Tar Heels in Texas

Given how the Carolina basketball team started the conference season (1-4), I know I should have just been happy that their name was called at all on Selection Sunday.  But with Spokane and Buffalo as viable travel options for the Tar Heels, I was especially thankful when I found that they would play their first round games in San Antonio, my old college stomping grounds. 

I thought about brining both kids, but that was slightly daunting for an extended trip.  I thought about taking no kids, but with Jackson's terrible sleep patterns, not to mention his refusal to take a bottle, I thought that was a lot to ask of his (willing) grandparents.  So Jackson got some one-on-one time with mom and Brady got all the attention of his grandparents.

With the winter (spring?) we've been having, San Antonio was a welcome respite.  I think I spent more time on the Riverwalk in four days than I did in my four years in college.

 

 

 

 

Jackson was a good traveler, which I was especially thankful for on the way back.  After a tough loss, you could hear a pin drop on the bus trip to the airport, and a crying baby would not have been a welcome sound.  We had a crib in the hotel room, but I'm not sure why, because Jackson hated it and just wanted to sleep in our bed.  Unfortunately, this desire seems to have followed us back to Chapel Hill.  Can Jackson's sleeping get worse?  Why yes, yes it can.

Breakfast with mommy

Carolina practiced at Trinity on Thursday, so I tagged along and walked around campus while the team practiced.  It was fun to see some old faces and places and show Jackson where I lived before he was even a thought it my head.

 





Eric was able to get away occasionally and on Saturday night, we hired a babysitter to sit in our hotel room while we went out with a few friends.  Eric couldn't get over the fact that our babysitter was a microbiology and chemistry major (or something like that) and also a Trinity basketball player.  He also can't wrap his brain around the fact that when I played, players would get in trouble for studying too much on our road trips.  They'd stay up late studying and our coach would have to regulate their studying.  I don't think its the kind of regulation Eric is used to at Carolina.  Anyway, we had a fun night out and when we returned to the hotel, I was greeted with a crying baby.  I hope Jackson didn't interrupt the physics homework our babysitter brought.

I also got to pass off Jackson to some other people throughout the weekend.  My old teammate, Christy, and her husband Trey, came to the games with us, and they got a taste of baby life.

 

 

 

And Joel, who seems more comfortable with a ball in his hands.

 

 

Its terrible to lose the last game of the year, even though almost every team does.  It was a tough game to lose, though, and I felt like I was attending a funeral in the hours that followed.  But I was thankful to have a child to bring things back in perspective.  While we were waiting for the team at the hotel after the game, Jackson was posing with the hotel peacock, rocking his UNC jersey and as proud and clueless as could be.

 

 

After an easy trip home (the advantage of a late night flight), I was greeted in North Carolina with a layer of ice on my car.  In March.  Basketball season is over and I hope this crazy weather is too!