The Child Divided

Today is the day that Todd and I get up in the morning, and barely speak to one another.
See, Todd married a Georgia Bulldog fan; and I married an Auburn Tiger. After we have our coffee, we move on to pointed barbs, and disparaging one another's states of origin. I might mention something about Auburn not being focused enough to pick just one damn mascot. Why do they need both a tiger and an eagle? I guess they are so ineffectual that it takes two. On any other day of the year, I would make fun of him by saying that I married a band geek from Alabama. And a tuba player, no less! He would respond testily that it was a sousaphone. Oh, yes, much sexier, Dear.

This has all been fun and games until 2003. The year of Rollie. You see, to marry the fan of a rival SEC team is to marry someone of a different religion. And as in the case of two people of differing religions marrying, it is not until children come into the picture that a problem arises. In which religion will the children be reared?

And so it comes to a boil on this one day of the year - the Georgia Auburn game. (Todd would prefer I call it "the Auburn Georgia game," but this is my damn blog, thank you very much.) We take turns changing the poor child from his Auburn shirt to his Georgia shirt and back again. Both his hats are out, ready to be interchanged at each possession. Having two children's wardrobe changes to contend with this year should really keep us hopping. And for days ahead of the game, we whisper to Rollie, when the other is out of earshot, those sacred words of old: "Gooooooooooooooooo DAWGS! Sic'em! WOOFWOOFWOOF!!!!!" and "Waaaaaaaaarrrrr Eagle!!" Todd has wisely not progressed to the more oft used "War Damn Eagle!" I mean, come on. Rollie might have trouble with three syllables.

And so it is that our mismatched allegiances have thoroughly confused Rollie. At dinner last night, I proceeded to whisper to Rollie to "tell Daddy 'Go Dawgs.'" Todd caught what I said and quickly interjected with a stern look at Rollie, "Rollie, War Eagle."

Rollie responded with a proud smile: "War Doggie."