Goal Tender

Carter started soccer tonight. The interesting thing about the organizational structure at Assumption is that middle school soccer is co-ed -- not separate teams for boys and girls.

Now Carter has been playing co-ed soccer for the past 6 years so this isn't something new, but those teams were clearly dominated by boys since the rec league also had all-girl teams. Usually one or two girls and that was it. But they were pretty darn good, I can tell you that.

Tonight at the first practice there were 4 boys ... and 14 girls. Oooh, Carter. This oughta be interesting! Now we'll see if he is intimidated or, in usual fashion for the Austin men, lays on the charm.

This year they play on the big field, too, so that will take some adjusting -- mainly a cardio adjustment. I sure hope he doesn't volunteer to be goalie just so he doesn't have to run around. I think they'll need him on the field to round out the team. But what do I know? I'm just a soccer mom with goals of my own I need to tend to...

My oldest sister Rayna asked us girls over the weekend how we are coming along with the goals we set at our annual sister weekend last year. One of my other sisters quickly responded to the email: "What goals??"

We were each given a neat little notebook in which we penned a personal goal we wanted to accomplish by Wild Women's Weekend XII in 2010. That's coming up in less than a month now. We didn't have to share it with anyone but I think we all did. I will say, though, I've been negligent in following up on it to see how my sisters are faring with theirs (if I can even remember them). Mine, though, has never been far from my mind.

"I want a firm start on my novel -- an outline of the story, the list and backgrounds on all the main characters, and the first chapters written. Make the time!"

It seems 365 days would be enough time to do this but I didn't follow my own advice and make the time! I am proud of myself for making enough time to write every day -- mainly in this blog, but I have only spent hours (not days) on book material. I keep changing the direction I am going and now, after doing some great writing "exercises" during my vacation, I may change it again! But that's a writer's prerogative, right? (No wonder many of us never get anything published!)

Well, thanks to my sister's prompting, I did invest some quality time with the keyboard tonight. I'm sort of on a roll now so I may jump the gun sooner rather than later on getting a handy-dandy Netbook laptop. That way, I could get some additional writing done on my commute to and from work while poor hubby drives. That's my thinking. But am I spending a couple hundred dollars on a sister weekend goal or a real-life goal? That's where I need to pull the trigger.

That's the goal I need to start tending. Hand me my cleats and shin-guards!