First of all, Darrell is home so all is right with the world. He came home Friday afternoon and we went to the Portland Temple Friday night. I love to go to the temple! I love that the second I walk in the doors it feels like all of the stress life throws at me waits patiently on the outside.

(I wish it gave up completely and went away for good but no such luck.)

Now for the real post...

I have a problem

(please, I know... I have many but work with me here. Let's just focus on this one.)

Here's the situation: I have been coaching soccer for 9 years. I love it! Sometimes, I get a little too involved and a little too competitive. It is a weakness. This year I am coaching Lindsay's team. Lindsay is 7 so, we are a U-8 team. All of the girls are 6 or 7 years old. I've coached them since they started soccer at age 4. (give or take a couple of girls.)

In U-6 and U-8 we don't "really" keep score. Me? I ALWAYS keep score. The girls on my team will ask me during the game what the score is and I always say "we don't keep score". They just laugh and take the "Bible" out of my hands to check the tally marks of "us" and "them". I have a little book that I call my "Soccer Bible". In it, I keep my game line-up for each game and the score. In the top left corner of each games page is a "W" or an "L". This year, every game page has a "W" except for one. We lost our first game. We play that team again tomorrow. It is a crime punishable in 50 states to think about a U-8 game as much as I have thought of this one. In Chehalis, most club teams practice very little, if at all, once games start. My team practices every week. I have so much fun with them and love to see them using the stuff we've practiced in their games. Last week one of the moms said "Do we really need to keep having practice? We win every game." I had to refresh her memory of the first game and bring to her attention that we play that team again.

Today after church, Lindsay told Darrell "We play the blue team tomorrow. We're going to beat them this time".

Now, Let me take you with me to visit a recent event (yesterday)....

I was at Arianne's basketball game in Olympia and I somehow ended up sitting by the parents of the other team. These dads were CRAZED! I have never seen such boisterous fathers. They were even calling the plays from the bleachers! It was a hoot! Our team got called on an offensive foul and judging by the reaction of these guys you would have thought we had achieved World Peace and the National Debt was eliminated! They jumped out of their seats to Whoop and Holler with such enthusiasm.

(They were never hateful or degrading so we won't be seeing them on the 5 O'Clock news)

After a good chuckle, I thought, "Wow, these guys need to get a life!"

Which is exactly the advice needed for someone I know personally...