I reluctantly joined the ranks of soccer moms today, to an extreme degree. Somehow I managed to enroll three girls in a spring soccer program. We figured out soccer practice. But, we didn't figure out games.
For everyone's first game, wouldn't you know, my husband was out of town. Three girls were playing soccer on different fields at different times. It required me to figure out how to be two places at the same time. The game start times were staggered, and two girls were playing on the same field, though at different times. If that wasn't bad enough, all three girls needed shin-guards.
So, I drove the first girl to the soccer field, dropping her off while I ran to the store to pick up shin guards. Unfortunately, the store was having a huge sale and the door we went through (normally the quietest part of the store) was crazy busy!! Wouldn't you know it!
Though slowed down a bit, we were able to get the shin guards, drive home, load the remaining children into our van, drop the youngest and oldest girls off at the second field, drive back to the first field, leave the last girl with her coach, catch a glimpse of the first girl running up and down the field before rushing back to the second field to watch the youngest girl chase up and down the field, though she didn't have a clue what she was doing.
In the end, my baptism into soccer mommyhood was actually not too bad. Everyone made it to their respective games on time, someone was at each game to watch children play (even if it wasn't necessarily me), and we didn't forget anyone anywhere. I think we've figured out a pretty good game plan for future Soccer Saturdays, and my kids had a fantastic time. In the final analysis, that is what truly matters.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Intrinsic Value
I have a 14 year old daughter. So, suddenly, I know nothing.
Recently, we were in a situation where my daughter was in desperate pain. She didn't know for sure what she'd done or how, but she knew she was in pain. It just so happened we were away from home, out having fun with some friends. It also just so happened that one of our friends is a medical provider who has worked in family practice and knows how to treat backs.
But, remember, this young lady is 14 years old. So, of course, no one knows anything. All the advice we gave, all the ways we tried to help, all our attempts to get her comfortable were of no avail. She refused our suggestions, fought our efforts, resisted our attempts. I was so frustrated at that point that a comment I've heard before made total sense - I now understand why some creatures eat their own young.
Well, my daughter's back pain did not improve much between Saturday and today. So, we took her to the doctor. I was totally prepared to force her to cooperate with the doctor, based on my experience with her over the weekend. I didn't know what it would look like to force her, but she was going to listen to the doctor and do what he recommended.
Wouldn't you know it - I didn't have to force her at all!! She was very cooperative, even submissive and compliant. I was amazed. When I asked about it afterwards, expressing my surprise, do you know what she said?! She told me that "I knew you were right, but I didn't want to do what you said because I was afraid it would hurt." Then she said, "I knew you were paying for the doctor." Can you believe it? Even though she had a medical professional, who knows just as much as the doctor, telling her the same thing as her very own mother, she didn't listen to us because it didn't cost anyone anything!! Oh my goodness!
You know what will really be funny? When this 14 year old daughter grows up and has a 14 year old daughter of her own. She'll (hopefully) remember this experience when she is expressing her frustration. If she doesn't, I'll be sure to remind her.
Recently, we were in a situation where my daughter was in desperate pain. She didn't know for sure what she'd done or how, but she knew she was in pain. It just so happened we were away from home, out having fun with some friends. It also just so happened that one of our friends is a medical provider who has worked in family practice and knows how to treat backs.
But, remember, this young lady is 14 years old. So, of course, no one knows anything. All the advice we gave, all the ways we tried to help, all our attempts to get her comfortable were of no avail. She refused our suggestions, fought our efforts, resisted our attempts. I was so frustrated at that point that a comment I've heard before made total sense - I now understand why some creatures eat their own young.
Well, my daughter's back pain did not improve much between Saturday and today. So, we took her to the doctor. I was totally prepared to force her to cooperate with the doctor, based on my experience with her over the weekend. I didn't know what it would look like to force her, but she was going to listen to the doctor and do what he recommended.
