Ferdinand

Andrew is just finishing up his first experience with soccer. Thursday is his last soccer class where his pee-wee group will be having a scrimage with another pee-wee group. To put it mildly, Andrew is not very enthusiastic about soccer class. This was a great surprise to us, because up until he actually got on the field and was told to kick the ball, he has been all about soccer.

"Look mom, those kids are playing soccer!"

"Hey mom, I want to play soccer when I get bigger."

Well, no son of mine will go with any wish unfulfilled, so thus came pee-wee soccer. Teacher Sarah, Andrew's soccer coach is very patient, but no mater how she asks, cajoles, demands, or begs, Andrew is not going to play soccer.

What he will do is pull up his shirt to show all the parent spectators the, "alien," in his belly, sit down in the middle of the field and make grass mountains out of piles of picked grass, cry and beg to go home, stand and watch the other kids run around, complain that he is hungry and/or cold, and any number of other activities completely unrelated to learning how to play soccer. He isn't about to let anybody tell him when to run and how to kick the ball!

Such a character! He reminds me of that old cartoon/book about the bull, Ferdinand, who is supposed to be fierce and terrifying, but really just wants to sit in the field and smell the flowers all day. Sometimes kids don't do what you expect them to do, and we parents have to remember to go with the flow. Everyone is different and everyone has their own talents and abilities. I have to remind myself as this as I resist the impulse to run out on the field and make Andrew kick the dang ball! As a mom, I think my job is just to give Andrew as many opportunities as I can to try the things he is interested in. Some he may like and excel at, others may not go so well (re: soccer). He is one in a million, and whether he never wants to play soccer again, or is ready to give it another shot next year, I am proud of my son! After all, how many moms can say their son has a bonafide ALIEN in their belly?