GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

If you read my wife's blog you know that we signed our son Jimmy up for soccer. At first, it didn't appear that he was going to get into it much, unless there's a version of the game where you win by twirling in place until you're dizzy and fall down. In fairness, this behavior was not unique to him. The other two boys on Team Dolphin do the same types of things in their own flavors and the girl porpoises prefer to stand around and hug each other while the ball lazily passed them by. Within the last two game Saturdays, however, Jimmy has really come into his own.

From watching his cousin Olivia - as fearsome a barracuda as has ever been seen in eight-year-old soccer - Jimmy learned the following lesson:

Me: "Okay, buddy. What do you do when you get tired?"
Jimmy: (bending at the waist and placing a hand on one knee) "Put your hand on your knee."
Me: "Yep. And then what?"
Jimmy: "Then you suck it up."

Having that bit of wisdom in hand (thanks Livvy), he now plays with gusto, dashing up and down the field with his arms out behind him like a cape, pulling off some really good plays, and having a great time all around.

Today was one for the highlight reel: his first goal. If you watch the video below, you'll see the camera bobble after the ball passes through the cones because one proud father, who momentarily forgot he was holding the camera, is pumping his fist in the air. Eat your heart out, David Beckham.