Let me just get this out into the open from the start: I'm not very knowledgeable in the soccer department, but for the past 3 years that Aubrey has played, I have gone to watch and support her. If it's important to her, it's important to me. That's the way I think a mom should be. And how I want to be!
With two little ones sitting beside us on the sidelines as we watch her play, there is always ALWAYS excitement and never a dull moment! Tears, laughter, whinning, irritation, hunger, thirst, potty breaks. At the end of a game or practice, I feel that I have spent much of my energies tending to these sideline requests and little time watching. So I try to do both: tending and watching. It's no easy feat might I add!
Spring soccer 2010 started a few weeks back and today was her first game. Against a previous coach nobody really grew to like. Hence the new coach. He had some good qualities in regards to soccer technique but we were elated when she got an even better coach two seasons ago.
They played their little hearts out and tied the game: zero to zero. Because of said lack of knowledge in soccer, I can't remember (nor did I know) what positions she played, but she was out there giving it her all! Each quarter, she played somewhere else...up field, down field. Maybe center? Maybe forward?
On this particular day, John was later than expected meeting us at the field. His train was delayed getting into town. No problem though. We just set up our things by the sidelines and began to cheer the team on. Andrew began wandering around, interested in some nearby boys about kindergarten age tossing a football back and forth. And so Jocelyn and I went after him to bring him back a little closer to where we were sitting when SMACK - Jocelyn trips on the ground with her sandal and her knee starts to bleed. The same knee that had almost healed from the last incident. I had her sit on the grass and I ran back to our things to grab the wipes, all the while with blood on my hands from trying to keep it from getting on her clothes. No wipes?!? Figures.
So I jogged back to her to find an older woman asking her where her mommy and daddy were. I was only 10 yards or so away and was gone for 5 seconds! The lady graciously helped me out and sat by her while I ran to a nearby friend to pass Andrew off and then onto the restrooms to get some wet paper towels to get her cleaned up. As soon as I get back to clean her leg, John rounds the corner! Isn't that how it goes? When you need your spouse's help, they usually aren't around to help? Not always, just sometimes! I was perfectly capable of taking care of things on my own; just would have been nice to have that extra hand or two!! So all this time, I had NO clue what was going on in the game, nor did I know the score. It's a good thing John was carrying a bag of ice cream for the kids and us to enjoy! It was very much appreciated and needed in this time of distress!
{Here are some pictures of Aubrey. She's in blue.}
Jocelyn had been enjoying her push pop ice cream for what seemed like a mere second when it ended up getting pushed completely out and plopped onto her sandal and the ground. Tears, tears, tears! That short lived goodness after getting her knee skinned up did NOT make her "a happy camper" (is how she puts it)! So back to the bathroom we go to get her cleaned up. As you can gather, much of the game isn't watching. It's tending. But support is support nonetheless and we were there to cheer her on. And taking care of all of my children is what I like best! To just be there with and for them. No matter what is going on around me.
{Andrew sneaking some of his sister's water}
{Andrew sharing my snickers ice cream cone with me}
The rest of the game was thankfully low key. Just a lot of telling Jocelyn to back off of her brother and let him play. She's very protective of him and sometimes a little too much to the point that she won't let him go anywhere! Like they're somehow joined together. As you can see in this next photo, she's right there with him. Not too far away to give him one more tackle. "Let him breathe, Jocelyn!" "Just you wait!" we tell her, "He's going to be bigger than you someday and will tackle you back!" Poor guy! He became very interested in our friend's soccer ball though and was glued to the thing until the very minute we left.
Besides all the craziness, it was a good night. Along with having to coax Jocelyn into staying dry and waiting just ONE more minute until we got home to go to the bathroom. Got to love their most opportune time of telling you that they have to go pee - as soon as we're all buckled up and backing out of the parking lot!! Never a dull moment. But they are moments I wouldn't trade for anything!
