Things are getting busy around here. On top of holiday preparations, my youngest kid’s volleyball season started early this year with a Saturday mini-tournament.

“Mini” tournaments sound cute and easy, but it just means one very long day of sports instead of two. She plays for a club that travels around the southwest, so for around three months of the year I spend most weekends sitting on wooden bleachers and watching sports. They tell you kids will change your life, but I never imagined I’d need to become a sports parent. I might be the only parent on the team who drags her kid off to see architecture and historical plaques between games, but we make it work.

Funny story, last year I got my husband and I tickets to the Oddities and Curiosities Expo, and then found out it was on a tournament weekend. My daughter, ever the good sport, let me drag her straight from the tournament still in her uniform so we wouldn’t miss out on the expo. For once, she was the odd one out, wandering the booths in her jersey and gym shoes, surrounded by goths and steampunks. Bless her, it didn’t bother her at all. If she can look at bones and bugs with me, I can certainly sit on bleachers and watch sports for her. Sadly, I won’t be dragging her out to see freaks and curiosities this year; we’ll be in Denver for a tournament when the Expo comes to Albuquerque.

I think I’ll leave my update at that for this week. I need to get back to the rush of Solstice and Christmas prep. I hope in this busy season you’re all got all the joy you can handle, and a little rest here and there as well. Until next week. –Corvus