sOCceR mOM

I am really not sure if I even qualify as a soccer mom, but yet I think maybe I do. I am not "38", I am not "eye candy" nor a "trophy wife" and I don't drive a big SUV. However I am "29" for several years running now, presentable in public, a single mom with three kids, I drive an SUV wannabe, and I work full time and take classes online in my spare time in an effort to improve the overall quality of my life and the life of my kids. My cell phone is an extension of me and I am rarely without it. Yes, I think perhaps I do qualify as a soccer mom.

OH, and my youngest son plays soccer and I carry my portable chair and umbrella in the back of my vehicle at all times thus making me available to sit thru the pouring down rain and watch my son play soccer.

I was recently discussing the local dating scene with a good friend of mine. (Lately, my own personal dating life has been non-existent). He told me that "soccer moms" scare the heck out of him thus leaving him to choose from much younger women or much older women. Apparently these options aren't quite what he had in mind. He said he thinks the "soccer mom" is borderline crazy, trying to be everywhere and be everyone to everybody. He is right.

For example, last Saturday I had to figure out how to get my son to driver's ed at 8 am (20 miles from home); get back home, get thru the shower, get breakfast for my other two kids, get my youngest back into town for his soccer practice at 10 am; leave him there, get back home and get my 16 yr old to work at 11 - not too far from home but not within walking distance, back into town to pick up oldest son at driver's ed at 11 and then back to the soccer field to watch my youngest play in the pouring down rain. Only to see my ex leisurely stroll up midway thru the game without a care in the world, pat my son on the back and leisurely stroll away with much less than a care in the world. Only for us to hit the road running full speed ahead, soaked to the skin directly after the soccer game....

Tonight's schedule looks quite daunting as well. I will spend the day in the office on my own for most of us while my mom and my sister attend continuing education classes. Somehow I need to slip away before 4 and take my daughter to work, get back to work and be home shortly after 4:30 when my youngest gets off the bus so that he won't be coming home to an empty house. I will ask him to get off the bus at my office, but he always forgets, so then I will make the mad dash home. We will gather our things and head to town for his soccer practice and game. (Any rain in the forecast?) As soon as I get him settled in I will run over to the highschool to meet my oldest son and his driver's ed teacher for my "ride along" progress report during which his instructor will give me the lowdown skinny on how my son is doing and what he needs to work on and all that jazz. Then where? Back to soccer of course! Then home to make dinner and do homework. I refuse to take these kids out to fast food....I am making a financial point to them in these days of high gas prices and high food costs and living on a budget. We plan our meals for the week on Sundays and shop accordingly and are not doing the fast food thing every night. So dinner and homework should be completed in time to shoo the youngest off to bed and leave my oldest son in charge while I slip away and pick my daughter up from work.

Life isn't easy over here in bumkinville, but I wouldn't trade these days for anything....well maybe a day at the spa would be nice!