"Hokey"

It has a name.

The day after I posted the story about Charlie and his headband, he was playing basketball. He called for me.

"Mom, you see my hokey?"

Me: "Your what?"

Charlie: "You find my hokey?"

My first thought was, "What in the . . .?" Then it hit me. Could his "hokey" be that girl's headband he wears to play basketball? I looked around and finally found the brown stretchy headband and handed it to him.

"Thanks, Mom."

He immediately strapped it on and was ready for action.

We have yet to figure out where he got the term "hokey." My mom thinks he got it from watching March Madness (that is around the time he started wearing the headband). Virginia Tech's team are the "Hokies." John balked at that theory. "I don't watch Virginia Tech."

Although, I remembered a really weird instance that could prove my mom right. About a month ago, we were in Bi-Lo picking out a movie from the Red Box machine. A guy in his 60s walked up and started playing with the skill crane. I thought it was really weird this guy was by himself fishing for stuffed animals. He wrangled a stuffed "#1" hand with Virginia Tech's logo on the front and gave it to Charlie. I didn't know whether to be grateful or creeped out (okay, I admit I was more creeped out . . . I'm cynical, I can't help it). Charlie said, "Thank you," and John said, "Virginia Tech? Are you kidding?" John claims it was a joke but I must point out that there was a Georgia Bulldog on the top of the toy pile. So, "Mr. Friendly" popped another quarter in the machine to try for another toy! I didn't know whether to feel bad that he spent another quarter or creeped out at his persistence (I was creeped out again). Mr. Friendly didn't get anything that time and it seemed he was out of quarters. He told Charlie to have fun and be good and walked away . . . with only a box of cookies in hand (to lure some more children away I can only guess). John said he was probably just one of those ministers who goes out of his way to do nice things so they feel obligated to go to his church. I didn't smell preacher on him . . . I smelled pedophile. But then again, my nose is a part of me and it's a very cynical nose.

Anyway, I would have posted a picture of the stuffed hand but I think I gave it to Goodwill. It was just too creepy. But, the other side of the hand does read, "HOKIES." Maybe he heard John and I talk about "Hokies" and that's where he got it. Either way, I think it's really funny and cute to see him take his "hoops" so seriously. I could be a basketball mom. It's the only sport I can somewhat follow and it's INDOORS. I could handle that.