You Are What You Bring to Snack

This fall, one of my lifelong dreams came true.

I became a soccer Mom.

I’ve dreamed of this day since I was in high school, watching my friends on our school team play on our dirt soccer field. I have dreamed of this day since I myself played soccer in high school and loved the game so much.

Yes, I signed my four year old up for soccer. And I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but I was so very excited. Thrilled. Spoiler alert: she loved it, too. But four-year-olds in soccer is another post for another time. 

The time came when I got the first email from the coach, the one that contained our soccer schedule in an attached document. I quickly opened it to scan the dates and times that we would have practice and games.

And then my heart fell. Right there on that word document was a column labeled “snack”. And along that column was each person’s slot to bring a snack to soccer practice.

I gulped. Snack?

I thought I signed up for soccer! You know, shin guards and cleats and uniforms and grass fields and chilly fall nights watching my girlie score goals (or at least touch the ball).

Oh no. I started to panic.

Rationally, I calmed myself down enough to begin brainstorming. What should I bring to snack? The children playing are four years old, so I need to keep that in mind. What kind of snack would make a whole group of four-year-olds happy? How many people am I serving snack to? Are we talking four kids or fourteen kids? What time is practice…what if what I bring to snack interferes with dinner? And gulp…what about food allergies? What if there are food allergies of the other kids on the team?  

I noticed that I was next to bring snack, so I started thinking through what I should take.

Apple pie roll-ups homemade out of the insane amount of apples our trees have produced this year? No, too elaborate. That would make me seem like the type of Mom who has too much time on my hands.

Peanut butter crackers that I have in my pantry? No, too simple. And that has allergies written all over it. That would make me seem like the type of Mom who didn’t think about snack until I was running out the door and just grabbed the nearest thing in the pantry.

Cookies decorated like a soccer ball? No, too Pinteresty. That would give off the vibe that I’m very creative and I wouldn’t want to give off that vibe. That would be like lying about my identity.

Fruit Roll-Ups and Apple Juice? No, too sugary. That would make me seem like the type of Mom who doesn’t care about the kid’s health and well-being.

Organic Apple slices with hummus and roasted chickpeas? No, that would make me seem like the type of Mom who is too health-conscious and judges other Moms for the fries on their minivan floor.

It was around this time that I realized that…. You Are What You Bring to Snack.

So, I decided to embrace who I am and take that to snack.

On my day to bring snack, I realized that I still hadn’t thought of anything so all the homemade/baked goods were out of the picture. Thankfully, I was organized enough to realize that we had enough time to stop at the store before hitting up soccer practice. Together with my two kids, we browsed the snack aisle and all together decided to get some juice and some animal cracker packets. We loaded up and headed to soccer practice, where I sat up my lawn chair and hollered and cheered for my little four-year-old and her entire team. And after practice, all the kids ran up to my lawn chair while my little soccer star proudly handed out the snack we had just picked up at the store. 

I embraced who I am… a mostly hot mess Mom who still likes to have her grip on organization but who mostly just wants to sit on the sidelines and cheer on my child as loudly as I can.

If you are what you bring to snack, what kind of Mom are you?