Sports Mom

My oldest son plays on an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Basketball Team. It is called Team Hoop/Mana. We travel almost every weekend for tournaments and have our league games on Friday nights. This will be one of the  very few weekends where we will be at home. We play Friday and Saturday, but at home. Usually we play Friday at home, and Sat/Sun in another city. I love it, although it is a lot of driving and a lot of work for all involved. I love the team, the players, the moms and dads, the coaches, and I love the director, the one who put the organization together. He also is a coach for several of our TH teams. We could not have found a more amazing team/organization. More on this at another time. I will say I am very proud of my boy as he plays on a 7th grade team and he is in the 6th grade. These teams are pretty tough. He is not just an athlete but a 4.0 student. He works hard at everything he does. Well, to be honest, most things comes easily to him, but when hard work is in order, he will put in the time.

The only downside for me has been that I have miss out on my other boys' games this spring. My middle boy is playing baseball and my youngest is playing Viking Soccer. I have heard they are doing amazingly well. I miss being out there cheering them on. I love watching my little guys go out there and play. They really are talented athletes all three of them.

OK, they drive me crazy half of the day when I have them all together, but in all seriousness, they are really amazing kids. They are known at school as some of the brightest, most athletic (means a lot in our school), but more than that, they are known to be kind and helpful. I have had people come up to me to tell me what nice kids I have. That this one was helpful in this way and that went out of his way to do that. I know this is going to sound harsh, but besides being proud, I would expect no less from my boys. I expect gentlemen. If someone needs help, you go do it. If someone is walking in a door, you go open it. If someone walks in, greet them. How is it that other people are not teaching these very same things. 

OK, I'm not thick, I get that some kids are shy and that some kids just don't do these things. But I expect my boys, at a certain age, to be gentlemen. Polite from the time they can speak, though. 

Don't get me wrong, they are maniacs and can swear like sailors at home (no I don't let them, they just find ways to slip it in and that is just the little fart, really) but NOT out in the world. 

If they need a safe place to act out or be naughty, home better be the place. I can handle that...to a point. Just be polite when it counts. They know this.

I am now down to using their sports as leverage. You will continue to behave or lose your sports for this weekend. 

Don't get the wrong idea, they are mostly good...really. But come on, three boys!

Off to kiss my babies' sweet sleeping faces before I go to sleep myself.

Good night!

L