playing catch-up: soccer

Soccer started in August. (This is our first year.) I've wanted to let the pirates play, but we've either been moving, or thinking about moving... or everywhere but the soccer sign-up. So this year... I was determined - and we did! 

Two days before it began I texted my sister-in-law (who knows everything there is to know about soccer) and asked if I could send my pirates in something other than cleats (seeing as we had none), or if that would fate them to a tortured soul for all eternity. She responded with something like "...all eternity" with lots of exclamation points, so we found ourself some cleats that afternoon. (But at practice there were children without cleats, and their souls seemed to perfectly fine - so I'm thinking a tortured soul for all of eternity was not an absolute. The pirates, however, love their cleats.)

It's all so fun. The cleats, the shinguards, the friends, the soft evenings... Erikboy loves it, but he was so nervous for the first game. I watched him work up all the courage he could possibly find... to play goalie. I was so proud of him. (Every other game since has been a different story - he warmed up to it fast!) Robs played her first game like soccer was nothing new to her... even though it was. (I love that girl.)