money to go to it. And you know what? It takes all kinds to make the world go round. It does. Right? There are concert people and festival people, and there are social anxiety people. Mhmm. They're all kinds.

They're all kinds.

And so the good news is you can do whatever you want. If you choose to go to ACL, that is your thing, then get after it and kick ass. Yeah. And if I choose to sit in my house and try to stay awake until midnight so my daughter can be picked up from the Mega Maroney concert, then that's what I'll do.

Yeah. That's right. Little sad because

I'm feeling that way too a lot more. And then it makes me wonder, like, what do we have what's gonna happen when we're, like, eighty if we're already like this?

Well, think about it. Like, I saw it with my dad before he died. They're, like, he didn't wanna go anywhere.

Yeah.

Like, I I mean, like, to get my dad and stepmom to my wedding in Puerto Vallarta was, like, they it was a big deal for them to get on a plane because they're just they they just had zero desire to leave Graham, Texas ever again.

Right.

And so it was it's just crazy. And I don't know that I'll ever be that bad. Like, I like to travel Yeah. To an extent. I mean, we all know I won't get on a plane for eight hours plus. But, anyway, but so I don't see that happening, but I don't know. Maybe it will. But I I know that I've reached the point in my life where it's like, you have two options. You can have three girlfriends over to your house or four girl whatever. How many have your girlfriends over to your house to play mahjong and drink wine, or you can go to this really cool concert. Right. And I'm gonna be like, let's get those tiles out.

Same ones. Same. Let's get

in our comfy clothes. Let's sound so much better. Yes. I know. I think that does mean we're old, but I also thinks it means thinks it means I think it means we're mature. Maybe. Or no fun?

Old and lame. Yeah. I mean, well, like All those. And it kinda makes you value a night random night out.

Yeah. I'm going, okay. I'm gonna have a night out this weekend. We just got invited to go to the, is it Nate Berg Bergazzi? Yeah. Yeah. We got invited to go Oh,

that's today. That's a fun outing. Yeah. So we're gonna get that. Seat. Right? Like Let's hope so. Where is it?

Yeah. We're like, we're not probably going out in the pit.

Yeah. I hear you. Staying the whole time for standing comedy.

He's funny. Right? I've seen some clips of him.

He's great. If I were to go see an immediate and be him yeah. Okay. I think I told you he's the one that, like, we, my college friends a few years ago on one of our girls trips that we do each year, we, like, had some gummies and watched them, and it was the best night ever.

Okay.

So you should ramp up for it. Maybe I'll hit some more doing that. Yeah. Have some early birds and watch a little bit. Because he's funny. He's more like real life humor. Like, he's married with kids, and so it's just like the little intricacies of life that he leans into Okay. And makes you laugh.

Yeah. I'm excited. Yeah. He's great.

Is it in Fort Worth?

I don't know.

Yeah.

We just got invited this morning. Posting tickets on our And I was like, I'm in. Let's go. Yeah. Yeah, how are you? Yeah. And I think too it matters, like, the company you're with. Like, if you really like the people, it's like, oh, you'll have we'll have fun regardless.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I just got invited on a random Vegas weekend, Kelly and I Oh. With another couple, and I'm really efforting it. I really want it to happen Okay. To your point about just, like, a random like, you know what? We're out of town. Getting out of Dodge, and it's like the weekend of our school auction that is Yeah. I mean, you pay three hundred something dollars just to go to that. So if I take that money, that's a plane ticket. Yeah. And so, anyway, I'm I'm kinda thinking that sounds like fun. Yeah. My friend's going, oh, you would die. Okay. It's like BravoCon.

Oh my god. Okay. So I have a friend who also goes to BravoCon. Uh-huh. And I like Bravo. I like I like reality TV. I don't think I would ever go to BravoCon.

Yeah. Yeah. But She she wants to go, like, to two different things. Like, I don't think it'd be the whole I

would I would be curious,

like, a panel.

I wanna know which one.

There's, like, the Housewives panel is, like, Thursday night.

Okay. And I wanna know which one. Yeah.

And I thought it could be good networking or something. Like, just go pass out the mom game. Who wants to come on our show or who wants to Absolutely. I don't know. They're famous. We're more famous than us. So if I go noodle around in there, who knows what happened?

Yeah. Because I'm I'm in on Beverly Hills and Orange County. Mhmm. And then I tried to get into Salt Lake City because some of my girlfriends said it's really good, but those are the only two. And then, of course, Vanderpump Rules and Southern Charm.

They're all still happening. So they go cyclical.

So right now, I'm only on Orange County.

Oh, okay.

And that shit's those bitches are crazy as fuck. They're all crazy.

Oh, my

but these I mean, I'm just like

The Orange County ones are probably next level in California.

But I know. But it's, like, do you watch? Do you see how you look on the this TV show?

They don't care

because they're getting rich, I guess.

I don't even know. Do they get paid that well? I think it's Like, can I be super shallow and judgy? Yeah. Because of some of these women like, Heather Dubrow, like, she's next level. Her husband's a plastic surgeon. She's an actress. Like, she's next level. Her all of her stuff is next level. But, like, the other women, it's like, they live in fit nice houses, but it's not like these extravagant, Not like the Beverly Hills chicks. Like, those chicks are fucking next level. Yeah. But the the Orange County ones are just kinda like I don't know. I mean, very, very nice. Don't get me wrong. But, like, when you think of, like, I don't know. I don't know. I just I don't think they're making, like, boobies.

No. I don't think it's boobies, but then, of course, it, like, launches their

Then it leads

to other things. Influence her girl. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Like, the one my favorite girl on all the housewives. Her name's Gina.

Mhmm.

And she's just hilarious. Her husband actually or her fiance or her boyfriend, whatever she is, reminds me of Kelly. Oh, really? Like, just his appearance.

Yeah.

Like, tall, bearded, dark hair. Anyway, he reminds me of Kelly. But it she's my favorite because she's just like she this very self deprecating. She tries to make cute fun out of everything. Like, you know, even if it's like everybody's getting into a knockdown drag out, she's like, well, I mean, can can we eat the cake now? You know? Right.

You know? She's that she's She brings some levity.

Trying to yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

She's she's fun.

So well, it that would be fun, BravoCon.

Kinda fun. It's like yeah. I think there'd be, like, two

movies. Anything on Bravo? I don't think so. You don't? Well, if you haven't started, I wouldn't start now. Right. I mean It's like smoking and drinking. Like, if you haven't done it at this point in your life, like, just don't.

Just don't even try. Just don't even try.

Save

yourself. But y'all could make me, like, a bingo card or something if I go Oh, yeah. Of, like, people I'm trying to I could just pretend to be their biggest fan. Yeah. Oh my god. You're fake. Will you sign this headshot?

Yeah. Oh, you don't have headshots you made.

Okay. So what was going on

on your fall break? I saw Anna got a STEM award. Yes. So what what She did. Don't know what STEM award is, but I it looks like it's a big deal.

Science, technology, engineering, math.

Okay. I should know what that is.

Yeah. So STEM is a big it's a big initiative for kids these days for schools these days. I think leaning into it even more.

Past elementary school? Because I feel like I heard it in elementary, but I don't feel like I'm hearing it now. That my kids are in middle school.

