Sports Saturday

We have finished up our spring sports - lacrosse for the boys, soccer for the girl, and flag football for the Ginger Ninja.  It's been a whirlwind season all around.  Three practices a week for the boys, two for our Darling Daughter, plus an extra one for GN.  And, of course, the Colonel coached two of the teams - as he's done for the last two seasons!  All of this makes for a busy schedule, household, and plenty of laundry to keep those uniforms in ready condition.  We did wind up with Tuesday nights free this season.  And we coveted that night: family dinner and movie, games, relaxation.  It was all about staying home and enjoying rest.

The boys had a successful season!  They both enjoyed learning a new sport and excelled at it quickly.  They ended their season ranked seventh in the Northern VA league.  Each scored quite a bit throughout the season being a threat both offensively and defensively.  Today we celebrated their winning season with a potluck pool party at the coach's home, trophies, medals, and plenty of fun.  Much of the team took in the high school championship game at Westfields HS.  Several friends are on the team and its been fun attending the games and cheering with the students and families alike.

Our Darling Daughter played soccer again - this is her third season.  And she loved it.  There was more drama for me as a parent dealing with other parents, but DD had a fantastic time.  Her first game she garnered six goals! And while she scored a fair amount, she was a strong defender on the field.  And as her Dad always says, "Defense wins game."  Very true.  She would stop the ball and kick it to a teammate who was open so they could take it down field or get the goal.  I'm so proud of her!  She ended the season with a win, a trophy, pictures and goody bags.

GN played his last season of flag football, we hope!  He played with a bunch of his friends, great coaches, and had a winning season.  Flag football is a great low-stress sport.  The kids get to play a lot of different positions and touch the ball a lot (unlike tackle ball).

Now that Lacrosse and Soccer are officially finished, we turn our attention to swim team for the first half of the summer.  It's great to have just one sport going on with all the kids doing the same thing at the same location.  If I could sit poolside with an umbrella drink, I'd be in heaven!

Getting Ready for Spring Break

Picked up tickets to the circus, yesterday. Bought tickets to the aquarium today. Got movie times for Diary of a Wimpy Kid and for the local discount theater. Made a list of a dozen other things the kids would like to do. Checked the weather for next week. Searching for families who aren't traveling and might want to get together.

I told my husband what I'd been doing and his comment was, "Those kids should be happy with just one of those things. When I had spring break as a kid, I didn't do anything. The only thing I did was not to go to school." And he's right. That's all I did, too. I played with all my friends on my street who were home, too. But that's where the comparison falls apart.

Families aren't home like they were when we were kids. Families travel for holidays more often; or with dual-income families, kids are gone to camp. The "play outside 'til the street lights come on" mentality is gone and replaced with scheduled playdates, outings, day trips, vacations, etc.

And so - I join the club with an assortment of activities to keep us all engaged (on a budget). We'll go downtown to the National Zoo - it's FREE! Or maybe take in the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Seeing money being made, cut, and stacked is super-cool. Suggestions from FaceBook friends include: Duct Tape (ha!); pajama day complete with Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast and movies/boardgames all day; bake and decorate a cake; miniature golf; bike trails; and bowling.

We'll have a great time doing some things we don't usually have time to do. We'll take pictures, we'll laugh, we won't be rushed. We'll even see some family along the way. I'm thankful we have the money to splurge a bit. Maybe I'll go for the BIG roll of duct tape!