As we leave to spend the entire weekend in rainy & cold Temecula, after spending all day last saturday in Claremont and all weekend NEXT weekend in Lancaster, for Miss M's soccer (not to mention Deev's current High School soccer season with DAILY practices from 3-5 and 2x weekly games), the below is deeply true, sad, and funny at the same time.
For non-sport families, I know it is probably not even mildly amusing.So, if you can't laugh WITH us, just laugh AT us, if you must.
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You know you are a soccer family when...
...You have owned every style of camping chair ever made and have a strong opinion or review about the pros and cons of each model.
...Your kid takes a bloody wallop on the nose, and your first thought is that he needs to quit crying or be subbed because we're running out of time in the game.
...You know where every elementary school, jr. high, high school, college and park with a soccer field is in Southern California
....You know how to get to all of the above without getting lost
....Your gas credit card bills are bigger than your Nordstrom bill.
...All of your vacation time is taken up by soccer events. No more beach vacations, unless your team gets invited to Surf Cup. No more ski vacations ever again!
...You have had at least one occasion where you were happier to have found a hotel room in Lancaster for an 8am State Cup game, than you ever were to find a hotel room in Hawaii for your vacation
....You talk about "the Polo Fields" like it's your country club
....You know where Field #14 is at Surf Cup, and you know where to park so you have the shortest possible walk to it.
...You have seen all kinds of movies between tournament games that you would have never watched otherwise.
...There are posters of Englishmen and Brazilians in your house.
...You've forgotten where you go to church.
...Your child's "good shoes" are his newest soccer cleats.
...You and your spouse spend all weekend driving to soccer games. In different cars. In different counties. With different kids. And talk on the cell phone only to compare scores. And don't see each other until Sunday night.
... You are happy to spend $120 on soccer cleats, but are appalled when the materials for your child's science fair project cost $100
.... The kids on your team are 'feisty', while the kids on the opposing team are 'dirty'.
... You only have one kid in soccer and you only have one game today, but you are leaving at 8am. And won't be home until 3pm.
...You have been to several cities in the country that have wonderful tourist attractions, but while in these cities you have seen only soccer fields, hotels, rental car counters, and airports.
... The mats on your car's rear floor are never free of dried grass and black turf pebbles.
...When your kids go to a camp, it isn't the same kind of camp you went to when you were a kid.
...You look forward to Monday so that you can go back to work/school and relax.
... The only way your 5-year-old can tell the difference between a weekday and a weekend day is by the terms "school day" and "soccer day".
...You have not celebrated your anniversary for 3 years because it always falls on a practice or game day.
...You own a 2-year-old $50,000 SUV with 182,000 original miles.
...You have never met a competent Center Ref in your life.
...Your kids' soccer trainer moves into your spare room.
Here are the 6 kids plus a friend. They are all getting so big and old *sniff sniff*.
It is bittersweet when vacation ends and the kids go back to school. 