I I think I I don't know. I mean, it's not like a STEM class or anything. It's just that she's being recognized in those subjects. Okay. I think that it's always something where you could say, like, it's a career path kinda. Like, I'm into, like, STEM things or whatever. Like, if you wanna do science or in like, Anna wants to be an engineer, and that's why I thought it was so cool she was recognized with this. I don't know that if she's told her teacher that or not. Maybe she has. But she's told me that, and she's, like, read a couple little kid books about engineering. And it's just it's just really exciting. Our school just started doing these awards, every nine weeks. And so there was a reading award, a STEM award, and a character award. And so we got an email that she was going to receive an award, and could we go to the assembly. Aw. We didn't know which one. Right. So, of course, Kelly

and I are,

like, kinda looked at each other like, it's probably not gonna be character right now. And they're pulling rough

patch in

the character department. Yeah. Probably not. I mean, maybe she's a different person at school, which a lot of them are because they're putting on a little act for their teacher. But and then she loves to read, but I kinda had an idea. I told him, I was like, I think it's gonna be STEM. And it was, and she was, like, one of only three girls in the grade. So one per class. So it wasn't like the whole school or anything like that.

Still. That's fantastic.

Yeah. It was cool. And it was really sweet to see, like, all the students there, how into it. Like, all of them were just cheering for each other. And, like, I think it's cool that they do this and kind of giving the others something to work up to and showing especially the character, they would read a little paragraph about them and, like, why they were chosen and how important it is to be kind, and you make the class a better place and all this stuff because there I mean, bullying and all that stuff is just so rare it's just so bad, and I'm seeing it more as my kids get older. So to reward good behavior and to reward, like, doing well at school, making it cool to Yeah. To do well at school, I think is great. But, yeah, it was it was really cute. She was really excited, and and I'm proud of her. I I joked with I guess it was the teacher or someone. I was like, that's not my brain. Like, I'm not a STEM person. Right. But to have that that gift as a girl, I feel like it gives hopefully, she leans into it. It can open up a lot of cool opportunities. I think if you are a STEM brained person. Yeah. So, yeah, it was cool. Thanks for asking. Well, congratulations again. Fun. Yeah. And then oh my gosh. Just so nice to have, like, four days of sleeping in for our whole family.

I know.

I had her slept till, like, ten AM. Yeah. Like and that just it kind of was sad. It was like, oh my gosh. This is how much this poor boy is being deprived of sleep by waking him up at six something for school every day. Yeah. You know?

I know. It's crazy. And, you know, but my the older well, the older they get, the less sleep they need. But, like, Henry is the same. I've been getting him up at five forty for football in the mornings, and, you know, and then he's going, going, going all day. Right. Then you have practice after school and homework and all the things.

I know.

It's just like this. Yeah.

It was like the obvious thing is we'll get them to bed earlier so they can still get their eight to ten hours, but you can't get them to bed earlier sometimes with these late activities. Yeah. So it is hard. It does make me think about, like, what are we what are we doing here? But I know. But it's just the way it's the way it's always been. On a daily basis. Right? What are we doing here? What are

we doing here? Why are

we pushing these kids to exhaustion? I know. Yeah. But but it was great. And we went to the fair. I'm guessing are y'all gonna make it? We are not. You're not gonna make it. Do your kids wanna go?

Oh, it's another thing. Okay. Much like Disney and all the other things we've discussed. Unless my kids are begging for it

Yeah.

It's not gonna happen.

Yeah. Yeah. That was really funny when we went last year.

Yeah. Speaking of anxiety.

Yeah.

So many people What? So hot. Yeah. God. That the the food hall was the worst. I was like, oh.

That was it

was, like, shoulder to shoulder.

Oh, yeah. Everybody wanted to get in out of the heat. Yeah. But, yeah, I don't I don't think I don't think we'll make it this year. I love the fair. I know. It's so fun. Okay. But doesn't it cost eight hundred million dollars to go to the fair and do it right?

Yes. It's so much. I mean, the kids got tickets from school.

Do your kids get tickets? I if they do, they I haven't seen them.

It might just be elementary. I don't know. But, they got tickets from school, and Kelly and I bought, like, parent tickets for five dollars off. So our tickets were just under forty dollars for us too, and then theirs were free. And then parking, we went with my parents. I think my stepdad ended up paying for it. I actually didn't even notice the transaction. But that was, like, thirty dollars probably to park. Yeah. And then you have to tramp, like, so far in. And then yeah. The the thing that really sucks is the games because kids wanna do the games, and it's ten tickets a game, which is, like, ten dollars. Yeah. And they'll give you, like, three balls and be like, throw these balls. There it goes ten. And there's ten dollars. So I started doing the kids every kid wins a prize. I took them to those because my kids are still excited about, like, winning a thing, like a little stuffy or whatever. And then Ryder chose one that was not win a prize, and we, like, had this big talk. We're like, are you sure? Like, it's shoot three basketballs into the boot. And it's kinda far away.

The year we went to the fair and took the kids, I think we spent a hundred and eighty four dollars

at the my gosh. Basketball goal. Yes. Well, because you can win a jersey. You love your basketballs. I said a little prayer because he missed his two shot first two shots. I was like, please go ahead. Please go ahead. Please. You don't understand. This could change the whole trajectory of my day if Ryder makes this damn shot, and he made it. So we got a basketball, like, a sooner basketball, and he was so happy. And then we were you know? But, like, if he would have missed it, it would have been Yeah. Terrible. I know. So thank you, God.

Thank you, God, for Letting

Ryder make that decision. You. Yeah.

Watching over that third shot. Yep. Okay. That was fun.

You ready for a little sports squirtsy stuff? I'm ready.

Okay. Speaking of basketball. Well, we're not gonna talk basketball because it hasn't started yet.

But basketball's a sport sport. And sports sports brought to us by our friends at Baylor Scott and White. The mom game wants you to unleash your frog power with our friends at Baylor Scott and White All Saints. They are a proud sponsor of TCU Athletics, and they're giving you the chance to win a football signed by head coach Sonny Dykes. Very cool. Here's how to enter. Snap a picture of the QR code on your screen. It will take you straight to the entry form or visit the mom game Instagram. Click the link in our bio labeled Baylor Scott and White enter to win contest. While you're there, check out game day tips to keep you at your peak so every game feels like your best game. And remember, at Baylor Scott and White Health, you've got a team that has your back. Entries must be received prior to eleven fifty nine on December first. December. Already creeping up on us, Emily. Did you know Christmas is in seventy two days? I'm gonna tell you that off the top.

Thank you. That's a lot.

I thought we could start. I mean,

it's not

a lot.

It's not enough. It sounds like a lot is coming soon. Yeah. Like but seventy two days, we have some time.

We do.

We have some time. Yeah. But go enter it in that football. Enter to win that football because it could be a great Christmas present. Absolutely. Okay.

Alright. You alluded do we talk about this on the air or off the air? Cowboys, I watched them while tracking Henry on game changer. Offense was, oh, good, not great, which they have to be great to win. Yeah.

Because the defense is terrible. Right? Awful. It's so bad. It's, like, laughable at this point. So, yeah, kinda funny.

