Cynthia, your photos are looking great!
Cindy
11
The answer, of course, is whatever needs to be done where your kids (and their activities) are concerned.
Years ago when Amanda was just starting school and Emily was just a baby I took the training and certification classes to become a YMCA (and later Red Cross) certified swim instructor. I figured since I had to drive all the way to town to get them to their lessons and had to stay anyway, I may as well teach a class and get their lessons for free. I taught swimming lessons every Saturday morning from September to May for over 15 years and sometime in there became the parent coordinator for the Synchro Team. One year I was at the Y so much they gave me the volunteer of the year award (LOL). I was once offered a job there after convincing the local TV sports anchors to come and do a segment on the synchro team. That segment on of the sports cast was such a HIT and brought so much publicity to our local YMCA that they offered me a job in marketing (LOL). Of course, I had to turn it down, but I like to remember that time whenever I see that commerical. I don’t know how they find it in the archives, but now whenever synchro is on during the Olympics they usually play that commercial (LOL). Sorry I don’t have any pictures from those years on my computer.
Tim has taught Hunter’s Safety classes at the local public school for the past (not certain how many years) at least 12 or 13 years. He started doing this to help his cousin when the classes became too large for one instructor and because they always happen in the fall during harvest or in the spring during planting (his cousin is a farmer). He has enjoyed it and has kept at it because one of these years our boys will be in the class. For Josh that will be this coming spring. I’m guessing Tim will keep doing Hunter’s Safety at least another 7 years until Nathan is old enough to take the class from him. I mean, really. Seven years is NOT that long when you have already done something for 12 or 13.
When the girls wanted to sing in the homeschool choir and the choir director didn’t have a pianist, I could hardly sit back and say I wouldn’t help when I can occasionally hit a few right notes (LOL) on the piano. I think we did that for about 5 years and then Amanda moved on to other things in high school, Em wasn’t that interested, and Josh was glad to not have to go to choir anymore (LOL). When the gals who decided to put on our local homeschool group’s first drama production and Amanda was involved (Em was too young back then), again, I could hardly sit back and look the other way when I can play the piano. I think I’ve played for 16 MCT productions now, but honestly I lost count after a dozen or so (LOL). I still play for those, but now I only play for 1 a year instead of 2. The fall one just got to be too much for us.
Two years ago Josh was signed up for basketball through the YMCA. They always ask for parental help of some sort. That particular year they didn’t have enough coaches. Josh came home and said they were told if they didn’t find a coach then they wouldn’t be able to play. So, Tim checked on that and sure enough they needed a coach. He and a couple of the other dads stepped up (one was the drummer in our band whose son was playing and another friend of ours). What an experience that was. We had always known that coaching was a thankless job, but really found it out that year. Anyway. Back to the question and the answer… a parent does what a parent needs to do and in that case coaching it was.
I know we’ve each done a LOT more things than those listed above, but enough of the reminiscing. You are probably wondering what point I’m getting at (LOL).
This year Nathan is playing soccer through a church program which requires little parental help at all – bring treats one time and call it good – EXCEPT when the coach comes running in to say she can’t stay for some reason and needs a parent to volunteer to coach the game for her (LOL). I’m sure one of us (Tim or I) would have stepped up to help even know neither one of us know nothing about soccer, but we weren’t there. Amanda took Nathan and his friend. I mean really. Who wouldn’t offer to help out so these two little soccer players could play their game?
I laughed and laughed as Amanda was telling me the story.
KID QUOTE:
Amanda to the other moms: “I don’t know anything about soccer. I haven’t even come to one of the games before so I don’t have any idea what to do. And, these aren’t even MY kids!!! I’m nannying for one and the other is my brother!
Speaking of Amanda. We don’t have the opportunity to do things for her very often anymore now that she is grown up and out on her own now. But we had several opportunities to bless her last month – taking and following her all over the country on her long bike treks, helping her move into her new apartment buying a new washer and dryer so she could have our old one and even taking it in to set it up for her, etc. For some reason this quarter she was inadverntently left off from the worship team schedule so the only time she’ll get to sing is when someone needs a sub. That opportunity came up one weekend awhile back, unfortunately, it was during the week that she was nannying for our friends three kids. Since these are good friends of ours, I didn’t think they would mind if Em and I helped with the kids a couple of times for a few hours so that Amanda wouldn’t have to give up an opportunity to sing. Here is Nathan with two of the kids when Amanda brought our friend’s kids out to visit one afternoon. Josh and the older one were off helping Tim demolish a camper (I’ll have to post about that another day).
