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It’s another Saturday which means (during the off wedding season), driving Olivia to a Rugby training day or game. During the summer months, well it’s just crazy. Trying to be a good Mom and trying to run a business. Olivia started playing only two years ago and immediately embraced the sport playing at school and at the Lindsay Rugby Club during the summer. She tried out and played for the provincial team and last fall, and then tried out and played for Ontario sevens team – a select group of athletes who play a shortened version of the sport. Sevens – it’s a vibrant game with lot of pure strength and skill!
She’s been amazing at keeping all the balls in the air so to speak – her school work, school sports and then the training that this particular team requires. Sitting on the side lines, I often overhear other parents talking about all the crazy schedules that their kids have – some young women finish a hockey game before heading out to the Rugby try outs, are taking University prep classes, meeting academic deadlines and parents driving all over southern Ontario to make it happen. On the one hand, it’s easy to complain and grumble about early mornings or entire weekends taken up but of course it’s worth it all. I’m proud of Liv, I’m proud of her self discipline. Being involved and passionate about anything is a good thing. She’s been asked to help out as a ball girl at the PanAm games this summer in Toronto, she’ll have a full dance card of Rugby provincially this summer and for her club team in Lindsay.
Today is a big honour. She is trying out for Junior Team Canada. If she is accepted she goes to Samoa for the Common Wealth games this fall. Hard to think about that possibility but the journey is what she loves and what she brings back from each of her games and her travels. She knows what a privilege it is to play.
I’ve lost her for the most part this summer at the farm, at least for many of the events we have. Olivia has been helping me since we started, preferring to work in the kitchen with Lisa getting dinner on the table, making pizza’s, learning how to chop, grill the appetizers, and make dough, and she does an amazing job at the clean up – oddly! Last year before Rugby – I had wanted to take her to Italy, on an culinary adventure to make bread and pizza in a small village with people that live and breathe food. No time . No time last year, no time the year before. We’ll see about this year but she will be a senior in High School, applying to University, getting ready to leave the nest, trying out for the national team, and who knows, the Olympics in her sites….
Post Script: an update to this post! Team Canada here she comes and playing for the Common Wealth Games in Samoa in September!
Liv’s Favourite – Pasta with Meat Sauce (the summer version)
Sauté 2 shallots and 1 small yellow onion or 1 large regular onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil
add 4 slices Italian or regular bacon
sauté until the bacon is cooked and crisp about 5 minutes
add 2 cups chopped tomatoes or 1 can Italian plum tomatoes
add 6 cloves finely chopped garlic
sauté for about 30 minutes
remove from heat and add 1/4 cup torn basil leaves
salt to taste
serve over spaghettini noodles with parmesan
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