Coaching Fun

Oh the surprises never end. One parent from the soccer team seriously asked me to reschedule 4 out of 8 of our games because they signed their daughter up for volleyball and soccer at the same time. I did not even respond to the email. I just couldn't. There are 8 kids on each team. They did not care about the other 15 families involved in the event - only them and their daughter.

Instead of splitting the difference between volleyball and soccer they have missed 4 out of the 7 games we have played. Since one other girl has a broken arm we have had very few subs and it has not been fun.

So yesterday they show up at the game 5 minutes before the game is to start. I swear these people are so time challenged they may be late to their own funeral. The dad comes right over to me and says that they will be leaving at half time because their daughter has a birthday party to go to. I was so shocked by this announcement especially since 2 of the other moms had gone to great effort to plan a pizza party for the kids after the game. I could not stop myself. I looked right at him and said, "Well, that would have been good information this morning when I was making my substitution schedule." I was furious. So I did not warm the team up I just sat down and figured a new schedule (one other player just did not bother to show up! Her mom is a single mother of 3 so I cut her huge slack.).

I realize it is a recreational team but it is a TEAM, right?

The pizza party was fun. I walked up after everyone else was already there (including my daughter) because I was talking to the other coach and collecting all my equipment after the game. As I walked up the kids started chanting, "Coach Trisha is #1" That makes it all worth it in the end.

New Running Partner and Dead Birds

Ok this is my new running partner. I have been running with her for the past 3 weeks. Everyone else I tried to get to run with me completely wimped out.

Dogs make good running partners. She distracts me (from the pain). Now that I have taken her a few times she really wants to go so she bugs me until I take her.

The best news yet - we ran the 4.1 mile loop 5 minutes faster today than we did 3 weeks ago. Alright us!

The BAD: Today she stopped so I turned to give her a quick tug. She had a dead bird in her mouth! I think I'm not hungry now.

Carpool Funny

I drove carpool yesterday. As we were driving home my kindergartner was eating a gummy bears out of a ziplock bag. She was passing out gummy bears to all the other kids. Everyone was really enjoying the gummy bears.

When the gummy bears were gone she handed the empty ziplock bag to the fifth grader who was in the front seat. The kindergartner says, "Smell it." So the fifth grader puts her nose in the bag and takes a huge sniff. "I had my foot in there!" says the kindergartner from the backseat. When I turned around and looked the Kindergartner was barefoot.

Bring It On Old Lady!

My 7 year old soccer team had practice last night. We had a great time. We played opposite day and there was lots of giggling (6 first grade girls).

We play 4v4 for our games. 2 girls did not show up to practice so the assistant coach and I played in the scrimmage at the end of practice. I always like to play in the scrimmage. I make monster noises and act silly. We all laugh and have fun.

So, last night I was chasing one of the players as she was dribbling down the field. She yells out, "Bring it on old lady."

It was funny. The crowd (parents) got a kick out of it.

Carpool Hell

There are four kids in 3 different families in the carpool. There is one kindergartner, 2 first graders and a fifth grader. The fifth grader is the kid who talks all the time. She incessantly talks about characters from either shows or video games that I know nothing about. She talks to me not the other kids. I don't even know how to respond.

Anyway, she has been talking about safety patrol and how she is going to be in safety patrol. So yesterday I was waiting in the pickup line for what seemed like forever. You guessed it, she was doing safety patrol! Her mom never even mentioned it. So I guess her mom expects us to wait for her to finish each day. WTF?

I am friends and next door neighbors with her mom. There are only 4 weeks left in the school year so I guess we will put up with it. I told the other mom already and she is freaking out too.

Am I a pushover or what???

You're Doing It Wrong

I was in the carpool pick up line yesterday afternoon when I saw a Dad walk up to the carpool pick up line and get his son. He starts walking off towards the sidewalk with him. I am totally thinking the Mr. Mom - "You're doing it wrong."

The dad makes it all the way to the sidewalk on the street in front of the school. A few seconds later I see the whacked out principal chasing him down shouting, "sir?...sir?" The guy turns around and stops. She runs over and chews him out. I swear I could tell his face was all red from my car.

Poor guy.

Sleepovers for Kindergartners???

Ok so a mother of one of the kids in Gymnast's class called me yesterday and invited Gymnast for a sleepover this weekend. I have had her daughter over to play at our house one time. I met the mom at a birthday party at the beginning of the school year and have talked to her at several events now. I have never met her husband nor has Gymnast ever been to their house. They do live in our neighborhood. I know they have 3 kids and the Kindergartner is the oldest.

