soccer and such.

Well, we took a huge leap of faith a few weeks ago and did something that we weren't sure we would ever do again after "last time." Yup, we signed Kort up for soccer. Now, you may find yourself saying "What's the big deal, Lola? It's just soccer." Well I'll tell you.

Last time we did the soccer thing, it seems that his over-zealous mama thought it would b e a good idea to sign him up as early as humanly possible (you know, so he could get a "head start" developing all that talent we parents are so absolutely positive our offspring are literally dripping with). And the earliest they would let him sign up was, um, age 3. Did you hear that right? THREE. Do you want to know what a three year old wants to do with his days? Well, I'll tell you.

{HINT: IT DOES NOT INCLUDE SOCCER.}

He wants to play with his friends and eat treats, and make faces at the camera.

He wants to catch bugs in the back yard {and does NOT take kindly to his meddling parents dragging him away from such important work in order for him to participate in a practice for an organized sport.}

He wants to make MORE faces for the camera.

He wants to have the ball the whole time and kick lots of goals. He DOES NOT, however, want other people to steal the ball from him...or to keep him from getting "a turn" to kick the ball...

When kids decide to go ahead and take the ball anyway,
he cries (like, a lot)
and stomps off the field
(like, just the way his drama-mama would have done -okay, and DID- back in the dzay)
Then he says he doesn't want to play.
He makes grass piles instead.
And does a lot of this:

And this:

Then some more of this:

And when he is all tuckered out from grass-pile-building and incessant butt-rocking,
he does this:

and this:

It was ridiculous (and sort of hilariously wonderful...I'm not gonna lie.) So, over the past 3 (almost 4) years, we have dropped the whole "head start mumbo jumbo crap" and just let him do his thang. He started playing soccer every day at school last year, and he was the one who asked to sign up this time around... and he is on a team with lot of kids he knows and loves... and a dear friend of ours is coaching his team...and he's going to be SEVEN instead of three... so, the odds are stacked in our favor this time around. Wish us luck!
I hope he'll be excited to go to practice.
I hope he'll be a good sport.
I hope he'll try hard.
I hope he'll listen to his coach and actually play some soccer
rather than show up to build grass piles and polish off juice boxes...
I hope that things are really different this time around...
But I also hope some things never change.

For example, I really hope he'll still take time out of all that serious soccer playing
to wink at his mama every now and again.