More sports in our future + Sunday activities

High school sports are nothing like I remember, either because I went to a small school, or a lot's changed since then. Or, perhaps some combination of that. At the boys high school, sports seasons overlap by multiple weeks & sometimes a month. If you play soccer (a winter sport), and want to try out for a spring sport, the spring sport coach is "required" to hold a spot for you until your season wraps up. What happens in reality is that the spring coach is attempting to finalize a roster, get back to a bunch of pushy parents & let kids know if they should be coming to practice for multiple weeks/a month, or if they are cut. It's odd & leads to a lot of frustration. Nick was originally told he by the athletic director that he (and all winter sports athletes) couldn't try out for tennis until his winter season ended. However, there was a change on Friday afternoon, and he reported on Saturday morning for tryouts. The tennis coach cautioned him that he would have to beat out all of the kids who had already made JV & had been trying out for a week, and he needed to be the top JV placer. There were 60+ kids trying out, so no pressure. 

I give Nick a ton of credit for walking into a situation like that, staying calm, and performing. Most of the kids trying out have been playing for a long time, play in tournaments, and have a ranking. He has none of that, & picked it up very casually during COVID. He made the team, so the day after the last soccer game...tennis begins. :-) We're very excited for him, especially given the odds. But, this means lots of practices & games, and driving to meets, and the works. I feel so lucky right now that I'm working from home & have some work flex. His good friend made the varsity team, which also means that my dreams of carpooling have been dashed, as JV & varsity play at different times. Hopefully we will be able to set up other carpools. 

Next week is a crazy week, with three soccer games (making up for a few delayed games from COVID, earlier in the season) & a wild work week for me. My goal is to get through it with as little stress as possible. I went through my calendar yesterday, & mapped most things out.

Here's what's on the agenda for today. Lots of paperwork, planning & organization:

• Meet a friend for a hike. It was a last minute invite last night, and a new trail, so looking forward to that.
• Gather paperwork for Sam's permit. He FINALLY finished his test, so he will be getting his permit in a few weeks (soonest available appointment).
• Call insurance to add Sam. Shivers. I've heard this is insanely pricey.
• Depending on length of hike, strength workout
• Wrap up January goals, set February goals. I'm late!
• Make a menu plan for the week, keeping in mind the wild schedule
• Laundry (of course)
• Thinking that Nick had tryouts in a few weeks, I'd signed him up for a few extra tennis classes, so he has those today. Oh well, it will give him some confidence going into the season, as he's missing a few weeks of playing with the team.
• Plan menu & shopping list for ski trip
• Packing list for ski trip
• Give away stuff on Buy Nothing
• Gather tax documents, make a list of what's outstanding
• Pick up Magic cards for Sam's outdoor birthday party
• Boys review homework & grades
• Call my parents

If I finish all of that, I'll be thrilled. What about you? What are you hoping to accomplish this week?