attitude – "MOM!"

I was talking with a friend the other day about how hectic her mornings are with her tween daughter.

“I have to get her up, make her get dressed and brush her teeth, fix her breakfast, and beg her to get to the bus on time.”

I shook my head and comforted her. I told her I was sure she’d get in the swing of things as school progressed. She went off to a meeting. I looked down at my phone at a picture of Ri. I couldn’t help but feel gratitude for my girl.

My girl – who I found in the kitchen this morning after my run – putting a spoon of Rice Krispies in her mouth as she dumped leftover quinoa salad into a container to take for lunch at school. She had alsomade Mario a bowl of Fruit Loops and had let Rocco outside. I’m telling you, she was my mom in a past life. Or someone’s mom. She has the routine down pat.

I sometimes take it for granted.

“I’m biking to soccer practice, mom. See you in an hour and a half.”

“I looked up the recipe for sugar cookies and got them started.”

“I found workbooks on line for Mario and me this Summer.”

“I’m going to be late for school mom. You can’t take another picture of me!”

She might as well be 30. And her carefree, let it go, attitude about life sets a good example for all of us. Last night, she played a soccer game until 7:30. She was starving but I made her go to Kroger’s to pick up food before we ate. She pouted as she got out of the car but as soon as I kiddingly tapped her side and smiled, she livened up.

“I’m getting a crouton from the salad bar since you dragged me in here!” She skipped over to the salad bar with a mischievous smile on her face.

I caved in and got her Chipotle afterwards. She got a burrito bowl filled with rice and beans and cheese and sour cream. With a big dollop of guacamole on top. She knows how to live. When I told her that I was gonna take 90 percent of the guac to eat with my chips, she grunted.

She carried the bowl in her right hand and a grocery bag in her left while kicking the soccer ball up the sidewalk to the house. When she got to the steps, she kicked the soccer ball super hard with the hopes that it would bypass all the steps and land near the door. Instead, it ricocheted off the second step and collided with her burrito bowl, which flew out of her hand and all over the ground.

She looked at me. I looked at her.

I expected either (1) tears or (2) a demand that we get her another bowl at 8:45 at night. But neither reaction occurred.

Rather, we both cracked up. And then she bent over and scooped up the sloppy mess of cheese and beans and tossed it back in the cardboard bowl.

“It’s all good. Besides, I get more guac now because it’s all mixed into the cheese and beans!”

I can’t love this girl anymore.

Yesterday was sports day in the family. Mario had basketball in the morning with his buddies up at Carriage Place. They lost and a few of his friends were crying or throwing things but he stayed cool and collected making his pops proud.

Ri had her first indoor soccer game. Yea, indoor soccer. The girl who refused to even mutter the word soccer because she hated it so much is now trying indoor soccer. I think a lot of her desire to play is because her girlfriends are on the team and it is more of a social hour versus a game to win.

When I told her that Riley’s mom had called to she if she wanted to be on the team, she asked “is Ri-Ri on the team?” I said yes and she immediately shook her head affirmatively. “Sure, I’ll try it.” And that was it. No questions about what indoor was like, what position she’d play, etc. Even on the way to the game she exhibited no nerves or anxiety. I asked her who she thought would play goalie and she didn’t know. I cringed after I asked her the question because I thought that might raise some concern in her about possibly having to play goalie (after the Fall outdoor session’s goalie experience, I don’t think she wants to try it again) but again, she was calm and cool.
When we got to the site, the girls kicked the ball around while the moms stood around wondering where coffee was located. A couple of the moms talked about their daughters being nervous about playing indoor since they’d never tried it.”She was worried about what to wear.” “She was worried about whether indoor was the same as outdoor.”
I stood there listening to them and watching Ri play with her friends, laughing and talking with all of them. Missing the ball half the time it came to her. Still laughing.
She amazes me with her laissez-faire attitude. I would have been a nervous wreck at that age wondering if I’d be good and make a goal. But she just looks at it as a time to be with friends and run around and have fun. Good for her.
Even though she did leave the field after losing 7-0 and look a bit dejected. I asked her what was wrong.
“We lost.”
I told her she and the team played really hard and that’s all that matters. She shrugged her shoulders and ran over to her girlfriend and threw her over her back.

And that was that. Next time I lose a case at work, that is the approach I’m gonna take. Shrug my shoulders, flip a colleague over my back, and laugh.

"MOM!"

Adventures in the Life of a Working Mama

Tag: attitude

Love my girl

Calm and cool