Soccer, Valentine's Day, and Life in General

OK, I am a slacker, but not without good reason. I mentioned a few posts back that I have several posts stewing in my brain, but getting them onto the computer is another matter entirely. It seems that there is always something important to do, someone I need to call, or somewhere I need to go. Plus, it seems that I have a lot of trouble focusing lately. On anything. I haven't been going to bed on time, I have a bad cold, and emotionally I am exhausted. There are many people who I love who are going through extremely trying times right now, and my heart just aches when I think of them. The past two Sundays I have been in tears during worship - I just can't stop. (By the way, we are still praying for my friend Doug to wake up, so please join us in praying for him.) So I am often too drained to do anything but play online or something similarly mindless.

However, while my friends and family have been going through difficult times, we have been doing well. Kate continues to heal beautifully from her surgery and from her dental work. I have every intention of writing some posts about her progress, but for now a photo will have to satisfy you.

As for the boys, they have kept busy playing soccer this winter. For those of you who don't know me very well, I am pretty much a homebody (if you don't count my travel bug). I like to have all of my kids at home with me, and I mostly avoid extracurricular activities that aren't involved with church. Ben was six years old before I ever considered any kind of sports or lessons at all. Part of it is my cheapskate nature, but most of it is my desire for family time and to let kids be kids. My boys love their afternoon play time, when my living room is turned into a massive scene from their imagination called "Batman meets Spiderman and they rescue Larry Boy and the Little People while fighting Pirates and Bad Guys." It gets a little elaborate (and chaotic), but they are actually disappointed when I suggest we go somewhere and do something. So we stay home and play a lot:)

So when I suggested they play soccer, they were less than thrilled. But I kept at them, pretty much forcing them to get out of the house this winter, and they spent six weeks playing soccer through our local YMCA. The first week, Ben was eager to learn, while Will alternated between crying and standing still like a statue when he was supposed to be learning how to play. After that though, they both started putting their all into it, and they have had a great time. After the second week, Will came home and declared he was never going to cry on a Saturday again! (Naturally that promise has already been broken. Oh well.)

Ben's favorite position is goalie. He is good at that kind of focused attention on one job. This past week his coach was putting him in another position, and I overheard Ben telling him that he had already played offense and defense today, but he would really like to be goalie again. It's a really more of a class than a league, and the coach was agreeable and put him in that position, which made him happy.

Each week they are put into teams, and one week they ended up on different teams. On the way home Ben said, "I was the only one on the yellow team who was cheering for the greens." He didn't see anything wrong or funny in cheering for his brother in green.

Will thinks goalie is boring, and he would rather RUN! Check out the joy on this kid's face when he chases the ball.

And when he actually kicks it...

In other words, soccer has been a hit. I don't know that they will stick with it long term, but it has been a good taste of what sports can be in the future. I am thinking of Tball in the spring.

Lastly, I have never liked Valentine's Day. It is just about card and flower and candy and jewelry companies trying to make a buck. This attitude always leaves my husband in a quandary, because he doesn't know if I really want him to get me a gift or not. (I don't, by the way.) So this year, he came up with the best solution ever! He got a grocery list pad with magnets on it, and on each page he wrote things that he and the kids loved about me. This week it says, "We love to color with mommy." It is awesome, and it cost $.99, and I love it!!!! Best V Day present ever:) Isn't it great?