I vowed I would not turn this into a teary Emptying Nest blog.  But I must mention that last Friday CJ "graduated" from varsity soccer.  As I watched the highlight reel of his team's miraculous winning season (his school has more of a reputation for Animal Rights Activism and Sweat Lodge Rituals than for strong athletics), images of my fourteen years as a soccer mom flashed before me – the drives to Victorville in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the heat, the cold, the mud, the rain, the nervewracking penalty kicks, the emergency visits to the orthopedist.  The nostalgia was overwhelming as the team hugged their coaches goodbye….but then CJ reminded me that he still has a whole club tournament season ahead of him, in fact he has to be in the far reaches of the OC this very Saturday morning at 7 AM.

And with our younger son BH semi-committed to JV soccer, I can probably look forward three more years of forgotten cleats and unfair refs.