Goaaaaaaaaal !!!!!!!

We received Lindsay's team pictures yesterday. I was traveling light at the game so I didn't have my diaper bag which usually has my camera. So, here is her portrait! Cutie pie!

On Saturday, Lindsay scored her first soccer goal! We are so excited for her. Lately, she has been struggling with feeling excited about soccer, feeling discouraged and deflated, finding reasons to want to miss additional practice (besides when she was sick.) I got her to open up to me and she said she was having a hard time knowing how to keep in position and gets nervous when the ball comes close to her and I know she has been having a hard time with being the little one - almost all of the other players are a bigger, a lot bigger, than she is. So on Friday I talked to her about how she learned skills in other areas, like at school. For instance, the things she is really great at in 2nd grade she started learning in Kindergarten and was not yet good at it. Like how she used to ride her bike with training wheels but has been wild and reckless for almost 2 years now.

So, anyway, I think she had a break thru yesterday. She was having a really great game - I saw her carefully checking the markings on the field when she came out to play, to make sure she was starting in the right position - as a midfield wing, she always looked back to make sure she was in line with the penalty box. She was running and hustling and keeping up with play. She got a hold of the ball a couple times and cleared it pretty well. Overall, she was playing a really great game for her. Then about half way thru the 4th quarter, we saw a small pack of Blue Polar Bears (Lindsay's team) and Yellow Bumble Bees in a ball struggle and tussle near the goal. Lindsay was right in the thick of it and put that ball in the net! It wasn't a long and dramatic kick, it was being the right person with the right position to pop that ball in the goal. Oh, she was elated! We could see her smile beaming from across the field!

This might be the first game the Polar Bears won all season, I may be mistaken. 4 to 1 I think was the final score. Their last game is next saturday. Lindsay has said she wanted to quit soccer and just focus gymnastics (she was just invited to the pre-team all-stars level - she is progressing quickly...more time, more $ of course) but she said she had such a great game, like I said, a break thru game for her, that she wants to play again. I was prepared to let her be done with soccer but I also like the skill set of soccer - the teamwork, the patience, the constant running is great exercise, etc. Anyway, we will play it by ear - I want her to be happy and not frustrated. I guess we all need a break thru moment, don't we?

So to celebrate said first goal, we wanted to do something fun. Ice cream after the game? Great idea that we would have loved to do but the girls had to go home and go straight to a birthday party. So, after a day spent cleaning the garage and working in the yard, we went out for a quick bite to eat and decided a goal was worthy of a trip to Krispy Kreme!!! We have not been in a while so it was quite a treat.