I thought she’d come on the 4th of July which would have been soooo fitting, but she waited a week longer.

See her? The little redhead anxiously awaiting the start of one of the four soccer matches she played in this weekend. (They are matches, aren’t they? Or are they games? I’m new to being a soccer mom…so new I still don’t even wear the moniker with any sense of recognition and, NO, I do not have a mini-van).

I was so proud of my youngest this weekend! She hasn’t played organized soccer since kindergarten. She’s heading into 4th grade this coming week and she tried out for and made a team in a well-respected league in our local area. She has always had wonderful athletic ability and in spite of her firecracker tendencies, she is very coachable. 

Her dad had to miss her games this weekend (her very first ones this season) because he had his drill weekend with his Army National Guard unit. But, it was a nice weekend for ‘the girls.’ My oldest was SO helpful–packing the lunches for the first day and keeping a list of things we’d forgotten and needed to take the second. I’m ashamed to say that sunscreen was on the list. Yes, we definitely needed it. Thank goodness I had umbrellas to use for shade! But, we still ended the day with more than our share of UV rays. Me more than the girls, though, because I made sure they were the ones using the umbrellas.

I am already seeing more confidence and improvement in her play. I can’t imagine what she’ll look like by the end of the season!