Youth sports gets such a bad rap. Sometimes it’s well deserved. And yes - sometimes it’s a bit much: costs, time, the ugly side of competition, people who have influence over children yet aren’t truly equipped to handle that responsibility, obnoxious parents, entitled pee wee athletes, etc. What I wish received more attention was the bond that’s made over time between families who are tied together through youth sports.
My children have been blessed with unbelievable growth opportunities by their participation in youth sports. They have learned to deal with being celebrated and feeling cast aside, how to handle crushing disappointments, opportunities to develop leadership skills, work with a team, settle differences, and develop authentic friendships. Me? I made lifelong friendships. Through days and hours at ballparks, out of town tournaments, volleyball courts, and football fields I was in the trenches of not just youth sports but the highs and lows of raising kids in a complicated time. We have celebrated, laughed and wiped each other’s tears through our kids’ sports ebbs and flows as well as life outside of a referee’s whistle: birthdays, sleepovers, 6th grade summer reading projects (we were waaayyy too hands on with that one 😂), school dances, schedule pickups, breakups, proms, awards days at school, graduations, dorm room shopping, freshman year care packages, etc. Our bond extended way past our kids playing on the same teams. It truly takes a village not only to rear kids but to also have people you can depend on and trust to listen, give you advice, and just provide a safe space for you to be your authentically, flawed self. In the picture above, that is my daughter and her friends with their moms outside of a movie theater just before we were sending our babies away to college. It was the summer after their senior year of high school. I first came into contact with some of these ladies when we moved to Waxahachie in 2008 and they made our transition such an easy one. They have blessed me so. The picture below was taken this past weekend. It’s me and some of my favorite #Dawglife ❤️🖤 football moms. It was July in Texas so needless to say it was scorching hot and none of us cared. My Wade isn’t playing pee wee football this year. He will only play for his school. He wasn’t even playing this weekend. But he wanted to go support his boys. Me? I wanted to hangout with my mom friends. It was just like old times. As I said earlier, the relationships go way beyond the sport. Oh. If you’re curious about what movie we saw with our girls, you shouldn’t be the least surprised to know it was Bad Moms. 🥰
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When you throw a touch of shade towards your daughter in a conversation and just as you’re silently wondering if she caught it, she says: I caught that and I’m not about to address that with you.
Sigh😩 A child after my own heart.❤️ Did I mention that our youngest son and I are visiting our older son? We are. That’s another story for another day and if I delve into that right now I may just begin boohooing on this beach right now. Not of sadness but joy, gratefulness and praise. So let’s not do that as I just can’t take that emotional toil right now.
Let’s focus on summer. I love to read. Which is interesting because although I started school early and thus learned to read early (my first book to read was Pug) it was a struggle. I remember many tears shed as my mother was working with me on phonetics. Which by the way - no 4 year old even knows what phonetics are. 😩 Bless my mom’s frustrated heart! Looking back on it now I know I wore her out! Sorry mom! But the fruits of her labor more than paid off! When my parents’ friends came over I would show off my reading skills and read to them. They must have been bored out of their minds- but they always oohed and ahhed. I loved the attention and seeing my mom smile as I read. She took me to the library often and that was a practice that continued even after my parents divorced and my mom moved to Texas from Louisiana. I could never have enough books. College found me still reading for leisure and as a young married woman, I joined a book subscription service to feed my healthy addiction. And then life: kids, career, schedules, sports, etc. All this grown up stuff was cramping my literary style! Life has mellowed a bit - or perhaps I’ve learned to manage my time better and take some time out for “me”. I don’t read as often as I like - but I can still devour a good sized novel in a weekend. With my profession, reading is a good way to continue to stretch my mind. This little gem here was given to me by my current superintendent. During the school year I must confess I have only had moments to skim it. But now that I have the time, this beach, this cabana, and this delicious ice-cold lemonade I’m all in! What’s rewarding is that although I only skimmed the book while school was in, I can recall specific events from the year where principles from this book were applied. YES! Here’s to getting this baby finished before I return to Texas. If I’ve said it once I’ve said it 1000 times: If you want to test the inner gangster of a 40+ year old woman - put an Old School Ms. PAC-Man game on the scene. Today my level is 📈! My arms started hurting due to my intensity of playing that game!! I love it! Takes me back to skating rinks, playing video games while we waited for our clothes to wash/dry at laundromats, and all things 80s. I remember when there was a PAC-Man cartoon show that aired on Saturday mornings. I miss Saturday morning cartoons. I miss by homegirl from back in the day - Ms. PAC-Man.🎀
Please don’t take this topic as ungratefulness....But today was my first day back to work. Why did it have to fall on Amazon Prime Day? Thus, I won’t be perusing any deals until well after 9:30 PM CST.😩 Did y’all even save me anything to buy? Is there anything left? The horror of the possibilities.😱
My niece is a student at a local dance studio - The Terrance M Johnson Dance Project. What I LOVE is the founder/director formed this service to provide the arts to underserved populations. I attended their first showcase earlier this summer and yesterday I was able to observe their summer camp for a few hours. They are providing a free, 5 week dance intensive to an underserved area in the Frazier neighborhood of southern Dallas. How do they begin their day? Yoga! Loved it! What I also loved? Driving through the community that grew me up so to speak. Some things have changed, some stayed the same, but the memories and experiences are rich and special to me. I pray that one day the babies who are attending the TMJ summer intensive at the Frazier Revitalization Center will look back on this time the same way I fondly remember my countless summer days at Exline Recreation Center.
Despite my valiant efforts, I still am not bankrupt and we are still not done. And he is still out of control. To be continued..... 🤦🏾♀️ I’m embarrassed to admit it has been 2 years since my last mammogram. No excuses. Glad I went today to partake in this preventative care practice that should be non-negotiable for me.
Every now and then I’ll get in my feelings about my 12 year old not wanting to spend time with me - a very standard and heartbreaking symptom of children growing up. 🥺 Not to forget that I’m competing with his buds awaiting in PS4 limbo for him to virtually join them as they talk trash and compete in Fortnite, 2K and MLB The Show. They take their super created players so seriously. Bless!
Even with the time restraints and gaming curfew I impose on him I know I’m no longer top billing with his free time. So when he asks to play some time of board/family game - even the dreaded Monopoly - I oblige. And then it gets ugly: eminent domain, trying to strong arm me into selling him property I’ve bought so he can own all the properties in a block, pouting when he has to pay a fine or rent, etc. My goodness. I think we lasted an hour 1/2 tonight. Even Waldrick was over it. Our son insisted we leave the pieces in their exact same spot so we tomorrow we’ll be able to pick up where we stopped. I tell you what. I love the time spent. I love my baby. But mama’s trying to go bankrupt in less than 30 minutes tomorrow night! |
AboutThis blog is dedicated to the life, laughs and observations of a 40 something #ForeverSouthernGirl who serves as a wife, mom, campus administrator and wickedly funny human. All stories are true. All matters of unsolicited advice, musings, and anecdotes that can only be achieved from a life lived out loud are mine and mine alone. I am Katrina and welcome to my #TrinaTalk.
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