The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom

So this is actually the title of a new show on TLC. I have yet to watch an entire episode. I try to think what 'career' I would do for this show. At one time, I wanted to try my hand at being a police officer. I think that is the episode tonight. Another time, I wanted to try my hand at catering.

Today, I am a full time soccer mom. I have been for 17 years! And when I think about my three kids, there is NO way I could have a full-time career. This morning, the typical Monday morning, my teenaged son took the wrong sweat pants for his track practice. Then I got a call from my 9 year old saying she forgot her math homework at home...So off I went to deliver the math homework and sweats.

When I dropped off the sweats, another mom was doing the exact same thing and we had to laugh, there was a pile of sacks for that very same reason!! I asked the other mom how our kids would manage if we weren't available to run their things up to the schools...I'm not sure, but guess the kids would have to do without huh? Would that teach them to remember their things though? I don't think so, all kids keep forgetting things so I guess I had better get used to it and be thankful I can take things forgotten up to them!

I am updating my family's calendar for the week and if I had a full-time job, there is no way I would be able to keep my sanity. Some things are winding down for my two daughters, but spring is approaching with soccer season for my son and now he's going to try track at school.

Spring soccer comes cold, I mean COLD game times! I took my two younger kids to watch the first game of the varsity soccer team at the high school last Friday. I reminded both of them that this was spring soccer and spring soccer is the coldest sport! 'Yeah, yeah mom...' is what I heard. Each grabbed a sweatshirt, I grabbed a blanket....thank goodness!

Why go to this game then? I wanted my son to watch the older boys since he is so into soccer. Plus the fact that my oldest daughter's boyfriend is also on the team, we wanted to support him. So another mom asks me why I am there and I told her it was because to watch him play. She said, 'So besides having to go to our own kids' events, we have to go to our kids' boyfriend/girlfriend's events too?' This mom also has three kids and all play soccer. I guess I never thought of it that way that we attend other events because of the boyfriend/girlfriend factor. But we did go to all the football games and basketball games, why? Because the boyfriend played both sports(besides the fact our daughter cheered at these games too). It worked out nicely then to see both!!

We don't mind going to the extra sporting events, because we LIKE this boyfriend! He's a great guy and it's our way of showing our support for him(and their relationship).

I am a soccer mom and I don't have a secret life, I don't have time!! I'm actually doing what I want to be doing anyway, being a mom and spreading the mission I believe in.

Pay it Forward

I thought yesterday was going to be a relaxing and not so harried day, well it didn't turn out quite so tranquil. As I was looking forward to my lunch out, I received a call and that started it...now I'm running a tad late for my lunch!

My organizing an event for next month has taken up quite a bit of my time, but the light at the end of the tunnel came yesterday, or so I thought. The call I received before lunch threw that all out the window. Did I have to start all over again?

I had a nice lunch so went to the grocery store for a few things my family needed. My brain was continuously thinking of ways to solve the dilema of the plans I had thought were done. So much has been happening around me lately and most of it has been very sad and then put this on top of it and I was trying desperately to think positive.

As I am waiting in line to check out, I made small talk with the cashier and the lady ahead of me and something came over me to say, 'let's turn this day around and really think positive' so I decided to pay for the lady's groceries ahead of me. Of course she insisted that I didn't need to do that, but I insisted back and told her to have a great day and enjoy the rest of her week. It was a very beautiful day out too and so many people have been complaining about our winter(I'm not one of them as I love winter)and I am tired of people complaining...the calendar still says 'winter', let's not rush it.

Truth be told, the lady's groceries total cost was only $9.00, but it wasn't about the total. I've never done anything like this, I've never been brave enough but with all that has been going on around me, I have really focused on my family and how blessed we are and I just wanted to pay it forward. I want people to start looking at all their blessings, however big or small and truly appreciate them. I know it's been tough out there with today's economy, people's health, and family situations, but I hope more people will start paying it forward and appreciate some of the little things in life. I have made it a point to thank people for their efforts and hope they, in turn, will pay it forward in any form.

"Mom Sense"

Funny what comes out of the mouths of babes...as I am sitting with my youngest daughter before school, I smell something not too pleasant in the kitchen, but my daughter can't smell it. She says to me, "Maybe because it's your 'mom sense' that you can smell it and I can't".

I think she is right. I always talk about my sixth sense to my family and I think they finally believe me that I do have this 'mom sense'. It freaks my family members when I say or do something and it happens. This sense isn't anything paranormal, I think we all have this ability. Some of us just have our senses on higher sensitivity mode and I believe most moms do.

