Soccer Star

After seven summers of running back and forth to the soccer field, this is going to be my last summer as a soccer mom. Connor decided last year that he didn't want to play anymore, and we were supportive of his decision. We figured after 5 years he knew whether or not he loved the game. This year is clearly Janelle's last year.

She had a tournament on the weekend. While she loves to "be part of it", she doesn't actually want to "be part of it". She is happy to run onto the field when it is her turn and become an "on-field spectator", but she doesn't want to get anywhere near the action. My favourite is when she starts chatting with her invisible friends while she is standing out in the middle of the field. You can watch her hold long conversations with "someone" while her team is at the other end of the field battling for a goal. At one point on Saturday, after she came off for a shift, I had a chat with her about it. I said "Nellie, you know that your imaginary friends really aren't supposed to be on the field with you during the game". She replied "But Mom, they're in my head, so they have to go wherever I go. I can't just leave them behind!" Well, how can I argue with logic like that?

My girl is clearly not an athlete, much like her Mama, but she has a rich imagination and a definite flair for the dramatic. So soccer isn't her thing. I'm happy that she spent four summers "giving it a try". I'm proud of the fact that she will try pretty much anything. Yesterday we went to a brand new (to us) church, and when they called all the children to the front to sing a song for the congregation, Janelle headed right down to the front to join them. She didn't know the words or the actions, but she wanted to be there! Then she followed all the other kids, not knowing a single one, downstairs for children's church. I am amazed at her bravery. Maybe next year we'll find out what her "thing" is, whether it be dance or singing or drama or whatever. It's definitely something, and she's not going to shy away from finding it!

And here is a picture of the soccer star, taken this morning, after losing her second front tooth in the night. Cute or what?