An Argument for Basketball

     When soccer season ended, I looked forward to Molly having more time to do her homework, more leisurely family weeknights with dinner at reasonable hours, lazy Saturday mornings when we could sleep in (well, maybe in a fantasy family that did not include a preschooler) and have big warm breakfasts and go sledding later on if we felt like leaving the house.  

     But Molly is signed up for basketball now.  WHA HAPPEN?  (to quote Fred Willard's character in A Mighty Wind).  Back to 2 nights of practice a week and Saturday morning games.  I tried to argue what a bad idea this was to Jeff.  You have to be really prepared when arguing with Jeff.  Mom's instinct is not a valid arguing point.  Especially against young Jeff basketball memories.  First, he argued that this may be a boost to her lacking self-esteem.  Nothing guilts a mama like waving her kid's  lacking self-esteem in front of her face.  He also illuminated the fact that Molly's irritability of late could be a result of her lack of regular exercise now that soccer ended.  Then he had the nerve to draw the parallel to her mom who gets very irritable when she doesn't get regular exercise.  The knock out punch was his argument that she lost a social outlet when soccer ended, and this would provide her the opportunity to hang out with friends on a regular basis.  

     So good-bye daydreams of a luxurious winter hibernation.  Let's hope this sacrifice results in a very happy, exercised, well-adjusted ten-year-old who faithfully does her homework and has fabulous self-esteem.