Are You Ready for Some Footbaaaaall

It's that time of year when my weekends and Monday nights revolve around touchdowns, Terry Bradshaw and, sometimes, David's tears. This year is the most exciting NFL season yet because I (yes me, Dana Stelsel) have joined a Fantasy Football League. I'll give you a moment to collect yourself from the shock.

**waiting patiently**

Continuing on. Yes, I have joined the ranks of many a men (and women!) who get caught up in the throes of fantasy sports every year. I'm not a complete newbie to this. David has been running teams in three fantasy football leagues every year for about 5 years. And this is my third year doing a Pick 'Em league with our families. But I NEVER thought I'd see the day when I would join a full-out fantasy league on my own. My coworkers talked me into it. I saw how much fun they had doing it last year, so I couldn't resist when the draft rolled around in August. I had to sign up and show 'em what I got.

With David's superior advice and my womanly intuition, I think I did pretty good in my first draft. In fact, after week 1, I'm in the lead with the most points. Of course everyone keeps telling me it's a long season, yadda yadda yadda. But I think this could be a sign of good things to come. After all, I have my mom's football gene and David's infinite wisdom. How could I lose? ;)

David Studies, Dana Starves

It's September, and you know what that means — David's test prep has begun again! He will be taking his third and final CFA exam in June, and this year, he's starting early. Study sessions began this week. The books are piled around the house. And Chase (and me) are practicing playing Quiet as a Mouse. I win every time.

In other news, there have been new developments in my chronic headache saga. Apparently, Chase and I have a lot in common — we both have a ridiculous number of allergies. Well, actually, mine aren't allergies, they are food sensitivities. Either way, I'm eliminating all the foods on the list from my diet. The idea is that these foods weaken the lining in my digestive system, and when they pass into my blood stream, it's like toxins to my body. No good. So I'm on a supplement to heal any damage to my digestive system while eliminating all the foods I show any sensitivity to. I do this for a month and then I can start introducing the low sensitivity foods back into my diet one at a time. So, for now, I'm not eating anything with wheat, milk, beef, pork, soy, vinegar, gluten, high sugar, egg, and more. Sounds terrible, I know, but I'm willing to try anything to help the headaches. I'm learning all about gluten-free diets, even made a (surprisingly quite tasty) gluten-free chicken and artichoke enchilada bake last night that David even enjoyed. Who knows, this could be a good opportunity to change my eating habits for good.

Blast from the Past (Part 2)

It's official — I'm getting old. This past weekend was a milestone in my life story: I survived my 10-year high school reunion. David made the trip with me (brave soul). We met up with my girlfriends and their families on Saturday for lunch before the big event later that night. Some of these girls I hadn't seen since we graduated, and others I last saw at our weddings 5 years ago. Needless to say, it was a long overdue and very happy reunion. I can't express how happy it made me to see how well everyone is doing. They all have the cutest kids and great husbands. The best part of my day was when David, Lindsay, Russell and I got in the car later and the boys said to Lindsay and me: "You girls have some really great high school friends." I miss my girls terribly. But it's good to know our friendship is still as strong as ever, and we will always be there for one another.

Another highlight of the weekend was seeing my sisters and nephews. For once we were all in the same place at the same time. I can't believe how much the boys change every time I see them. Jackson (7), aka "Crusher," is playing football again this summer. He plays center this year, and from what I've heard, he's pretty darn good. Cooper (4) is all boy. He is completely enthralled with David. When we pulled up in the car with my parents, Cooper bypassed my dad and ran straight for David. Braden (2) is cute as a button. He's really expressing himself more, as much as you can as a toddler. He has a clear determined streak in him. He was dead set on riding the big boy tricylce, not the one that fit his short legs. He's a sweet, funny boy.

Our boy, meanwhile, enjoyed all the attention from the grandparents. He stayed with Nonna and Granddaddy while David and I went to Murray. He says he had a good time (mostly because Granddaddy lets him lay in his lap all the time).