Confession

I have a confession to make.

I have become exactly what I used to promise myself not to be. When Chris and I were first married, we would walk/run together on a path around Wauwatosa. Every day we would see these people on our path, loading their kids in and out of their big minivans. Sometimes the people looked frazzled; sometimes delighted. I would smugly look at them and think "Never. Never will I become that."

What was I so fearful of becoming? A minivan soccer mom.

Yet almost ten years later, I am minivan soccer mom to the extreme! I recently paid off my first minivan and am working to save for the second. However, I don't think the vehicle alone qualifies a woman for this title; it entails more.

The children also contribute. Check that one of off the qualification list as well. I had three of those; to further exacerbate my situation I didn't have just one child, but THREE boys! Ok, I knew I was steadily creeping closer to minivan mom land.

The ultimate qualifier is of course the frazzled and delighted looks as you exit your van unloading the kids for yet another athletic event. In this case--soccer. Moms are frazzled as they attempt to herd their children out of the minivan in a way so that no other frazzled mom could accidentally run into them in the maze that we call a parking lot. Moms are frazzled as they are toting their blue fold out chairs for the family, while balancing water bottles for everyone. Also, the moms are still steaming on having to organize a snack for the other children at the end of the game.

Ok, so I qualify.

The most important caveat to being a minivan mom, however, is the delighted looks that I could not understand when I was 22 years old, newly married, newly employed, and running around in my still young-- not marred by children- body. Moms, including myself, are delighted with the pride of watching their children do well.

Moms are proud about every missed goal kick, proudly cheering, "Good try!" because you know the kids need the affirmation. Moms revel in every ball steal the child makes, and even wince when your child gets the ball stolen from them. Moms love watching the faces of their children when they do something great. Where do the kids look first when they do well? Yes, mom and dad. Yes, mom. The minivan soccer mom.

I am now a proud member of the club. And I am not embarrassed to admit it.