So, d'you remember when you played sports and one of your teammates had that parent who was really mean? The one who yelled at their kid, who maybe scolded them after the game for not playing that well? This parent was probably the loudest one in the stands and he came to every game, even the away games.
Yeah...so...there might have been a glimpse...just an itsy bitsy, teeny, tiny bit of that at Bella's first game.
She was always just so good at handling the ball and running it up and down the field. So, maybe I thought she'd be a natural. And, maybe I've always been pretty competitive. I just didn't get why she was clamming up and being shy and only worrying about snacks!
K, so game one. She was super excited about going to soccer. SUPER DUPER excited. Well, turns out, she was only excited about the half-time orange wedges and the post game snacks. She wouldn't run unless the coach held her hand. And she kept doing this shy-tucked-in-chin/toe dig into-the-ground-thing -- which I've never seen her do before! So, I might have given her "the eye" a couple of times and yelled for her to run after the ball. (I wasn't the only one, though!) I may have even whispered to her that if she didn't want to play that we'd just go home. I know, ugly.
So, I felt terrible after game one. She's only three, right? Sheesh, Aubs, calm down!
So game two. Bella pretty much did the same thing, but I was better. I might have only made a peep once...or twice. There were a few other parents doing it, too! I know, no excuse. I think we were all first-time sports parents, ya know? A little over-zealous. One of the other moms of the older kids came over to the group of us and told us how when her kid first started she had no interest and she, as a parent, had a hard time with it, too. That's when I felt about 2 inches tall.
Third game. I promised myself I wouldn't be anything but positive. I would hardly watch, I wouldn't comment, I'd cheer for the whole team. Bella ran without having her hand held, ran after the ball and lo' and behold, scored a goal. I cried. Yes, I sure did. Just, suddenly, I saw a tear slip from the edge of my jaw and realized my eyes had welled with tears and went running down my face. My heart exploded as she received high-fives from her teammates. I gave her the biggest hug ever, I was so proud and so hating myself for ever having given her a hard time. We went out for ice cream after the game - she was thrilled!
She still can't stop talking about her goal!
Bella was Beauty and I, the beast. She broke the curse and transformed me back into her mom.
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