The Parable of the Soccer Game

It was General Conference Weekend. We were grateful that we have a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) System with our Dish Network satellite service, since we were going to have to leave during the morning session to attend Andrew's soccer game.

(As a side note, Ethan was especially grateful since he had been so excited to play Conference Bingo that he had cried to me the Thursday before, begging me to let us "do conference" that day instead of waiting until Saturday. I had explained that there was no way possible, but as soon as I said, "I would if I could," I realized that I could use the Internet to make his wish come true. We looked up talks from last April's conference & pulled our Conference Bingo sheets from their file. He sat & listened to 3 whole talks, carefully placing his own candies on the pictures representing the topics mentioned. I was so pleased & impressed. Here was my son, gratefully listening to the advice & counsel of the Lord's servants, while I cleaned the kitchen. Ahhh. Now, on with the parable:)

Tuesday of that week, Andrew was quickly getting off our reclining "cuddler" and scraped the back of his ankle very badly. He hadn't been able to wear shoes, other than sandals or flip-flops, since his accident. There wasn't even a very good scab on the injury, given that so many layers of skin had been removed & that band aids kept bring the scab with them when they were removed. Nevertheless, Mike & I pushed him to wear his cleats, along with his soccer uniform. He screamed in agony as Mike forced the shoe on. I kept assuring him that the pain would lessen as time passed, and tried to comfort & encourage him to just give it a try for a few minutes. Meanwhile, Sister Mary Cook, spoke from our T.V. screen about the Prophet Joseph Smith's operation on his leg at the age of 7. As she talked of his courage, I repeated some of the phrases to Andrew to give him strength. Finally, before I could give in to my heart's desire to end the obvious discomfort of my son, Mike whisked him away to the game, claiming that he should at least go to cheer on his teammates.

I readied myself & the other kids, grabbed the Gatorade, which has become a sort of "magic drink" to keep Andrew going through games he's not so sure about, & headed to the field. I was pleased & surprised to see Grandma & Grandpa Slade there, watching from the sidelines. Mike told me that, although Andrew was currently not on the field, he had participated in the practice drills before the game. Then, after some encouragement from all of us present, and some comfort from Grandma, who told him it was okay if he chose not to play, Andrew went over to his coach and said he was ready to try.

As the boys got into positions, before the whistle even blew for the quarter to begin, our family was loudly cheering, "Yeah Andrew! Good Job! You can do it, Andrew!" I wonder what the other spectators must have thought of our cheers for one who was merely standing on the field, but I didn't care. I was so incredibly proud of my boy for not quiting before he really gave it a try. He played the whole quarter. He didn't just limp along in the back of the group, though there was some limping involved. He actually got right in there after the ball! He blocked a few good kicks from the other team, & he even came close to making a goal himself. Alex & Ethan cheered loudly for their brother, along with us, which made those around us comment on how cute it was. I'm not sure Alex understood why this game was so different than the others, but he recognized for the first time that we were all there to support Andrew. By the end of the quarter, though, Andrew's pain overcame his enthusiasm for the game. He told his coach he couldn't play anymore, & came over to us.

Mike got to him first, telling him how proud he was of his choice to play & reliving his "good moves" with him. As Andrew came toward me, his face was sad & he immediately began explaining that he just couldn't keep playing. I could tell he thought I would be disappointed in him for giving up now. And yet, the truth was I could hardly speak over the lump in my throat from the pride I felt in him for his efforts. I told him it was okay, but he wasn't really hearing me, so I made him look in my eyes as I told him again that it was okay & that I was more proud of him than I could even find the words for. I hugged him tightly and let my tears escaped my eyes. Then I knew he believed my, for I caught him smiling.(Here's Andrew smiling with his friend & teammate, Sam E.)

We helped him to a chair by Grandma & Grandpa. He took off his cleat & showed them the reason for his distress. His wound was indeed bleeding once again from the stress he'd put it through. We cheered for his teammates as we watched the rest of the game, and then left.

Now, there are three main lessons our family has gleaned from this experience. These lessons were felt on that day, though they didn't really become solidified into words, for me, until the following Tuesday when we were asked by a homeopathic specialist to try a sugar-free diet for a month. I have contemplated the theory of "sugar-free diets" in the past (Mike suffered through one as a child. I can't remember how long, but it was much longer than a month - it was their lifestyle then.) I have always come to the conclusion that, while they are probably good for those who can do them, I was not one of those people. I could never be successful at such a thing, & neither could my family. And yet. . . As Jennie, the specialist, made the suggestion, I felt something, which I recognize more & more to be the Holy Spirit, urging me to consider it. Through the "Fight or Flight" panic that I felt as I thought of what it would be like to live "sugar-free" for a whole month, came the words of the three lessons from what I now call the Parable of the Soccer Game. #1 Do not Quit before you Try. #2 Give it your Very Best Effort, despite the discomfort. #3 When you've honestly given your very best try, when it becomes more than you can continue to do, then it's Okay to Be Done.