So now they're two, three, and one, and they had a huge opportunity because the Eagles lost to the Giants. So, like, the NFC East could be wide open. It looks like it still could be, but the Cowboys just didn't they couldn't get it done. The the thing that killed it well, listen. A million things killed him throughout the game. But the Panthers got the ball back with, like, six minutes to go in the fourth quarter

Mhmm.

Down three or four, whatever, they ended up holding having possession of the ball for the final six minutes of the game and then kicked a field goal with no time left to win it.

Okay. So they're just killing time.

Yeah. No. So wait. No. They were up. That doesn't the math doesn't make sense. They were up by four. Whatever. They were up. They ran the clock out to the tune of a six minute drive in the fourth quarter, which sucks.

Yeah. It's kinda boys walking the ball back. Three.

Yeah. So that must have been up by four, and then they that field goal put him up by seven.

Yeah. And

then kept the ball out of Dak's hands, which is the most important thing.

Right. Yeah. It just kinda sucks because after the tie with the Packers, it was like, oh, we Yeah.

But And then they beat the Jets.

We also got forty points in that game. Yeah. So yeah. Yeah. The defense is just fundamentally terrible. I mean, I think the Cowboys are showing what everyone assumed, which is they're probably gonna be about five hundred this season. Yeah. So don't get your hopes up. At least deck seems to be a bright spot.

Yeah. The offense. And then they'll get CD back, and they'll get I can't don't know the status of the offensive line, but they'll start to get those green fours

and back

to you guys on the line. But they're gonna have to score at least thirty points to win any game, it feels like

Yeah.

From this point forward.

Person's just laughing. On their defense. Probably.

Okay. College football, not really not a ton of upsets this weekend.

Well Oklahoma lost. Lost. Well, true. Oklahoma. Oklahoma lost to UT. Yeah. So there were a lot of sad sooner people who were feeling really confident, I think, going into that game because UT had just dropped out of the rankings. I know. And Arch Manning was a bust and all this stuff. Yeah. And then they were able to beat OU in front of a lot of Sooner fans at the fair.

Yeah. And, like, pretty handily.

Yeah.

Like, it was close in the first half and then

Oh my gosh. Kelly was so mad. He was so grumpy. It's like, I just gave him space. I was like, okay. But, yeah, Mizzou was so close. It's nail biter with Alabama.

I know. I was keeping track of that. Yeah. They lost by just a field goal. Right?

Yeah. Yeah. I think it was a field goal in the end. It was the last drive of the game, like, that kinda thing. So proud and it was at home. It would've been so fun for everybody that was at that game if they had won. But what are you gonna do? It's Alabama.

That is they're still Alabama.

I would love to BU in a couple weeks. We're playing them, and I think our family's gonna try to go. I think they'll need to go. Yeah. We're we're trying to get some tickets and go. And if we could beat them at that one oh my gosh. Do you understand the bragging rights for me for, like, a year?

Okay. So would okay. Here's the question. So does would Kelly rub it in your face if OU wins over Missouri?

No. I think he knows better.

But you would with him. Because that's the way it is in my house. Like, if TCU wins, Mike's like, oh, that's good game or whatever. But if I if tech wins, it's like, circuit. Record. Good time. Right. Just He is a very humble, gracious winner Yeah. In that regard. Not in everything. In that regard. But with me, it's not and we don't even play in the it makes me mad because we're not playing TCU this year. Yeah. And we have TCU season tickets. I root for TCU every game except for when they play tech. Yeah. And we this is the best chance. I mean, they've owned us recently. And so I'm like, why can we not play TCU this year? Right. We have, like, the best defense in the country, and we're running for eight hundred yards a game. Like, why why can't we play them this year?

Yeah. The schedules are weird.

It's because you have eight hundred teams in every league. That's why. I mean, the big twelve has eighty two teams, and the SEC has forty three teams. I mean, it's just insanity. Yeah. But I wish we played them because I was like, I feel like this would be the year where we would dominate, and then we don't even get that chance.

I'm sorry. It's sad for you. Sad. It is sad for you.

Do you know what will make make up for it? What? If we go to the big twelve championship game.

Oh, that'd be cool.

I know. I can't I should bleep that or drop that. What do you say?

It's in it's in the What

do you call it?

What do

you call it when you have to cut something out in radio?

Dump that.

Dump it. Dump that. Dump that. We're not going to the big twelve championship game.

It'd be cool if you did. It would be cool. Yeah. Mizzou and I, you are gonna play each other for, like, the next eight years or something, and we haven't. Like, Kelly and I have been married for eleven years, and I think we played them twice or you know? I know.

But then who knows how college football is gonna change

in the next couple years? Right. But with the schedule, yeah, it says we're all supposed to play each other. So I'm excited because that'll be a fun memory for my children and and house divided.

I don't

know if you saw our photos. They were all OU'd out this weekend. I

just wait. Well, just wait. If Missouri starts winning, they'll trust me. They'll hop back on the bandwagon because my kids have been TCU bandwagon. Not so much Henry. Definitely Hattie. Yeah. Henry still loves tech, like, because he got to you know, he's been around it more. Yeah. But just wait. They'll they'll they'll come around.

Especially if Mizzou wins and they're there to see it.

For sure. Yeah. For sure. Come on. Come on, Thomas. Okay. MLB playoffs, we're in the middle of that. We tape on Tuesday, so the this could be a little outdated, but, Seattle's up to nothing on Toronto. They won both games in Toronto Wow. And now go back to Seattle, which they look really, really good. Seattle does. That's awesome. And then Milwaukee dropped the opener or the first game of that series to the Dodgers.

Mhmm.

Low scoring game two one. So, the championship series both well underway, and I would love nothing more than for the brewers to win the whole thing because my friend, Sofia, works for the Brewers. She's the dugout reporter for the Brewers and has been for a long time. I want her to get a ring really, really bad. So I am team Brewers.

Yeah.

And then Stars opening night

is Tuesday night tonight. Tonight at home. Yeah. They've played a couple games on the road.

They won both of them Yeah.

And scored, like, eight hundred goals. They've won both of them. Yeah.

They're two and o one. Exaggerated this episode.

A lot of exaggerations. There's so many exaggerations. It makes things more exciting. It does. Yeah. They're two and o. Couple of big wins to start the season off and big wins for coach Glenn Gollaton and his return to the team, and they're going to host Minnesota. It's fun to see some people being early season excited about the stars, and they were two division, like, rivalry wins over Winnipeg and Colorado. So Yeah. And I think Colorado was in a shootout even. So pretty exciting start to the season.

Yeah. Take those points when you can get them.

Yeah. It was funny. I saw, a postgame with interview with the Avalanche head coach, and I think it's Bedard, whatever his name is. He's kind of a interesting dude. And they said because I guess we don't play Colorado again until March. And so someone asked him this is just an example of, like, media, like, beat writers, how much they dig in on certain things and how the coaches don't necessarily care. They said, are you upset that you don't the way the schedule plays out, you don't play the stars again until March. This is after a tough shootout loss. Right? And you kinda maybe wanna get some revenge, and he was like, no. Actually, I don't care at all. I had no idea, and I'd be fine if we never played the Dallas stars again. Yeah.

