The pic on the left is my darling two year old, wearing her dads socks (ummm, not clean ones - ewww) that she found on the floor, and some tennis shoes that will someday fit her, but are currently about four sizes too big. She told me she was ready to go outside and play. Love her!!
The pic on the top right is proof that the teenager and the tween DO actually speak to each other (the older one was testing the younger ones German counting skills). It's very exciting when this happens so I like to document it. That very same day I also found them in the back yard playing soccer. Together. Nicely. Maybe pigs do fly.
The bottom right pic is my proud tween after winning two ribbons at the track meet last week. Second place in the "ball kick" (seriously, the events they come up with!?) and third place in the 50 yard dash. Woot! (okay, the woot was for Mama Kat, it makes me laugh now every time I write it).
My kids crack me up.
I just posted the blog about my vacation, but life moves on even when mom isn't around to deal with it. And then, by the way, it puts a huge damper on moms vacation. Here is the short-ish version of the ups and downs.
The tween, if you will remember, tried out for select soccer. While I was gone, the results were posted online. Two teams were created and each team took 13 kids, but posted the top 14 picks for each team in case someone turned down the offer (I get that, but it still seems mean for that last kid, right??). My little guy was number 14 on one of the teams. He was heartbroken. There were tears.
A few years ago, the teenager tried out for the junior high soccer team. He too was one away from the cut (I knew the coach well and she called and apologized and felt horrible for it - but try outs were fair and it was what it was). He took the news and decided he would never try out for a team again. It was a very discouraging process and he does not like to fail. His motto at times can be "if you try and don't succeed, go back to something you're better at."
Watching my tween adjust to this news of missing by one has been eye opening for us. He has taken this heartbreak and, instead of letting it crush him, he has turned it into motivation and determination. It is driving him now, and he is moving full speed ahead. I see him trying harder during his soccer clinics, jumping in to practice in the goal more often, not backing away as much. He is more aggressive during basketball games, he even drew two charging fouls last week. In orchestra too, he has worked harder and received props and wants to take lessons over the summer to improve. I think this experience has driven him more than discouraged him and I am frankly quite amazed. I would never have expected that from him, but am so so SO proud of him for it.
That news all came over the weekend. Monday morning comes around (again, still on vacation) and I hear that the husband had the stomach flu and ended up missing two days of work, and the friend who was going to watch the toddler Monday (while the husband was throwing up) had coughs and fevers at her house. So easy to sit back and relax when you have to ask other people to deal with your family drama.
A big thank you to those most awesome folks who helped. Love you guys.
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