(no subject)

[mommydama]

Maria and Zoe had their first soccer game today. It was fairly humorous and entertaining. They've only had one practice and Zoe spent most of it standing in one spot, digging in the dirt with her toe and periodically bending down to collect interesting things her toe turned up. When specifically addressed, "Zoe! Zoe! ZOE! OVER HERE!! ZOE!!" she'd look up, trot over to where the coach wanted her and proceed to dig in a new spot for new treasures. I didn't have high hopes for the game. I've talked to her several times in the days between the practice and the game about paying attention to where the ball is and trying to help out her team mates to score and assuring her that we will allow lots of time to look for treasures AFTER the game. She is younger than the other girls on the team, it is a U7 time (under seven) and technically Zoe should be on a U6 team, but we put her on the team with Maria anyway to consolidate some running around on our part. Well, that and the fact that the U6 team games were all on Sundays and we have church. U7 games are on Saturdays.

Maria worked her tail off at the game. She got a foot on the ball a few times and did help to move it down the field and even tried to shoot a goal once. She is still a little confused about what to do, but she will get there fast.

I was very, very proud of Zoe. She spaced out a lot, but a good percentage of the time she was running back and forth across the field chasing the pack. I don't say chasing the ball, because she never really got close enough to the ball to be technically chasing IT, but she didn't whine or complain about all the running and she followed the pack. That in itself is a huge improvement over the practice. Right at the end of the game I saw her trying harder to get into the pack and get to the ball. She is actually a very competitive little person, so I think once she gets comfortable with the other girls and the coach and gets the basic concept of the game down, she'll do much better.

It was fun to watch actually. I was pretty proud of both my hard working girlies. And they seemed pleased with themselves after the game even if the other team outscored them pretty badly (we don't really keep score but I think it was like 6-3).

Our landlady is coming over today to check out the house and see what they might need to do to get it rented (or possibly sold) to someone else as soon as we leave. So, I'm nervously trying to make it look presentable. It is clean, my cleaning ladies came on Thursday, but it needs some picking up and polishing. And something blue has been ground into the carpet at the top of the stairs, I have no idea what. So...few things to do this afternoon. Brad is watching Westpoint play football today. All in all, life feels very...normal right now. Soccer game on a Saturday morning, a little house sprucing up, football for the man of the house...

I don't altogether like it. I like being atypical. What atypical thing could I do today to make sure we aren't totally surburban America at its finest?

Comments

[dan111174.livejournal.com]

not really related to your suburban ennui, but related to a previous post. Regarding seeing the space station traverse the sky was...humbling? I felt all quiet inside, in awe of what mankind can do when so inclined. It took probably five minutes or so to cross the sky. Awesome.

Next time it is visible in the Midwest I'll let you know.

Space.com has excellent resources. My favorite is called "nightsky". There is an applet on the page to put in your zip code and it shows you the sky for your area - planets, major constellations, etc. Even during the daytime. They make some educational software as well.
http://www.starrynightstore.com/17208.html

As for your desire to be atypical, might I suggest finding a park for an afternoon of flying and tree climbing? Easy on the "redstuff". :)

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

might I suggest finding a park for an afternoon of flying and tree climbing? Easy on the "redstuff". :)

Well, that just brings back memories! Hehe!

Thanks for the website! There is some neat stuff there. Zoe, it seems to be always be Zoe, is currently very interested in stars and planets and the general concept of outer space. Not that the other girls are not, but she gets really into things. I wish you could see this kid's room. She is just so...interesting and interested in everything. A cluttered mess it is, but if you sit with her in there for awhile, you will find out all about bugs, leaves, bird feathers, dinosours, stars, planets, fish, seashells...and a million other things. The kid is going to be a scientist, I tell you.

Wait, no...she told me she already IS a scientist. My mistake.

[librissimma.livejournal.com]

What about some sort of homebaked treat, which would be more country if you added in some form of whole grain to eat, you could add a crunchy edge. How about a night without tv, doing something as a whole family...

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Yummy....good idea!

[moobabe.livejournal.com]

Homebaked treat sounds good, here!

We went to a Celtic festival today, with some of Hannah's buddies from Georgia and their folks... and everybody else in the area, apparently. But Hannah decided that she wanted an Irish Wolfhound, after practically laying down on one at the rescue booth, so the day was fun.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

You know...I was driving the minivan around yesterday, going to buy dance supplies and get Ananda evaluated and take her to ballet and pick up Grant -and Grant took Aaron to get his karate uniform and I made dinner. And I thought it was awesome and was actually thinking, you know...I don't really care who thinks what about this life. I think it rocks. I'll get stickers representing each of us and plaster them to the back window if I want to :p

I also have a weird desire to be normal. Not normal, really, but...functional? "Real". Valid. I want to count. Something like my childhood was not. We thought other people mowed grass and had Costco memberships and went to the zoo, when I was a kid.

I can totally picture Zoe acting that way in the game. Is she liking it and wanting to go in general?

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Funny thing...I grew up in the very, very normal suburban family. And now I want to be different. Are we all just trying to get away from our childhoods? I know what you mean though. I can see the appeal of the mininvan driving, zoo going family to someone who has not ever had it. It sort of make sense in a sick way that I want to get away from that. The minivan with the DVD player in it made me cry when we bought it. Literally. I cried. Isn't that pathetic? It made all the sense in the world, but I don't want to make sense! I want to be...DIFFERENT! Heh.

Zoe does actually like soccer a lot. I wasn't completely sure of that until tonight when she spent about 20 minutes solid talking to her grandma on the phone just about soccer. I eavesdropped. She was very happy and excited and had only good things to say.