This year Josh is playing in a football league where there doesn’t seem to be much help needed from the parents except in regard to fundraising. We bought more than our fair share of magazines. Who knows when I’ll even have time to read all of them – 2 photography ones, a scuba diving one, some cooking ones, gardening, decorating, egads… Ok. So as nearly as we can tell they don’t usually need parent help. We’ve been to over 1/2 the games already and not once as anyone asked a parent for help until this weekend. I wasn’t there yet since I was at Nathan’s soccer game. GOOD THING because I’m fairly certain they wouldn’t want me helping with anything in regard to football. I don’t even know when a touchdown has been made (LOL). But, Tim stepped right up to help! ACK. He’s not here so I can’t even tell you what he’s doing and I want to get this posted so I’m guessing this will give you all something else to laugh about. I’m sure these things have an official name of some sort, but I don’t know what that would be. To me they look like a bull’s eye target so that’s what I’m going to call them. So, Tim offered to man the bull’s eye targets at yesterday’s game. I have never noticed them going out onto the field before, but in this game they had to go out and measure something a couple of times. I hate to even say this, but in an effort to “be real” on the blog I suppose I should give you one of my quotes that embarassed my family.
Cindy: “What just happened.”
Tim: “They didn’t make their first down in time.”
Cindy: “How much time to they have.”
Tim: “There isn’t a set amount of time” (shaking his head)
So, I know the above conversation has something to do with these bull’s eye targets and I now know the team has to get past the target in a certain # of tries.. but that’s about all I know. I’m learning a little more at each game. Who would have ever guessed I was a football cheerleader in high school? I really should go dig out an old picture to post here (LOL).
This year Em’s team requires the most parental help. She plays volleyball in the county-wide homeschool athletic association. There are seven girls on her team and there are *eight* jobs that need to be done at each home game. This week it was our turn for setup which is more than I would be able to do by myself so Tim had to come in to help me get everything setup. We had to setup the vb poles, net, and ref ladder. Unlock the concession stand, open up the scoreclock box, open the gate where all the equipment is stored, set out the traffic cones, dry mop the floor, pull out the bleachers, etc. There’s a whole long list of things to be done. Other times we’ve had to be the line judge, run the score clock, run the concession stand, do the scorebook (fortunately I have been able to switch jobs with someone else when we were scheduled for this task… good grief.. I didn’t even know what a libero was until a few weeks ago..) If I had been working at learning the scorebook over the years that would be one thing, but just coming into high school vb for the first time this year I knew I wouldn’t be able to do a very good job at keeping the scorebook. When Josh starts basketball in a few weeks I’ll be sure to keep the scorebook for his games a few times this season (and I did a few times last season as well) so when he gets to high school it won’t be such an overwhelming job (LOL). On top of each of the home game responsibilites for which everyone has to take a turn at each of the 8 jobs, each parent is also assigned to a “team” of bigger tasks that have to be done as well – equipment team, yearbook team, fund raising team, scheduling team, etc…. I’m on the photography team so on top of doing one of these other jobs, I’m also snapping as many pictures as I can at each game and hope to have enough to fill a few pages for each of the C, JV, and V volleyball team pages. Next week I’ll take the team and individual pictures for two of the vb teams.
No wonder we’re tired all the time (LOL). You’re probably wondering with all this activity how I’ve managed to blog a few posts the last few days. Well. I asked for the weekend off from worship team this weekend. THANKFULLY, the other keyboard player said he’d fill in for me! YEA! I doubt he reads the blog, but I’ll thank him anyway. THANKS LENNY!
Now off to cook a big ham dinner. Amanda just called to say she and her friend are coming out for dinner! Dinner as in lunch which is only in a few hours. I’m THRILLED that she and her roommate are coming and what parent wouldn’t go fix a big ham dinner with all the favorite potatoes, salads, and desserts to go with it when their dd calls to say she has time to come out for dinner!
