Soccer Saturday.

Turner's first soccer game was today. At 8:15 a.m. we're trying to get out the door because the school where he plays is way far away. Turner arrives in time to do some practice shots. I was SO excited for this game. We even bought camping chairs. I get set up next to the other soccer moms and we make small talk about how beautiful the weather is (70s this morning). The whistle blows and the kids take off like they know exactly what is going on. Let me remind everyone I know about zilch when it comes to the rules of soccer. I don't know how score is kept. I didn't really know what to expect today. I'd heard that kids this young just huddle around the ball and kick shins. This game was not like that at all. I cheered like a fool, joining the other moms, a grandmom, and the dads, and I didn't expect that I'd be that excited about a kid's soccer game. But, it hasn't been our kid out there before. It was an action-packed game, and I am so proud of Turner.

The kids ran the length of the field playing defense and knowing which goal was their goal (well, our team's first goal was compliments of the opposing team). At practice, if feels like the kids aren't always listening or organized as a team, but today they worked together. They play 20 minute halves. The coaches run up and down the field offering advice to the players. Turner was chosen to sit out the first quarter. He ws not particularly happy about this, but the tears didn't last long. He cheered for his teammates and even stepped into the game at one point when the play was in front of him. He ran out to intercept the other team. Actually, a little boy on the other team is dribbling down the field and Turner ran out in front of him and the ball hit the back of Turner's foot. Then he ran back to his spot standing out of bounds. The moms and I were all excited and cheered for him anyway. There are a few kids on the team that are good players. Six players on the team. Cameron, the coach's son, is fast and really good at handling the ball. Turner runs fast. He chases the ball down and is good at stopping it and, sometimes, taking it away. He's the tallest kid on the team, and he looks ginormous compared to the three year olds, who are both small for their age. Cain is good at aiming goals. Only one kid got hurt (busted lip, on our team). Check out the videos to see Turner in action. He was impressive. After snacks are passed out and Turner has the usual lip hickey from the small Gatorade bottle, we split ways with Andy, who has to go to work.

Turner and I go to Thorsten's birthday party. His folks are patients of Dr. Duchon, and they are the coolest (she's a grad student in hydrology and he is a professor, studing soil). It was the best kid party ever. Mimosas and the World Cup game on the big screen. A kiddie pool with sprinklers. I got to meet lots of new people who do all sorts of cool jobs and came home with an email list. Turner admonishes us to find friends with kids, so I came home with a list of email addresses.

We catch the last five mnutes of the soccer game at Trident Grill, where some of my lady friends and their spouses watched the game. Turner entertained Star, Elise, and Crystal and refused to eat macaroni and cheese. I suppose all that candy at Thorsten's made him full. Or it could have been the brownies.

After the game we go to the bookstore to buy Kilan's birthday present. It is after 2 pm. The parking lot is full and we drive around for a bit. I give up. We go home for twenty minutes so Turner can eat a PB&J and I can drink a Diet Coke. Yeah caffeine. We go back to the bookstore and buy Kilan a present. We go to Kilan's birthday party.

There, Turner gets to hit his second pinata of the day, and he collects more candy. Andy arrives just in time to watch. There are also chocolate cupcakes (Cheryl's recipe), water balloons, a few party games, and tons of jumping on the trampoline.

Eleven and a half hours after we first left the house, we made it back home.