They can always have more

I know most parents don't have the luxury I do to stay at the soccer fields during camp, but I'm always surprised at those who leave little kids - like 6 and under - there for three hours by themselves. Or those who simply forget to pick up their children.

Yeah, you read that right. Today, a parent totally forgot to pick up his kid. Called the mom and she is in Frisco (45 minutes away with all the traffic figured in). So, I took him to the library for her. He is 12 or 13 and pretty capable of handling himself. But, not to be left at the fields.

Monday, some mom was 45 minutes late to pick up her 10- and 6-year-old children. Her son had a cell phone and called her and she told me to leave them there because the older kid is pretty responsible. No way lady. I'm not going to have it on my head to leave those kids at the soccer fields alone. She didn't even say thank you or wave at me when she finally arrived. Her little kid was running around spitting on his teammates and cursing yesterday. Lovely.

Just floors me. I'm terrified of pedophiles in our midst. Apparently I'm not alone. Another parent, who also coaches locally, came to me Tuesday because he was highly offended that a mom lit into him for taking a group of 4- and 5-year-old girls around the corner of the concession stand (and out of eyesight of the parents) have have them help him count personalized bricks on the office. Yes, his daughter was with him, but that wouldn't make me feel any better if a man I didn't know encouraged my daughter to walk away with him and out of my line of vision. I told him he was lucky it was her and not me because I get the "mama bear" syndrome even worse than this mom. He couldn't seem to understand, despite my best efforts at explaining it.

These are just the little headaches that come with coordinating the camp. It hasn't been that bad and Friday is always fun. So, it will get better. Only a few more days.