“Fine,” she said.
I didn’t have the energy to continue with this madness. Besides, in my very own hands was a brand new German National Team soccer jersey. I had mine; she had hers. All was right in the world. As we finished our transactions, both Psycho Mom and I walked toward the exit of the store, sporting Soccer Post shopping bags. When we reached the door, she pushed it open and held it for me. Though I secretly feared she was going to pull a Zidane and head butt me in the chest, Psycho Mom was surprisingly pleasant. She smiled and gestured with her hand that I should walk ahead of her.
“Thank you,” I said tentatively.
“No worries,” she said. “You have a great day now!”
I stood motionless in the parking lot, staring agape as Psycho Mom bopped toward her minivan.
Have a great day? Did she really just tell me to have a great day just minutes after sinking her teeth into my left hand?
How did this happen? What had become of me? I’ve always been one of those people who saw the world as having enough for everyone, even when it didn’t. My husband, Steve used to tease me about this, telling me that while everything isn’t a zero sum game, some things absolutely are. That is, if there’s only one spot left on the fencing team, there’s only one spot. They’re not going to simply adopt my hippy dippy philosophy of creating one big, all-inclusive team where every nearsighted klutz is given a saber.
Another soccer mom just bit me, but my overwhelming feeling was one of victory because I would be going home with a German National Team jersey for Rachel. Now she could impress Coach Gunther by dressing in sportswear from his homeland.
How did I get here? When did this happen to me? And more importantly, once a person crossed the line into the world of crazy sports parents, was there any way back to sanity?
Brownie Points
Questions for Discussion
By supporting Logan’s effort to join Girl Scouts was Lisa being permissive or wise?
If Logan were your son, would you let him try to join Girl Scouts? What would be the risks? How would your community react?
Lisa’s friend Jorge accuses her of shoving her son out of the closet. Why do you think she was so eager for her son to share his sexual orientation with the family?
Was Lisa right to want this? Or was she rushing things for her own sake?
Why do you feel Lisa has such a chip on her shoulder when moving to Los Corderos? At what point do you feel Michelle wins her over?
Why do the women of Los Corderos seem to fear Val Monroe so much? Do you ever see this power dynamic in your own circles?
What advice would you give Lisa Taylor as a mother, an artist or a person?
What tips would you give to Logan as he and Maya enter middle school?
About the Author
Jennifer Coburn is a USA Today best selling author who has written four novels and contributed to several literary anthologies.
Over the past two decades, Jennifer has won numerous awards from the San Diego Press Club, and Society for Professional Journalists for articles that appeared in Mothering, Big Apple Baby, The Miami Herald, The San Diego Union-Tribune and dozens of national and regional publications. She has also written for Salon.com, Creators News Syndicate and The Huffington Post.
Jennifer lives with her husband William and their daughter Katie in San Diego, California.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
One Year Later …
Field of Schemes
Brownie Points - Questions for Discussion
About the Author