Wouldn't you know it - I didn't have to force her at all!! She was very cooperative, even submissive and compliant. I was amazed. When I asked about it afterwards, expressing my surprise, do you know what she said?! She told me that "I knew you were right, but I didn't want to do what you said because I was afraid it would hurt." Then she said, "I knew you were paying for the doctor." Can you believe it? Even though she had a medical professional, who knows just as much as the doctor, telling her the same thing as her very own mother, she didn't listen to us because it didn't cost anyone anything!! Oh my goodness!
You know what will really be funny? When this 14 year old daughter grows up and has a 14 year old daughter of her own. She'll (hopefully) remember this experience when she is expressing her frustration. If she doesn't, I'll be sure to remind her.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Earth shattering news
We live up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. The land discovered by Lewis and Clark and purchase by Thomas Jefferson for a song (and a dance) a couple hundred years ago, but not yet discovered by the masses.
By God's grace, our neck of the woods is really a piece of Heaven on earth. We get to enjoy four seasons (you know; baseball season, fishing season, football season, and basketball season). Though we have some nasty creepy crawlies (like Brown Recluse and Black Widow spiders) and snakes out here aren't too friendly (the famed and feared rattlesnake doesn't want anyone to forget it was here first), in general, it is pretty safe. We don't have hurricanes or tornadoes, and we're fairly well protected from tsunamis in most places.
Over the course of our recent history, though, we've had a few exciting things. A volcano has blown its top. And, earthquakes have shaken our foundations a time or two. Never very seriously, but enough to say we'd been in an earthquake. Actually, I've been in at least two.
A couple of my daughters and I were actually very close to the epicenter of one during our recent visit with friends in Moses Lake, WA. It was pretty minor (3.2 on the richter scale), and we didn't even really feel it. All that really matters is the fact that it happened. One interesting piece of information the news cast left out, though. Just about the same time the earthquake was registering, a bunch of very exuberant little girls were running down the second floor hallway of a local hotel on their way back from playing in the pool. A coincidence? I don't think so!! And, for the purposes of discouraging such behavior in the future, this mom thinks the timing works out quite well. Next time my children think about running, I can warn them not to, they might cause an earthquake!
By God's grace, our neck of the woods is really a piece of Heaven on earth. We get to enjoy four seasons (you know; baseball season, fishing season, football season, and basketball season). Though we have some nasty creepy crawlies (like Brown Recluse and Black Widow spiders) and snakes out here aren't too friendly (the famed and feared rattlesnake doesn't want anyone to forget it was here first), in general, it is pretty safe. We don't have hurricanes or tornadoes, and we're fairly well protected from tsunamis in most places.
Over the course of our recent history, though, we've had a few exciting things. A volcano has blown its top. And, earthquakes have shaken our foundations a time or two. Never very seriously, but enough to say we'd been in an earthquake. Actually, I've been in at least two.
A couple of my daughters and I were actually very close to the epicenter of one during our recent visit with friends in Moses Lake, WA. It was pretty minor (3.2 on the richter scale), and we didn't even really feel it. All that really matters is the fact that it happened. One interesting piece of information the news cast left out, though. Just about the same time the earthquake was registering, a bunch of very exuberant little girls were running down the second floor hallway of a local hotel on their way back from playing in the pool. A coincidence? I don't think so!! And, for the purposes of discouraging such behavior in the future, this mom thinks the timing works out quite well. Next time my children think about running, I can warn them not to, they might cause an earthquake!
Monday, February 08, 2010
The Power of Example
I am an over-protective mom.
When my kids ride in a car, they ALWAYS ride in seat belts or approved boosters. I was even told one of my children needed to NOT be in a booster because she was too big. My one year old daughter still rides with her carseat facing backwards, because it is safer.
Every one of my children wear helmets when they ride their bikes or scooters, period. I used to have trouble with my husband. He'd make comments about how he never used a helmet when he was growing up. But, after a helmet saved the life of our third daughter, he was convinced.
