We're playing a lot of soccer this season. We'll more like, we've got a ton of juggling we're doing with 2 on travel, 3 on rec, me head coaching one team and assistant coaching 2 teams. And Matt's gone everyday from 7AM to 9/10PM. And I don't like to be busy!! When the season started, I marked our calendar, figured in all of our soccer games, my photo shoots, my races, and church activites. Not a moment. Too. Breathe.
And then the kids' school announced a 5k race that would include splashing colors all over the shirts at different stations. On a day that we had 4 games and I had a photo shoot. Matt was dead set against the race. I thought it'd be fun. The 3 older kids were dead set FOR the race. Matt argued, "lets not add to our already busy day!" I argued, "The kids want to do it and it'll be a fun family activity." Matt argued back, "We're too busy!"
So I registered our family. The kids wanted to do it. And although I knew it'd mean a ridiculously busy day, I knew we'd have a good time.
The night before the race I started second guessing myself. I figured Matt could run with the 3 older kids and I'd run with the 4 younger ones. We have a large jogger that works as a trailer for a bike, so it's nice and easy to push around. I figured that I'd have the 3 little ones in the stroller and would jog/walk with #4. When she pooped out, we'd just turn around and wait at the finish line for the rest of the crew. Her soccer game was 2 hours after the race was supposed to start, so I didn't want to exhaust her. The thing was, because of the different locations for our rec games,and with Matt being gone for #2's travel game, I'd be driving 3 times across Augusta County. Grrrr, not looking forward to it. And then when all the games were done, I'd have to book it to the photo shoot!! Lots to do!!
Saturday came and since we had paid for the race and the kids were excited for it, we got ready to go, bright and early. We made it to the early bird parking cuz I didn't want to walk far after wards. We met up with our "family friends" Missy and Laura and her daughter. They were all cute and fancy, I was all fat. Pushing around the 3 kids and keeping the others close by. A bit later, we were summoned to get to the starting line. They let us off in heats. Child #1 had plans to be the first runner over the finish line, so he went with the 1st heat. Child #2 just wanted to be in the same heat as his brother. The horn went off and off went my first babies.
Matt and child #3 lined up for the 2nd heat. She's a strong runner, I'd slow her down, so that why I wanted to let her run with her daddy. And they took off at the horn. I'm sure with Missy and Laura, too.
I lined up with the 3rd heat. Daughter to my side, 3 in my stroller. Before the horn buzzed, children #5 and #6 yelled, "we want out of the stroller!" I obliged, figuring that #6 would last a quarter mile and #5 a half mile. I figured that #4 would probably last 1 mile and then we'd just cut back to the starting line. The horn blasted and we took off jogging. Child #7 also wanted out and began to scream and cry.
My 7 year old I guess ended up running 4 miles that day. She kept running ahead then having to turn around when I'd call her back cuz she was leaving us in the dust. My 5 year old just jogged and jogged, anxious to see what the next color station would be. And my 3 year old kept his eyes focused infront, turning down every single offer to take a break and ride in the stroller. And they all kept this up until the finish line. Well, except there was a point, at about mile 2, that I had to put #6 in the stroller to sprint ahead to catch up with the girls and get out of a trafficky area. After about 1 minute he whined to get out. So I took him out and yes, he finished the race strong.
I couldn't believe it!!! I realized I should have put my 7 year old with her dad and big sister and I learned that my 5 year old doesn't feel pain when she's happy. She LOVED getting to those color stations. And I learned that my 3 year old is very determined and has endless energy. I learned that I've got pretty good runners on my hands!
And child #7 cried the whole. Entire. Time. No joke.
The entire family, at one point or another, ran through the finish line. It was such a great morning!
And no, child #1 didn't finish in first place. But he did finish 3rd of his age group. Or so he says. :) Child #2 finished about 3 minutes behind. And that's a kid who was born with a club foot. So I was happy!
The day continued with soccer games. Child #1 didn't have a game, so that was nice. He got to stay behind to help me with the other kids. Our first game was #4's game. She didn't score, but she did such a great job PASSING!!! At this age, a well executed pass is way more impressive than a goal. Trust me. It is. I also noticed that she did a great job getting herself into position to receive passes, so that was great!
I drove #3 out to her game, but had to leave her there in the care of her coach as her game was at the exact same time as #5's game and that is also the team I coach. So I dropped her off, wished her luck, and took off quickly. I found out by her coach that she did great, overcoming a silly fear she has. This is for a later post.
I drove us all back for #5's game. This child of mine loves soccer, mainly cuz it's fun because she gets to be with new friends. When she plays, she has a smile on her face that you can see from the moon, however she plays as if she's on an Easter Egg hunt. She'll see the ball, run up to it, dance around it, and watch to see what the rest of the group is doing. If she happens to kick it, she does so as if it's an injured bunny and doesn't want to hurt it. And if the ball happens to roll past it, she'll once again look to see what everyone else is doing. With a ginormous smile on her face.
Her team has gotten creamed every game this season. But if you ask them, they say they win. And that's just great!
I will be posting child #2's soccer game. It deserves it's own post.
Now, for the things I learned this Saturday. I'm not a fan of an overscheduled family. Not at all. I am, however, a fan of sports because sports means exercise and teaching kids the value and the FUN in sports and exercise is invaluable!!! There is a feeling of accomplishment, of achievement, of success when you participate in sports. You learn how to set and reach goals, how to win graciously and lose graciously. You learn how to better yourself, how to push yourself. You learn the wisdom of resting. Of eating healthy. You make great friends. You strengthen your heart, your lungs, your mind. Sports and exercise are as important as breathing air, drinking water, and going to church.
That's why I feel sorry for people who don't exercise. They miss out on so much!! But I think the reason they miss out on it, is they don't see the fun in it. So my grand plan is to expose my kids just to the FUN of it. Trick them into loving it! :)
And for the record, I ended up having to reschedule my photo shoot, so that freed up my day a bit.
All in all, it was a great day. And the cherry on top was having Matt tell me, "I'm so glad you made me do that. We need to do this more as a family." Followed up by child #1 asking, "When's that mud run?"
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