Each time I repeat these three principles, I feel the Spirit confirm the truthfulness of them to me once more. I agreed to try the sugar-free diet (which, through rule #3 has become more of a Diabetic - Carb counting, Sugar-substituting, sugar avoiding - Diet), and I used these three lessons to invite my children & husband to support me in this venture. Gratefully, they have all agreed to submit to it. The kids were even excited about it, . . . until the first breakfast without any sugar.

Admittedly, it hasn't been easy. But I have felt encouraged, lifted, & supported in so many ways. I have felt that this experience will not just be about our health. It will be a way of becoming more united, cheering each other on through the difficult times & working together toward a common goal. It will be evidence we can draw strength from that We Can Do Hard Things, with the Lord's help. Both Andrew & Ethan have turned down treats offered when they were away from home. I could just burst with the joy they are bringing to my heart through their obedience! Andrew denied himself one Pringle chip, even though he checked & the package said there was only 1 gram of sugar per serving. I gave him a sugar-free candy for that one! Ethan not only told his buddy Elliott that he could eat their preschool treats in front of him- a Twinkie & a Blow-Pop - but tonight he asked to make graham cracker & frosting treats to take to neighbors, though he knew he could not even lick his fingers when the frosting got on them. We made them & he was true to his word. I was only able to resist because of his determination.

It is an answer to many different prayers I've said: "Please help my kids to eat better;" "Please help me to set a better example of eating better;" "Please help us all learn to try new foods & to actually like them;"(we'll have to wait & see about that last part! LOL!) Anyway, I am grateful to have experienced the Parable of the Soccer Game. I am grateful for the lessons I am continuing to learn & for all those who have been supportive of me in following the guidance I have received. The past four days have been a challenge. I honestly don't know if we can make it to Halloween (well, the Saturday before, since Halloween is on Sunday this year.) But, I know I'm not alone. We're not quitting until we've tried. We're going to give it our best shot, cheering each other on, even when it's really hard. And we will be pleased with whatever we're able to do.

This is a video of Andrew's game today. He's still in some pain, was still reluctant to play, but still did a great job!

Andrew's Birthday - 7 is Heaven!

Once again, there were several days involved in the celebration of a birthday in our family. Andrew's first party was at Grandma & Grandpa Slade's house, on the traditional "Third Sunday Dinner," and was shared with Jase, whose birthday is just about 2 weeks before his own. In Andrew's honor, French Toast Sticks were part of the menu.

Aunt Kathie made their birthday cake, continuing a tradition they began while we were living in Pennsylvania of making a volcano cake, including dry ice, for Jase's birthday. Andrew had said he wanted a ToonTown cake, so Kathie added some cool printouts of ToonTown characters dancing around the base.

(There was a little talk of whether or not it was appropiate to be cheering and laughing about a volcano while the whole of Europe & Iceland were still suffering the effects of a recent volcano eruption, but after a contemplative pause, we continued.)

We gave Jase a card that Andrew and Ethan designed & signed, with $5 attached to the inside.

Grandma & Grandpa Slade gave him an outfit to wear to their activity of riding the bumper boats at Boondocks, sometime when the weather isn't cold, rainy, or snowy (as it has been rather often lately).

Kathie & Henry gave Jase & Andrew matching Nerf guns that kept them entertained from the moment they opened them until we were telling them to get into the car to go.

Grandpa Slade had us each say something we loved about each of the birthday boys. It was fun to hear what others in our extended family see in our boy - he's smart & can see through someone's "tricks", he plays well with his cousins, he's obedient, he's happy and fun.

The next celebration was at Grandma & Grandpa Larsen's house. We went over on Saturday, the 17th, and helped clean out their basement a little, so they could effectively make progress toward finishing it. Grandma mentioned that they would like to give him his birthday present while we were there, and it was all he could do to wait until lunch was made and we were all gathered so he could open it. They gave him a card that played Star Wars Theme music, the book "Falling Up" - which had recently been added to his wish list and fits his sense of humor perfectly - and a dollar, since he's been interested in counting and recounting his money lately too!

