Friday, August 19, 2011

Moving into all new territory

Today Emma went to freshman orientation at the High School.
We have officially begun our High school years! We will be in High school for the next 15 years- without breaks. Wow, I can not believe it. It makes me choke up to even think of the short 4 years I have left with my daughter and don't even get me started about the whole learning to drive thing- that sends horrible shivers down me! And dating- forget about it! Let's just focus on our huge step of entering High school. That's enough of a shock for any parent to handle.
Technically, Emma official started into High school when she made the High school Freshman soccer team! I was so nervous for her that I almost threw up as I sat in the car and waited to see her reaction. I almost cried with relief when she came back to the car and said she had made the team. I made her go with me to the door, so I could see it for myself! I know you think I am probably way too wrapped up in this and I probably am. I don't remember ever being that crazy about seeing my own name. The first time I tried out for cheerleading I didn't make the team, but I wasn't that upset and got over it in like 30 minutes! The thing is, though, I just tried out for cheerleading on a whim and Emma has been doing soccer since she was 6. That's a big difference. Also, it was a small school and I could just decide to do something else. I decided to run cross country, instead. There was only 2 days left until their first meet, but if I wanted to run cross country they were all up for it. Here, not so much. All the teams have been training since the spring. Cross country is so big that they have time trials to see who can go on the bus to the meets. Golf has already had a match. The tennis team cut people and made a big distinction from their Varsity and Junior varsity teams. Sports here are a big deal! All the soccer players have played select ball year round since they were like 6! There are 2 people that made the team that didn't play select- Both are LDS. Select (travel league) plays on Sundays, so both LDS girls played only recreation ball. The mother's still can't believe anyone could make the team that has only played rec ball. I get to hear about it from them all the time!! Gets a little annoying! I see it as a little blessing for their sacrifice for keeping the Sabbath day Holy! And I'll tell you something else, those two girls are about the only ones on the team without an injury!
Today, Sam went to Middle school orientation. Man, my kids are growing up fast.
He started football with a league here that will start you when you are in 3rd grade. It's crazy the amount of people that start their kids on something that physical, that young! This is the only year we decided to do it. Joseph wanted to do it also, but Rob said no. I think that was a good call. The first time I saw Sam flying through the air after a tackle, I was a little worried! Unfortunately, Rob has been drowning in a sea of homework and tests and has not had much to do with the football. This leaves Mom (who never had brothers that played football) to go and buy shoes with Sam and to help him decide what position to try out for. I have been learning a lot! I guess the shoes were Ok, but the positions were all wrong! I have gotten a crash course on football positions, plays and tactics these past few weeks! Sam is still our short, skinny guy with lots of heart and fairly good upper body strength for his stature. The kid actually has pecs and some little biceps popping up! But the majority of kids that are going out for the football team are huge fatties with a couple of big athletic kids thrown in. So the big fatties get the line, the bigger athletic kids get everything else and Sam gets ignored! He was finally given a back up corner back position (swapping with the safety every once in a while). I wish the coach would actually watch him. At practice he either sacks the quarterback, or is in on the main tackle every single time! He also caused a fumble and recovered the fumble one time. He is faster than almost everyone else on the team. But the coach is a big beefy ex-lineman who yells and chews tobacco. His son plays center. So Sam is only good for practicing his real athletes against! Hopefully, Sam will get some basic information about the game out of this and he can practice his receiving in the winter and spring with his Dad (because he really wanted to be a receiver) and then he will try out for the Middle school team next year. At least he seems to enjoy it when his coach lets him go out there!
Maxwell is starting Kindergarten this year. All my babies will be gone- at least part of the week. Max is on an every other day schedule (with an every other week Wednesday). Along with football and soccer practices and games, my work schedule and YM/YW and cub scouts and.... etc, etc, it's going to be really hard to keep up with it all and remember what day I'm on! There won't be much time to think about not having anyone at home with me!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

seasons of your life are chancing. We were so blessed to have the DDOSS school system when you were all that age, so many things to do and so many places to go all for free. And what is Max on that railing? Eating snow?

Searls Stuff said...

It looks like your family has a wide variety of interests when it comes to sports. (I hope the football interest changes to soccer as time goes by.) By the way, the last picture appears to be an attempt to participate in the recent craze: planking. See, a wide variety of interests!

The Monkeys said...

Max is just enjoying the sun- it was one of the first nice days in the spring. I think they had thrown water balloons at each other before, so they were also drying off.