By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
6 ways you know you're a soccer mom
3eba42779e6164351eff30e2ec83e9592752fdcf45e8e994bdc52119ba0600d5
Arianne Brown's five sons play around with a soccer ball. - photo by Arianne Brown
This week, my kids officially completed their soccer season, which if you are a soccer mom, you know exactly what that means: more soccer.

There is so much more to being a soccer mom than shuttling kids to and from games and practices with snacks in tow. Here are six ways you know youre a soccer mom.

1. Your lawn will never be beautiful.

While you may have once thought that letting your kids play outside in their cleats was a cheap way to aerate the lawn, you quickly found that you would have no such luck. Not only will you have cleat marks all over your lawn, but youll have a permanent dead spot where the goalie has set up camp.

2. When you hear, "Im messy," you know not to grab the wipes.

A few years back, I heard my oldest son yell, Im messy! I was a little concerned at first, but when my other two boys followed up with, No, Im Messi! I knew that I wouldn't need to grab the wipes or spray anyone with the hose.

Lionel Messi is the great Barcelona and Argentina player whom many young soccer players want to emulate.

3. You have a colorful array of shoes in your closets.

Soccer cleats are no doubt snazzy. But if your kids play indoor or futsal, you get to buy an even more colorful and outlandishly designed line of footwear. And, since indoor shoes are (apparently) so comfortable, it is likely your children also have a school pair. You might as well be walking into a pack of Skittles when you clean your kids closets except it stinks like a can of dead rats.

4. You are constantly being "megged."

A soccer ball is constantly found not only at your kids' feet but also your feet as they attempt to meg you.

Meg, short for nutmeg, is when the soccer player successfully kicks the ball between his or her opponent's legs which surprisingly happens less often than you may think. So, when your child is constantly trying to meg you while you are walking through the house doing household chores, you end up with many more messes all over the floor and with bruised ankles to match.

5. Youll never give a "normal" haircut again.

Thanks to all of the fun hairstyles of David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr., I will never be allowed to give a simple haircut to any of my boys. I will either be keeping the back long, shaving one side, adding some steps or buying headbands to hold back their long locks.

Soccer has become less of how you play the game and more of how you look when you play the game.

6. You have clothing for all weather conditions in your car.

The great thing about soccer is that it is played in the spring and fall. Those seasons encompass all weather patterns: wind, rain, snow, sleet, extreme heat you name it. This is also why you have watched many games from under a tarp or from behind your steering wheel with your 2-year-old climbing all over you.

Being a soccer mom requires time, perseverance and a high tolerance for pain and unholy stenches. But I'd do it all again even if I did have a choice in the matter.
Sign up for our E-Newsletters
Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
638421_Screenshot_1.png
Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
Latest Obituaries