Soccer

Caroline started playing on a soccer team this Spring and it has been quite the experience!

First let's look at the positives:

• She looks so cute in her shin guards and uniform.
• She gets a lot of exercise and sleeps well during naps and at night.
• She loves that she's on a team with her friends and enjoys talking to and playing chase with them.
• Her best friend Elizabeth is on the team so they get to hold hands a lot.
• She's really fast - This pays off because she is often talking (to someone on the field or on the sideline) and once she realizes there is a ball moving on the field she can catch up with every other player on the field who already recognized they were in the middle of a soccer game.
• Its hilarious to watch - honestly, if you need a good laugh you should attend one of her games.
• She thinks she scored a goal during one game, even though it was just during warm up before the game.
• Caroline's favorite part of soccer: They get Gatorade after every practice and game.

Now the downside (and its a biggie):

• Caroline does not like soccer...not even a little. The good news is that the promise of seeing Elizabeth and getting Gatorade usually ends the crying before we pull into the parking lot at the fields. She asks all the time how many games are left in her season.

So, in case this is both the first and last soccer season for Caroline, we've taken a lot of pictures. She looks like she's enjoying it, doesn't she?

Caroline and Elizabeth at the first practice.

Still at the first practice. At this point (30 minutes into the season) we are thinking she might get a full soccer scholarship. A few minutes later she tuned out and hasn't tuned back in yet.

Another practice...yes, her shorts are too short. Lazy, pregnant mommy forgot to wash her practice clothes so she was stuck wearing shorts from last year. Oops.

Officially soccer parents now!

The reason Caroline plays soccer....Gatorade.

Holding hands...in the middle of the game. There was most likely a play going on here that neither one of them was aware of.

She looks like she could go pro here, doesn't she? (Running here with her buddy, Lance.)

Snack time on the sidelines. At one point, the kids in the game were stopping for goldfish as they ran down the field.

Kevin the soccer dad. A dad from the other team was standing on the sidelines to stop the ball when it went out of bounds and Kevin felt he was just throwing the ball into his own team. So Kevin took matters into his own hands and tried to even the playing field a little.

Kevin's mom and stepdad were in town for one of Caroline's games.

This also may be during a game...can you sense Caroline's intensity for the game of soccer?

 A smile contest between the girls on the sidelines...another very important part of soccer.

The teams saying good game to each other at the end of the game. Its at this point in every Saturday that I suspect Caroline wonders "what game are they talking about?" and then gets distracted by the thought of Gatorade.

 Duffy attended a game as well.