So, yeah, March, though, that is a long time

It's a long time for a divisional

I mean, it's October.

I know. That's like I mean, that's November, December, January.

That's four months away.

Which is weird because we usually do play them. It seems like every month at least. Yeah. So it was kinda funny because the coaches don't look ahead. Like, they don't they're like They don't. What's tomorrow? Like, who what are we doing tomorrow? Much March. Much less March. Yeah. He was it was just funny. I was like, it's just the media always has you have to come up with questions. You always come up with story lines. You have to come up with topics. Coaches, players are just like, I I I don't know. Tell I I gotta go home get home from this game and take a shower and then Get

ready for the next game.

Probably get on a flight tomorrow. I haven't looked at that yet, but it was funny. That's funny. I liked hearing him say that the stars were a bee in his bonnet, if you will. Good. Yeah. Yeah.

It's a but this is a fun time of year where all the sports kind of converge.

It is fun.

Because basketball is about to start at Mavs season. Still in preseason, but they're starting the season soon. Mhmm.

So

you'll have all four going all at one time. Yep. Okay. Let's do a little feed stuff brought to us by our friends at Audrey Dollins Media. If you have seen our socials and our website lately, you know that we are not responsible for all of that because we are not capable of all of that. Thanks to our friends at Audrey Dollins Media, we have upped our social media game. We've upped our website. They handle pretty much anything you can imagine, brand management, monetization management, collaborations, influencer management. They do content creation and photography. Like I said, the social media management aspect and then that website design, they redesigned our website. It looks fantastic. I suggest you go there and subscribe to our newsletter. As soon as you click on the mom game pod dot com, a little pop up window will pop up, and then you put your email address in and subscribe to that newsletter. We are inching ever closer to one thousand subscribers.

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We're just gonna keep talking about it. Mhmm. We're gonna get a really cool prize. We don't know what it is, but it probably will involve wine and, early bird CBD gummies and yo quiero, salsa, guacamole, and queso. Mhmm. Lots of

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shout out too. Absolutely. Okay. There was something we we talked about last week, but we didn't actually get to talk about it. You Yeah. We teased it, but then we didn't talk about it. Yeah. Social no. Silent exclusion. Silent exclusion. Exclusion. Sorry.

So Silent exclusion. This is something that And I don't know what it is. Is. You don't. Yeah. This is something that is, I think probably happens to parents and kids. It's when you silently exclude somebody from something via the text string, like, via, like, taking somebody off of a text string or

so they would know if you took if you remove them from the conversation. Can you remove someone from a conversation from a

text string? Yeah. Or you can just start a fresh one.

Oh, side text. So we're side tech we're talking side text.

Or just like so this is I have an apparent example, and this is this is this one just made me laugh. Like, it wasn't a big deal, but Kelly Kelly and I played on this mixed doubles team last year, or I've been a part of this team for many years, and I finally brought him onto the team. And we weren't very available last year, like, to do it. But I noticed because, like, couple of

that you and Kelly play tennis together.

Well, like, we don't really. We'd only played a few we tried. We we try every once in a while. We play pickleball together too.

But know that I could play competitive anything with my husband.

Yeah. I don't love it, honestly. But a lot of the people I used to be on a mixed team without him, and I loved that. And then everyone started bringing on their spouses, and I was like, well, I can't I I guess I need to bring on Yeah. My spouse. And he's actually pretty good. He just doesn't like practice much, but he he could be really good.

Oh, yeah. But that's that's okay. The this is why I don't wanna play Yeah. You with my husband. Yeah. It's because he doesn't pick up a fucking tennis racket, and then he beats my ass. Yeah. And I'm like, this is bullshit, and it's dumb. And I don't like you, and I don't like playing with you, and you need to go away. Right. Like, because I know that it makes me very angry.

That he's the Yes. But even if you win, like, if he's the reason you win, that would

be We've not I guess

we've never played on the same

Yeah. Team.

Yeah.

But We don't like losing to him.

No. I hate I hate losing to him in any regard.

Mhmm.

But it also pisses me off that he doesn't touch a racket Yeah. And then can just and he does that dumb shit where you put the spin on it. I'm like, that that's just it's rude and it's cocky. And

Oh, yeah. Like, the prop shots. I hate What what is that?

Like, who who are you? Yeah. I'm fucking Pete Sampras. Like, what are we doing here?

Right. What are

we doing? Yeah. It just it I don't I just don't need to be involved with my husband in any way athletically.

I agree. And you also it I need that. We need to embrace it.

Escape of, like church and state.

From everything. Yeah. And I love I don't know. When we've played pickleball and tennis, because I'm, like, on paper better than him, and I play a lot, and I should be better than him, he almost, like, gets mad if I'm not, like, perfect, like, a hundred percent. Like, he'll be like, oh, like, how

do you lessons

going through.

Like, come on. You know, he'll make little comments.

I'm like, if I was perfect, I'd be playing professional tennis. Like, nobody's perfect. You understand how this works out percentage wise? Like, the best tennis players in the world make, like, I don't know, sixty percent of their shots or something. So, yeah, I'm gonna fucking mess up. Like anyway, so I don't love it either, but we did do it a couple times. And the mixed doubles team, it I was talking to one of my friends. She was like, yeah. I had my mix match today, and I was kinda like, wait. Mix mix. Oh, they just started a new text string and didn't invite us back. That's the silent exclusion.

So this is what happens to me.

This is what's happened to me on

the last two tennis teams I was a part of. Yeah. They just, like, they just didn't include me on the drills. And then I, like, look on social media, and they're like, won our first match today. And I'm like, oh, those are the people I used to play most with. Aw.

Maybe they lost my number. Nope. Didn't. Definitely didn't. Invitation got lost in

the mail. Yep. Yep. Mhmm. Yeah. Twice. This has happened to me twice. Welcome to the club. Right.

Thank you.

Welcome to the club. And I just blame I blame my husband because it's never happened to me individually.

Yeah. So sorry, Kelly.

Yeah. No. I think we just weren't available. But, like, the the way that society is afraid to apparently just Just tell

me just tell me, like, you're not taking this seriously enough seriously enough. You you suck at tennis. Yeah. You know, whatever it is.

Just face just face it, and I think we would all be okay. But then I heard, like, this is actually a thing with kids. And, like, once people get phones and you might know more about this Yeah. It's like, there's a text string for, like, say it's, like, tenth grade girls or ninth grade girls or seventh or whatever, and then you have to, like, make it onto the text string. Moms do this. Like, there's mom text strings that I know of where you it's it's like, how how do I get on to the Yeah. But, like, once the text string starts, they don't, like, invite new people, or do they, like, have little should we put them on the text string or not? Do you vote? Like, how the hell does this work? I'm not So I have rule any text strings.

