I'm A Soccer Mom

Today Amaya and Hayden had their soccer games. Carson normally would have been playing soccer, too, but since he broke his collarbone he can't. He will play during the summer, though.

Last week was the first week, although I don't have any pictures because my camera battery was dead, which I didn't find out until I tried to take a picture.

Last week Amaya would only go out on the field if either Mike or I was out there with her. But we not only had to be out there with her, we had to be holding her hand. Every once in a while I would slowly slip my hand out of hers and she would immediately grab my hand again. Towards the end I slipped it out once and she actually took off running.

This week was totally different. From the time we arrived she ran out with her team and her coach, jumped up and down with excitement, talked to the other kids and her coach, and even hugged one boy. She was so excited. During halftime when she was sitting with us drinking some water she said, "Can I go ask my coach if I can go out there again?" Then she ran over to her coach and told him she wanted to play.

Here are a few pictures of her. She's No. 5.

Here she is getting ready to play.


Here she is in the huddle.

Here she is watching Hayden play.

Hayden has done great during his two games. He really loves it and has a great time. He gets in there and really runs fast and gets right in the game.

He's much different from two years ago when he would be doing somersaults, lying in the goal, getting mad when one of the other kids kicked the ball, or sitting by us refusing to play. We stuck out the season because I told him he couldn't quit on his team, that they needed him. I told him if he didn't want to play again he didn't have to, but he had to finish the season. Last summer he wanted to play, but we didn't let him because he didn't seem ready. This year he really wanted to play, but I made him promise that he wouldn't get mad at other kids and that he would actually play. He said he would. The first game started off bad. We got there and he instantly got grumpy. He wouldn't talk to his coach or any of the kids. When his coach would ask him a question we would turn his back to her. She asked me if he was going to play and I said I didn't know. Then the second the game was going to start he all of the sudden perked up and got excited. He is a pretty strange kid. Now he loves it, and I am really happy for him that he can finally play soccer, which he loves to do at home, and have fun doing it.

Here he is getting ready to play. This is the best picture I could get.

Here he is in his huddle. He's No. 5, also.