Good thing I have the mini van

Big monkey started his first soccer camp this week.  I got to take him yesterday.  I brought him to work with me early and then we went to camp and then home after a stop for some good old fashioned bribery rewards.  

It is amazing to me how much my stomach gets into knots when the monkeys are put into new situations like meeting new people in soccer camp.  Big monkey is very outgoing and personable and will let the bread man at Target know our entire family history, but he still felt the nervousness on Monday morning and I really felt it for him.  It took everything I had to sit on the bleachers and just watch him without going out and giving him further instructions on how to take the ball away from the little boy who kept kicking it away from big monkey, or yell for him to watch out for the older boy standing directly behind him waiting to snatch his "tail" once the coach yelled go.  But all in all, he had a great time and really enjoyed playing the games.   I suppose that nervousness I felt will never go away.  Man am I going to need to invest in Tums with three monkeys playing sports!

I was very proud that that he was not sitting next to me the entire time or crying when someone stole his ball.. though he was visibly irate and I did say a quick "please God don't let him bite someone" prayer.  He was so very excited to go today because it was going to be pirate day at soccer camp.  He even practiced saying the word scurvy over and over again last night!  My mother in law came into town to take him, which was very nice.  I was sad not to be able to take him, but we are going to get some more quality time at the beach this weekend!

Watching Big Monkey play yesterday sort of slapped me in the face with the reality of how much he has grown up in the past year.  I mean look at this face!  Where did my baby go?!!?