How was your day dear?

Yesterday, on the Tuesday that felt like a Monday, I was still sitting in a meeting at 5pm.

Cooper had to be at football practice across town at 5:45pm.

Jordan had a volleyball game at 5pm on the *other* side of town. The Captain attended and rah-rah-rah'd.

I flew out of the office at 5:05pm.

Ran in the door, changed my clothes and grabbed the kid.

Screached in the parking lot and made it to practice right as the kids were starting all those 1-2-3 warm up things.

Saw friend from church in the parking lot who pointed out that the pads in Coop's pants were all snapped in upside down.

I'm a goober head.

Fixed the pants.

Slapped him on the rear, kissed his little helmet bobble-head self and sent him off to the field.

Grabbed his 87 gallon water jug, my chair, and an umbrella.

Watched practice.

Hit hit hit.

Yea! Coop had a great tackle.

Right now that's not happening very much.

I was kinda' proud.

The coach bonked him on the helmet and said "Way to go W!!!!"

(Actually he didn't say "W", he said "LAST NAME", but our last name is all policey and highly confidental and stuff.....)

Watched Cooper go check on a player who was slow to get up.

Heard two dads talking, "Cooper is always encouraging everybody and congratulating them and telling them they've done a good job. He's a real nice kid."

Now THAT made me proud.

Forget the football.

*sniff*

Play a little Words with Friends.

Share "It's so hard to work full time and get kids everywhere and get it all done and survive" woes with a few other moms.

Cue the rain.

Oh wait -

Now cue the POURING rain.

Sit in the pouring rain for about 30 minutes.

Wonder if I'm really cut out to be a football mom.

Two hours later, practice is over.

Coop gets his game jersey -- with his name on it.

He's proud. Even though he hates football.

Head to the car.

Squish squish squish.

Ask Cooper to strip down to his underwear before he gets in the car.

He declines.

Seriously, those pants.

Those cleats.

Yuk.

Ummmmm....

Is that tire supposed to be that flat-looking?

Blah.

Text the Captain to see if he has an air blowy up thing in the garage.

He does.

Of course he does.

Hope there is enough air in the tire to make it home.

Drive home and pray the tire doesn't blow out and we go skidding all over the slickish road.

Make it home sans blow-out.

Whew.

Jordan and the Captain show up at the casa.

Recap of the day and the volleyball game.

With showers and homework for all.

Good night.

Grab your bag and get in the car

It all starts today.

And I guess I'd better get used to it.

Because it will be like this for at least nine more years.

Or at least until November.

This is the week that Cooper's football camps and practices start.

Three nights a week.

And an occasional weekend.

Factor that in with Jordan's on-going volleyball practices, camps, and clinics that have already been going on all summer.

Five nights a week.

And an occasional weekend.

That's a lot to coordinate.

And it has involved an excel spreadsheet. And several different colored highlighters.

Cooper has played team sports before, but up until now, it's involved a one-hour practice and a game on Saturday. This little team is a bit more than that. This is also his first brush with football. He's excited. And nervous. It's tackle. Which means he has to wear a helmet and shoulder pads and lots of other pads.

(For those of you who are unfamiliar with the sport of volleyball, it only requires knee pads.)

He's very proud all of his gear. And has been wearing his helmet and mouthpiece around the house.

But he doesn't want to get hurt. And thinks that if he does, the buggy will come out and get him on the field and he will get to give the cheering crowd a thumbs-up. Ummmmm, Coop, it's just 3rd & 4th grade football. No buggy.

This crazy practice schedule concerns me. Especially when school starts. Because it means most nights we are will be dragging in close to nine o'clock. That's just late people. And there's that thing called homework....and bedtime.... And I'm a firm believer in home-cooked dinner. We are not a fast food drive through family. Helllloooooo my beloved crockpot!

And I know that's just all part of it....

Jordan has had some experience with crazy practice schedules, but since she is playing on the JV team this year, the schedule ramps up significantly.

And I know I shouldn't say Cooper is just eight and he's a baby and this is a huge commitment. But Cooper is just eight and he's a baby and this is a huge commitment.

And our kids are only involved in one activity. How on earth do these people do it when they have their kids in dance, and cheer, and voice, and boy scouts, and french lessons, and all that? Whew!

Anyhoo.....tonight it all begins.

Please send Gatorade. And gift cards for gasoline.

And if anybody wants to be penciled in for a drop-off or a pick-up slot, let me know.

(For my local readers, Jordan's camp this week runs until 10pm and is at a very nice college way down by the zoo. Yes, the one that rhymes with "Toads". Yes, I'm serious. And let's just say it won't be the first time I've picked her and Niece M up from practice wearing my jammie pants. )

And for those of you keeping score at home, school starts in three weeks. And no, we don't have uniforms or school supplies yet. And I avoid the tax-free weekend like the plague. It's not worth saving $23 to fight some woman over notebook paper and pocket folders with prongs.

Happy Monday people. I've had my crockpot plugged in since 5am.

So let the games practices for the games begin.