Curling Up

“Aaargh. Canada just did something wrong again!”

I heard Shiloh’s exasperated announcement from the living room as I sat at the kitchen table finishing breakfast with Shadrach.

“No, buddy, it’s not wrong, it’s just the way the game is played,” I called back, laughing.

The game we were referring to was curling. The “wrong” our neighbors to the north had committed was, I was certain, knocking out the United States’ stone.

Until last week, I had watched maybe 5 minutes of curling in my entire life. It was one of those boring, obscure sports that I always ignored at the Olympics in favor of the more exciting skating and skiing games.

But one morning, in an effort to introduce the boys to the Olympics, I turned on the TV to discover an array of live options, all of them curling matches that comprised the mixed doubles (one male/one female) tournament.

It was a hilarious start, as my sons, used to relying on me to explain anything and everything to them, peppered me with questions about this sport that I quite literally knew nothing about. My answers were massively unintelligent.

“Um, I think they are trying to get that rock thingy into that little circle there. I guess the broom thingys help?”

It was an inauspicious introduction to a new sport, but here’s this funny thing about the time difference between here and Italy. Curling was scheduled to be on in the morning and early afternoon here in Wisconsin, perfect for homeschooling! It has been one of the only things we can watch live consistently. Shiloh was quite interested, and so we kept tuning in.

Slowly, some of the fog has lifted, and I can understand the basics enough to begin thoroughly enjoying the game. New words like “end”, “burnt rock”, “hog line”, and “hammer” are intelligible. This morning, I even predicted to Sandy what a team would do in a certain scenario, and they actually did it!

Now, I freely admit I’m ridiculously unaware of all the intricate strategy, rules, and ins and outs of curling, but watching people who have played for years and are at the top of their sport is very enjoyable. I find the game exciting and soothing at the same time, watching the curlers expertly maneuver the stones smoothly over the pebbled ice.

So, football season is done. Baseball is a month away. But this week, we’ve got curling!