So I have very few text strings, like, that are groups. I have the the remedial book club text string Mhmm. Which is a it's in the grand scheme of things is fairly new, but I have two girl tech no. I have three. So I've, my MFFLB, which is a Friday lunch group that we use that we used to have now. We don't get to lunch as much as we used to. There's five of us in there, and then all of those girls are in the RBC text, the remedial book club text. And then I have my MLB girls text, and that's my only outside of, like, my family, those are the only Yeah. Three texts I have. Yeah. Like, strings that I do you pin your text? No. Okay. So I pin mine. Oh, so they're, like, always the So they're always there. Because you know my I you know I have an issue with deleting and over deleting. And so these are the so these are the ones I have. So I have nine you're gonna have to keep nine. So I have nine text strings pinned. So one of two of them are for the mom game. One of them is for a carpool. Whatever. I never knew how

you did that. I just thought my phone randomly started pinning things. No. Because I have random

I can show you how to do it. My kids taught me how to do

it. Oh, cool.

But, I can see where that would be a thing. But I also too have one on my phone called side text right now.

Mhmm.

It's not because we were trying to exclude people, but it was only because not all of the members of RBC were at something we all did together, and then we were communicating about it. Uh-huh. So then we have a side text

about it. Now you need to bring bring that back over.

Well, no. We I still have RBC. Right.

And I don't know Have you started using side text more? I haven't. Let me see. Have no idea that just because they weren't at at something.

The last text to side text was f Labor Day. I don't know what that means.

Uh-huh.

And it was sent at seven thirty four on September twenty second. So it's not super active, but we just had that one.

Now what in this scenario, what would happen is y'all would realize, like, the this is actually who I really wanna be talking to and just start doing it on that or, like, planning things or, like, we're having dinner, and then the people on the original would be like, what?

Where it's been so

high? Silent exclusion. Okay.

It

keeps hap it happens to kids. I've heard about, like, if someone decides that, like, they're not cool or whatever in middle school, they take them off at x.

Okay. So that stinks. And I will tell you from my kids' experience, Hattie has one hundred and eighty four, continuing the exaggeration, group chats. Yeah. Like, it's like with her volleyball team, with her football team, with her gymnastics crew, with her hip hop crew, with her English class, with it's That's a lot. It's a lot. So I don't like, with her, I don't think there's any sort of, like, intentional exclusion. Yeah. I would hope not. I mean, will we do the random phone checks, and I'll ask about that.

Like, I don't know. She might in this scenario too, like, it's not always her, but, like, what if there's others that she's not on? That that they're and you don't know because you're not on it. But then you find out, and you're like, well, this is So silent exclusion. Silent exclusion. Yeah. That's what I'm calling it. And it's it's it's just kinda mean. Well, I'm sorry you

got kicked off your dentist.

I don't really care about that. But I will say I'm on I'm on my main one. That's what matters.

Welcome to the club.

If I got kicked off my real team and they fell and excluded me, I'd be beating some bitches up.

Okay. Warning to Julie's current tennis team. She is not having that. Okay. I feel like we might not might not have time for this little list that I had unless we wanna unless we wanna just power through it. Because we still have I wanna get an update on, Mark Sanchez.

Yeah. There's, yeah, there's that.

Yeah. So we can yeah. Do you wanna save this or hammer through it? Let's save it. Okay. The we'll tease it for next week. People online listing things they just don't get the appeal of at all, and some of it's being mean, but sports betting and gambling. People don't understand gambling. Rude. Okay. Let's do a little t m g. We'll talk about that next week. We have a lot of good stuff. We need a we need a week where we don't have anything happen in our lives Uh-huh. To where we just get to all the good stuff that Jasmine puts in our

tackle box.

Do it. Yeah. Okay. So don't nothing can happen in your life for the next seven days. I won't let anything happen in my life. Okay.

There won't be anything to change. Room. Yeah. Okay. I'll tell my whole family. I'll be like, this is a

Just stay for you. I'm gay.

Nothing is supposed to happen in my life. Don't talk to me. Don't bug me. I'm just gonna sit here and talk to you. Yeah.

We have no stories to tell. We're just gonna get to all of our stuff

in the

tackle box. Okay. Let's do a little TMG news desk brought to us by our friends at Susan g Coleman.

Yes. We are about halfway through breast cancer awareness month, and I love that this event, is going to be happening during breast cancer awareness month because we are working with our friends at Susan g Coleman for an October twenty third event at Truckyard.

Which is a week from today. Thursday. A week from Thursday. A week from Tuesday. But the the show airs. A week The show airs a

week from Thursday. Soon. We're super excited about it. There's going to be, Emily and I doing a live podcast on stage at the truck yard. There's going to be live music after us, all kinds of fun booths and things that you can, participate in. Come hang out. We are gonna have a special guest join us on the pod. I think I know who maybe it is. We need an update, but it could be somebody really great that we're going to have fun with, and it'll also be on

the socials.

It'll also be our show for the week. Yeah. Yeah. Also, there is one walk remaining this weekend as well. It's the walk in Dallas with Susan g Komen. If you want to sign up and participate, every dollar that you raise will support advancements in care that provides hope to people facing breast cancer. Go to komen dot org slash dallas race to sign up for that.

Yay. Okay. Quick update on the Mark San Sanchez. I'm calling him Sanchez because you called him Sanchez.

I called him Sanchez Sanchez because I'm

not even Sanchez.

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez. So, Mark Sanchez who was arrested, he was the victim of a stabbing, but it was because he went after this, like, grease truck driver that was just, like, Vegetable oil. Out vegetable oil, like, crazy, went nuts in the back of

a That's gotta be drugs. Right?

Yeah. I don't know. I mean, that just it completely wheels off. He was broadcasting a game, like, twenty four hours later in Indianapolis. And, anyway, just very wheels off story. But, apparently, the mother of his first child

Mhmm.

Came out last Sunday and said that his stabbing and arrest in Indianapolis was not surprising. She is a UK born model. Her name is Bobbie t. Mhmm. She goes by Bobbie t, but her real name is Erin Campanares.

Yeah. That wouldn't cut it. No. The model was Bobbie t.

They have an eight year old son, and she took to Instagram a week after the news broke that the thirty eight year old had been booked, into an Indianapolis jail. She said, quote, I'm aware of the serious criminal charges currently facing my son's father, Mark Sanchez. My foremost priority has always been and remains our eight year old son, Daniel. I choose to remain silent publicly to protect Daniel. Chose, excuse me, past tense. Now that everything is out in the open, my focus hasn't changed. I've always been concerned for his safety and for what he is exposed to. Sadly, none of this is surprising to me. Ouch. So Mark Sanchez married another woman, actress Peri Matfield, in May of twenty twenty three. She revealed in February that she was expecting twins with Sanchez. So okay. If she revealed she was expecting twins with him in February, how far along is that March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November? Oh, so he just they just had him. Glenn told us that last week. Yeah. Like, tiny twin babies. Yeah. So he's got tiny twin babies and then this eight year old and the baby mama two different two different women, which who cares? That doesn't matter.

No. It doesn't matter. I'm just thinking of all the people that are affected by his being

The first baby mama is saying, like, this is not surprising Yeah. At all, like, that she's been worried for her eight year old and what he's exposed to. And, like, the the dude was sixty nine, just a grease truck driver. And, apparently, his son was getting married, like, the next week, and he couldn't even go to the wedding because he's so effed up from Mark Sanchez beating his ass.

