Team sports

I know we are not alone on our thinking , but I also know there are a lot of people who don't share the same thoughts.

When our children ask to play team sports, we have rules. Simple rules that we require them to agree to.

1. Grades have to be kept up.

2. When you volunteer/agree to play a team sport,  you have to go to all of the practices.

3. You go to all of the games and you give it your all. 

4. You don't get to quit halfway through the season because you don't like it,  your coach or your teammates. You agreed to play a team sport and your team is counting on you. The more you practice/play the better you will get and the more playing time you will get.

 

Those are pretty basic.  We are trying to teach our kids that if you agree to something that other people are counting on you for,  you can't just quit or not show up because you don't want to or something better or more fun came along.

Sometimes,  I hate living by our "rules". There are a lot of days I would love to break our rules - but what does that teach my kids?

Darin is our youngest and last child at home.  He loves hockey and when he asked to play last year,  we knew it was going to wreak havoc on our Christmas plans and while I would love to say it is ok to miss two weekends of games and all of the practices in between, it's not. 

For one he needs all of the ice time he can get and two,  there are 15 players and 1 goalie on his team. 

That sounds like a lot,  but hockey is demanding and it takes a lot out of you (like most sports), so when one player doesn't show up, it screws with the entire team. Now think if you decide to skip a game and a couple of your teammates decide to skip the same game, it leaves a handful to try and play. It's not fair to your remaining teammates and you grow up thinking if you don't show up its 'OK', someone else can handle it. (at the same time - don't overschedule your children, where they have to pick between hockey or basketball or wrestling etc., that puts them in a position to not show up for one or the other.)

Now fast forward to being an adult  - you can't just 'not show up for work' - people are counting on you. Its the same concept and if you allow them to do it as children, you are teaching them bad behaviors that will continue when they become adults.

Maybe we are wrong, maybe we ask too much.  But why not start teaching them that life isn't all about them and that other people do count on them to be there when they say they will.

2,931 Days

This Woman

This woman taught me almost everything I know.

She taught me how to fight for myself and what I believe in. 

Be it boxing gloves in the front yard against my older sister 

or standing in front of a room full of strangers 

talking about something that is important to me 

(like teen pregnancy).

This woman taught me to learn new things.

She taught me to always want to know more. 

To know more about everything. If it is there...learn it. 

Because of this woman - I learned more than one musical instrument, 

Clarinet, keyboard, & guitar...I am not fluent in any, 

but she helped me explore those options. 

This woman taught me to read.

She taught me to enjoy reading, where you can escape to another place 

and meet new people without leaving the comfort of your own home

This woman taught me to have fun.

She taught me life is short. To 'dance like no one is watching' and if they 

are watching hope they enjoy what they see and join in. 

This woman taught me the importance of pets.

She taught me to always love my pets - because they will always be there for me.

This woman taught me to sew.

She could look at something crafty and make it happen. 

I can now sew a straight line. She taught me to do needlepoint. 

She taught me to read a pattern - not well, but if needed, I can!

This woman taught me that everyone is beautiful in their own way.

She taught me to look my best because you never know who you might meet or where. 

But even if you have a 'down' day, wear a smile. Everyone needs a smile!

This woman taught me the art of story telling.

She taught me that you have to hook the listener/reader so that when you deliver the 

final blow they want more and that the best ending to any story is 

"...and he was pulling my leg - just like I'm pulling yours!"

This woman taught me love.

She taught the importance of family and friends and that you need to have them in your life. 

She taught me to give and receive love and to believe in people 

because you never know what they may be going through themselves.

This woman taught me almost everything I know.

This woman let me call her mom!

It has been 2,931 days since I talked to mom. 

I miss hearing her voice, 

I miss her laugh and her smile. 

I miss everything about her. 

Today is the 8th January 14th since she died. 

I cannot believe it has been that long and yet it feels 

like it was yesterday that a part of  me died with her.

She wouldn't want me to dwell - so instead I wanted to share some of her. 

I hope you enjoyed it.

Happy New Year?

We spent an enjoyable evening out with some great friends,  watched the Wings win,  had a safe ride around town (thank you Allure Entertainment) that even picked our child up at the skating rink at 1am.... (how many 12 year olds get to ride around in a party bus?)

At home,  the dog is in a mad frenzy racing around like he's hyped up on something illegal. 

We clean up the usual "you left me alone" mess... brains and decapitated stuffed animals, spilled salt (which usually means the cat we don't own has been on the table). 

Daylight brings, well...light...better to see what we missed, there is a sticky mess all over the floor behind the table and foot prints everywhere. Spilled coke... that explains what Ace was all hopped up on.

I'm pretty sure the dog had one hell of a party while we were out, and we still haven't found the mystery coke can. He might regret that tomorrow.