You Say a Dusting, I Say a Dumping

When we went to bed last night, the forecast was for a dusting of snow, up to an inch. It started snowing around 9 am, and hasn't quit as of this posting. Just a wee bit more than a dusting, my friends.

The boys had their first class in the Winter Soccer Academy, run by DC United, this morning. Their coach is a DC United player, so they think they must have died and gone to soccer heaven. It was fun to watch them out there, keeping up with the other kids and having a great time. I was worried about putting J in with the U10 group, but he's still one of the tallest kids out there. D is the tallest, except for maybe one other kid.

They've only played one season, and it was pretty laid back, non-competitive style soccer, so this is (literally) a whole new ball game. While we were waiting for the boys' session to start, I was listening to some of those infamous soccer moms talk to each other and to their kids. Ugh.

I'm not a pushy mom. At least I don't think I am. I always encourage my kids to do their best, but I've tried very hard to never berate my children in public (or in private) about mistakes they make on the playing field. My motto has always been this:

Mistakes Are Great. That's How You Learn

I know. It's trite, but it's true.

So anyway. Let me relate the conversation I heard to you, 'kay?

Coach:  2 minute break - drink some water and come right back.

Competo-mommy:  "Kid," come here and get your water.

Kid: whawawhawawhawa (use your best Charlie Brown teacher voice here, please.)

Competo-mommy: Come and get your water. Why aren't you coming? What? Oh, you think I'm going to chew you out when you get over here. I saw that goal you missed. You deserve to get chewed out.

Kid: whawawhawawhawa

Competo-mommy: I'm not going to chew you out right here - come get your water. I'll be chewing you out on the drive home, son.

Let me just tell you, also, that she wasn't kidding.

sigh.

So. I'm afraid I won't be fitting in very well with the other moms at soccer academy.

I'll be too busy laughing at the sight of my kids trying to do jack-knife sit ups while holding a ball between their ankles.

HY.STER.I.CAL.

So funny, as a matter of fact, we all laughed about it on the way home...including my boys.

That just seems so much better than a chewing out...don't you think?