We’re home after another nine hour drive.
Chicky’s team lost yesterday 0-1. We outplayed the other team, but as any soccer fan knows, it only takes one goal to win.
The girls were disappointed, as was to be expected. It was obvious to everyone watching that they were the better team. I guess that the Lord had other plans for them. Fortunately, Chicky didn’t come off the field crying like last year. Maybe she had already done it before I got to the team’s bench.
As the game ended, I couldn’t help but reflect on lessons learned from this season. Y’all have ridden this roller coaster ride with us, so you know the ups and downs we’ve been through. I think one of the most important things we can walk away with is that Chicky figured out how much soccer means to her. She truly loves the game, and she wants to play with others who love it as much as she does. She had waffled for a while, leaving the team for a while to figure things out. That is no longer the case. She has a renewed fire in her heart, and it shows through her playing.
The other big lesson we all learned was balance. Chicky needed balance in her life (as we all do), and drawing a line in the sand became very important way for us to keep her sanity in check (I might debate myself on that point). You only get to be a teen once (can I hear a hallelujah from all the moms out there!). Not that I believe in doing whatever you want, but you know what I mean. If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you definitely know what I mean.
We eased the sadness of the loss by a delicious dinner at Carrabbas. We ate with Chicky’s best friend, who will be graduating from high school in a couple of weeks. They’ve been teammates for six years and, thus, have grown up on the field together. We shared a lot of laughs around the table last night as the families are quite close. When you travel together as much as we have, you can’t help but consider each other extended family. We’ll miss them next season.
Although the Mr. wanted to sleep in, I insisted that we get an early start home. The kids wanted to get home in time for church, and I wanted to be able to watch the Survivor finale. I would have much rather watched it online had that meant that Chicky would have been playing in the Finals; however, since that didn’t happen, I figured why not go on home.
The ride was uneventful. We made far fewer stops this go-round, and I managed not to leave my purse any place either (I had left it at Chick fil A on the way down — which I quickly noticed and went back for). I took the first shift of driving since the Mr. is not a morning person.
As I navigated the long, boring stretch of the Turnpike, I reminisced about the years I spent toting the kids back and forth to the grandparents’ from our home in Miami. It was a solid nine-hour drive, and I always took the Turnpike because it was the safest route. The Mr. had a demanding new job that he could not take time off from. The kids were amazing in the car after getting out their angst about an hour into the trip. They would always settle down, somehow understanding that they would be spoiled rotten at the end of the journey. The worst part for me was the stretch between West Palm Beach and Orlando.
What a barren panorama! There’s not much to break up the monotony, so I tried to hit it before lunch and a full stomach and, thus, the sleepies. The kids used to sing along to Christian songs on the tapes I played for them. Now they listen to their iPods or watch movies on their laptops. Rooster managed to read two of Brad Thor’s books. His newest one is The Last Patriot.
Do not ask me why, but the Mr., who never, ever reads, went to the bookstore recently and picked up five of this author’s books. As the kids asked in the car, “Daddy reads?” To which we heehawed.
I read The Last Patriot last Thursday. It was a fast read…only taking me about five hours to finish. The chapters are short, and the topic is relevant to the terrorism threats the world faces today. The author reminds me of Tom Clancy, without so many technical details.
Rooster flew through this book on the way down and quickly began the author’s first book, which the Mr. just happened to put in the car. Halfway home today, Rooster had finished it as well.
All-in-all, the ride was quiet. The Mr. likes to stop at hotels and use their bathrooms since they are so much cleaner than gas stations. We’ve ceased to be embarrassed as he inquires about directions to local restaurants…his excuse for using their potties. Today, we stopped at a Hilton, and look what was outside…
A horse-drawn carriage! The horse’s name is Buddy, and he was a real sweetie, allowing me to give his nose a rub. I’m such a sucker for animals.
So now we’re home. Chicky has another tournament Memorial Day weekend. I’m not even going to bother putting the suitcases away. I’ll wash our clothes and re-pack them since I need my team t-shirts to wear in support of the girls.
It won’t be long before I’m singing, “On the Road Again…”
Filed under: soccer | Tagged: Brad Thor, soccer, The Last Patriot | Leave a comment »
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