A tale of two Reds

Soccer practice for Red. So much anticipation, so much opportunity for fun, excitement, breakdowns... oh yes, you get the idea. Last week was Week 1, and we started out with high hopes:

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Wifey was awesome. She ran, cheerleaded, cajoled, encouraged... all was great.

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Yes, all was great, for about 10 minutes. Then, Wifey had the sheer audacity to suggest to Red that she shouldn't use her hands to pick up the ball. Oh... my... God... the break down was instantaneous and absolute.

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Suffice it to say that practice ended early for our dear Red. We spent about 15 minutes sitting on the bleachers trying to get her to calm down - to no avail. We finally gave it up and moved up around the side of the Youth Center to where the little basketball court is and the kids were able to run around and play without the "pressure" of an organized practice.

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Week 2 was yesterday and it was so much different - thanks to Wifey's week-long campaign of preparation for Red. They talked about the rules, what to expect, how fun it would be, etc. And Red rocked the house. Until another breakdown threatened to bring the storm clouds once again...


But again, Wifey to the rescue. Apparently Red was confused and upset because the group and coaches were playing a game that she didn't know the rules to. All week long Wifey had been prepping her for playing Red light-green light and Simon Says - two games they played the week before that confused her - causing the breakdown. But she was ready this week:

So while Red was ready for those a new game caused her to be unsure about what was going on. It seems that my little girl and her older brother both share that anxiety gene - they both need to know what's going on, what's going to happen, in order to be comfortable. But like I said, Wifey got her quickly calmed down and back into the action and all went really well. YEAH!!!!!

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- Jazz-Hands Mommy?

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It seems that Red might actually get to have some fun with this whole thing which is awesome because she loves to be moving, running, kicking... a little sporty lady to be sure... and soccer just seems like a natural outlet.

Here's hoping.