The mom told me that I could come over and meet her husband and stuff when I drop Gymnast off. I was fairly noncommittal on the phone with her. I told her that I did not even know if Gymnast would want to do this and even if she did I could not guarantee that a middle of the night freak out would not happen.

The mom finally told me to think about it and discuss it with hubby and Gymnast and she would call around Thursday. I tell her that some of the girls at school are getting upset with one another by talking about things they are going to do in front of someone who is not included. If you have girls or know a woman you know what I am talking about. I had no idea this started in kindergarten! The mom says she will talk to her daughter about that.

So I pick Gymnast up from school and she is all telling me that she is invited for a sleepover this weekend and she is going. Uhhggg! I asked her if she talked about it in front of her other friends. She lists off about six. Hubby and I still have not decided if we are letting her do this.

So when do you let them start going on sleepovers? She definitely wants to do this.

Why don't they come with instructions?

New Parenting Pinnacle

Last night I told the girls to go take a shower. They came back in pajamas with their hair brushed.

Aaahhhh

MS150 Bike Ride

Hubby and I went to the downtown Austin finish line of the MS150 bike ride. This is truly an incredible event. 13,000 riders start in Houston on Saturday morning. They ride 100 miles to La Grange on Saturday and spend the night camping there. They then ride 80 miles from La Grange to downtown Austin on Sunday.

Last year hubby and I both rode in the event. We really enjoyed it. We did not sign up in time this year so we went out to the finish line yesterday. Hubby's office has a team each year. They had 28 riders this year. We got there at 9am and helped set up the tent and all the food and beer for when the riders came in.

It is such an accomplishment for these people riding up to the finish line. Hubby and I cheered riders in from 10:30am to 12:30pm. We both had chills as we cheered these riders we did not know. They would come in: husband and wife holding hands, father and son on a tandem, families riding in wearing matching jerseys, a lone rider video taping the crowd as he rode in, an overweight woman riding in with the biggest smile you have ever seen, friends giving high fives as they ride. Way to go riders!

The ride also raised millions of $$ to fight multiple sclerosis.

Coaching Soccer Saturday

I coach a team of 7 year old girls. We have 8 kids on the team and we play four at a time in the games. One girl broke her arm a couple weeks ago so she is not allowed to play anymore. I knew one girl had a girl scout camping trip this weekend. 6 kids is not great for a game but 2 subs is workable.

About 10am on Friday I get an email from one of the moms saying that her daughter won't be there on Saturday "because of a previous engagement." Huh? What a wedding just surprised her out of no where? I guess this is Texas. It could have been a shotgun wedding.

So I called the other coach on Friday asking if he wanted to reschedule the game. He did not want the headache of coordinating the game. So we played with 5 players. We got our asses handed to us (for you non-sports fans that is code for we got beat - bad). It just isn't fun for the girls to get their asses kicked and be tired because it's 95 degrees and we have one sub.

Yes, I know they are 7 but could we at least have enough kids to have some fun?

Here is the good news though. I got the following email from one of the parents who was at the game on Saturday:


Just a quick note to say thanks. You do a fabulous job with the girls,
and we truly appreciate it. Thanks, Coach Trisha!


I guess that makes it better!

Proof That Men & Women Speak 2 Different Languages

BIL is a lousy driver and has no sense of direction. He has lived here in town for about a year and a half now. He also gets really frustrated when he is lost.

BIL calls and asks me the name of the shop where I got my computer fixed. I am a total chick - like I know the name of that shop. Ask me where I got my shoes. I tell him I have no idea but I remember where it is. He tells me what road he is on and asks me how to get there. Of course the road he is on spans the entire city. So I ask him what crossroad he is on or what stores he sees. Here is the conversation:

BIL: "I am at the Jiffy Lube"
Me: "I don't know where that is. What else?"
BIL: "There is a Honda dealership."
Me: "Yeah, still don't know where that is. What else?"
BIL: Starting to get mad and short. "There is an AutoZone."
Me: "Ok, I am a chick. You are going to have to go with fast food or ice cream shops."
BIL: "I am by the Wendy's."
Me: "Oh, why didn't you say so?"

No wonder the divorce rate is so high.

The Easy Life

A good friend of mine is a stay-at-home-mom. She was telling me a couple days ago how her husband gave her the "You Have an Easy Life" speech yesterday. It has been the joke amongst my friends and me for a few days now.

