Friday, February 02, 2007

Noise and Destruction Turn Ten

Our groundhogs turned 10 today. Contrary to Phil from Pennsylvania, our ground hogs saw their shadow this morning. While Pennsylvania may be in for an early spring we're counting on 6 more weeks of winter. But we're not counting too high. This is the desert. I'm already figuring I'll have to put up my winter hat in a couple weeks.

The twins rolled out of bed this morning around 6 AM. My dear wife claimed she was being kind because on their actual birth day they woke her up around 4 AM. She wanted to do the same to them, but didn't want to have to deal cranky kids so she let them sleep. I actually got to see them a couple times at school today. I went over to the school around 9:30 this morning to take a whole school picture. They both ran over and gave me hugs while all the kids were assembling for the picture. I went back to the school at 1 PM. They were having a staff against the middle school volleyball game. I went over early to set up the nets for them. Several of the teachers were begging me to play on the staff team but I kept begging off. I made jokes about how I had trained those girls so I didn't want to be on the other side of the net against them, I didn't want to get hurt. Everyone laughed and just let me spend the time taking pictures and video. A couple times a couple of the boys tried to talk me into playing on their team if they challenged to girls to a game. Again I made excuses not to play. It's not like I didn't want to play, I love spending time on the court with my girls. But I refuse to spend time on the court playing against them in anything other than a practice match or scrimmage. Any match where winning or bragging rights are at stake I'm not going to compete against my players. I work very hard to make sure they know that they can depend on me to always be on their side. I'm not going to risk that for the sake of a couple volleyball games. I did finally give in to a request late in the hour but was saved by the clock. Just before the hour ended the sixth grade girls were going to play the winner of a game between the 7th and 8th grade. Two of my 6th grade players were pleading with me to come coach them in their match. I was going to refuse again until they both grabbed my hands and started pulling on my arms and telling me "Coach, we need you." I would have had to be a totally cold hearted bastard to say no to them then. So I agreed to coach them in one game. Unfortunately time ran out and the school day ended before their match started.

The volleyball games were a blast. I never get to hear the kids from this school really let go and get rowdy. The entire middle school was cheering on the middle school players. The entire gradeschool was cheering for the teachers. It was very loud. Now if we could only get that kind of support for our regular sporting events.

When I got home from work the twins were visiting with my dear wife's sister and her husband who had driven down from San Francisco for their birthday. We all packed up and headed over to Sizzler for dinner. My dear wife and I don't care much for Sizzler but the twins love it. Since it was their birthday we went out to eat where they wanted to.

After dinner it was back home where we watched the kids open their birthday presents and then we all watched the movie Ice Age the Meltdown while waiting for our dinner to settle enough that we could eat cake and ice cream.

We are going to let them have a birthday party with some friend and classmates their own age next weekend. This weekend, with a school fundraiser tomorrow and superbowl on Sunday was just going to be too busy. Besides my Dad will still be here next weekend so he can help us ride heard on all the extra kids.

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