This "Mom on a Mission" is going to look more like "Mom in the Bleachers" this year.

 I have spent my share of hours and years in the stands...and it is one of my greatest pleasures as a mom, but this year, I will have a bleacher butt like never before.

Our middle school boys are playing football and Esther is playing volleyball all in one season on different teams.

The boys will be on different football teams, as they are in different grades. 

Last year they were on the same football, basketball, and  baseball teams, even though they are in different grades, which I can tell you was good for them and good for my bleacher butt time.

Mik had played with a group of boys all summer and then early on in the first weeks of football, and then one lovely Fall day there was person with a "concern" about Mik playing up with the older boys.  I wanted to cry frankly...not only because of my "time", but I know my kid's history....I know his story and every time in his young life, he kinda gets situated and feeling like he is settled and accepted into a group or team he gets the rug pulled out from under him.

  It broke my heart for him initially.  I wanted to go yelling at everyone and tell them that they have no idea what this kid's life has been like and if they could just give him ONE break in life....that would be AWESOME. 

 Let's just say the mother bear came out in me.  Of course....Charlie came at it from a much healthier perspective and he explained to me that this was going to be beneficial to Mik and it was a real positive and he had pumped Mik up and let him know all the positives to the situation.  UGH....OK....I had to cool my fool head off and do a few deep breathing exercises in preparation for the upcoming season.

I have accepted it, and even see the benefits to it now, though I still want to yell at people a little. 

 I have learned from my very wise man, that we can make a positive out of everything, and I have learned from Mik to not hold a grudge. 

 This kid has every reason in the "worldly ways" to be angry and bitter about some of the decisions adults have made that have effected his life, and yet he has one of the most tender hearts I've ever known. 

He holds no grudges or bitterness.

  He is NOT perfect and he has "stuff" like every human being on this fallen planet, but he is tender, and he is thankful and happy to just be a part of anything. 

 He doesn't walk around in fear that it's all going to crumble, even though it has so many times for him, he just dives in 100% and is ALL.  I am super proud of him.

Mik is number 10

So I'm taking my bleacher butt and my loud yelling voice to his first game today while Charlie and Reece go the total opposite direction to watch Luke play at the very same time, just a different town.  I am going to use all my yelling energy to cheer for my boy, and then next week Charlie will go to Mik's game and I will go to Luke's game and somewhere in between we will hit a volleyball game or a thousand.

I'm thankful for kids and sports and their healthy active bodies God blessed these kids with, and all the opportunities to play.