The Disappointment of A Soccer Mom...

Let me begin by saying...I'm not gloating! Really, I'm trying not to!

This was the fourth or fifth week of soccer for Tater. The whole family ventured out for the first Saturday and watched Tater have a blast with her coach. Then Daddy took the girls for the second week, which included team pictures...not Tater's proudest moment I've been told! Then we went to Papa and Mimi's and missed soccer. Last week we rained and it was cancelled (Darn!). This week, with it being a holiday weekend, Bruiser didn't have his Saturday morning speech class, so we all trekked over to the field to support Tater.

We pulled into the parking lot right behind her friend, P. We joined then on their walk over to the field, listening to Tater and P have a grown-up chat about what happens during soccer practice. It was quite cute!

Then Tater joined her team to warm up. We quickly discovered, she does great at stretching but has no endurance for the running! She made quite frequent water breaks, found ways to shorten her runs but a bit of cheating, and finally just decided to play on bleachers with Bruiser. So either she will be a sprinter like Daddy or skip the world of sports all together like Mommy!

We've pretty much decided that she is not that into soccer and it won't be worth it torture us all by doing this again next fall. She loves dance class and we'd much rather have her love what she's doing! And the up-side to it all? I DON'T HAVE TO BE A SOCCER MOM!!!!!!! Well, at least until Bruiser's old enough to try...but, then again, Daddy wants him to play football...

Now, the only question is...do we push her finish her last few weeks, or do we cut our losses and send her Tumble Tots, which she loves and is at the same time? Oh, the decisions parents have to make!

Fall Days Are Here!

We've only been back to school for a few days, and those fun fall activities are already kicking into gear! Today was Tater's first day of soccer practice...in the rain! And then we ventured out on an apple picking scouting mission! Tons of fun (and I mean that a little bit!)

First up, apple picking!

Next Sunday, our church will be having an apple picking outing that I am kind of leading. So today we test drove the directions from the Internet (since our GPS is somewhere in Texas at the moment!) and checked out the arrangements so we'd be prepared next week. The farm we went to was great! Rustic, walk out into the orchard, pay by the pound, pick them right off the tree kind of experience. If it had been a bit less wet, I might have been happier...so pray for dry weather for next Sunday!

Love these classic pictures!

And our other adventure of the day - soccer!

Now you have to know that I always swore that I was not going to be a minivan-driving soccer Mom - never, ever! Well, Tater was born and after our first trip home to Mimi and Papa's in a regular car, I caved and we bought the mini-van. I still promised that there was no way I'd do soccer! So for the past few years we watched our friends and neighbors traipse off to games and practices and Tater has drooled over the prospect of the uniform and the shoes and her own ball. Finally the Easter Bunny brought her and Bruiser a soccer goal, and I think she got a soccer ball a couple of Christmases ago. I was beginning to lose my battle!

It was all over when I signed her up for the U5 division back in the spring. Then we went in August and picked up her uniform, searched for cleats, shorts, and shin guards...so not in my element here! Then today arrived...and with a lovely misty rain. But soccer was still on!

I woke all three kids at 7:30 - on a dreary morning when they probably would have slept until 8! - and we dressed warmly and headed out to a wet, muddy field filled with three-foot tall clones in red shirts and black shorts. We went to our assigned spot and waited...and waited...and waited. The team was there - four cute little girls with little patience! - and no coach! After about 30 minutes we discovered there had been a lack of communication and our coach was at the opposite end of the field. So here are the pictures after we found the coach. It actually was pretty cute! They stretched, did a few drills, and then did a mini-game. Hopefully next week will be drier!

This was before we left and everyone still wanted to be in bed!

Note: We've also decided that soccer will not be a family event! Miss Wiggles did great in her dry cocoon of the backpack, but Bruiser had a few temper fits and couldn't understand why he couldn't play too. Not a fair situation for him or his parents!

Soccer Mom, Here I Come!