Embrace the Mess: Life (and soccer) is messy. Don’t sweat the small stuff—like popcorn kernels under your couch or the soccer cleat smell that’s now permanently embedded in your car. Grab your 3 water tumblers: one is for water, one is for caffeine, and one is for…don’t ask and head to the field to enjoy screaming parents, happy kids, and exhausted mamas. We are all in together.

Chapter 2: The Snack Olympics

As the whistle blows and the game ensues, I’m multitasking like a pro. On one hand, I’m cheering on my little soccer star, while on the other, I’m attempting to distribute organic fruit snacks, gluten-free granola bars, and maybe a juice box or two. So basically, chips, Rice Krispies, wine (oops that’s my bag), fruit snacks and cookies. I say tomato, you say tomahto. My car now doubles as a mobile snack shop, and I’m pretty sure I could start my own food truck with the amount of snacks I haul around.

Forget soccer drills; my skills are in snack juggling. Judging by the intensity of my child’s stare, you’d think I held the secret to winning the game in my snack bag. Nothing brings focus like an apple slice and a whiff of desperation! Half the kids don’t like fruit, so I need to come up with something quick…uncrustables and gogurts! Sold. Let’s hit it. We can grab donuts on the way and be the hit of the crowd, well with the kids. Parents will hate me! Oh well.