Making the Browns Great Again

Trump won as President under the “Make America Great Again” slogan.  I’ve decided it’s a slogan fit for our family.  “Make the Brown Family Great Again.” 

So far I'm not off to a Great Start.  I lost my phone Saturday night.  It all started when I took Sam and Anna camping to Bulldog Canyon – over by Usery Pass – not too far away.  We had a good time, cooked dinner and dessert and figured out a way to watch a movie on my laptop while enjoying the nice desert evening.  I enjoyed it so much I decided to take Jill back to the same spot the next evening for date night – i.e. “smores” and a movie.  When Jill and I pulled up Saturday evening we found Anna’s sandal in the dirt.  We didn’t even know it was missing.  But it was an expensive brand, so it was lucky we found it!  But when Jill and I left that night I apparently left my phone on top of the truck and, well, I arrived home with no phone.  I waited until the next morning to go look for it, but no luck.

Without my phone, I have no way to coordinate or plan or propel my life forward.  Not a good first step in making Our Family Great Again.

The kids are doing pretty good at their part, though.  Josh and Zach made their volleyball teams this week.  It helps that there are no cuts for kids Zach’s age, but, hey, “Greatness” isn’t always about beating out the other kid, although it often should be.  Josh wasn’t surprised he made the team.  When I asked if he made it, he texted me back:  “Of course.”  Now that’s American Greatness.

Sam’s volleyball team (the "Batboys") won the first game of their end-of-the-season tournament.  His team is the only all-boys team in the league.  The girls team are fairly serious – they’ve all been playing volleyball since they were three.  Now, at the age of eleven, they pretty much play it year round to the exclusion of all other sports.  So when a bunch of rag-tag boys show up and beat them, it’s surprising to everyone.  Anyway, Sam’s team won, checking yet another Great Box.  

Then Sam played in a basketball game later in the day.  Years ago Jill and I swore off ever letting our kids do two sports in one season, but the exceptions have definitely swallowed the rule.  I only mention it here because I’m pretty sure that any Great Family has at least one kid playing two sports at one time.  And I mention it because Sam’s basketball team won.

Lily discovered basketball.  Not wanting our family to be Too Great, I have held her out of sports thus far in her life.  But by accident she discovered basketball this week and, to no one surprise, she’s already Obsessed, which I’m pretty sure is the same thing as Being Great.  All she wants to do is “dribble” and “shoot”.  It’s Quite Impressive, except her dribbling is usually “one dribble,” followed by “ten steps,” followed by a “shot” at a basketball hoop only five feet above the ground.  So far her shot percentage is very low.  That’s okay.  I’m willing to conceded that some Greatness requires work.

Jill, of course, is Great.  When I arrived home one night this week she announced to me that she had been a “Good Mom”.  Although we are aiming for “Great,” we can live with “Good” on occasion.  Anyway, I think what she means is that she didn’t have to threaten any kids the entire day.  Teenagers require many threats to achieve Greatness.  They have learned – and relearn whenever they forget – that Jill expects them to pull their weight around the house.  They think it’s Bad.  I think it is Great.

So, another week has come and gone.  And Greatness is almost in reach.  Except for my phone.  And my Orchard, which is still hanging on (if only barely). 

Great Scott! (16 years old?)

Batsam posing with his volleyball team after their Great Victory