Saturday, August 22, 2015

Summer....and Soccer...and School...and Stuff

This week seemed to me to have a certain, subtle sensation pervading it...like a slight twinge of nostalgia...or a lingering feeling of opportunities slipping away...or the bittersweet scent of OH, MY GOSH, SUMMER'S OVER, HOW THE HECK DID THAT HAPPEN? Yeah...that's the one.

For me, it could have been the first week of work, (yep, new job, more on that later, you know, when I actually start and all) but the HR lady wasn't available for me to come in and fill out the paperwork yet, so I'll be joining the semester-already-in-progress. For Derek, who finally found out on Monday that he made his high school soccer team, the very rewarding and exciting news came with a teensy downside: practices all week at 7 a.m. (Gulp. He has actually stated that going back to school will be at least a relief--if not necessarily a pleasure--as it will allow him to stay in bed past 6...)

The CHHS Tigers did have a nice change of pace on Tuesday, when they played their first game of the young season. Husband and I were thrilled to be spectators, cheering them on to a solid 3-0 victory...although in the future, I will absolutely need to purchase one of those dorky seat cushions to bring with me, 'cuz Holy Bony Butt, Batman, those dang metal bleachers are HARD.

Meanwhile, Riley happily continued the Perpetual Weekend routine he's been following during the break...waking up to his own internal alarm...lying in bed either reading or playing on his phone for a while...eventually meandering downstairs for breakfast...viewing some quality daytime TV with his brother. (I swear the two of them have gotten hooked on reruns of Bones, which again is totally my fault because they caught me watching it fairly frequently...eh, at least it's science-y, right?) Then of course there's the Outdoor Interlude and the Period of Video Games. Yeah, academics are just gonna mess up his carefully crafted Life of Leisure, I tell ya.

And speaking of school, on Wednesday we got to pick up Derek's schedule for his Sophomore year. He didn't get one of his first-choice electives, but hopefully he enjoys the alternative....or if not, we went through the Class Change process last year, so we know the drill. By instantly texting his friends, he found out these details: his History teacher has a reputation for being "nice". And several of his best buds are in her class along with him (perhaps testing that quality...time will tell...). Some Upperclassmen on the soccer team informed him that his Chemistry instructor is demanding. ..and his English teacher is apparently "a hippie". (To which I replied that one of my all-time favorite teachers in high school was a proud flower child...and super-smart, laid back, and an absolutely awesome educator...so I have my fingers crossed that he he has the same experience).

Then Riley got a call from his 1st period teacher (Language Arts, this year), so he'd know where to show up on Day 1 of 7th grade. He won't receive his full course schedule until he arrives on Monday, so he's left in anticipation of what order he gets his chosen electives. He'll find out soon enough....mwah hah hah!

While we had already done the supply run, we did have to make several trips to sporting goods stores this week, thanks to soccer. Since the coaches didn't make their final cuts until almost the 11th hour before their first match, only jerseys were distributed. Thus--although we possess multiple pairs of green and yellow socks from club play--we were required to obtain white ones. The first set we bought had a couple of stripes around the top part...which we subsequently found out is strictly prohibited...sigh. Back out we went, for a completely, 100% PLAIN pair.

Next, the coach shared a truly horrifying story with the impressionable youngsters, about a medical condition called Testicular Torsion. Evidently this befell a member of the team in the past, and it involves an enormous amount of excruciating pain...and surgery to remedy it. Derek (shuddering) said that the man provided a graphic visual demonstration by twisting his keychain...thus scarring the boys for life...while also ensuring that they would rush home and ask their parents to take them out for compression shorts, which are supposed to help prevent the problem. Now, I obviously don't possess the...ahem..."equipment" in question, so perhaps I'm not qualified to speak of this...but I just don't understand how this happens...while one is merely running up and down the field. (That's okay, please don't feel the need to explain it to me, I'm probably better off not knowing....)

Finally, Derek came home from practice yesterday and said, "I forgot to tell you that in high school, you have to dress up on game days." "Oh, right," I nodded, "I remember that from way back when. You're supposed to look presentable, representing your team when you go visit another school." He gave me a slightly confused look, "Nooo...we change before we leave...we just have to wear nice clothes for our own classes." Oh...kay...that makes less sense...but sure, we'll just go with it.

Of course, my child doesn't actually OWN any fancy apparel, as he refuses to don anything but shorts and t-shirts when he emerges from the house. "So," I sighed, "what do we need to go buy you?" He replied brightly, "It's up to the Captains, and they just told us that khaki shorts and a polo would be fine!" Well...awesome! Don't get me wrong--it still means we have to undertake a shopping trip before Monday, but it could be a lot worse, I suppose. When I think about it, though, I'm not really surprised by the informality of the Dress Code...because every time I see the Varsity Head Coach he seems to be wearing a yellow Chapel Hill Soccer shirt, cargo shorts...and flip flops. Derek assures me that this is his standard uniform, even during the school day...and the man teaches Physics, for crying out loud. (And by the way: L-O-V-E it...just one more reason he seems like a great guy...)

So, that's the weekly wrap-up...and incidentally, I'm very grateful that I had the time I needed to run around and get these things done as they cropped up--this brief respite between jobs couldn't have come at a better time, as it turned out. (Yeah, I totally planned that...or, whatever....) Now we have a chance for one last Family Field Trip to round out our Summertime fun (and let's not forget an excursion to Kohl's for the "Soccer Outfit") before the crazy hamster wheel that is the School Year begins anew on Monday.....wheeeeeeeeeee......

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