First day of Soccer

Yesterday was the first day of the soccer season for Mairead and the Blue Bombers of LYSA. My siblings and I all played soccer for this organization while growing up and I am hoping that our kids love it, too. It definitely was not a 'love at first kick' thing for Mairead yesterday- probably because it was incredibly windy and cold at the field. Also, she'd had a pretty tough week with the ear infections, conjunctivitis, penicillin reaction, etc, so I know she wasn't feeling her best. We debated keeping her home, but it was the first day and we wanted her to be there to be part of that, to meet the kids and the coach, etc. Unfortunately, every decision we make regarding Mairead is a bit colored by the fact that she is not typical. In this case, we wanted her to be there for the first day just like all the other kids because we know that, unfortunately, she is not just like all the other kids. We know she is amazing, but the fact is that she is different, and we want to give her every opportunity to fit in, and let everyone see for themselves how great she is. So, we bundled her up, grabbed Special Bear, and headed to the field. The fact that she asked for Special Bear was a sign that she wasn't 100%. She never asks to bring SB outside the house, except when she is really tired or sick. But, she was in a great mood and seemed excited about soccer, so we gave it a shot. At first, she was into it- even participating in the drills the coach was leading, and following what other kids were doing.

You can see how hard the wind is blowing. Mairead really doesn't like the wind and started getting a bit antsy.

She did, however, really like the part where everyone puts their hands in to show teamwork. She does love teamwork.

The wheels really started to come off the bus, though. She kept leaving the field, running away, coming to sit on my lap and ask to go home, etc. Every once in a while we could coax her into running with the kids, but she insisted that Special Bear go with her. In this picture, the game is going on around her, but she was just standing there half asleep, poor kid. Eventually, she just sat in the middle of the field while kids were running all over the place.

I give a LOT of credit to the coaches- they did a great job being patient and encouraging. Three year old soccer is MADNESS. It seriously is like herding cats. Mairead was running away or sitting on the field with SB. One boy repeatedly did somersaults down the field. If the ball went off the field, 10 kids ran after it, even if that meant running directly into another team's field. Kids come and go at will, have a juice box, and then hop back into the game. It is all very relaxed, which is great. We are going to keep trying each week and hope that she sees that soccer can be a lot of fun. Hopefully, it won't be so cold next week!

The boys' big excitement was on Friday when the gas company was doing some work outside the house. They had a jackhammer and a backhoe. Jack and Ben probably spent half an hour looking at the window at the trucks. The pictures are kind of lousy since the sun was streaming in the window, but you get the idea.

They are so funny- I know I say that all the time, but they really are! For example, the other day, Ben kept saying, "Hi Jackie" and Jack was ignoring him and whining. After a few tries, Ben pointed to him and asked, "Mama, it's a grouch?" SO funny! Jack calmed down and Ben asked him, "all better, Jackie?" To which Jack replied, 'Yeah, it's ok, Ben." Could they be any cuter?