Be Careful What you Wish

So I decided I was going to sign Lucas up for the Town Soccer Program. This was not without it's challenges, Lucas's age being a biggie. He was supposed to be 4 by July 1st. I really didn't want to wait until next year before introducing this concept, so I called the director to see how lenient he would be with the birthday and he said that he would let Lucas in as long as he was 4 by July 31st. (OK, so what's 30 days? It really can't even be called a lie.) So I signed him up.

The next obstacle was the consent form. I got to the part that said "Does this child have any health issues we should be made aware of?" Well, no he doesn't. (I've had all his neck scans done, he's fine to play) The next question was an open ended one, "Is there anything else we need to know about your child?" I thought about that one for a while and I thought about writing Trisomy 21, they wouldn't know what that was probably anyway. I certainly wouldn't write "Down Syndrome" because that would be akin to writing "My child is prone to cartwheeling on the field." (Which sadly Ryan was). Maybe I should write, "First team sport experience." But then I thought how much "team" play is there really going to be with a bunch of 4 year olds. So I simply wrote "None."

Thrilled to the bone of my craftiness, I picked up his ultra-cute uniform (If you flip up the bottom of the shirt it says "I just played, I'm thirsty." You can go to Tim Horton's and get a free drink. Of course Lucas doesn't drink anything Tim Horton's offers, so he flips it for me and I give him a nice coconut milk and blueberry frosty!) and headed home.

The first three weeks of soccer, Lucas went with me to watch Noah and Ryan Play, but on Friday soccer was cancelled three weeks in a row for Lucas due to thunder and lightning. So for three weeks, the kid probably thought I was a liar that he was ever going to play and not only that, had to watch his brothers play from 6-9 every Tuesday and Thursday.

Certainly never one to waste time I used those three hours twice a week for three weeks, for Lucas to run. We ran up and down the hill, we ran between Noah and Ryan's fields, we ran across the parking lot to the playground, we even got a ball and chased it around.

Finally, the day came. Last Friday was the first night of soccer. Expecting to be less excited with a third child than a first, I was surprised to have the "game time" nerves of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup championships, the whole family crammed into the van and headed to the fields.

There was a swarm of four year olds in the same uniform and two very lovely young girls from the town rec. league at the helm. It was finally time. I heard them gather the children (and regather, and gather some more) and give the following directions: "I want you all to sit down and I'm going to show you what toe-touches are." Perhaps this was just a bit too anticlimactic for Lucas, because he took off running to our hill. I chased him down, brought him back, they were onto "ping pongs." Lucas took off for the playground. I chased him down and dragged him back (Where the hell was my husband anyway?) Now dribbling...off to the hill...chase him down...drag him back. Finally, scrimmage time. This would be better, Lucas plays soccer at home with the boys and the kids in the neighborhood all the time. They put a little orange pinnie on him that looked like an off-the shoulder evening gown and began the game. Lucas bolted for the net and crouched down in the goalie position. (Wonder where he got that from.) The young lady came over and told him to go play, there were no goalies in the U4 league. Unable to stay in the net he took off for the hill.

Can't wait for Friday.