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We want the girls to continue to be active in sports while we are in South America, but we are a little concerned about the prevalence of field hockey, in which the girls have no interest, especially since it is not really played in the Pacific Northwest.

Zoe wants to continue to play soccer, but is nervous that no girls play and that all of the kids will be really good since everyone is soccer obsessed. We don’t know if they will have baseball/softball available for her.

For Zelda, we are considering martial arts since she has already informed us that she doesn’t want to play soccer in an intense environment.

I love to quote parts of this Nike ad to the girls (popular during women’s Olympic hockey fever) because it completely represents how we want our girls to live–fierce and free.

“When I invented me the world went, “What?” WOMEN DON’T PLAY HOCKEY! A place for me didn’t even exist when I first came along. When the ice opens up in front of me, wide and wild, I don’t feel like a first; I don’t feel like a guy; I just don’t see anything in my way. When a woman wins, victory is passed around like cake; everybody gets some, wallflowers and followers and fierce ruling divas alike. Play ‘cause you love it; play ‘cause you mean it. And win for a bigger world than the one you started in.” –Cammi Granato, in a Nike ad.

When people ask Tom and I if we are going to home school the girls while we are away, Tom and I always have to wait for our hearts to resume beating after the moment of sheer terror passes. NO, we are not going to home school. Reasons are below:

1. School is how you get rid of, I mean socialize, your kids.
2. They never listen to us, so I can’t imagine them starting once we arbitrarily declared ourselves “teacher.” Anyone with kids can tell you that parents rank down around, oh, I don’t know, armadillos, in terms of the stock our children put in our knowledge. Pretty much any first grader on the playground is given more cred than we are.
3. The wee ones are supposed to be learning the language (that would be Spanish) while we are there.