Kelly’s First Entry
Q: What do you get when you cross the wife of a Packers fan with October weather in Wisconsin?
A: A totally unprepared Aussie at a Packers game with no more than a turtle neck to keep her warm.
Well today was a very big day for me. First of all it was my first Packers game and second of all it’s the first time on this trip that I ever felt like I needed to ‘speak’ to everyone who reads this site. I am generally just around in the shadows doing the mum thing, caring for my little boys and supporting Wayne as best I can. However today, as we were walking into the stadium just in time for the flyover, (which was also a first for me and boy was it loud) I instantly said to Wayne, ‘I have to write about this’.
I have wanted to write for quite some time but honestly, I wasn’t really sure that anyone would be that interested in hearing about a typical day with the kids and the hurdles that we face being on this adventure with such young children. So here we are, my first ever entry. I hope you all enjoy reading it.
As we were making our way to our seats I was surrounded by a mass of Packer fans in the stadium getting ready for another game. I couldn’t help but notice though, that everyone around me was wearing their winter coats, gloves, hats and scarfs. I was of course dressed according to my mood today, not the fact that I was about to walk into a cold, wet and uncomfortable stadium where I was going to spend the next 3 hours without so much as a pair of gloves. Thankfully, Mary Beth, our friend that we went to the game with had a pair of gloves that she was very happy for me to borrow for the day. That and shortly after kickoff Wayne took me down to the pro shop where I purchased my first (and last) piece of Packers supporter gear. A warm (yet discretely Packeresque) hooded sweatshirt and a funky thick headband to keep my ears from falling off. After grabbing a traditional Wisconsin Brat and a beer we made our way back to our seats just in time for the rain to come down. With that came the biggest (co-incidentally green) poncho to keep me dry and looking like a huge Christmas tree without any decorations.
As I sat and enjoyed my brat, beer and second shower for the day, Wayne began to explain the rules of the game to me. I just nodded and sort of understood until he started talking about how the crowd gets louder and louder every time the other team is about to make a play (pretty impressive hey, I know the lingo.....). Who would have thought that the immense cheers from the crowd were not for showing team support but to deafen out the other teams play being called out by their quarterback? (I actually had to ask Wayne whilst writing this “who’s the guy that calls out the play” just so I could finish this sentence.)
So amongst a sea of whistles, cheering, chants and screams was a very confused, cold and guilty mum. Not guilty because I felt maybe my seat would have been better occupied by someone who actually understands and loves the game but because today was the first day (ever) that we have left Ben and Lucas with anyone (at least awake that is). Don’t get me wrong, Ben and Lucas are quite often left with my Mum and Dad back home in Australia but that’s family and the boys are unbelievably close to my parents that they don’t even blink when we walk out the door. As it turns out Ben and Lucas were fine and having lots of fun each time I called to check on them. Ben only got a little upset once when he was trying to explain to our friend Kathy what it was he wanted...unfortunately Ben has trouble pronouncing the word biscuit (or cookie as it is also referred to) and it was coming out as ‘beecee’ – eventually he spotted the emergency lolly pop I had stashed in the bag and the ‘beecee’ crisis was averted.
As the game went on so did the rain and my appreciation for the intense support fans have for this team. I asked Wayne a question as I was sitting shivering in the 3rd quarter, “so do people still sit here when the rain gets heavier?” Wayne’s response was, “yeah they sit here when it’s snowing”. Enough said…
As my Packers experience was coming to a close and the game heated up (pardon the pun) towards the end of the 4th quarter, I actually did start to appreciate more than just the hot coffee between my cold hands. The game is alot more strategic than I ever understood...these players are more than just fit, tough footy players. They need to learn plays, know where they need to be and stick to it on a cold field for 3 hours. I obviously still don’t understand much of the game but now at least, if I do ever happen to see a game on the TV I will have some idea of what’s going on.....just don’t ask me what a ‘down’ is because I’m still not so sure.
So, all in all, my first and probably last Packers game at Lambeau Field was alot of things. Exciting, freezing, fun and eye opening. The intensity and passion of the fans and the atmosphere that I experienced in the first 5 minutes of being at Lambeau Field was enough of a memory to last me a lifetime.
