We are in the thick of soccer practices these days. Jordan was selected with eleven other kids to play on what is called the Douglas Park Gold team last spring. About 85 kids tried out just before summer and they whittled it down to a team of twelve, in four separate competitive tryouts. This is his second year with this very dedicated and committed soccer club. With the little daylight we have left we were still practicing down the street from our home, which made two practices a week and a game every Saturday not feel too involved. However, as it is pitch black by 4:30pm these days, we now have to drive across town to get to some of the lit fields he will practice at until the spring. Across town means 30-40 minutes in the car each way. Usually if there is a committed kid on a committed team there is a committed mother standing off in the distance behind that kid, and in our case three other little committed people who are actually unaware of their commitment. In an effort not to have my younger children spend two afternoons a week inside a car for two hours while it rained, I did what every mother does when she needs to streamline her intricately scheduled life...set up some carpooling. I B-lined to another mom in the parking lot and after a quick "you know where I live, and I know where you live" conversation, we were in business!
A Little Lesson:
One lesson I know for sure, juggling piano, soccer, violin, scouts, cello and theory means learning to make your time in a car with your kids, productive, enjoyable and fun.
There was a general Authority about 10 years ago that said "when you schedule a child, you schedule a mother" I have laways remembered that and thought of the mothers who keep multiple schedules for numbers of children.
ReplyDeleteSo now we are looking forward to to tricks and stories from the car. What DO you do that make the car time so productive?
(And what lit filed do you drive to???)
Congratulations Jordan on your accomplishments. I am proud of you. Love Auntie Shauna
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