Soccer Season

Reese is playing on a competitive soccer team this fall. He's been asking to play on one for a year or so now, and we told him he could try out for this year, and we'd see. He made it. So, we were left with the decision whether or not to do it. I want to help our kids fulfill dreams, but I also felt like time as a family is super important, and it'd be too much time away and burden on our family. But when RD and I prayed about him playing, we felt peaceful, so he joined.
The club actually created a second nero team, since they had enough good players try out that they didn't want to cut so many. which means we won't travel nearly as much as the other nero team. (they said that like it was a let down. i was relieved..maybe we can handle this!)
Reese went to a pre-season camp the week before practice started, with a morning and evening session. At the time it was HOT;  still in the hundreds. The week took some soul-searching for Reese, and with a little group-shaming from the coaches he completed all the practices.

Driving him to and from practice twice a day was really annoying, and was quite foreboding for the start of the season. The first day he came home and told us he needed new cleats, his were hurting his feet they were so tight. That day I had to go grocery-shopping during the afternoon, so I told him we'd go Tuesday. After morning practice on Tuesday Reese, Aubree and I went looking for shoes. I told him to bring some soccer socks, but he forgot. The first store had hardly any shoes, but did have shin guards, so we got a pair. We then went next door, and after waiting around a long time finally got some help, and Reese was so excited they had his favorite style of cleat, and I was willing to buy them! He tried on a couple sizes, and picked out a pair. We also found shin guards on sale. We bought them, returned the other shin guards to the store next door, and returned home. He immediately tried them on with soccer socks, and started to vacillate about whether they fit. I knew he really wanted to wear them that night, and i bet he'd wear too-tight ones just to have them now, so I encouraged him to admit if they were too tight, and we'd exchange them. I got the kids lunch and Reese decided they were too tight.
I sighed a deep big sigh.
We headed back out in the car. We drove back over to the shopping area, and back to the store. We waited some more, then found out the shoe wasn't available in the next size up. Return the shoes, and head out to one more store.
Finally, a whole wall of soccer shoes, and stacks of sizes, with the size we wanted. Aubree (totally done, I felt her pain) ran around as Reese tried it on, and felt the magic. We purchased them, and drove back home.
I didn't think I had it in me to drive anymore, but there was nothing else to do, so I drove him to practice. I drove for over 120 minutes that day, not counting between stores or time in stores. That week I didn't think I'd make it through soccer season.
 

see those bright yellow cleats?!

But I've survived. Though theoretically I am still not ready for the chauffeur stage of life. Oh my gosh Mom, how did you do it. Thanks for driving me! and sorry I never said thanks I bet.
 He practices 3x a week, and it does disrupt our dinner schedule, so we've been having pretty late dinners. And it's been a struggle for Reese to eat enough to make it through practices.
But he had his first game last Saturday, and did great. I think maybe he'll rise to the occasion and learn and stretch a lot.

sideline fans

And that just might be worth all the driving and late dinners.