Friday, May 22, 2009

We're on a break

Wednesday night was Kellen's final soccer game of the year.



And thus ended our first foray into the world of competitive soccer, which began almost one year ago.

A year filled with summer camps, tryouts, practices, fall soccer, indoor winter soccer, spring soccer, tournaments, and even our first out-of-state competition. And most painfully, a year of practices every Tuesday and Thursday night, rain or shine. (Oh, the curse blessing of having a team parent with keys to their church's gym --- even a good hard rain doesn't cancel practice!)

Which means last night was our first Thursday night in almost eleven months with No. Soccer. Practice. And I had big plans for our family. I was going to cook dinner, and then take the kids bike riding around the lake. We were going to bond, and relax, and laugh, just like those happy families in those stupid magazines that always make me feel so inferior.

Instead, my after-school PTO meeting ran long, then I had to run to Home Depot to buy yet another gallon of paint, (Caribbean Sunshine Yellow by Behr, thank you God, I can feel my mood lightening every time I walk in the room) because I am apparently genetically incapable of guesstimating how much paint it will take to finish painting my living room. So then it was really too late for me to cook dinner so I stopped on the way home and bought a pizza. And when I got home Kendrie was in a foul mood, and Brayden was in the middle of watching "Look Who's Talking Too" (and the heck with all the cute talking babies, there is actually a lot of cursing in that movie, but of course nothing my kids haven't heard from me already, which is probably why they will grow up to be social delinquents, because cursing talking babies make us laugh ....) and couldn't be bothered with a bike ride.

And Kellen, bless his heart, already had his pajama bottoms on and was playing with his army men on the staircase. Don't ask me why he stages battles on the staircase when he has an entire bedroom to play in, he just does. I think for him, "chill" was the operative word for the evening and after playing soccer approximately 1500 hours the past year ..... he ... didn't .... want ... to ... do ... ANYTHING last night.

Except chase the ice cream truck down the street in his pajama bottoms, with the rest of us running after.

So although my evening didn't go quite as planned, Kellen was happy, I now have enough paint to finish the living room, and I got the world's best fudgesicle.

On second thought, it might have been a perfect evening after all.

PS. At the game Wednesday night, some of the other parents were talking about whether we would start practice for next season next week, or take a small break before tryouts, which take place in June. They all unanimously agreed they would like to continue practicing so the boys don't lose too much of their skill over the summer.

Seriously? Are you kidding me?

We LOVED this team, and consider it a great experience. But we are taking a few weeks off. To play army men and eat fudgesicles.

Kellen will try out again in June, then come July, we will be one of THOSE FAMILIES who tries to juggle simultaneous sports, when he attempts to play his first season of football at the same time as his second year of competitive soccer.

Yeah. Good luck with that.

8 comments:

Cara said...

Good for you, taking a break and not caving to the pressure of the other parents. There should always be time for army men and ice cream.

The Traveling Yogi said...

Oh, the joys of carefree evenings! Wait, what are carefree evenings???? Glad you had a nice evening and hope you all enjoyed your fudgecicles. (sp?)

RSMDianne said...

Tackle football *and* soccer? Good luck with that scheduling. When my son was in 7th grade, football practice was 2 1/2 hours, 4 days/week, beginning the last week of July. But football is his love...and now he's conditioning for his first year of freshman hs football.

LINDA said...

Funny, my son also plays on the staircase. We are constantly climbing over and around the toys he has set up for his simulated adventures.

Julie said...

I enjoy your blog. Having raised 3 kids in comp. sports, esp. soccer, stay your ground and DO NOT sacrifice family and memory making moments for the sake of another soccer practice. It is WAY out of control and only play if it is your sons passion. There is much more to life!!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Julie. Unless you really in your heart believe your son is professional material, and several (non-biased) Coaches have actually told you that, AND *he* has the passion to play, let sports take a backseat to everyday childhood.

I learned that one young. One of my good friends before I had kids was a mom of 2. She said her single biggest regret was over scheduling her son and forcing him to grow up to fast.

I can tell you aren't that way. It was refreashing to read that your 11 yr old son still plays with toy soldiers. My 12 yr old son recently asked for a bag of them after an unpleasent medical procedure. At first I thought to myself "Aren't you too old for that?" Thank GOD I kept that thought in my head and my boy had a wonderful time setting up a war all over the family room that I let stand for days. Kids need to be kids and as parents we have to stop rushing them!

Rita

Amy said...

Good for you for taking the break. Sometimes I think our kids need it.

As far as football and soccer in the same season. Been there, done that. I'll let you learn for yourself that it's living on the other side of crazy.

Alisa said...

ahh break! Love a good break.
Did you ever find the ice cream man the other night? It looked like he was stuck at the park with a BIG party.