We are sending each other emails about what we did and how easy our lives are. My easy life yesterday included:

1. Working full time
2. Taking the dog for a 4.1 mile morning run (yes, I had to include the .1 it counts too!)
3. 4 loads of laundry
4. Coaching the 7 year old soccer practice
5. Driving one of the players home after practice
6. Cooking dinner for my husband and his brother (ok, so I had lasagna in the freezer but it was homemade)
7. Feeding the kids dinner and putting them to bed (ok, so DadWise helped with this)

How was your easy life yesterday?

P.S. - To any husband giving the "You Have An Easy Life" speech: Why would you want us to have a hard life? Isn't it your goal for your wife to have an good and easy life?

To The Corporate Computer Geeks for MamaFu's Restaurant

Thank You!

I met my sister for lunch today at MamaFu's. Neither of us had ever been there before. It is one of those places where you go up to the counter and order and pay then you sit and they bring the food.

When we get to the front of the line the lady says that their computer is down so we can order and eat and they will come tell us when we can pay. So we order and eat then LEAVE.

So we are out running errands and suddenly I realize we didn't pay. We weren't far from the restaurant so we drove back over. We went in and told the lady we ate and did not pay. She said our lunch had already been paid for and thank you. She said the computer folks at the corporate office are making some changes and they would be paying for our lunch today.

Looks like there is a free lunch today!

Go Katharine McPhee! (American Idol)

I just love her. She was awesome last night. As Rosie would say on her blog: "with talent 2 spare!"

Why Does My Sister Have to Act So Cute?

So, SoccerGirl (7) comes up to me and says, "Why does Gymnast (6) have to act all cute every time I have a friend over? Then my friend wants to play with her!"

Holy Triathlon Training!

I Effing Signed Up! Ok, it is real. I signed up for the Danskin Sprint Triathlon in June! I am committed (or should that be I need to be committed!). Now I have to get in shape!

I went for a crummy 2.5 mile run yesterday. Granted it was record heat here - 100 degrees and I went at 11am but I nearly died and it took me 30 minutes. I took the Dalmatian with me. She nearly died too. She is just now ready to talk to me again. I think her legs are sore (I took her Sunday and Monday) because I keep seeing her stretch!

I went for an 11 mile bike ride this morning. That took an hour and we skipped the last hill because my friend’s knee was hurting. I feel fairly good on the bike.

I have not been in the water in about a month. It seems too much to ask for me to get off my ass and drive to the gym for a swim. I was doing that in the winter (if you can call it that here!) but when the weather is nice it is faster and easier to just go outside.

What the hell was I thinking?

Soccer Fun Night or NOT!

Soccer Girl's soccer league has Fun Nights every now and then. It is basically free training where you just show up and train with whoever else shows up. The sessions are led by professional trainers who just do a bunch of fun soccer drills and games.

So there was one set up for last night. I asked both of my kids if they wanted go. They both did. So I am getting them packed up to head over to the soccer fields. I had a bad day at work so everything was going wrong. I realize the folding chairs are in DadWise's car and he is at work. I, very rationally, call him up and chew him out for having the chairs as soon as he answers the phone. Poor guy! Anyway, I told (not asked) him to bring a chair to me on his way home.

I get to the soccer fields and they are still gathering. We get out of the car and both of my kids cling to me. They are both throwing a complete fit making me look like the worst parent ever. It is almost as if I had forced them to come do something fun. Eff!

Basically we went back and forth for about 5 minutes and end up leaving and going back to the house. I tell the kids they have to go out in the backyard and play. I pour a glass of wine and head out to the back patio to sit and unwind. I am watching the kids blow bubbles and relaxing.

The phone rings. It's DadWise. He says, "You're home?" I say, "yeah, it was miserable. I got there and the kids made me look like the worst parent ever and we came back home. I am on the back patio having a glass of wine." DadWise, "Oh that's nice. I am at the soccer field with your chair looking for you!"

Oops!

Rule #1 - It's always the Mom's fault

So last Wed I am working with my 7 year old daughter (soccer girl) on her homework. We are sitting at the kitchen table and she is in tears by the time DadWise comes home. She cannot figure out her worksheet but does not want me to help her with it. I am trying to convince her to let me help her get started. Next thing I know - tears!

I throw my arms up and go upstairs to finish up some of my work leaving DadWise with the situation. I can hear DadWise talking to soccer girl:

DadWise: When is this homework due?
Soccer Girl: I was due Monday (two days ago).
DadWise: Why did you not get it done on time?
Soccer Girl: Because Mom didn't have time to help me.

Huh??? It is just always the Mom's fault. I am used to it.