What's on the Coffee Table Now

A quick glance at the coffee table entertained me for its sheer range this evening.  Everyone's been on the couch read and then piling their books on the table when they head off for more.

Here they are starting from the one closest to my lazy, propped up feet:
- Toward The Fullness of Life: The Fullness of Love by Arnaud Desjardins (spiritually, relationships - Sara)
- Gladiator: the Roman Fighter Unofficial Manual by Philip Matyszak (history, Theo)
- Magic Zero: Dragon Secrets by Thomas E. Sniegosky and Christopher Golden (fantasy, Theo)
- Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald (fiction, Rosie and Theo)
- Agatha H and the Clockwork Princess by Phil and Kaja Foglio (audio book, steampunk, Theo)
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu (history, Theo)
- When Life Gives You OJ by Erica S. Pearl (audiobook, fiction, Rosie)
- Twenty Poems to Bless Your Marriage and One To Save It by Roger Housden (spirituality, relationships, poetry - Sara)

Soccer Mom

Pretty quiet over here in Sarablogland for the moment.  However, I did write for the Seattle Neufeld Community blog this week.  Let me know what you think.

Soccer Mom

My 12 year old son Theo can’t get enough soccer this year.  He plays for a select team which practices twice a week, plus at least one game per weekend. Since September he’s also had weekly one-on-one lessons with a coach he admires and likes. Over the cold rainy winter, Theo participated in the local indoor soccer league to keep his foot in the game. 

This spring break season, I find that I have agreed to three weeks of soccer camp in a row – one of the possibilities of being home schoolers is moving our school work to the afternoon to accommodate mornings of scrimmages, hilarious drills, and skill building games.

 For all this time spent on the turf, Theo’s not a top player.  He’s not at the bottom, just somewhere near the middle.  Currently his visions for adult life start out as a professional soccer player. Once he gets “too old” to continue in pro soccer and is forced to retire, he plans to shift careers to work as an engineer and start a family.

Besides driving him all over town, paying for his various soccer pursuits and gear, and adding skills practice to his daily homeschool routine, I’ve watched his passion and wondered how else I can support him to become the player he dreams of. Standing on the sidelines during the final game of the spring season, I listened to some of the team’s best players talk while they waited their turn to go back on the field. I found myself surprised by unexpected insight into what was needed.  Read the rest of the post here.