His party there was the next day (and I forgot to bring the camera), and was shared with a whole bunch of April birthdays - Grandma Larsen (who has his SAME birthday), Grandpa Larsen, Uncle Erik, Uncle Ben, Uncle Josh Jensen, Great-Grandma Larsen & Great-Grandpa Larsen (who weren't there, but who were mentioned with love)! All the adult children (except Justin & Tina, who couldn't make it and who had already taken them out to dinner for their gift), had gone in together on a gift to cover birthdays and Mother's Day/Father's Day. It was a kid-sized picnic table and an airplane teeter-totter that can fit 7 kids at a time! (I must admit that, even though I thought Jayni's idea to give them the picnic table, and my idea to add the airplane, were great ideas, it felt a little selfish to be giving them gifts that were meant for the enjoyment of all OUR children; but, they get such a kick out of being grandparents and having fun things at their house for their grandchildren that we knew they'd love it!)

On Andrew's actual birthday, we gave him our presents: a Star Wars the Clone Wars MadLibs book, a Kids Word Searches book, a Magic Treehouse book, and a Soccer Ball. He was happy with all of it!

We served French Toast Sticks for breakfast, he had a homemade lunch that included snap peas (from Sam's Club, as the ones we planted have not matured enough to produce any yet), and had Rainbow Tortellini, Corn on the Cob, and Snap Peas for dinner. (I never thought a meal he chose would include so many vegetables! Hooray!)

Then, we all went to Dylan's for shakes, since he got a coupon for a free one, from his school, for having a birthday in April.

Andrew's final celebration was the Friday following his birthday. We let him invite 10 friends to a ToonTown/Club Penguin birthday party (Should I really be encouraging all this online gaming nonsense? - At least there's no real violence involved, and it's a way to connect with some friends across vast distances. . .) I was just as excited as he was for the party, for I was "well-pleased" with some of the ingenius things I had planned to carry the themes through the party. With his approval, we made Puffle cupcakes, instead of a recreation of his ToonTown character, Wierdcliff Nickelseed. Ethan and Alex helped me nearly every step of the way, so they got to choose theirs first and add sprinkles so they could tell them apart from the others.

I made cardstock cards of Fire, Snow, and Water to recreate the Card-Jitsu game from Club Penguin (which is actually a more involved version of Rock, Paper, Scissors), and played Human Card-Jitsu, taking the idea from Human Tic-Tac-Toe listed in the LDS Game Book.

We played my stand-by games for this age or older: Twisted Pretzel & Cinnamon Roll. Then, we played the Best game I came up with: Cog Attack. Earlier in the week, I'd asked a talented, artistic friend/neighbor of ours, Tyler Stott, to draw a Cog (the bad guys from ToonTown) on a large piece of cardboard. He painted a Legal Eagle (Andrew's favorite). Meanwhile, I purchase whipped cream spray and aluminum pie pans. You get the idea - the kids donned our store of "paint shirts" and just threw pies at the Cog. It was GREAT! Since it was cold outside, we had to do the activity in our garage, but I'm sure we'll get the mess cleaned up someday!

Even Grandma Chase got into the action!The end result was very satisfying for all! We also played Barnyard Din (from LDS Game Book), Hide & Go Seek, & Sardines.

Andrew was a little disappointed that I wouldn't let him invite all his cousins, along with his friends, so he was very grateful I let him include Uncle Trevor! Grandma & Grandpa Chase, & Uncle Trevor & Uncle Bryan, of course, gave him some Super Saturdays toys (which we previously knew nothing of, but which he's played with nearly constantly since the party), a Bank in the shape of a Knight's head, and $5. He was thrilled. Andrew received wonderful gifts from all his guests! He gave Glow-in-the-Dark Stars to his guests, and to Ethan & Alex, with a Club Penguin thank you note attached.

This was everyone who came: (Anna Larsen, who was pictured above and had to leave early), Uncle Trevor (above, far left), Jacob Hess, Aubree Hoffman, Ethan Balls, Carson Jones (above, far right), Nathaniel Haroldsen (below, next to Andrew), Isaac Ball, and Kyler Haroldsen (below, in background, with Puffle as his face). Kaleb Shroeder, from Andrew's Primary class, was also invited and came over later that day, with a gift, and played for a while.

After the party I looked a little closer at the bag that Anna decorated herself for Andrew's gift. Ever since she played Cinderella in the FairyTale Friday production I put on in Andrew's class, I've really liked her. She's just a neat girl. Apparently, she thinks Andrew is pretty "neat" too:

We are so proud of the boy Andrew is, and the young man he is becoming! It's amazing to me that there's only a year until he can choose to be baptized! He's making the right choices now to be prepared for that day. Lately he's been extra sweet to his brothers, playing with them, making them laugh, and helping them learn new things. He's very responsible about his chores - often doing them without even being reminded to, and always before he asks to get on the computer of have a friend over. He's good about following the limits we've set for his computer time (one hour of Educational time, and one hour Action time - anything not educational). He delights in reading his own Book of Mormon, though it's not a regular occurance yet, and in writing in his journal, though that is also not regular yet. Mike and I are so grateful that he came to our family and was the first one to make us parents!