Where the girls are

We spent part of our morning down at the Soccerplex, which is soccer central for parents of school-aged children in our town at this time of year. The long convoy of minivans and SUVS of every color and size will snake along the back roads in the morning hours each Saturday from now until the end of October, when the early games are so cold that even the thought of getting hit with the ball stings. But today was a muggy and warm Indian Summer sort of day, when T-shirts and the traditional end-of-game ice pops seemed right in season. Ask me about the ice pop treats come late October and I'll be singing a different tune for sure.

Our family had been soccer-free for a couple of years, when neither Noah nor Olivia had any interest, but Olivia, who is pretty fierce on the field, decided to give the all-girls team a try this year. Actually, to be completely honest, she decided on soccer when dear old mom and dad gave her two choices: running club at school or town-sponsored soccer. She had to choose a physical activity of some sort, and I'm so glad she chose soccer because even when she was just 4 and 5 years old, she was a feisty little player who didn't let up. Seeing my strong girl out there on the field makes me proud.

Here she is (the one in lime green) on the move after the ball:


In this one she's in the center with the super cool black and silver shin guards:


And here is Chiara, standing on the sidelines. Rainboots are not the most effective soccer footware: