I have the two most manly-beautiful, loving, caring, intelligent boys in the whole world. I could spend every waking moment with them, and it would not be enough. I love them. I do not love soccer. My love affair with soccer is equivalent to Sadie's love affair with jumping in swimming pools. Today marked day 3 of soccer, but it was game 2 already. If Nathan didn't seem to like it so much, I would've said good riddens some time ago. The people are nice. The coach is a very patient, kind man who I really believe Nathan will learn a lot from. Perhaps it has been the circumstances around soccer that are contributing the most to my disdain.
Michael does NOT like anything to do with Nathan's soccer practice/games. Annnnd, he's not shy about sharing his feelings. Sitting, watching, and NOT crossing into the field of play seem to be near impossible tasks. He does enjoy walking around the spacious school grounds with me (at least during the one non-raining soccer time so far), therefore I don't get to watch. He had a blast collecting pine cones, walking sticks, and having such a large area to explore. One time.
We've been getting a LOT of rain. I piddled around doing normal weekend chores this morning watching the online radar like a hawk. As the time went by, I assured myself that the game would be cancelled. Very colorful storm bands marched toward Houston like lines of cavalry. No worries, I thought, hoping the officials and coaches would've remembered the torrential rain we had in yesterday's afternoon commute. (I was personally grateful that the monsoon was yesterday instead of that day when my car went caput.) Surely there would be no game. We'd get drenched--obviously. The team manager mother called me to confirm that the game would go on. What? Joking to myself, I figured we'd all get dressed, packed up, in the car, and driven over there, and then they'd cancel. Ha. The show must go on. We hauled out the folding chair, the extra soccer ball for Michael to play with, the water bottle, the phone, and walked toward the playing fields. It's so encouraging when there are REALLY dark clouds pushing TOWARD you while you're balancing all of the previously listed things PLUS a wiggling 2-year-old. At least I didn't lock my keys in the car or something.
I'm a freakin' meteorology genius. Rain, rain, booms of thunder in the distance (I guess the rules are TOTALLY different than swimming pool rules when it comes to lightning and thunder), and all I am thinking is: how do THOSE ladies over there have the organizational skills to have their younger children sit beside them completely still UNDER an umbrella for this whole thing? Why does MY other son have to run around finding the numbers on the soccer fields so he can shout out, "ONE! TWO! THREE!!" In the rain? Or be ANYWHERE other than my nice folding Tech chair?--which all the chair did was collect rain water into a little folding-chair pool. Nathan couldn't even sit in it during breaks.
I got to watch maybe ten minutes of the game. Nathan said I missed his big block as the goalie and I was sorry for that. I do quite enjoy watching him running around so happily, doing something that brings him such joy. I like that. Soccer makes him so jolly.
Being a mother means sacrificing LOTS of things. There was a time when I would not have been caught dead sitting out in the rain watching (or trying to watch) a soccer game. And, if it were not for Nathan and his love for this activity, I would still not be caught dead doing it.
I am thinking about buying one of those cemetery tents to carry in the back of the van, though. Heck with the umbrellas. I wonder if they come in a collapsible version. Hmmmm.
Anyway, here are some photos from the first game (Thursday), and some others from my birthday and Easter.
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