Soccer

I'm so far behind on this blog...

After Jacob "played" basketball during the winter season, we decided to sign him up for soccer in the spring.  In all honesty - we didn't really want to sign him up, but all the people on his special education committee at school felt like it is really good for him to spend more time in activities that put him with "on track" kids.  Jacob's soccer season started in February and went until the beginning of April.

Since Jacob was on a team of 4 year olds he had practice once a week and a weekly game (when he played basketball and was on a team of 3 year olds they only had games and no practice).  Sometimes I thought going to practice helped him, most of the time it was just another place to chase him around and try to keep him with his team.

Jacob's favorite parts of playing soccer were probably sitting on the field and finding twigs and pieces of grass to play with so lots of times the coaches would take turns putting him on their shoulders and running around with him.

Jacob "playing soccer"

Both the coach and the assistant coach as well as all the other parents were very patient and understanding with Jacob even though he rarely participated with the other team members when they did little drills, etc.  And although other kids didn't always do what they were supposed to do, Jacob was definitely the only one on the team to never do what he was supposed to do.  Nothing is more eye opening that your kid is different than seeing him next to lots of other kids his age.

Here's Jacob at his first game - hanging out behind the other team's goal

Now just standing next to their goal

Then he just decided he was done and just wanted to sit in the stroller

It only took us 2 games to decide that we were not taking the twins to any more games - it was hard enough to keep an eye on Jacob, but add in the twins and it was definitely no fun.  We ended up either having someone stay home with them each week or checking them into the child watch at the YMCA (where the games were and we are members) for future games.

For the end of the season I volunteered to make cupcakes for Jacob's team party.  Sadly Jacob ended up being sick and didn't get to go to his own party, so Justin and I just dropped the cupcakes off for everyone else.

I made the edible soccer balls and left one cupcake frosting free for Jacob because he hates frosting, but he never felt well enough to eat it