Soccer watching is tough

Being a soccer mom is not easy.  There are so many little things that weren't in all the parenting handbooks we read when the kids were babies.  They should have a section just for soccer-momming!   

• Lesson 1:  When it's your day for snack--don't forget to bring it!  So far I haven't done that.  But it's happened...heck even the coach forgot her day!?!?!
• Lesson 2:  Always put a healthy snack your child likes in their soccer bag in case lesson 1 was not learned...or in case the parent who has snack decides that a good healthy snack at 10 in the morning is cupcakes or dingdongs.

                                                      

• Lesson 3:  Have them pack their soccer bag the night before the game (I know this only happens in a perfect world!).  If there is something to be lost and not found...it will only happen on game day.  Now this is the 4th year we've done soccer and this is still a battle.  I'd love a dollar for every time we have left the house with a girl half dressed in the car!!
• Lesson 4:  Trick for reviving the soccer uniform that's been under the bed since last weekend instead of getting thrown in the laundry basket.  Spray a little bit of Febreeze on it and throw it in the dryer for 20 minutes.  Throw a fabric sheet in too.  It will come out smelling fresh and new!

• Lesson 5:  Have your child bring a blanket.  No, they won't need it because they'll be playing and "I'm not cold mom", but you'll need it in October when it's 50 degrees without the wind chill.
• Lesson 6:  Write the time their game starts on your calendar.  When trying to juggle children on game day you will not be able to find the schedule the coach gave you. So you will get there way too early, too late or (heaven forbid) you'll show up at the wrong field across town.  (I've only done the too early part so far!)

• Lesson 7:  Try to be positive...no matter how many flowers are being picked during the game or even if they are watching the squirrel collecting cones under the pine trees or they just kicked the ball toward the wrong goal!!
• Lesson 8:  Taking picture while watching is near impossible!  Getting a great action shot is hard and for every 30 shots I take, maybe one is a keeper.  It's just so hard to watch through the screen on the camera!Here's an example:

Here is CC heading to the goal with one of her teammates.  This was a game where they just overwhelmed the other team...15-0 was the score at the end....but CC was trying hard to get her goal.

Look she scored a goal!!!!  OK, I saw it--but the camera didn't cuz I was jumping up and down with excitement.  No future as a photographer if I can't separate myself from my emotions...heck, forget it.  It's MY KID!

Lesson 9:  If you are an environmentalist...be prepared to swallow your environmental ethic. You will be adding greenhouse gases to the environment and sucking down the fuel in your gas tank 6 days a week!  If you have two children that means practices on two different fields at two different times on different days in opposite directions.  You will also have to learn how to clone yourself so that you can take them to games at nearly the same time on fields at opposite sides of town every Saturday!  My hats off to those of you with more than 2 kids doing this at the same time.

Once you've learned how to overcome all the oddities of being a soccer mom, you can sit back and watch them play (unless of course your are also a scrapbooking mom and you are trying to take pictures!!  That's a whole other set of lessons!)