Indoor Soccer

We arrived at the complex for Ian's first indoor soccer game.  Before me, I saw a comp team and they looked serious.  They had snazzy reddish orange uniforms that matched from head to toe.  Their coach looked tough and organized.  As soon as the field was clear, they hustled into a formation and started warming up with coordinated precision.

This is my first year signing my boys up for indoor soccer.  Isaac's AYSO coach wanted to sign his team up.  When Ian found out, he wanted to do indoor soccer too.  But, his coach wasn't signing up.  So, I asked the complex if Ian could play?  "Sure," they told me.  They put him on the house team called the "Misfits" a group of U12 boys who all wanted to play but didn't have a team to sign up with. 

There they stood against the wall.  Mismatched uniforms with white pennies over the top to help identify them as a unit.  No coach.  These boys had never played together.  They had never even met each other.  They were too shy to even say "hi" to each other.

I drew in a sharp breath preparing myself for an absolute blow-out.  I called to Ian, "Remember it's just for fun!  Playing comp teams will help you get better."  But, inside I worried he would never want to come back and finish out the season.

I took my seat and the buzzer rang.  Right from the get-go, those boys, that team of Misfits, ran onto that field and played soccer fiercely.  I couldn't believe my eyes!  I knew Ian was good (at least, I always think he has some of the best moves on the field), but it turned out that whole team of boys who were willing to sign up to play just for the love without the support of a team or a coach were on fire!

Within the first two minutes, they scored the first goal!  The other team had a superb goalie, but, our boys kept that ball on the right end of the field for most of the first half.  At halftime, the score was 1-1. 

Then, the employee who was directing our boys on what positions to play sent Ian in as goalie and my knuckles went white.  My boy had never played goalie.  I'm sure the comp coach didn't play any of his boys as goalie who had never done it before.  The other team snuck in two goals before Ian could get his wits about him.  But, then he pulled out some ninja goalie moves.  By the end of the game the score was 5-5.  It felt like the most intense soccer game I've ever been to.  I was so proud of the way they played.  I love watching my kids play soccer and basketball more than any pro game I've attended.

  

Yesterday, Ian and I left the house at 10:30 a.m. thinking we would be home in one hour.  Sophie was home alone with Isaac and Katie.  I needed to drive straight home, feed everyone lunch, and take Sophie to the school for her matinee performance of High School Musical (by the way it turned out darling and she did an amazing job).  When I was driving to the game, I noticed that my brakes were very soft.  I had just had my oil changed, so I figured I would swing by Jiffy Lube to have the brake fluid topped off on my way home.

By the time I arrived, only my back brakes were working (this is a scary way to drive a giant van in case you are wondering).  That is when they told me that 1) they don't top off brake fluid because if it is low it means there is a problem that needs to be addressed and 2) I would need to drive 25 blocks to their other location to have the brakes looked at.

I didn't know what to do.  It didn't feel like the safest choice to drive there, but with it getting worse by the minute, I didn't want to drive home and wind up needing a tow truck.  We drove about 15MPH the whole way and made it.  I guess in my mind I was thinking it might take like 15 minutes or something for them to fix it.  I was so wrong!  It was over an hour before they could even look at it and it was 5.5 hours before I got it back (still not completely fixed so I have to take it in again tomorrow).  

The first thing I did was frantically make phone calls to all of my neighbors to see if anyone could give Sophie the message to eat lunch and get ready for her musical.  I think it was the first time I truly regretted not paying $40/month to have a cheap 3rd line cellphone to leave at home.  Finally, I got through to a friend who also has a daughter in the musical.  She was so sweet and totally saved me.  She went to the house to pick up Sophie and an x-ray of my foot.

My heel has been in extreme pain since I ran Ragnar last June and, after trying every home remedy I can find (prescription dose anti-inflammatories for 3-months, rest, ice, a night splint, massage, stretching, wearing running shoes with orthodic inserts all day every day), I finally relented and started seeing a podiatrist.  I waited so long because -- expensive + no insurance.  I have plantar fasciitis and a giant heel spur.  She started me on a round of cortisone shots two weeks ago and I was overdue for my second shot. My appointment was at 1:30 p.m.  I had gotten an x-ray from another clinic that I was suppose to bring to the appointment.

My friend dropped off Sophie, brought me my x-ray and took Ian and me to the Dr. appt.  Then, she had to rush back to the school to see her daughter play the lead role of Sharpay in the musical.  Meanwhile, my awesome brother dropped whatever he was doing and picked up Katie and Isaac so they wouldn't be left alone at the house.

At 2:30, my mom came to the rescue after she finished up at a baby shower for her best friend's daughter.  She brought lunch to poor Ian who hadn't had any access to food since breakfast.  We stopped and got an ice pack so I could ice my foot while we drove around (a requirement for two hours after the shots).  We picked up Sophie and bought her dinner before she would have to be back at the school at 5 p.m. to prepare for the evening show.  

I finally got my van back at 5:30 p.m. -- seven hours after I thought I had left my house for one hour.  

The amazing part about this adventure is two things.  First, I felt so loved by everyone who pitched in to help me out of a bind and by everyone else who was on standby (I made so many phone calls.  It was scary being stranded).  My dad and Brian are in Montana for eleven days.  They are the ones who usually fix the cars when they break down, so this was a truly new experience for me.  Second, Ian was such a trooper!  Here he was trapped all day in cars and waiting rooms, unable to change out of his soccer clothes and cleats, no jacket on a freezing day, and nothing to eat or drink for hours on end.  And-that boy did not complain one time.  I love him so much.  He is unbelievable.