Mini Muffin is a big fan of soccer. One day last year she suddenly proclaimed "I'm a Soccer Rocker!!!" and ever since she hasn't turned down a chance to kick around a ball. I have no idea where Soccer Rocker came from, but it's now the official name of soccer in our home. Not surprisingly Mini Muffin started ploughing through her dinner last night, giving us "Almost there!" updates after every bite when asked if she wanted to play Soccer Rocker after supper. We'd decided to diverge from our normal weeknight routine of dinner, a few minutes of play and then bedtime; instead having a quick dinner so we could all go play in the backyard! Mini Muffin ended up having a pretty big dinner, and before long we were all outside playing with a regular soccer ball, a mini soccer ball and a small net.
This was one of the first times we've been able to include Little Smiling Man in outdoor play. Previously he'd be in the carrier or stroller watching from the sidelines, but now that he's walking he wants to be in the thick of it! He spent most of the time toddling around on the uneven ground, trying to kick the mini ball, as well as picking up, carrying and throwing it. When he got tired, he hung out by the shed watching, occasionally coming back into the foray to try and score a goal (or steal the ball)! Not only was the fresh air good for him, but the activities were great for his gross motor skills. Walking on grass is a lot more difficult than a smooth indoor floor, and his balance was noticeably improving by the time we headed inside. And of course kicking and throwing skills are also great to practice. I also liked that he got one on one active play time with each of his parents, as well as his sister and got to watch all of us interact as we played.
Mini Muffin was all over the place and loved every minute of it. She chased down balls, dribbled and kicked both balls and was pretty shameless with using her hands to get the ball away from Mommy or Daddy. She loved racing to get the ball from every corner of the yard as well; there was a lot of huffing and puffing! Towards the end, my little Soccer Rocker was pretty tired so she turned her attention to throwing and catching the mini soccer ball. Her catching skills are getting better, and she completely cracked us up when she missed catching the ball and would laugh saying "Silly Mommy!" or "Silly Daddy!". As if it was our throwing skills that were the only issue!
My husband and I got to take turns playing with each of the kids, and we had some of our own soccer rocker battles full of laughter. My husband is much better at controlling the ball than I am, so really all I could hope to do was deflect the ball, or kick it away from him. In any case, we both managed to score a goal or two on each other, which was fun! And, it was nice for me to clear out the cobwebs after a pretty dull and sedentary day at work.
When bedtime was approaching we headed inside to give the kids a quick bath and tucked them happily into bed. I really do hope that this kind of family time will form some the kid's earliest memories. All of us having fun together, laughing and being active!
No comments:
Post a Comment