Chellisms

Bailey, 8

Happy Birthday, Baileybug!

 

Winter Classic, 2010

We spent the last two days at our local soccer complex playing in the Winter Classic, our club's sponsored yearly tournament. The girls had a great time playing, even if we didn't place. We were the youngest team entered into the tournament at U-10 and wound up playing a level up which made it interesting to say the least. The first team we played was made up of girls all over 5 feet, they had an awesome keeper and they played well. We had five great guest players and it was a learning experience for the girls, they now know what to expect next year and all in all I think they had fun being there with so many other teams playing and all of the excitement.

Yes, I let Tay play with a broken finger. Well, we still aren't sure if it's broken. The doc has read the x-ray but a radiologist has not. The swelling has not gone down much and she looks like she has a grape for a knuckle so we're leaning towards broken. The team manager and I spoke prior to the tournament about her finger/hand and the club's view on her injury. As long as it is wrapped she can play. Yeah, it's just a finger but I don't want her hurt worse than she already is. Tim and I came to the ultimate decision that we would splint the finger (middle, of course), tape it to its neighbors, wrap it in either a thin foam liner or bubble wrap* and tape it all with athletic tape.

So basically I wrapped my broken kid with bubble wrap and sent her out on the field to play a contact sport where she promptly body checked a girl a foot taller than she is and knocked her on her ass and got a yellow card, it was a proud parenting moment.

Man, I lost that parent of the year award early this year.

Also, we are looking for a new pediatrician. The girls' doc ripped me a new one on Thursday after she told me Tay couldn't play this weekend and I laughed at her, I may have damaged our relationship beyond repair.

*For the record, the bubble wrap was the managers idea but I have been threatening to wrap one or both of the girls in bubble wrap for years. Basically the metal of the splint had to be covered and foam or bubble wrap was the best option.

Motto, 2010

Our motto for 2010 is to support each other, no matter what.

Now Tim and I really have no problem supporting each other, after 12+ years of marriage and 15 years together we have a lot of practice. We each have no problem supporting the girls either. Although I have to admit Taylor's new attitude that she knows more at ten years old than I do at thirty makes it hard at times. The new motto is to help encourage the girls to support each other. They need that. Really, you have no idea how much they need that.

On a typical week this is what I hear:

Monday, Bailey: I don't want to sit at soccer. It's cold. It's wet. This is boring.

Tuesday, Taylor: I hate this. I hate sitting here. It's too loud to do homework in here. I can't read with the noise.

Wednesday, Bailey: Ugh, this again. Boring. This is awful. I forgot my apple cider. I need a book. It's cold. I lost my glove.

Thursday, Taylor: I'm tired, I don't want to sit at ballet. Can't you leave me home? Alone? Why not? Please?? Ugh, I forgot my book at home. And my reading glasses so I can't do my homework. This is your fault. I didn't want to come in the first place.

Friday: *blessed silence*

Saturday, both girls: UGH!

Basically, the girls hate the others chosen activity. I won't admit to being in love with sitting outside in the pouring rain while it is 35 degrees but I still do it and it's fun. Okay, I have a case of hand and feet warmers too. I don't love sitting in a noisy lobby for 3 hours a week either especially when I can't see Bailey to watch her practice but I still do it, and it isn't fun. I do it because the girls love it. That's the payoff, I don't get anything out of it besides happy kids. And sometimes I wind up with unhappy kids, one who has blisters on her feet from her new ballet slippers and muscles that hurt or one with a twisted ankle and a bruise the exact size of a cleat on her stomach but they still love it deep down but neither ever wants to quit. They have the same drive, the same spunk but can't see it in each other. They both often opt to stay at nana's house if they can avoid the others scheduled activity of the day.

No more. This is a new year, a new motto but not a resolution. It will just be, it has to be. I am tired of them picking at each other so there can be no failure. They must be supportive of each other. They don't have to like the activity but they will support each other. No camping out at nana's house to get out of attending an early morning away game.

We will support each other and we will like it! Dammit!

The first test is this weekend, soccer tournament Friday through Monday. First game 9:05 AM, check-in 8:20. This should be good...

To Resolve or Not

Sounds like I am pondering whether or not the carpet needs to be cleaned, right?

A resolution is an empty promise we make to ourselves at the beginning of a new year/week/month for something we want to try to change. Do they ever really work?

Not at this house.

2009 was just kinda meh, I don't want 2010 to feel any pressure. I want it to roll in and get comfortable before we start punching it around. Life is calm for the next few days, then reality can set in. Oy, reality.