Just a little type A

Cutting The Cord

Photo Credit: Babyproofing Your Marriage

At what point do you cut the cord?  When do you push your kids out of the nest?  

At what age are you comfortable with letting your kids do things on their own? 

Like riding their bikes to school? Or taking the subway as did the nine year old child of Free Range mom.

We've been struggling with the boys and responsibility for a few years.  Specifically, how to help the boys become more responsible.

Chores haven't helped. Nothing seems to have stuck. At their ages, they should already have developed a certain level of responsibility, but they haven't.  

As a parent you wonder if you've failed. Have you coddled them too much?  What did you do wrong? Or is it simply your kids are lame? Or just lazy?

Believing that to become more responsible, you have to be given more responsibility, today we went back to making letting the boys ride their bikes to school.  This year they're at different schools so there's that worry that something could happen, but that's just my type A nature and helicopter mom coming across.

The Big One wasn't too excited about the idea at first when I broached the subject while picking him up from school a couple of weeks ago.

The Big One: "I have to bring my bike with me to every period."  

Me: "You're telling me there are no bike racks on campus?"

The Big One: "Yeah. I see kids having to push their bikes around campus all day."

Me: "That doesn't make sense. I'll tell you what. I'm gonna park and see for myself."

Seized with fear that his mom would come on campus while there were still students around, the Big One immediately responded, "Um. Maybe there are bike racks."

Yeah, just what I thought.

So they rode to school this morning. It didn't take them as long as we had thought, only 15 minutes each as opposed to 30 minutes. Definitely faster than if I had driven them.  

I've gained one hour in the morning and two hours in the afternoon during the workweek, with the exception of the days they have cross country meets.

An extra three hours a day to get more work done on my businesses and blogs, and extra time to practice on my machine.  Extra time so that I can get up to 250 words per minute.

But will it work? Will riding their bikes to school help develop that sense of responsibility that they have been lacking? Or will it just give me more gray hairs while I wait for the phone to ring, letting me know that they made it to school safely? 

 

 

 

 

 

Forgive Me Father, It's Been 16 Months Since My Last

 
16 months and 4 days. That's how long it's been since my last Zumba class.
 
That pesky broken bone in my foot has taken this long to heal.  What? Yep, almost a year and a half for a fractured metatarsal to heal.

Good thing I didn't break a hip, I'd probably still be in a convalescent home. 

If you're interested, these posts detail my broken foot journey:

• Little Piggy Goes To Market
• Week 21
• R&R Again
• I Know What You Did Last Summer
• 9 Months Along
• You Walk Like An Elephant

Oh, and the kicker. While the foot has healed, the soft tissue around the bone still hasn't...  

North San Diego Futbol Club Stallions vs. Temecula United

Stallions Team photo (best of 14)

On Sunday the North San Diego Futbol Club Stallions faced their toughest opponents as of date.  Tough in the sense that the boys on Temecula United must have thought the game was rugby not soccer.  While a little shoving and pushing is "customary", full out tackles aren't.  Not quite sure why all the ref ignored the multiple fouls. 

Final Score: 4-1 Temecula United

The Little One scored the goal for the Stallions on a rebound post goalie block penalty kick. (One of the few fouls that the ref called.)

And like his first goal of the season (Stallions v Storm game in this post), I was too busy watching the game sans camera instead of keeping my eye glued to the eyepiece on my camera and panning the motion on the field.

Here are some of the game highlights:

 

#3 taking on a pushy Bulldog

 

#20 bringing up the ball from d

#2 doing his best can-can imitation, nothing like a little high kick

 

#9 3-D without the special glasses

 

 

North San Diego Futbol Club Stallions vs. San Diego SC B2000

The Little One  (it's probably about time for a haircut...)

Saturday the North San Diego Futbol Club Stallions took on the San Diego SC B2000 team.  Despite record breaking triple digit heat across San Diego county, the boys gave it their all and did not let the heat affect their playing.

Final Score: 2-1 Stallions

Here are a few game highlights: 

#34 leaving boys in his wake

 

#15 booting it downfield

 

#11 battling it out for control of the ball

 

 

#16 a little windup before sending the ball 30 yards

 

 

North San Diego Futbol Club Stallions vs. Encinitas Express

A little leap and kick from the Little One

The North San Diego Futbol Club Stallions played the Encinitas Express in last Sunday's soccer game.  Playing on real grass through the boys and girl a little but they still managed to pull off a win.

Final Score: 2-1 Stallions

Here are a few game hightlights:

 

#2 on a midfield breakaway

 

 

#8 on a drive heading towards the goal

 

#5 getting ready to take a shot on goal

 

North San Diego Futbol Club Stallions vs. Vista Storm

The Little One on a breakaway heading to the goal.

Talk about firsts: the Little One scored the first goal of the season in the first game in the first few minutes during the North San Diego Futbol Club Stallions vs Vista Storm competitive soccer game this afternoon.  

Final Score: 1 - 1

Here are a few game highlights:

# 7  - winning the ball

# 3 - "missed it by that much"

# 17 - driving it down the field

 

# 14 - nothing stopping her from the pursuit of a goal

 

# 9 - beautiful shot on goal, only missed it by a few inches

 

 

The Dinner Switch

The other day Jeff was asking the Little One why his iHome clock was so bright, suggesting that there was probably a switch to adjust the brightness.

Jeff located the switch and pointed it out to the Little One.  

The Little One's response, "Oh, I thought that said dinner."

Makes perfect sense to a boy: snooze/dinner switch, sleep then eat.