Level five felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury charge along with three misdemeanor charges. I saw a video of him coming out of the hospital. Like, I guess he came out of the hospital and then, like, went straight to police or whatever. And he's just like, I and he said, I'm just ready to see my wife and kids. Like, well, you should've been thinking about that when you were

I know. Maybe it'll maybe he'll turn

it around. I don't know. Hopefully. He was he was maintaining a a great job. You know? Like, he had a lot going for him, but that was a wild story. And his ex wife using the opportunity to take a public shot. Oh, yeah.

I was gonna stay quiet, but now that things are out in the open, I'm just gonna go zing. Just zing it. I'm just gonna pull a little Mhmm. I'm gonna pull an arrow out of the back, and then I'm gonna rear back and just fire off.

Hit them while they're down, maybe.

Yeah. So, yeah, it's it's it's sad and crazy, and it's I mean, I don't know. It's just sad and crazy, all I'm gonna say.

Yep.

Okay. Do we have our guest yet? Can you hear anything? If okay. So I wanna hit this story because I feel like this this this is sitting close to home. Sixty five percent of people have, quote, had it up to here with tipping. According to a new report, the average person is paid around one hundred fifty dollars in tips, and they're not totally comfortable they're not totally comfortable with the over the last year. One fifty? I feel like that's a bargain. Yep. I mean, I feel like I'm getting hit for tips. So we went to I told you we went to go get Patty's ears pierced.

Mhmm. Did they want a tip?

Dude, it's not cheap. But, yes, tip. Like and it was it it wasn't just cannot will you leave a tip? It was like, this is what most people are doing with, like, with, like, a face with heart eyes. And I was like, so now I'm a giant bitch because I'm not doing what most people we're talking about twenty twenty, twenty five percent on a Yeah. Service that cost a hundred bucks to get her ears pierced.

Right. And how long did it take? Like Yeah. Thirty two seconds.

Yeah. And I'm like, it's just on everything. Right. Everything.

Like, I get a service like, if it's a service job and you're doing a great job. Like, obviously, how this all started, waiting tables, something like that. Those people

Okay. But people waiting tables don't have you ever waited tables? No. I've hostessed. Okay. So when you wait tables, you don't get minimum wage. You get, like, a percentage of minimum wage. Right. So they're counting on those tips to bring you up to minimum wage and then some. So I get that. That makes sense. Yes. But don't come at me when you're making regular salary or hourly wages and then want me to up it on the tip.

I know. It's crazy. It's crazy. I forget where I was the other day,

and it was worse. Shaming you into it. They're shaming you.

Yeah.

Like, they turn that thing around, and then there's the hard eyes and then a sad face for the ten percent. Oh, yeah.

I'm like Like, if you're just if you go up to a counter and not even in a food place, I forget where I was, and it was like I was just buying something, and it was like, if you wanna help reward our employees with a tip. It's like, wait. That's not my job. No. The company needs to reward the employees, and you can give them bonuses and stuff. But I don't know in what world people think that, like, there's just be coo coo money out there where we can just be paying people tips on every single thing that we do in life.

Well and

then I wonder We're all struggling here.

This is the question I have too is when you like, I wonder at the ballpark or at Jerry World or wherever it is. When you because I've heard that those the people working when you they turn it around and, like, do you wanna tip ten percent? That those people that are actually serving you and getting your French fries and your burger aren't the ones they're not getting them. Probably not. And so that sucks.

Yeah.

And that's shitty

Yeah.

When people are doing that.

Well and, yeah, it is awkward when they're, like, in your face or something and you're feeling pressure. Well, even at Starbucks, it's like the drive through. Like, they literally hand you their coffee, but they're, like, standing there and you're holding the machine and you have to do the I know. Apple Pay thing. Order on the app. And they're yeah. Order on the app. Yeah. That's very That's a good point because you don't do that.

Yeah. Yeah.

I And

then when I go in there and I'll have some cash, because I go to the same place every day every day, and I'll just leave them a

Yeah. Thing. Right. Yeah. It's just it's just a lot. It's a lot. It's a lot.

Okay. I believe we have a our special guest joining us here today. Sammy, can you hear us?

Yes. Can you hear me?

Yeah. Sammy Ray Howard. So excited to have you. Thank you so much for being with us. I first of all, we have to talk about our mutual connections. So you reached out to us a couple months ago. What wait. No. First of all first of all, weren't you expecting when you when when we first heard from you?

No. I still am.

You still are? Okay.

I was about to say, did we catch you, like, mid birth? Right? Where are you?

Where are you having a baby around? Calendar

before I just totally, you know, tap out.

So

Shut it down.

Thanks for giving me something to look forward to while I wait.

Okay. Good. Yes. So give us a little bit of your background, as far as, you know, kind of what you have done in this space of kind of balancing motherhood, wifehood, and and building a career in a business. And sports too.

Yeah. And sports.

Yeah. Absolutely. So I'm from North Carolina. My husband is from Georgia. We're East Coasters, and we met in college. I did not grow up anywhere around football or caring about sports at all, so that was a little bit of a learning curve for me because he and I met freshman year, and he was playing college football. So I kinda had to learn all that. And then, he went on and played a couple years professional and then got into the world of coaching. So I finally we're like we've been together for twelve years now, so I guess that's, like, eight seven, eight years of of football life, and I finally feel like I'm not at secure about my football IQ anymore. I mean, I feel like I'm finally getting there. Finally understand it. See, that's that's the number one thing you'd probably hear from everyone. We've been all over the place. Right now, we're in Los Angeles, with University of Southern California. This is our first season here with the staff and this team, and it's absolutely awesome. It's our favorite place, hands down, by far, so far. But, yeah, we have a four year old son, and then we have baby boy on the way here in the next, hopefully, like, two or three weeks. And I own a small business. I own a a branding and marketing firm. It's boutique style. We've got a small team of creatives, and they're all over the country naturally as we've been all over the country and and met people along the way. So, yeah, I mean, a a lot a lot packed in there. Yeah. Wanna start.

So so my husband worked for the Dallas Stars for fourteen years on the coaching staff, so I totally know kinda what you're going through. Emily has covered the Texas Rangers for a very long time, so she knows about the work life balance when it comes to these families and their teams and in sports. How do you view it? Because I know for me, it was a little bit of a double edged sword. It was so cool. It was so fun. Great opportunities for the family, and fun to be a part of something like that and be a part of a team, but then this is a job that takes over your your family and your husband's kinda life in a way. So so how do you view it, and and how do you kinda deal with the day to day?

Oh, man. So it's my husband's the kind of person that could live out of a suitcase, so he's always been like, it's no big deal. Like, we're fine. We can do you know, we can move. We can do this. We can do that. But as you know, if you're in the industry, you know, it's us ladies that have to find the new pediatricians and find the, you know, the next house and find you know, do all the logistics once they've kind of left for the new job. So I would say the moving aspect is the biggest piece, that's a little bit challenging, but I only honestly, that only takes up about twenty percent of my brain power when it comes to thinking, you know, high level perspective on the experience. It's eighty percent, like, adventure because all of these places I mean, we we spent we went to the New England Patriots twice because he played there, and then we left and started coaching. And we he went back to be a scout for a couple years. And so that's a a a region of the US. I would have never in a million years even wanted to visit because I knew nothing about it growing up in North Carolina, and now it's one of my favorite places. And, you know, getting that experience of just physically seeing so many new places and and wherever you live, you know, we when we were up there, we would drive down to to New York City and Jersey and hang out down there on just for the weekend. Like, all of those experiences are amazing. And, also, some of my very best friends, I would have never met if we weren't on different staffs together from all over the country. So I would say, you know, it it has its hang ups here and there, and and luckily, we have a young child. We're not quite at the years where, you know, they're teenagers, and they're maybe complaining a little bit about the different changes and challenges. But, overall, it's I would say it's an adventure. It's a lot of fun, and I love it.

