to bring basketballs upstairs to bounce but it's only a matter of time before something breaks!

Whenever there is a Jazz game Benny begs to stay up "just a widdle bit wonger" so he can watch it. Every morning after a game he wants to see the sports section of the newspaper first. He can't read yet, but he recognizes the words "Utes" "Jazz" "Cougars," etc, and can tell by the graphics who won and by how much. He even keeps tracks of winning streaks.

A few weeks ago was Jr Jazz night at Energy Solutions Arena, and Gordon Hayward came out to talk to the kids (I may have squealed. He's very cool).

We go up to the church gym to shoot hoops. I gave JB a new Jazz basketball for Valentine's Day and Max keeps trying to sneak it into his room for himself. I lost count of how many basketballs of various sizes are often lying around the house.

Looking back I'm very glad for those high school years I spent in St Louis where I was OBSESSED with the Cardinals, and for all the sports I watched on TV with my dad. I know it was preparing me for life with sports-obsessed boys!