Soccer Mom!!

One does not know that when one drags her young ones down to the Park & Rec, kicking and screaming, to sign them up for soccer, because you are sure, as the parent, that your children needs to become involved in something that will help build some self confidence, that one of those kicking and screaming children will turn into a "Soccer Star" and you in-turn the "Soccer Mom".
Isabelle didn't take to soccer. It was quite evident when she was doing pirouettes on the sideline that her talents lie elsewhere. London, however, did and she has blossomed. Sometimes her team has a rough go at it. Last season they came in 2nd place in their bracket. This season they haven't won a game. Last Saturday they lost 0-7, it was HORRIBLE!!! But let me tell you, yesterday they came out and played awesome. They played the team that was ranked #1 at the time and ended up tying 5-5 and my London scored 4 goals and assisted with the 5th. I thought I was going to burst with pride. All the practices, driving here and there, spending all day on the soccer field some days- that game epitomized why I do it. She was so amazing I wish you all could have seen her.

Okay, to appease my mother's guilt I will now take a minute and brag about Isabelle and Brennan.
Pour Bellarina, she only gets the limelight once a year at her recital. We try to make it a really big deal because she graciously goes to London and Brennan's games all year and never complains. Then she practices hours each week and never complains. This year she advanced to a pre-pointe class and is so excited. And this spring when she dances in her recital I will watch with tears in my eyes because she is such a beautiful, graceful dancer that again I am bursting with pride.
Brennan's soccer games are torture for me right now because they are just in that learning stage and compared to London's U14 games they're pretty boring, but I go because of course I wouldn't be anywhere else. Brennan has the potential to be a lot of great things right now. He is fast! So he will make a good soccer player once he figures the game out and can remember that when he's the keeper he can pick-up the ball. He's actually not a bad defender, he can kick the ball really far, and he has yet to figure out that forward means "forward". I think I will try him in wrestling because he is strong and wiry and tenacious. He thinks he is employed by his dad and insists on working in the potato storage right now during harvest. But he also goes to work with me in the mornings for about 1/2 an hour before school. One day last week it was crazy and he thinks he works there too so he pulls on the too-big gloves and walks around the cars asking our lube-tech questions. Then he sees that a windshield needs washed and washes it. Then the phone was ringing and when he saw I was having a hard time getting to the phone he answered it, "Hello, Pioneer Pit Stop, may I help you?" What a crack-up. Later that day we drove by a vehicle with it's hood up and he says "Mom, you should stop and help that man. It looks like he didn't make it to the Pioneer Pit Stop". He is a crack-up and I can't wait to see what this kid does with this life.
I've got great kids and not just because they perform well and make me proud. They are all good students, good friends, thoughtful and kind -most of the time;). They have small testimonies that are growing and that makes me prouder of anything they do on the soccer field or the stage.