So how do you and how do you because because it it's harder when you have kids to to continue that that mindset of of the adventure. How how do you balance that while, like, I'm letting him chase his dreams, but also trying to mix my dreams in with it? And it it this career path does make it a little more difficult, doesn't it?

Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I we've met a lot of people along the way that both work in athletics, and you do see a lot of specifically with that, like, they're they're sometimes you get to pick, you know, like, this is the job I want and the other person compromises and sometimes it flips. So those types of things, I I don't envy those situations. I'm lucky that I can work remote and that my business can kind of, you know, work that way. It's really it's one of those things though that I think as a family, you have to decide. Like, what are the principles? What are the values? What are we looking for in order to, you know, take a leap? And and I say all this, and it's not always in your control because football is just a wild card. But when you have the opportunity to choose, you know, the number one things that we look for are, like, what are what is the family environment? You know, he's when he's interviewing for a job or, you know, you don't even call interviewing these days with football. But when he's looking into a new job and talking to the new staff, he's talking to the head coach. He's like, okay. Well, how specifically how often is family allowed on campus? How often, you know, can they come to practice? Is are there dinners? Are there things that we can be involved in? Because when it comes to kids, you know, how when are they gonna see dad if he's gone when you wake up and, you know, you're asleep by the time he gets home. So those types of things, you know, if you have the luxury of choosing, you don't choose a job where they don't value, you know, the family aspect. But on the career end, yeah, I I think I'm just I it's a blessing to be able to work remote. And, honestly, it's it's something that I want. I don't want to work work physically in an office. Just like I've been remote since twenty seventeen, I wanna say, because I started moving around with him in the football life. So, like, pre COVID and everything, COVID certainly, like, changed things and and the technology you know, I remember being, like, on I was leading a team too and everyone was in the office at the agency I worked at. And I remember trying to figure out how to, like, screen share for a meeting and, like, be on a conference call, you know, like, the console in the middle of the table, and you can only hear whoever's right next to you. Like, certainly, technology has made it a lot easier in the past few years. But really, really, really, really the best way for it to ever possibly work out is to make decisions together. You know? Like, if I'm not if if I can't get what I need out of this next location, this next team, this next spot with my business or with, you know, managing the household and and and being a a mom while you're busy, then it's not really gonna work for me. Then I know I'm gonna go into a mental place that's just not enjoyable, you know, and then it's not good for anybody. So it's kinda one of those things where you just choose together.

But I I think so I I think sorry, Julie. That I think that that message resonates, and it's not just for, you know, spouses of, you know, dudes involved in sports or whether they be professional or college or, you know, even high school for that matter. Like, I I feel like that message is so important to where I think a lot of times women lose their voice, and they feel like they don't have one because the husband is making either the the majority of the money or all the money or whatever. And you it's just kind of what societally we we defer to is that he's in charge. He's the one making the decisions. But you bring up a really good point that those decisions need to be made together if whether you're whether you're trying to build a business or you're just trying to build a a family and a and raise a a a family in an environment that's, you know, conducive and and friendly to them. Right?

Yeah. Yeah. I can say the only time that I have I mean, because we're making these decisions together from the jump, we don't run into as many issues of, like, I don't like it here, but you like it here. We don't really run into that because we're deciding together. But I will say whenever he kind of, stepped out of coaching into NFL scouting for a couple years, that was probably we just won. We didn't really know what it was gonna look like because scouting is so he was an area scout, and he had the southeast. And we're from the southeast, but we were living in Massachusetts. And they do give you options. You know? You can you can move to your area because your yeah. As your job, that's where you're traveling around the most. But when you do that, you kind of say goodbye to being a part of the team because you're not there for every weekend for the games and things like that. So, like, the family aspect, it's like, you know, when you move to a new a new team and a new staff or or even go with a staff, like, you immediately have a community. So when they said, oh, you know, you you've got the southeast. You can move to the southeast. I'm like, okay. We could, but we would have zero friends. It's a fast paced lifestyle. How quickly would I get into a community and things like that? So we chose to stay. And when it came time for him to start doing all the traveling, they they literally, like, shipped his car, and it was basically parked at an airport. And he would travel travel travel, fly home for a weekend, then go back out for a few weeks. And I was miserable. That was probably the only time I've ever been like, hey.

Can you

get a new job? Like, I cannot I like and and also we he took the job, and we had our son, you know, became first time parents a week later. So then we moved you know, they were very, very helpful with the move and everything. But moving way up to a very cold place, very far from family as a first time mom and your husband's gone all the time, like, that just wasn't

No. Not a recipe for success. No.

Or No. So mental health.

Yeah. Well, I love what you've been able to do, along the way by creating your own business, and it's kinda what we do here on the mom game and and why this was born. Emily and I were both broadcasters for a long time, and and there's a certain point in your career where you're like, let's try doing something on our own where we can control our own schedule. We can be around for our families. And it just seems like maybe more and more moms are taking this route and figuring out what kind of skill set you have to apply and what kind of career path you can create for yourself. And I know that's something you did and something that you think is important for a lot of moms to kind of be able to have that, that gumption, that confidence to be able to do something like that. Right?

Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. So I my background is in, I went to school for graphic design and have worked in agencies, you know, all since college. And I really it really got to a point I I had always thought I'd be an entrepreneur one day, but, you know, when you're a kid, you're like, I don't know what it's gonna be. I just know that I could I could run this thing.

You know what I mean? Like, that's me.

I got the personality. Okay? But I didn't know what it would be. So, getting into graphic design, working in agencies, and kind of learning just the dynamics and and just learning everything you need to know about, you know, running teams and things like that. I really, I got an opportunity to leave and go with my boss at the time who's the chief marketing officer and help her start her business. And that taught me everything I was lacking as far as how to literally get a business up and running, how to think more less from an operational standpoint and more from a sales side of things, and and learn how to kinda pitch yourself and pitch what you do and stuff like that. So everything that I was lacking, I really gained in in the two years that I was working there. And then I finally got to my point where I was like, okay. You know, you always wanna be an entrepreneur. You know? I heard the other day, this quote, what must happen eventually must happen immediately. And my husband is very like, boom boom. You know? They're fast paced in the football world. You tell

me I

give him an idea, and he's like, we'll do it now. Right now. So I told him one day, I was like, you know, I feel like I could do this myself. And he said, we'll do it. Start it. Try to get clients. Do whatever you can. And so, I started, you know, trying to kinda see, like, how can can and I, like, flex these muscles of of pitching myself and gaining clients and upping my freelance game. But then I got to a point where I was, like, working fifteen plus hours a week and, you know, we call it solo parenting and football because

Yep.

