We started our crazy schedule back on June 20. You know, the normal summer swim team/dive team/Camp Manatawny/summer-schooling nonsense that takes over Rutherford-dom for the better part of eight weeks. We really have a lot of fun when we're in the midst of it, but to be perfectly honest, we just sort of drop off the face of the earth as far as everyone around us in concerned. We literally disappear only to reappear mid-August at which point we resume our normal schedule.
This year, though, we decided to give soccer a try. We have always had reservations about the kids participating in team sports because of the time commitment. Swimming is a good family fit because the kids all enjoy it, they practice at the same time in the morning, they compete at the same meets, it's only six weeks long, and we still have most of our evenings free. It is a good balance. However, our experience with Little League wasn't great and during Scott's time as a youth minister we watched dozens of families over the years explain away frequent absences because of sports.
Don't get me wrong - sports are like anything else and they have their positives and negatives. But having eight kids means schedules can very quickly become clogged if you don't choose very carefully where to invest your time both individually and as a family.
So, after completing Keats and Aidan's season and being only three weekends away from the completion of Dawson's & Tucker's seasons, we have our verdict. For our family, most team sports are definitely back out. With four boys on three teams, we literally had 7-day a week soccer. And while there were some fun moments, overall we had to acknowledge that we just miss one another.
I knew for certain it wasn't working when Dawson looked at me this weekend and asked, "How much longer until we can read books together again at night?" And Shelby, who happened to overhear him as she was walking by chimed in with a mighty "Hear! Hear!"
Just this morning Tucker asked if anyone had practice tonight. After I told him no he grinned and immediately declared today a jammie day.
I know there are families who thrive on the hither and yon practices and games. But we are willing to admit that we are not that family. We are more the go for a walk/run before we clean the library grounds together and come home to a crock pot full of soup after which we'll shower and then play board games and finish off the evening with a great book type family.
And so, we will finish out this season with a better grasp on what is important to each of us both individually and as a family. And in the week that follows the final game, I will carefully clean the barely used cleats, shin guards, uniforms, and cups for listing on eBay and Craigslist. Well, maybe not the cups.
Maybe.
This year, though, we decided to give soccer a try. We have always had reservations about the kids participating in team sports because of the time commitment. Swimming is a good family fit because the kids all enjoy it, they practice at the same time in the morning, they compete at the same meets, it's only six weeks long, and we still have most of our evenings free. It is a good balance. However, our experience with Little League wasn't great and during Scott's time as a youth minister we watched dozens of families over the years explain away frequent absences because of sports.
Don't get me wrong - sports are like anything else and they have their positives and negatives. But having eight kids means schedules can very quickly become clogged if you don't choose very carefully where to invest your time both individually and as a family.
So, after completing Keats and Aidan's season and being only three weekends away from the completion of Dawson's & Tucker's seasons, we have our verdict. For our family, most team sports are definitely back out. With four boys on three teams, we literally had 7-day a week soccer. And while there were some fun moments, overall we had to acknowledge that we just miss one another.
I knew for certain it wasn't working when Dawson looked at me this weekend and asked, "How much longer until we can read books together again at night?" And Shelby, who happened to overhear him as she was walking by chimed in with a mighty "Hear! Hear!"
Just this morning Tucker asked if anyone had practice tonight. After I told him no he grinned and immediately declared today a jammie day.
I know there are families who thrive on the hither and yon practices and games. But we are willing to admit that we are not that family. We are more the go for a walk/run before we clean the library grounds together and come home to a crock pot full of soup after which we'll shower and then play board games and finish off the evening with a great book type family.
And so, we will finish out this season with a better grasp on what is important to each of us both individually and as a family. And in the week that follows the final game, I will carefully clean the barely used cleats, shin guards, uniforms, and cups for listing on eBay and Craigslist. Well, maybe not the cups.
Maybe.
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