Saturday with Samantha

I took Samantha to her first Michigan game at the Big House.  It was a really great daddy/daughter day.  She said she had a great time and I did as well, minus the actual game that is.  She was pretty amazed at the stadium all filled up with people.  She has been there on fan days before, actually been down on the field a couple of times but to see 103,000 people in the stadium is definitely a different thing.  It would have been 110,000 if the product on the field could perform but that’s another blog post.

We left the house around 11 and stopped by Dollar General to pick her up a charger for her phone.  Cheri had ordered a couple more for them but they hadn’t shown up yet and they were down to 1 between the 2 of them.  After that we headed out.  About an hour into the 2 1/2 hour trip, Samantha finally got her charger open.  It was one of the plastic kind that you can’t really open without a knife or scissors, which we had neither.  She did finally get it open with only a few minor cuts to her fingers.

We stopped at Arby’s on the way up for some lunch and a potty break.  We were making good time (I drive fast) so we ate in and chit chatted.  I don’t really remember a whole lot of the conversation so I think it was just that, chit chat.  We got there with about an hour before game time.  I think she was in awe at all the people hanging out and tailgating.  We got to our seats and sat back and watched the stadium fill up.

She was pretty amazed at the pregame with the band.  If you’ve been to a game, then you know what I’m talking about.  If not, check this out below.

The whole thing is just an awesome sight and is so traditional, that you have to give it respect.  Including the drum major dropping down backwards until his head touches the turf.  I don’t know how long they’ve been doing that but they’ve done it as long as I’ve been going to games.

She found the game pretty boring, she was trying to understand it and I was trying to teach her but some things can’t be taught at a live game.  I need a TV where I can pause and rewind to explain things.  She’s at least trying though.

On the way home we had good conversations about what happened with theEx and I, about what I expect from her at school and even about when Cheri and I were dating and some of the decisions I made about her and her brother.  It was a really good chat and I think she understands me more, not that she didn’t before but she’s getting old enough now where I can tell her certain things.

When we finally made it home, she got into her PJ’s and cuddled up next to me on the couch while we all watched some TV.  Like I said, it was a really good daddy/daughter day.