My summer in review: kids, cats and kicking the ball

While it may appear we vanished without a trace this summer, the title pretty much describes my summer, spending time with my kids, while we all looked after the abundant number of cats in our home and kicking the ball on the soccer field. All of us play soccer. While I could go on and on about the summer, in simplest terms – it was a busy, hectic, crazy and we weren’t even posted. Sort of.

Our oldest daughter Madeline moved on. She graduated from high school and joined the military. In August we dropped her off in St. Jean, Quebec, at the Megaplex. Last year she decided to join the Canadian Forces to get a great education and play the sport she lives for – soccer.

The St. Jean Megaplex is a large, very large grey building and very hard to miss. Driving towards it Madeline asked if it was a jail, her father responded, with out missing a beat, no that is your new home. Well, for the first two weeks anyway. Then she was bussed down to the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, which is the last time we saw her.

As you read this we will be spending time with her for reunion weekend. I will admit, my children joining the military is not something I supported until last year when we learned about the education she would receive and most important the opportunity she had to play soccer.

Unfortunately, she has been injured three times in the last six weeks, so not much soccer has been played, but she is still there, and while homesick, I think she is enjoying it or at least making the most of it. Being the only female in a flight of 12 young men wouldn’t be easy and I respect her for hanging in there and sticking through it.

As for the cats, well we found three of them homes. I still have the mom and two kittens. And though my husband can’t stand them, he is only home on weekends.