soccer, lessons learned, and footed fleeced jammies.

i have about 78 lists on a bazillion different pieces of scratch paper and note pads going at the moment.  santa, himself, would be confused.  and he’s a professional list maker.

 

the north pole party is in full preparation mode.  and i have some excited little girls over here in anticipation.  thank you to kelle hampton for the idea.

 

more on that thing later.

 

****

 

i am nowhere close to being ready for christmas.  every time i ask annslee what she wants for christmas…she says, “nofing.”  we have no idea what to get her and time’s a-tickin’.

 

and this weekend, alone…i have my soccer team christmas party, the north pole party, a couple’s christmas party, and a soccer game.  and i say…this kind of business is good.  it means that festive fun is to be had.  with a little bit of the best sport in the world mixed in.  it’s a good reason to drink spiked egg nog and consume ridiculous amounts of things like fudge…and wassail.  which brings me to another point.  wassail is not appreciated like it should be.  there.  i said it.  we americans need to get with the program.  there ain’t nothin’ better than a cup of hot wassail.  plus…the word is fun to say.

 

****

 

wednesday night…on 12.12.12…a dream came true and i got to go watch the U.S. Women’s National Team play live.

 

chronicled in pictures:

 

alex morgan became my favorite soccer player her rookie year.  she is a forward.  her job is to score goals and make assists.  it’s a position i understand.  and one that i love.

 

this is her warming up.

 

 

the team warming up.

 

kick off.  alex morgan #13 and abby wambach #14…a dynamic duo.

 

tobin heath #17

 

lauren cheney

 

wambach and carli lloyd

 

lauren cheney’s corner

 

alex’s south paw shot on goal

 

goal keeper, hope solo, with dark pony tail in the middle

 

and one of my personal favorites…a whisper to me that just because you are a mother…

 

…doesn’t mean that you have to give up on all of your other dreams.

 

 it has taken me 11 years to understand that.

 

a mother isn’t all that i am.  it is the most important role that i have been blessed with…

 

but it is not all that i am.

 

 

 

i often struggle with the “what ifs.”  what if i hadn’t given up on ___________?  (fill in the blank.)

 

what if i hadn’t been afraid to fail?

 

i have learned something about myself over the last several years.  i realized that i would usually quit something before i could fail at it.  somehow i thought that it wouldn’t hurt as bad.  it wouldn’t be as disappointing.  but now…i can look back and see how wrong i was.  the disappointment is worse in the long run.

 

this is a lesson that i hope to teach my kids using my own fear of failure and the regret that i now have as a tangible example.

 

i’m living my life differently now.  it’s not that i no longer fear.  i just refuse to let it tell me to quit.

 

“never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” – babe ruth

 

lesson learned.  a little late.  but learned, none the less.

 

****

 

you can’t get much sngglier than a babe in footed fleece jammies. 

 

i know this girl like the back of my hand.  and this is what she was thinking:

 

“i’m gonna push that button…even though i’m fairly certain i’m not supposed to.”

 

 

“i’m pretty sure that something big will happen involving this monstrous tree we have sitting in our house if i push this button.”

 

“and further more…if she didn’t want me pushing this red button…then she shouldn’t put it right here under her desk…knowing that under the desk is a perfect place for me to play.”

 

“apparently…she put it here so that i can push it.  yes.  that must be it.”

 

“yep.  i did it.  and i’m pretty satisfied with myself.”

 

 

“do they realize that i am the one actually running this place?”

 

****

 

the sugar plum has quite the group of friends.  well…no one should have to watch a christmas movie alone, anyway.

 

it’s mid december, folks.  time’s a-tickin’ indeed.