Moms are able to multi-task and still hear the kids talking to dad when dad isn't listening! No, I am not 'dad bashing' at all. I have a wonderful husband and he is a wonderful dad to our children. I'm just talking about how there is something inside us mothers that we feel so much more than what is happening at the moment.

I'm so glad for my mom sense, I consider it my common sense and therefore, makes me the mom I am today, maybe not the greatest, but I try my best!

How does 18 years...

Feel like 26 years?!! Because that is how long my hubby and I have been together!! Today is our 18th wedding anniversay though we started dating when we were 14 years old!! OMG, that is so young when I think of my son being 14!! And to tell you the truth, girls scare me nowadays so I am very protective of my son. He doesn't have a girlfriend right now, but oh gee...scares me, he doesn't know about girls enough to be ready. Do I sound like a mom or what?!! I just know how girls were when I was 14 so to think of girls today...yikes!

So how will we celebrate our anniversary today? Just like any other day because it is Monday, but have no fear! We were able to celebrate Saturday. We went and saw Mama Mia at the Orpheum at the matinee. We had missed this show when it was originally here and heard it was a fun show to see, so I took the opportunity to order the tickets when I heard it was coming back! Little did I know how good I was at planning...we got front row seats and almost directly centerstage too! The seats were great, more than great! We had a good laugh over having front row seats, as when my hubby planned a date to see Rent, we ended up in the very last row of the entire Orpheum theater and the cast members looked like ants, literally, but the music was awesome! Shows how far we have come in 18 years...we always talk about the good ole days and the days when we were broke!! Makes us appreciate what we have today.

After a great show, and we recommend to everyone you see this show(even if you don't like ABBA songs)we went out to dinner. What a nice, quiet celebration dinner and we got a dessert free in honor of our anniversary. So from what I ordered, which was a three course meal, we ended up with two desserts...yikes I was full! But it was all delicious!

If a show and dinner weren't enough, we then went to a movie!! Wow, that is unreal for us to have this much time on our hands to go out for an entire day, evening, and night date! It was so nice to be alone together for this length of time. I think from this week on, our alone time will be few and far between so we truly enjoyed ourselves. It was a great way to celebrate our 26 years together, a.k.a. our 18th wedding anniversary!

Now on with our busy week...along with me coughing...ugh! When will I stop getting sick?!!!!

Quote

Uplifting quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson (thanks to my brother in law for sharing):

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

Draining...

I cried a lot yesterday. So much that my eyes were very, very dry. I cried for my friends; I cried for what was happening; I cried for the loss; I cried for the other family members that mean so much to me. I cried so much that I was tired even before noon. Emotionally, I still hurt for my friends; my heart still breaks for them; I still ask 'why'. I've had to pray very hard, really, really hard. I've had to dig deep into my faith, trust in God and let Him do his deed. But gosh darn it, sometimes that is so hard to do! I know life isn't always fair (I don't like that one bit) but I know God has a plan for all of us.

Perspective

Definition: The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance

I re-read my posts from my last two days and and I am happy to say that after getting everything off my chest, I really got on with my days and got so much accomplished.

Then I re-read my posts today and I think to myself, wow, I did a lot of complaining, now I have to put things back into Perspective, that of 'comparative importance'. But I do have to give myself credit too, I put my whole being into these events because they are very important to me and so very meaningful that I want them to be very successful for the children still in need.

So I was reminded to put things back into perspective and always remember to do that. I received some very sad news from a very close friend of mine, I still cry when I think of it. I think so highly of this friend of mine too, I am at a loss for words I am so sad.

And this is the type of news I am not sure what to say to my friend. I've never experienced it, but have had many other close people around me experience it.

I know I have to compose myself, pray, and trust in myself that I will say the right thing. I am just so sad.

I have really been sad over this whole situation with my dear friend that I couldn't even post this yesterday. I have tried to put myself in my friends' shoes and I don't know how I would handle it. I'm sure it is THE hardest thing ever, I don't know though if I would be strong enough. I guess I would but only by the Grace of God. I know I have gotten thru a lot by relying on God and all of my angels in heaven watching over; I wouldn't be here today without God or my angels.

Now I have to rely on my faith again. I live by the mantra that things happen or a reason, but this....I have to question. I treasure my friend so much. I can't tell you how my life has changed because of this friendship. My compassion, passion, opportunities, and growth have all blossomed because of the gift of this friendship. How can I ever thank my friend? I admire my friend's compassion and passion. And giving me the opportunities and opening my eyes to all the good, the bad, but best of all, the POTENTIAL.

Please pray with me today. As a whole, we can all pray together and as a whole, we can lift up my friends and surround them with love and the reassurance that things will be ok. Amen.