Wells Fab Five Plus One: Saturday.....A day at the "Mats"

Today was spent in Lebanon, Ohio at a 13 school wrestling tournament. I arose at 6:30 a.m. to be sure that Tucker arrived at his school no later than 7 a.m. for the 30 minute bus ride to Lebanon. I must confess that I rarely change from my PJs for the short jaunt to the school since we stay off the main roads and the school is less than one mile away. So off we go in my flannels and Bean slippers. I no sooner walked in the door at 7:15 and the phone was ringing....it was Tucker. "Mom, I can't find my head gear." Those of you who know anything about wrestling, know that this is an essential piece of equipment for the sport. You can't wrestle without it and you DO NOT want to borrow your buddy's headgear. There's a thing called "Cauliflower Ear" that a wrestler can contract from sharing their headgear. It's painful and very, very ugly and can cause permanent scarring. I have forbidden him from sharing or borrowing any one's headgear. It's a rule and one I will NOT bend on. So now I'm rifling through his room trying to find his headgear. He's rifling through his locker at school, the coach is yelling at him (I can hear this through the phone). I'm yelling at him telling him things like; you need a check list to keep track of these things, your inability to keep track of your things should not constitute an emergency on my part. Things like this. By now, the entire house is awake. How can they not be after all of the Hub-Bub!

Fortunately, I was able to locate his headgear from last year. I bolted down the stairs, launched back into "Black Betty" (that's what we have affectionately dubbed my Envoy) and scooted back over to the school is as safe a manner as possible. Well...........when I arrived, there was no school bus. There was a bus there when I left the first time, but no bus now. Do I need to remind you that I have on my PJs and slippers and IT'S RAINING!!!!! After inspecting two doors (in my PJs), I realize that they have departed the school for the tournament. I carefully, but not calmly, return home to get dressed and go to the tournament. But first, I needed to call my beloved son. No wait, he's calling me again as soon as I get home FOR THE SECOND TIME. "Hey Mom, we left the school already." Well DUH!!!!! That wasn't all I said. It wasn't one of my finer moments as a parent. But let's be honest, I was at my wits end. He calls me in a panic looking for the headgear, he needs it to wrestle, can't wrestle without...Do you get the picture???? I inform him that I will get the gear there as quickly as I can without killing myself or anyone else. If he misses a match, then he'll learn to keep track of his stuff! Think life lesson here. I'm out of the house by 8:15, the tournament starts at 9 a.m. I've got plenty of time, or so I think.

I zip over to Lebanon but not without receiving ONE more phone call from my son informing me that the tournament is at the HIGH school, not the middle school. "Got it", I said. Yep, you guessed it...he was WRONG. I drove right past the middle school and after about five miles, realized I was not going to the right place and had to turn around and go back. In the mean time, Tucker has called me yet again to tell me to hurry since he will be wrestling soon. Again, not one of my finer moments when I told him "tough bounce". "I'll get there when I get there". I arrive BACK at the middle school at 8:55 a.m., double park Black Betty only after jamming the SUV into park when she's still rolling (can you hear the transmission grinding????) and running inside to hand him his headgear. So, I made it....just in time....or so I THOUGHT. Let me back up and say that Tucker's father called me and asked me to please not "Chew his rear before the match. He won't have his head in the match and he already called me all upset." Too late, Bucko! His rear end is already missing a big chunk out of it and if he doesn't need plastic surgery to repair it, it will be only by the grace of God. Again, not one of my finer moments as a parent....did I mention that?

I return to move my illegally parked vehicle, gather my belongings and scurry back into the building to watch my son that has claimed that he will be wrestling very soon. I find a spot, video camera and digital camera in hand, ready to capture the match. His first match was not until 12 noon!!!! Yes, you read that correctly....I waited THREE HOURS for his first match. Since he was the second seed in his weight class, he lucked out with a couple of byes (no opponents) and he did not wrestling his first match until noon. Alright, stop laughing. Yes, the joke is on me. I know it, you know it, etc. He did win his first match in 40 seconds. He pinned the young man and that was the end of that match. My poor sister, pulled into the parking lot right as the match started and she missed the entire thing since it only lasted 40 seconds. He then did not wrestle again until 3 p.m. in the championship match. Did I happen to mention the numbness in my back side that I started experiencing around 1 p.m.? Yes, that is also true...I need one of those fancy seats to sit in.

Let's not forget the distinctive aroma that can only come from a wrestling meet. As I entered the stands and climbed to the top to find a seat behind my son's team, I noticed the smell. It's unmistakable....that stench. Tucker's equipment is currently soaking in a tub of Febreeze (God bless the team that created that stuff at P&G). Then there's the heat of all those bodies pressed into one place.....I had my moments when I thought I might pass out. YOWSA! And what's with that AXE stuff the boys spray on themselves to cover up the smell. I have banned that stuff from my house....it's deplorable! Sorry, I'm digressing!

The final match rolls around and he's wrestling a kid that is undefeated (13-0). This kid has his friends try to intimidate Tucker by telling him how "bad" he (Tucker's opponent) is and he's undefeated, etc. I told Tucker he needs to casually throw out something like, "Cool! I'm 10-1 myself, an expert marksman and a lifetime member of the NRA (wink). How 'bout yourselves?" I told him attitude is everything. We need to work on his "comebacks" with these kids. Don't let them get the last word.....Look them in the eye, don't crack a grin until you are finished saying what you have to say, wink and walk away. (Don't forget people, I started the day off badly. Did I mention I spilled coffee all over me and my seat on the second trip to the school to take him the headgear when he has already left....Minor detail!) The only problem with those comments is that these kids grew up out where I did....so the chances of them being all of those things that Tucker could have stated are greater than 50%. So, he would need to throw in there that he's a straight A student and fast tracking it to be an Eagle Scout before he's 16....that would definitely get them! But then again, the species hasn't evolved much out in that area in the last 25 years since I left. It's sad, but true!

So, Tucker got a big life lesson in his final match. He lost in the second round....by what we consider to be a VERY questionable call by the referee. He said the kid pinned Tucker, but it was at the very end of the period....the kid didn't have control and the ref slapped the mat AFTER the time keeper ended the period. It was very discouraging since the score was 2-0. But again, it's a life lesson. Tucker got hosed, but I told him that won't be the last time something like that happens. Hold your head high and be proud of yourself. He got second place in a 13 team tournament and his team got third place overall. So, it was a good day for Lakota Ridge Wrestling.

I'm finished for now. This wrestling thing wears me out. I get so worked up and nervous. So now I'm off to find some flannel PJs that don't have coffee stains and curl up in bed with HGTV softly playing in the back ground. Elise is tucked into bed with her purple blanket, Nemo and baby. Steve is out playing soccer, Tucker is with his dad and Matt is playing computer games (or more likely talking to Jessica). All is right with the world at the Wells Ranch. I leave you with some photos from the match today.