“It is a great thing when talent and passion collide!!!!” My sister-in-law posted this comment on
a picture on Facebook of one of my kid’s accomplishments. I have thought about
that comment for days and have realized the truth of it. Each of our kids seems
to have found what they love and what they excel at. They never complain about practice. It’s quite the contrary. If a practice gets rained out or canceled
they are bummed. I couldn’t
imagine keeping them all going if they didn’t want to do an activity. I hear of
parents who ride their kids and put all this pressure on them to do a sport,
play an instrument or dance. I
don’t know how or why they do it. It’s
just a waste of time and money in my opinion.
I haven't always had my kids in the right activities! When Annie was 4 years old, I put her in a dance class,
which was during school. I ran
into the dance teacher and she said she was sorry I took Annie out of
dance. I was like WHAT? I asked Annie about it and she said she
told the teacher she wasn’t taking dance anymore! She was a dance school drop out all on her own! There was no way I had the energy or time to push my kids in a
direction they weren’t interested in.
I just wish Annie would had told me weeks before, so I wouldn’t have
continued to pack her dance clothes! Bubba on the other hand, clearly let me know he was dropping out of piano class!
Dan and I feel like it’s our job to facilitate our
kids as they pursue their passions.
All five kids seem to have found what brings joy to their life and
thankfully all seem to have the talent as well. Helping five kids follow their dreams is no small task. I
sometimes worry I am going to mess up their future by a bad decision to do or
not to do something or by my lack of knowledge.
I remember years ago when I felt like God assured me
that He would sovereignly align me with the right people who would have the
skill set to help my kids! I have
held onto that for years and have seen it come to pass! Like the time, I ran into an old friend
in Kmart. She was inquiring how my
tribe of kids was doing. I told
her that my Annie was having some issues and her doctor suggested she get into
swimming to help keep her muscles strong. Lo and behold, my dear friend just
happened to be the beginner swim coach at the Beach! You can’t tell me that wasn’t God ordained!
Bonnie has cheered for ten years now and danced for 13
years! She has made us proud so
many times it’s impossible to count.
If only Dan would stop yelling at her, “Sissy, you’re the prettiest,”
which really embarrasses her! She won the "All-American Cheerleader" award at the UCA camp she attended and was invited to a attend a national convention! She is organized, dedicated and spends hours choreographing dances and watching YouTubes learning new cheer things!! She is the Captain of her varsity squad this coming year and I know she will do a great job!
When Bubba started Pop Warner, I was actually
afraid! I had heard stories of
crazy parents acting like maniacs and I was very nervous. I quickly learned that there are some
of the most amazing people sitting in those stands who support and show genuine concern for our kids! Dan coached with some of the most devoted guys who he now considers friends! They certainly do text a lot of smack
talk, especially when Miami is playing their team! :) It was nice that they could all definitely cheer for the Jaguars (To clarify, the Jax Beach Jaguars who had an undefeated season!!)
Being traumatized by the Dance Mom show, I was REALLY petrified when Maggie decided to pursue being on a company dance team. With trepidation I eased into being a
dance mom and quickly understood that dance teachers are loving and kind and
dance moms are the best! At the
studio where Maggie dances, the love, dedication, loyalty and joy that the
teachers and parents exhibit have made our experience so wonderful! I had a moment during the recital
practice that blew my mind. I rushed backstage to get a picture of Maggie and
her friends in their tap costume. Maggie told me she didn’t have time for a picture because she had to help her friends do a quick change.
I watched Maggie hand her friend a costume and I backed away and didn’t
want to stop her from serving her friends. That blessed me so that teamwork was so evident and that she
has learned from her amazing studio!
When Annie joined a swim team, I was again pleasantly
surprised with some of the most incredible people who cheered for my girl and
looked after her making sure she was where she needed to be for races! What a blessing since Dan and I were
clueless in the midst of the organized swim chaos. They have loaned me money for heat sheets because we had no
clue and had no cash! At the
championships last year, Annie was ranked at the top in a couple races. 
I was talking to a mom on our team who
has an older top swimmer. I looked at her heat sheet and she had Annie’s name
highlighted and told me she was going to come cheer for Annie! That is
no small thing at championships when you have to fight a massive crowd to get near the pool. I was
feeling sick with nerves as the race was getting ready to start and she
squatted with me at the end of the pool and asked me if I was OK. She stayed by me the whole time for support. I
was so grateful being a novice in a chlorine world! She may have just been there to pull me out
of the pool if I passed out!
Either way it touched my heart!
Eddie has finally joined the rotation of Wog activities! He played flag football last year and
was only slightly interested in football but VERY interested in the
concession stand! I kept reminding
him to go back by his team!
We decided to try soccer and were hoping that he would show some interest! Soccer was Dan’s sport in high school. He played all sports but loved soccer the most and played on a Men's league up
until we had children. Eddie had some physical challenges from walking up on his tiptoes. He was in physical therapy for a year
and also wore leg braces day and night. Honestly as much as it broke my heart watching him try to
climb and run with those braces on his legs that forced him to stay
flat-footed, Eddie didn’t seem to mind.
Dan called me on the way home from his first soccer practice and told me
that he thought we had a soccer player on our hands after watching him run like
the wind up and down the 
One of the most surprising things out of being involved with so many extracurriculars is the amazing people that we have met. Coaches and teaches have gone above and beyond to invest in our children! The time and effort they put in is astounding! With the vast amount of time you spend at games, swim meets and at dance rehearsals, you are bound to bond with people whether you want to or not. It has been so surprising how much kindness and team spirit that is developed amongst the parents! 
Before I had children, I would watch my sisters running off to soccer games on weekends and going to tons of dance rehearsals. The time and effort they put in just blew my mind. I remember dreading that stage with my kids. What I have discovered is the joy and pride you feel when your child does something amazing! There is nothing better than when they score, win or perform well! So for all of you future moms or moms with babies, get excited and look forward to the incredible team spirit that I have experienced! Yes you will be exhausted, stressed, broken hearted when they fail but it’s one of the most fulfilling part of my life watching when talent and passion collide!! Go Team!