Mostly, like, eight months out of the year, it's

just

you. And and I just was burnt out. So in twenty twenty three, I started my business with the number one goal of saying, like, I I wanna spend more time with my son. I want to be able to, like, take the trash out and not cry over it. You know what I mean? Like, the little things that you just hit a point on. And so, yeah, I'm two a little over two years in. The first year was healing in a way. You know? Like, I really got to just chill out. You know? Obviously, we had a job change too, so we got to kinda get through a move. Moving from East Coast to West Coast was intimidating, so getting through all of that and and then just getting here and my son starting, officially starting public school and stuff like that. It's just a lot of life transitions. And then this year, twenty twenty five, I I decided I wanna have another baby. So I'm like, okay. You know? When it comes to this, this is the aspect of being a mom and specifically in sports where you're kinda momming by yourself a lot of the time where you have to decide. Do I want do I wanna shut down my business essentially because it's just me? Or do I find a way to grow and make it all work, you know, so that you can kinda have both? So this year, I've hired two people and tapped into a lot of a lot of resources for outsourcing smaller things, and found a way. And I'm happy to be sitting here today with very, very little on my to do list left before baby gets here because

we

created a system. We've got, you know, great clients, great communicators on on the team as well. You know? And it's and and the way that I'm doing it, I I feel so passionate about just you know, we're in this era where, like you said, like, like, all moms are really trying to not all moms, but a lot of us are really trying to figure out how to carve our own path and do it our way. Like, we're not so stuck in, like, this is the only way forward or the only career path for me. So in creating my business, obviously, with it just me at first, like, I if I wanna work Saturday morning before I get ready for a game and then not work Monday, you know, or not work Tuesday or something or, you know, be available to take my son to his fall festival or something like that. Like, I can do that. And so in hiring, I had to kinda figure out, like, you know, what you learn in in agency life and managing teams full time is if you have full time employees, they need full time, you know, direction and help and your attention. And so for me, like, not wanting to work full time at all, I was like, okay. How do I hire people that have the same kind of values and goals as me? And luckily, I've actually hired, another football wife that's it's out, you know, on the other side of the country, and that actually has been great because it's, like, so relatable. We're in the same waves of, you know, the year at the same time. But just figuring out a system for how do we function, you know, not to get too into the details, but getting away from, like, oh, here's your set hours. We're not even the same time zones, you know, my employees and I. So it's like here we don't have set hours. We don't have we would just have weekly objectives and weekly or biweekly calls, and the communication standard is set. Everything is so and it's so cool. And I feel like that freedom that has been created that I created for myself and then also have extended, you know, to to hiring is amazing because I see more I don't know if it's just I'm just blessed with the ladies that I found. It's it's all ladies' team right now, which is awesome too.

Mhmm.

Not that it's always gonna be, but, just, you know, they'll text me or be like, oh, I have this idea. Like, you're the it's like that, like, extra mile motivation is there when you have freedom to just be you and do you and do you.

It and, yeah, and why would you wanna yeah. And why would you wanna tie someone to a strict schedule if it's like, this is what we need to get done, just get it done. And this is when we need to have it done by, get it done by then, and then we're all good.

Yeah. I know. And so, like, years of working in agencies and and just, you know, working with clients that expect things a certain way or is very it's just like, this is so nice. You know? It's like, why why can't it always be this way? You know? You gotta you kinda gotta figure out the kinks of, well, what day of the week is the end of the week for you versus me or whatever? And, you know, you've worked out the kinks, and then it works fine. So that freedom has been great for me and cool to see also, come to fruition in in the business model, if you will.

Very cool. So I like to ask people who are kinda trying to do this juggling act like we are, with kids and businesses and and sports, especially. What have you learned, and what is working for you, when it comes to time management? Any tips and tricks? I know you're it's a never ending process that we're trying to all figure out. But how do you what works for you when it comes to managing your time and and kind of making sure you're making good use of your time each day and getting what you need to do on the mom's side of things and the business side of things and the wife's side of things all kind of all kind of done.

Number one thing is the whole entire my whole entire perspective has changed now being two years into doing this. The first year, I was like, okay. I work when he's at preschool or I you know, having having separation. Now it's the word blend. It's a total blend. Like, there is no if you wanna do it, everything. If you wanna be able to take your kids to T ball practice and be there for whatever morning assembly they want you to come to and have your calls and do your work and all this stuff, You have to be able to blend and be, like, okay with being interrupted constantly. That's something I'm not good at. I've always been a highly, highly focused person where I can sit at my desk and hours fly by, and I don't notice. So that has been such an adjustment. And and it works, though. It works. You know? And and also just yeah. It's like life is a blend, and you have to be flexible. You have to be okay with pivoting. And if someone you know, if if you're sick or you're so I mean, I'm pregnant these days, so it's like, if I just don't feel good

Yeah.

I can't beat myself up about not getting my to do list done. You know? So and then also, like, you know, a big part of wanting to start my own business and do things my way and and kind of control, you know, the communication with clients and stuff, establish that myself is that I wanted to be present in this lifestyle. You know? I mean, it's it's a unique lifestyle. A lot of people, you know, we my friends and I around here, we our kids will complain and sometimes, like, I don't wanna go to football practice. And we're like, do you know how many adults wish they could go and sit on the side of a USC football practice, and they're not even allowed in the building? Like, you need to get it together, have a good attitude. You know? And so wanting to just be a part of that and feel like, you know, my husband's not out here putting in all these hours and missing everything with us for no reason. Like, we're enjoying it. We're there. We're present. We get to see him. So I don't know. I don't know if there's any tips in there.

No. I like that. The word blend, I feel like, is a great one.

Yeah. That's what I was gonna say. The whole blending of things. You can't it's it we're it especially as as women, as moms, as wives, like, you there's no it's You

can't compartmentalize. The black black

and white is pretty much out the door. Yeah. And you better be ready to

The kids will come knocking on your office door like Exactly. At all hours of the day.

Well, tell us, before we go, tell us where we can find, more about you, your business, all that kind of stuff while you're on maternity leave.

Yeah. I know. Matern maternity leave is like a big I don't even know what it means to me right now. But, anyways, we'll figure it out. This is a a new a new version of maternity leave.

Yeah.

But I didn't even

say my business name, so let's start there. My business is called little and much creative. So on Instagram or social media, little much creative dot com or at little much creative. We are, you know, things are running fluidly as I'm kind of just taking it day by day. So we are definitely taking on new business for the new year. So excited about that. And then my social media, I guess, for me is at Sammy Ray Howard. So, yeah, it's been cool to be here. Thank you guys for having me.

Yeah. We're so glad you, joined us, and please tell Dennis and Tasha I said hi, and Lincoln as well.

I They're great.

I know them back from my, my Texas Tech days, eons and eons and eons ago. So, yeah, I've got to meet them.

Small world. Football is a small world.

It really is.

Somebody that we yeah. Yeah. Everybody knows everybody.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, Sammy Ray, what we do is we as cheesy as it is, we throw up the peace signs and look at our cameras and say mom game out at the end of every episode. So here we go on the count of three. One, two, three. Mom game out. Game out.