Now, I've discovered just how powerful examples can be. Our three year old son has a very cool bike - it is a Tonka bike. Unfortunately, he doesn't get to ride it nearly as often as he would like to, because we live on a relatively busy street and I'm overprotective. But, I recently told him he could ride his bike on our walk.
After giving my little guy permission to ride his bike, I proceeded to finish getting my youngest daughter ready for our walk. In a few minutes, I called for my son, to let him know it was time to get his bike out. I couldn't find him ANYWHERE! I checked for him upstairs, downstairs, and in the back yard. He wasn't anywhere, but I did discover the garage door was open.
To my horror, I found my son riding his bike up and down the street!!
Though he'd never been shown how, my little three year old unlocked and opened the garage door all by himself, put his helmet on (backwards), and pulled his bike out of its assigned spot. All learned simply by watching the example of others.
It is easy to forget just how powerful our example is, and how much training is going on simply by the example we set.
I wish I always set good examples! I wish that I always made the right choice. Because I always see, in my children, the results of the example I've set. In this case, the example was good. I wish it always was.
When my kids ride in a car, they ALWAYS ride in seat belts or approved boosters. I was even told one of my children needed to NOT be in a booster because she was too big. My one year old daughter still rides with her carseat facing backwards, because it is safer.
Every one of my children wear helmets when they ride their bikes or scooters, period. I used to have trouble with my husband. He'd make comments about how he never used a helmet when he was growing up. But, after a helmet saved the life of our third daughter, he was convinced.
Now, I've discovered just how powerful examples can be. Our three year old son has a very cool bike - it is a Tonka bike. Unfortunately, he doesn't get to ride it nearly as often as he would like to, because we live on a relatively busy street and I'm overprotective. But, I recently told him he could ride his bike on our walk.
After giving my little guy permission to ride his bike, I proceeded to finish getting my youngest daughter ready for our walk. In a few minutes, I called for my son, to let him know it was time to get his bike out. I couldn't find him ANYWHERE! I checked for him upstairs, downstairs, and in the back yard. He wasn't anywhere, but I did discover the garage door was open.
To my horror, I found my son riding his bike up and down the street!!
Though he'd never been shown how, my little three year old unlocked and opened the garage door all by himself, put his helmet on (backwards), and pulled his bike out of its assigned spot. All learned simply by watching the example of others.
It is easy to forget just how powerful our example is, and how much training is going on simply by the example we set.
I wish I always set good examples! I wish that I always made the right choice. Because I always see, in my children, the results of the example I've set. In this case, the example was good. I wish it always was.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The Danger of Safety
As a dutiful homeschooling mother, I recently checked out several books on safety from the library. You know, all the cute little preschool stories about looking both ways before you cross the street, why you never talk to strangers, and what to do if you catch fire.
Being the dutiful homeschooling mama that I am, it seemed appropriate, after reading a book on what to do if you catch fire, to practice. So, we did.
Being the dutiful homeschooling mama that I am, it seemed appropriate, after reading a book on what to do if you catch fire, to practice. So, we did.
First, we went through the steps:
- STOP
- DROP
- ROLL
It was simple enough, so after reviewing the steps, we were ready. We milled about the room for a few moments, then I announced, "Oh no. You're on fire!" Immediately, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing, dropped to the ground, and proceeded to roll with great enthusiasm and giggling (it is, after all, quite entertaining to be rolling around on the ground pretending to be on fire). The problem was, we didn't roll the same direction.
You can imagine what happened; kids rolled into each other and into furniture. In just moments, pandemonium broke out! Two kids simultaneously burst into tears. Then the baby, sure something terrible was going on, added her shrill cry to the cacophany. How, I asked myself, could a lesson on safety go so wrong?
Then, almost as quickly as it began, the rucus was over. Cuddled in the safety of Mom's lap, with comforting arms around them, the three youngest kids were soon consoled.
It was a very memorable lesson, though I think I learned more than the kids. One thing for sure, the next time we practice safety techniques, I'll be sure to coordinate our response and clear the area of furniture!
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