Last week at baseball practice, Jonny noticed that kids were having soccer practice on a nearby field. It turned out that this group practices at the same time that our boys do, and that our girls could sign up and be on a team together. They are typically there anyway playing on a nearby playground while the boys practice. They have been wanting to play some sort of sport for a long time, we just haven’t been able to figure out how to make it work without going nuts. I think we’ve figured it out for this season at least!
You might think that I would have thought about shoes during the week after we signed them up, in the days leading up to their first practice. But, I didn’t. I didn’t really think about shoes until we were running late. Thankfully, there was a pair of one of the boys old indoor soccer shoes (not entirely appropriate for outdoor soccer, but close) in the shoe bucket, and they fit Larkspur (with ample room to grow). But Beatrix, she was in trouble. Somehow she only has sandals, rubber boots, and this one pair of purple shoes, one of which was missing. I started tearing up the house looking for that purple shoe while Jonny shouted that the boys were going to be late to practice. Usually missing shoes are found under the couch in the kitchen, but it wasn’t there. Panicking just a little, I went outside to start looking around the yard when Beatrix walked out and announced, “These will totally work!” Relief began to settle as I turned to see what shoes she had found, but quickly evaporated when I saw that “these” were a pair of old camouflaged boots, at least four sizes too big, and on the wrong feet. Keats saw what she was wearing and told her that no way could she wear those. She didn’t understand what his problem was and she demonstrated that she could run across the yard in them just fine. Evidently motivated by the fact that his sister looked a little ridiculous, Keats started hunting for that other purple shoe, not a purple soccer shoe, but a definite step up from the camouflaged boots. It only took him about a minute before he found the missing shoe and we were on our way.
So, the girls had their first official soccer practice and it was pretty hilarious. There’s something great about watching a bunch of kids, who mostly don’t know what they are doing, play soccer. Their first game is on Saturday. I can’t wait. I promise that I will be visiting Play it Again Sports today to buy them proper footwear. We’ll all be cheering from the sidelines and I’d hate to mortify the big boys by having their sisters wearing the wrong shoes.
Hahah that is hilarious! I love that she thought those boots would work. Glad you found something a little better 🙂
This is so cute! What a great story. Your girls look like pros and those purple shoes are quite awesome. Purple soccer shoes are definitely in order. 🙂
This was hilarious, thanks for sharing with us ! But…
..did you take the pictures whilst frantically searching for the missing shoe ?
Oops reading this over, it doesn’t come out the way I wanted too. It really made me laugh, imagining the whole family waiting, an impatient husband, AND you taking the time to take these priceless pictures !
I figured that maybe you staged them when you all came back, but I am not sure and that made me laugh too 🙂
Oh no–you had it right the first time–impatient family, me taking pictures. But it was just so Beatrix-and I needed to have it documented. And besides, we couldn’t leave without shoes, and Keats was still looking for them. It only took a second to get the photos. Then he shouted, I found it! And we were off!
Wow ! There is always time for a priceless picture then, you are so right 🙂
This post is all sorts of awesome. We were getting ready to send my son hiking with my husband when we realized that he doesn’t have any shoes that fit except Crocs (we live in Southern California). That was a couple weeks ago and I still haven’t managed to get to a store to buy the poor kid some new tennis shoes. I love the purple shoes, the girls’ excitement over soccer, and your son’s cute haircut!
Hilarious! I think the purple shoes are great! It is astounding me lately how much gear we seem to have accumulated in the few short years my oldest boys have been playing sports (not to mention bike riding, skateboarding and scootering)…and I have been notified that new baseball cleats are needed this year too. Yeesh!
So funny! Beatrix’s enthusiasm is so precious! But the line that really caught me is the couch in the kitchen, so cool to have a couch in a kitchen!!!
I love this post because I remember so many times doing this. Heck, I still do this and I’ve been at this parenting thing for almost 16 years now. Geez, you’d think I’d have learned to plan ahead a bit better. And Beatrix’s solution of the boots – now that made me chuckle! 🙂
Wow. I just read the comments from ladies who had extra cleats, and I am in tears. I have a bunch in my give away pile as well! But I wanted to comment on Silas’s hair. How incredibly precious! The first haircut for my little boy almost ripped my heart out, now I love to see his fresh little haircuts. Maybe it gives us a glimpse of the little man hiding in there! Your posts are a joy to me.
Soccer is a wonderful sport! We are huge soccer people (well, and now also basketball, volleyball and tennis). Sports + multiple kids = serious time management challenges. I feel for you! But hey, how great to have found a sport for both girls while the boys play at the neighboring field — SCORE on that one. But they will need proper cleats — keep them on the porch. Good luck! I bet Bea will be really into it. (:
Beatrix and Larkspur are such an awesome team – I’m glad they get to be together for this. And yay for big brothers and their shoe-finding skills!
Silas looks like a little Christopher Robin. I just want to give him a hug.
Hahahahahahaha You made my day ( nigth) haha
We head to the play it again in Leesburg. Sadly they did not have my 12 year olds size.
Great! My son may be starting soccer too.
ginny, this is hysterical! i love it!
Ooh what size? Let me look and see if I have Molly’s around!
That’s wonderful you found something they can while the big boys play soccer! Not being able to find shoes…story of my life.
So exciting! And how nice for you guys that you found something on the same days, close together. We have four playing soccer and it’s a bit of a gong show! Thanks for the reminder to dig out our gear now, while we have some time!
What size do you need? I have a pair of unisex soccer cleats size 2 that my daughter wore last year. I have them in my donate pile. I can just mail you those if you’d like. They’re a little ripped at the toes but not bad at all. Your if you want them.
Hi Cathy! Thanks so much for the offer! A local friend came through today with cleats for both girls!!!
Excellent!
I love little ones playing soccer, it really should be called Mob ball though since they all huddle together and chase the ball, never passing off. The best part? No stress, just fun.