PK Pack

Well, the intense in-state rivalry that is Bedlam between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys came and went Nov. 25.

The Cowboys took an early 7-0 lead, but the offense floundered in the second half and injuries altered their lineup.

Quarterback Bobby Reid found himself unable to play with a helmet problem, then a shoulder injury. Backup Zac Robinson took more snaps than he or the coaches expected in a special package. Robinson played in the last drive.

At one point, the freshman tried to run the ball into double coverage despite the presence of an open pitch man to his left.  He completed less than half of his passes. One pass hit Adarius Bowman in the hands. Robinson’s final pass intended for D’Juan Woods soared over the wide receiver and out of the end zone to end the game 27-21.

I have spent a decade adoring and looking up to my cousin Wade. He is one of my heroes. Wade has also brought two additional blessings to my life, Cam and Ty.

This year in addition to Christmas, we will celebrate their new home, complete with a swimming pool.

Other than the concrete hole that had previously served as the town dump at my grandmother’s house, I can’t remember anyone in my family having a pool.

My mom said the house and landscaping are beautiful.

I can’t wait to see it.

We are all proud of them and excited for them.

My mom and I decided Wade King’s Christmas gift this year will be a T-shirt that reads “If Wade Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy” as a commentary about and playful jab at his anal-retentive tendencies.

Here is a picture of my favorite young cousins, Tyler, McKayla and Sterling this past December at my parents’ house in Yukon. They’re showing off their new tops and boots. Sterling’s pink ostrich boots were a hit!

Each year the family gets together and buys the three youngsters big gifts. I loved the year we got them the little cars you have to charge. They played in the freezing weather all afternoon, driving around Mame’s driveway, bouncing over the edge of the concrete with grins.

Everyone dawned coats and gloves to stand on the sidelines and cheer at the girls’ first attempts to steer the cars.

Each time one of the girls did something new, it felt like a small triumph for all of us.

My family met at the King’s outside Stephenville, Texas, for Christmas. My favorite memory from that holiday was watching my brother bust it - cigarette and cold beer in hand - while trying to knock my mom and aunt off the trampoline.

The following is an excerpt from a storybook put together by my fifth-grade class. My parents’ reaction to my entry was priceless.

My father, mother and I were Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart. While looking for sweat pants for my brother, my dad found a pair of shiny, sparkly silver panties and some sort of matching vest. He placed them in our basket and we joked about them as we continued shopping until Mom ordered Dad to take them out of the basket. She didn’t want people to see them and think she was going to wear them and they obviously weren’t for my dad or me. My father did as he was told and set them on a nearby shelf.

Each year I asked for one thing: a horse. In 1993, my second choice was a red toy truck that talked and made sounds like a real truck. A box of that size wasn’t under the tree and I was heartbroken. However, my grandmother was merely playing a trick on me. After all the other presents had been opened and the adults had played Dirty Santa, my mom brought out a “forgotten” gift for me. It was the truck. My cousins and I played with the truck until bedtime.

While living in Weatherford, I bought gifts for my family at the Arts and Crafts Fair in the park despite the fact that it was only May.

That year I also gave my brother a box of rocks with change mixed in as a practical joke, later giving him his real present. Only my cousin, Kirsten, and my mom laughed when he opened it.

I remember Kirsten walking to the dumpster with me, pouring out the rocks in search of overlooked coins.

When I was four or five, I got a Barbie car, which Ruby and Joe Palmer added to their holiday display after buying it from my mother for $12. The year I received the car, I drove around Mame’s house, running into walls.

That same year, I also got pink nail polish and sat in a chair with my feet on the kitchen table painting my toe nails. I remember my family’s amusement, especially my mother’s.