Sports Mom

School is out for the summer and everyone keeps asking me what our "plans" are for the 82 days that consist of the kids vacation. Other than shuttling kids to soccer, baseball, play dates, and one trip to South Dakota, I really have no idea. Honestly, I am so not that mom. I want to be that mom with the crafts and arts projects, days planned to the beach, trips planned to the park, and healthy snacks ready to go, but I am more of the mom who wakes up and says, "Wow, it's not raining, everyone out of their pajamas so we can go to the park...and don't forget the water because I am too cheap to buy soda!"

The kids are attending summer school because they begged me to enroll them in it and made me fill out the papers. Noah felt like I robbed him out of a life experience by not letting him attend summer school last year. Lauren is just excited that she is a 5K girl (kindergartner) now and will be going to Washington School with her brothers. She is going to be a nut all summer asking me about the first day of school. She already thinks I am lying to her about the fact there is no school for a week. (Wait until middle school Lauren, just wait.)

Jonathon is playing competitive soccer again this year. He plays for a traveling team and I cannot believe the schedule my son has this week. In addition to a Tuesday and Thursday game, it is a tournament weekend, so he will play three games this weekend, with the possibility of two more for the championship. What amazes me is Jonathon, and all the boys on the team for that matter, come fully prepared to play the five games. I know it is an obvious thing to say, I mean, who comes to a sporting event prepared to lose, but it is amazing to watch these 10 and 11 year boys working their tails off, hustling after a soccer ball, listening to directions from coaches, advice from the sidelines, remembering what to do, giving it their all, for FIVE games in three days, in the rain, in the cold, in the sun, and even in the sleet or snow.

(I will say that soccer is something that Jonathon (unlike me) WANTS to do and is not forced to do, so I am sure that makes a huge difference in his attitude.)

Noah and Brandon have tried soccer and they, well, to sum up Noah's feelings about the sport in the middle of the field with all the parents watching my kid, "I HATE SOCCER!" They come to Jon's games, along with Lauren, and roam the fields with other siblings like a band of soccer orphans. For an hour this band of gypsy children are told very supportive phrases like, "Go in the van and play your DS!" or "Sit behind the chairs!" or "Go play in the empty field with the other kids, stop pestering me so I can watch your brothers game!" Sometimes, during very intense games, we as parents buy them off at half time with junk food from the concession stand if it is open. We aren't proud: We are soccer parents and hockey parents have nothing on us when it comes to craziness, fanaticism, or the lengths of the states we are willing to travel to allow our kids the opportunity to compete.

Noah and Brandon participate in baseball and T-all respectively. Noah enjoys baseball because he is with his friend James; he is not a competitive sports person. Time will tell if he will ever have that "spark" or if other passions will take over his life. Brandon is crazy athletic. He is like every six year old on the team: One minute spot on, running, fielding, perfect form, and the next drawing in the dirt, looking at an airplane in the sky, or waving to me. Really, they should pay parents to let their kids participate in T-ball.

Lauren is our dancer. When Lauren dances it is like every day is Christmas for her and the world stops turning. I cannot believe how much one dance class once a week brought Lauren out of her shell. She pillaes (sp?), ballerina jumps, and padashas all over the house. Her special dance leotards hang in my closet so they don't "get junky (her words)." I signed her up for Jazz to go along with Ballet next year and she is out of her mind excited for that to start too.

So, the kids are growing and leading active lives. It is one sport per child per season and that barely saves on sanity. Fortunately, we have some incredibly awesome friends on the boys' teams that are willing to help us out with carpooling and surrogate parenting when Rich is out of town and I cannot morph to be two places at once.

Sorry, I have to end this post. I think it's my night to bring snack.