Queue the scary music....

It's beginning to feel like it's finally autumn here in the Pacific Northwest. It's funny because here the trees begin to turn on the tips of the leaves in mid August, but they continue to show color until late October. It's the light. We have sun until 10 at the summer solstice. Now, just past the autumnal equinox it gets dark by 7:30 and come the winter solstice, we'll be feeling the sun setting at 3:30.

That can mean only one thing....

Soccer Season!

Now I know that some folks think that being the embodiment of the suburban mom is about the most horrible thing that could ever happen to a woman in the early 21st century. But for me? No way. If I get to live where my family can afford a house that fits five people (it's an inner ring suburb folks....we're talking little house, tiny yard, but at least we fit....) and we can be happy where we're planted, then why would anyone disparage our choices? And why would they judge me for being a suburban mom? I LOVE to go watch my son play soccer. Soccer mom, that's me! He rocks. And I can hardly sit still watching him play I get so freakin' worried that a call will not go his way or that he'll make a play that knocks out his vision, or his teeth...you know....AGAIN. It's a part of being a dedicated parent.

I know, I know. People have made it a sad cliche. But for some of our youth its a part of the whole growing up thing. Why is that so hard for people to understand?

Our middle son is an amazing athlete. Really. Let's just put this in perspective. When he decided to stop going to our little haven on earth of homeschool school and decided to go to the (inner ring suburb gang centered) local high school I asked the counselor how to find the "serious" (read not gang banger) students. She told us that the serious students go out for the cross country team. OK, our middlest has been a super star (and totally marginalized because he's from the inner ring suburb) soccer player. And most improved on the country club swim team. And a champion at our Do Jang in Tae Kwon Do. He's a good athlete. An excellent athlete. So when he came home from Japan he said "Screw Jet Lag, I'm going to XC practice" the very next day, and he ran five miles on like two hours of sleep we knew it was serious. Now he's a Freshman on one of the top cross country teams in the state and he's just made varsity. He went to Nike Pre-Nationals in Portland, Oregon yesterday, and yes, he can run a 5k in under 18 minutes. He's got one of the top 100 times in his school's history. He is going to letter as a freshman. He's working his butt off. He's amazing.

A lot of this is due to his soccer coaches training over the years. He's been on four premier teams. He's learned a lot about pain and endurance and hard work. And yes, it's happened while he lives in the suburbs.

Horrors! The SUBURBS!

Yeah whatever. Don't you just wish that people could stop judging each other for their skin color or their educational level or you know......WHERE THEY LIVE??

I do.

Really, I do.