Golf Obsessed
Ryan is officially golf obsessed.
If you hand him almost anything it becomes a golf club. Broomstick horse = golf club. Hockey stick = golf club. Paper towel tube = golf club. Spatula = golf club.
If you take him into a sporting goods store he calls it a golf store, and will demand to be taken to the golf section so he can practice his putting. He will happily do this for as long as you let him - he never gets bored. I've seen him do it for over half an hour, and he was upset when it was time to leave.
The only person he pretends to be now is Rickie Fowler. He knows and likes other golfers, but if you ever ask he is always Rickie.
Last Friday we met Hari for dinner at the golf course. We sat on the balcony, had a lovely dinner, and everything was fine. Then dinner was over and Ryan insisted, despite the fact that the sun was going down, that he wanted to putt. I left Hari to care for the bill and took the boys to go get their putters (yes, I keep them in the trunk of my car just in case!) but as we were walking over I could see that they had turned on the sprinklers at the putting green. When I told Ryan that he couldn't putt he began sobbing hysterically. There were people walking into the club, looking over at us. I'm pretty sure they assumed our dog had just died from the way he was crying.
This past weekend on Saturday morning I was upstairs trying to get ready, and the boys were downstairs playing. It was a little too quiet - never a good sign with two boys in the house - so I looked down the stairs to see what was going on. I saw Ryan with a real, metal golf club in his hands. He must have gone into the garage, into his bag (yes, both boys have a mini set of size-appropriate clubs), and got a club out. I panicked slightly, envisioning Ryan making a full swing and connecting with Colin or Sydney, or putting the club through the wall. So without looking closely I called over to Hari (who was in the bedroom getting dressed, "Hari, do something! Ryan has a real putter in the house!!" Ryan, without hesitation, informed me, "Mommy, this is a 7 iron."
He will stand in front of our full-length mirror and practice his swing. Over and over and over. And then ask me to watch and tell him if it was good. And it seriously is - he has a beautiful back-swing and a pro-like follow through.
The kicker was yesterday. Hari was watching the PGA tour, so we were all subjected to his TV choice. The boys were happy to watch with dad, and I went upstairs to catch up on some laundry. Hari started shouting upstairs so I came over to see what the hubbub was. Ryan was watching Rory McIlroy, who was on his way to winning his fourth major, but Ryan's favorite Rickie Fowler was right on his heels. And Ryan made a commentary. "Daddy, you know one time Rory and Rickie were playing golf together. And Rory won." Ryan was referring to the pairing of Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler during the British Open... three weeks ago!!!! How the heck did he remember that?!?!
I've reached the point where I just don't know how to be more awed by this kid and his budding obsession with golf. Yes, I know his father's behavior is fueling this to some degree. But it isn't just Hari. Ryan does this when no one is around, and it isn't just for affect or attention. And it isn't that he doesn't like other sports. He love-love-loves basketball and is such a fan of the Yankees that he believes they play "Yankee-ball" instead of baseball. He is very excited to play tennis and soccer. But there's something about golf and this kid... I just don't get it. He's THREE YEARS OLD... how can golf interest him at this age? Most of his peers are watching hyper-saturated cartoons, or running around outside... what kid his age happily watches golf on TV and proclaims, "uh-oh... he went in the bunker"???
All I can say is we better get him in lessons soon, because if I have to tolerate ANOTHER golf obsessed human in my house, this kid better be on the PGA tour so mom can retire and just follow him around to amazing locations around the globe.
If you hand him almost anything it becomes a golf club. Broomstick horse = golf club. Hockey stick = golf club. Paper towel tube = golf club. Spatula = golf club.
If you take him into a sporting goods store he calls it a golf store, and will demand to be taken to the golf section so he can practice his putting. He will happily do this for as long as you let him - he never gets bored. I've seen him do it for over half an hour, and he was upset when it was time to leave.
The only person he pretends to be now is Rickie Fowler. He knows and likes other golfers, but if you ever ask he is always Rickie.
Last Friday we met Hari for dinner at the golf course. We sat on the balcony, had a lovely dinner, and everything was fine. Then dinner was over and Ryan insisted, despite the fact that the sun was going down, that he wanted to putt. I left Hari to care for the bill and took the boys to go get their putters (yes, I keep them in the trunk of my car just in case!) but as we were walking over I could see that they had turned on the sprinklers at the putting green. When I told Ryan that he couldn't putt he began sobbing hysterically. There were people walking into the club, looking over at us. I'm pretty sure they assumed our dog had just died from the way he was crying.
This past weekend on Saturday morning I was upstairs trying to get ready, and the boys were downstairs playing. It was a little too quiet - never a good sign with two boys in the house - so I looked down the stairs to see what was going on. I saw Ryan with a real, metal golf club in his hands. He must have gone into the garage, into his bag (yes, both boys have a mini set of size-appropriate clubs), and got a club out. I panicked slightly, envisioning Ryan making a full swing and connecting with Colin or Sydney, or putting the club through the wall. So without looking closely I called over to Hari (who was in the bedroom getting dressed, "Hari, do something! Ryan has a real putter in the house!!" Ryan, without hesitation, informed me, "Mommy, this is a 7 iron."
He will stand in front of our full-length mirror and practice his swing. Over and over and over. And then ask me to watch and tell him if it was good. And it seriously is - he has a beautiful back-swing and a pro-like follow through.
The kicker was yesterday. Hari was watching the PGA tour, so we were all subjected to his TV choice. The boys were happy to watch with dad, and I went upstairs to catch up on some laundry. Hari started shouting upstairs so I came over to see what the hubbub was. Ryan was watching Rory McIlroy, who was on his way to winning his fourth major, but Ryan's favorite Rickie Fowler was right on his heels. And Ryan made a commentary. "Daddy, you know one time Rory and Rickie were playing golf together. And Rory won." Ryan was referring to the pairing of Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler during the British Open... three weeks ago!!!! How the heck did he remember that?!?!
I've reached the point where I just don't know how to be more awed by this kid and his budding obsession with golf. Yes, I know his father's behavior is fueling this to some degree. But it isn't just Hari. Ryan does this when no one is around, and it isn't just for affect or attention. And it isn't that he doesn't like other sports. He love-love-loves basketball and is such a fan of the Yankees that he believes they play "Yankee-ball" instead of baseball. He is very excited to play tennis and soccer. But there's something about golf and this kid... I just don't get it. He's THREE YEARS OLD... how can golf interest him at this age? Most of his peers are watching hyper-saturated cartoons, or running around outside... what kid his age happily watches golf on TV and proclaims, "uh-oh... he went in the bunker"???
All I can say is we better get him in lessons soon, because if I have to tolerate ANOTHER golf obsessed human in my house, this kid better be on the PGA tour so mom can retire and just follow him around to amazing locations around the globe.
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