March 28, 2009

Oh yea, what a LLLLLOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG day!

Eli's first soccer game. We were all so excited. Purple shirts, Eli couldn't be happier, ok maybe if they were pink, but purple is "da bomb" according to Will Stephens and Leslie. First thing out Coach put Eli in as goalie, "uh, Coach??" Yea, so first off Eli sees it as this 1. I don't get to wear my purple shirt like every one else. 2. I have to stand over here all by myself. 3. I don't get to kick the magic pink ball like every one else.

So he sits in the corner of the goal. Coach comes over and gives him a pep talk, high five, things seem to be better..... UNTIL the other team start coming his way with the ball. Every one is cheering, Eli takes it as them yelling at him. He drops to his knees in tears and oh yea, that is that. "THEY ARE YELLING AT ME! THEY ARE MAD AT ME!?" Coach Jason calls on his savior, wife and Kindergarden teacher Amy to save the day. She did a pretty good job. It isn't helping things that Eli was kept up very late by a babysitting Grandma and Grandpa the night before and mommy feels terrible. (At this point in time, we were all unaware that Mommy would be in the hospital by 5pm and would be there for a week.)

Eli would come off the field 4 times crying. The 3rd time I went to the other side of the field. "Eli, there is NO crying in soccer!!" It was time to get up, dust himself off and get out there and play some SOCCER!!! He was pitiful and I was having a very hard time feeling sorry for him. I said, "What is the problem Eli?" "I just hurt myself." ...rolling the eyes, heavy sigh... expecting some little dirty spot on his knee. "Where?" "My mouth." I lifted up his lip and sure enough, blood every where, this poor child and gotten head bumped during a crash for the ball and had a legitimate reason to cry... and here his heartless mother was telling him to suck it up and get back out there. I know it won't be long when there will be blood and I will be dragging him off the field and he will be trying to convince me to let him stay out there. We got some ice, some one else went in for him and he was all better.

It was a long game, that is for sure! He was barely running during the 3rd quarter and no running at all by the last quarter, he kept coming off the field trying to sit in my lap. I guess I should put him on the treadmill for some conditioning?