Tryouts and Texas

Not much going on around here... No offer letter yet from FSU. So I continue to go to work. I have a long laundry list of items on my to-do list before I go. I dont want anyone to shake their fist and say, "Bishop!" when they have to do something I didn't do (and should have) after I leave. So its a lot of crossing my t's and dotting my i's.

I also feel the need to use up all my health care before I go. So I'm trying to get my annual checkups done and the first consult for my left knee, which currently has the odd habit of catching when bent sometimes. Its the most disconcerting thing I have ever felt in my knee. Plus it grinds like its full of gravel, pebbles and small rocks. Which is never good for business.

It looks official- Nico, Dave and I will be going to Dallas for Thanksgiving. Whoot!! Pretty excited about that. I told Nico about it last night, that we are going to stay in Maddox and Emme's playroom (Nicody made the room above the garage a play room put a pull-out sofa in it.) The last time I was at their house (April 2010) all I could think about was how much fun Nico would have playing. See, we arent very good about toys in our house... for a variety of reasons... but let's just say that Nico doesnt really have that many toys and he doesnt play with 75% of what he has. That being said, he is going to have a blast. He doesnt have much of a chance to hang out with older kids (like Maddox). The oldest kids in his school are 3- so he is totally going to love playing with Maddox, who I am sure is really excited to hang out with "the little kids".

We started tryouts this week. I think we are going to have a pretty decent squad this year. Returning a lot of players from last year. Thig- who has been hurt a lot in the last two seasons looks pretty good- strong and healthy. Madi (the little big gun) looks like she has put on about 20 pounds of muscle... which is good, because she needed it. At the start of last year, we had one girl playing club ball in Tallahassee (Thig). This year, we're gonna have five on varsity alone. Which is pretty sweet. It raises the stakes, obviously... but I think we're gonna be good.

We have a bunch of new players coming in... but only a few that have a lot of skill. But the rest seem to be athletes, which I can totally work with. Also, I have a freshman who seems to not have a real strong grasp of reality. Seems to think she is going to be starting on Varsity as a freshman. And no, its not the freshman who is going to make the Varsity squad. They are so cute with their non-grasp of reality!!

My gk is trying to make the case for being captain. We try to have three captains, one of which is an underclassman. Lets the younger player learn the ropes and take on some leadership after the seniors graduate. As it is now we have two senior captains. So in order to have a younger player be a captain, plus my gk, I would have 4 captains...which is a little weird. Of course, she was an MVP last year, so there might be a good reason for it. Plus, it would be good for her to work on being a leader...

Her grades are not very good... but not because she is dumb. Her grades arent very good because she would rather do ANYTHING else than study... am wondering if it would be too much pressure to dangle it as a carrot. Like she has to maintain all Bs to keep the captain band? I don't know...

Nico's been pretty fun lately. He is really grasping language. And starting to ask questions. He was home sick with Dave on Monday and Dave had to leave to go to practice. When Dave got home Nico asked, "Daddy, where did you go?" So awesome.

Despite my fears about him being a band geek when he grows up, I think all signs point to him being in the band. Which is unfortunate... however, it might keep him off the football team... which I dont mean to disparage... I just see the way it is coached in places like Wakulla and I am not a fan... 15 under employed grown men as assistant coaches? Really? Getting in a kid's face to scream at him about how he better get his a$$ in gear? No thank you. The sense of entitlement that comes with being successful? Don't get me wrong, I have seen some entitled-a$$ soccer kids that I wanted to punch in the face. It just seems to be much worse in football.  Which, how could it not?  Down in the county WMS and RMS play each other at the high school.  Under the lights.  And the girls soccer team has to reschedule varsity games so that shit can go down.  True story.  This actually happened.  Which is terrible... I hate that because I come from a football coaching family (a grandfather and two uncles).

Plus music is good for kids... helps them excel in math and language. And lets be real here, he is going to need all the help he can get in math. But he is getting big and I am already sad for when he gets to be 13 wont want anything to do with us anymore :)