Team sports and four year olds

Alex really likes sports. He has a soccer goal in the backyard, he’s been playing t-ball with us for a couple of years now and can crack that ball over the fence over and over again.

Now that he has turned four, a whole new world of team sports has opened up for him.

My sisters played soccer and my dad coached. They all loved it so I figured soccer would be a good place to start.

We signed him up for Salem Youth Soccer.

He was so excited when we picked up his jersey (#8!) and his ball and we talked about how fun it would be and all the new friends he would meet.

And then Sunday was the first day of soccer.

He did great in the drills. He had his own ball, he listened and did what was asked of him (and did well!).

Then they split them up for the first scrimmage. 5 boys on each side and ONE ball. Alex had never played soccer like this before and I don’t think anything was really explained in the moment, but he went along with it.

He ran with the other boys (all older than him, he was the youngest and we barely made the cut off to join) and tried to kick the ball but he couldn’t quite get in there.

And then he got tackled and down he went. He got back up. No tears. And he kept playing. But visibly more timid than before. He stayed in for about 6 more minutes (which is a long time for a four year old) and then he started walking toward me.

His little lip was slightly quivering and his eyes filled with tears as he put his arms around my neck and he said “mommy they won’t let me play with the ball. I don’t have a ball to play with.” I did my best to explain how the game is played, one ball and everyone tries to kick it in the goal etc. But he still wasn’t sure.

He was also upset that he was knocked down (I had to drag that out of him).

He did not play the rest of the scrimmage, he just wouldn’t get in the game.

When the scrimmage was over, Dave brought him over to listen to the coach give a pep talk. Once the time was up, all Alex wanted to do was kick the ball around with dad.

He really likes soccer but I think this first day was filled with a lot of strangers and unknown factors. Maybe four year olds and six year olds shouldn’t be on the same team. Maybe explaining the game before playing would have helped. I don’t know what would have made a difference.

Regardless, we will still be there next Sunday. Alex will proudly wear his soccer jersey. And we will try again.

of adventures, independence and integrity

I’ve been spending time on my other project, blogging at one of my other blogs, so this space has been sadly neglected. My apologies for the absence.

I still think about my last post, and it is still true. I watch my little guy growing up.. and it is simultaneously exciting and heartbreaking. He is growing so independent, and we are so proud of him.. but I want it all to slow down, for my baby to be my baby for a little while longer. Sometimes I hope that noone notices the tear in my eye as I watch him and cheer him on when he masters a new skill. My baby is growing up so fast.

Speaking of Alex’s independence and growing up… There have been many adventures during this very rainy summer. One of which was a great trip to the New Haven area to visit some friends. Kat and hubby have been best friends for years, since college. She and her hubby got married just before Dave and I did. Strangely (and wonderfully), we had our boys within hours of each other. Their son S is much further down the potty training trail than we have been. We had this great idea that Alex would go with S every time he needed to use the potty. So Alex watched, and tried (never really went, but great effort by Kat and S!). When we got home, we continued to try, Alex was MUCH more interested in it since he saw S doing it (bonus!).

I am happy to report that the progress is now MUCH greater! He’s been using the potty every day (and his diapers stay dry) for the last 2 days! We’re so proud of our little guy!

and if I may also pat myself on the back.. I also mastered a new skill. I cooked a duck. A delicious, delicious duck. I’ve always been scared of the duck, but I am happy to report that using a great tutorial, I managed to be incredibly successful at it. The skin was crispy and I made a sauce from raspberries we picked ourselves (there has been alot of fruit picking on our agenda this summer!) and invited friends over to dinner. Huge success! Also, fried up some potatoes in the duck fat. Very decadent and I cant wait to do it again. You can see the photo of this amazing creation here.

a note about integrity… There has been alot of backlash against, mostly, parenting bloggers. Now I consider myself a blogger.. although I mostly blog on topics elsewhere that dont have anything to do with my parenting status.. I do consider myself a mom who is a blogger. Now if that makes you call me a ‘mommyblogger’ then so be it, I am not offended by that title, though I believe it narrows the scope of what I am, I am proud to be a mom. I am also a tech blogger, a social media blogger, a marketing blogger and a local Boston area blogger, so call me what you will. I do not receive compensation for posts, nor do I receive free products for reviews or endorsement. If I did, I would be honest and upfront about that. There is a great post about integrity here and I have signed up. I encourage you all to blog with integrity too, it is important that we keep ourselves honest with our communities and with each other.

Mommy will you hold my hand?

I got a call on Thursday. Alex is sick, please come get him.

I raced home from work to pick up my poor boy who couldnt keep anything down. No food, no liquids. I held him tight and cleaned him up and said “Shhh. Mommy is here”. I held him and comforted him through his sickness and he buried his little face into me and held tight. Through the night we comforted him and gave out sips of Pedialyte and whispered to him about how much we love him. He was much better the next day.

On Saturday Alex’s new big boy bed was delivered. “Look at what a big boy you are now!” is what we told him as Dave disassembled the crib that has held him since birth. We placed his stuffed frogs and his bugga bugga and some books in the shelves of the bookcase headboard.

Monday night I was putting him to bed as we do, by giving him some milk and cuddling while we rock in the glider. I put Alex in his new big boy bed and he said “Mommy? Will you hold my hand?”. “Of course darling” was my reply and I held his hand as he fell asleep. On that night he woke every two hours. “Mommy? Will you hold my hand?”. “Of course I will” was always my reply and at 12 am I brought in my pillow and lay beside him and held his hand. I returned to our bed when he had fallen asleep only to be awakened shortly thereafter to “Mommy? Will you hold my hand?” and I would climb back into Alex’s new big boy bed and lay next to him and hold his hand. I finally just slept there right next to him, holding his hand.

We awoke at 5:30 as we usually do on a work day. Tired from lack of sleep in the night by Alex’s numerous wake ups and hand holding requests, you would think it would be frustrating to go to work on a day like that. And while I was very tired, I trudged on as I always do on a work day, sleep or no sleep, cup of coffee in hand.

And while those days are long, and the lack of sleep can take its toll, I will always get up with him if he needs me, my little non-sleeper. Because as hard as it is to continuously wake up in the night and be functional the next day… the hardest thing I could ever imagine.. harder than not sleeping a wink all night… will be the day he stops asking to hold my hand.