CASA DE WATSON

Is it still August?

2010-08-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

Seriously. What gives with this month? It is dragging.

OK, there is no rhyme or reason to this post so I will update according to topic.

Home school: Not as bad as I thought. I actually really really love it. Brandon skipped 20 chapters in his math book. He was getting bored so I just kept giving him unit tests until he had trouble getting through. We got out Language books last week, started a really cool chemistry for kids unit called NOEO science and are learning about ancient Egypt. I am not sure if I am doing enough "creative" stuff (ie glue, crayons and that type of thing). I think that I am used to seeing those types of crafts come home as "proof" that the kids are learning. We began journals and Brandon has begun to chronicle his flag football experience. Kara is enrolled in an enrichment program for home school kids at Alma elementary school. She gets to attend on Monday from 9 to 3:30. It is great for her. She gets PE, art, music, library and some computer time as well as some social interaction. It make a good balance and gives me time with Brandon.

Volleyball: Always ups and downs. Always things to improve. We are 14 years into the coaching thing and there are patterns that are emerging. First, I think that coaching is hard. I don't think I could make a living at it so I will just continue to hold down the fort. Second, there are always meltdowns. Third, there is always a quiet hero or two. Fourth, I love the girls that Jason has coached and is coaching. That is a blessing. Finally, I continue to marvel each day at the work ethic my husband has. He is standing in the wind, it is hard, and I love him for it.

This week: This week is more of the same. School, after school sports and more volleyball. I think I promised Kara a birthday party on Saturday. Not sure how that will work but she has never had one and she turned 8 so I guess she is due. BTW, her baptism is September 11 at 5PM. Trying to get that arranged around the game schedule was interesting, but again, we are surrounded by wonderful people who help us. It is an open invitation to any one interested.

Think that's it. Kinda boring but I am grateful that my life is settling into predictable.

Jumping Off A Cliff

2010-08-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

I don't know where 2010 has gone. However, the month of August is bringing significant changes in the life of the Watson's. Disregard the fact that we are currently in season. I have reconciled that part of my chaotic life a long time ago. I am excited for the upcoming PAC-10 volleyball race. Jason is the happiest I have seen him in a while. Maybe a better way to describe him is "more at ease." He seems like he is content with the direction the program is heading. He is supported by a great administration. They believe in the process that they are implementing and it will be nice to see a return on that this season. It is always exciting and terrifying when August rolls around. It means that Christmas break will be here fast and the year will be over. Crazy.

Bryce has started high school. Technically he is still at the junior high but he has entered the 9th grade. He is the class of 2014. I know that Jason has a few girls on his recruiting radar that are in the 2014 class and that freaks me out. Bryce continues to be Bryce. He is an amazing son. He has a full schedule this school year, taking an extra class in the morning so that he will have more flexibility in his schedule at Mountain View. He gets his "life scout" advancement at the end of this month. He has to wait six months and he will be an Eagle Scout. He is so excited.

Brandon has started 4th grade. Kara has started 3rd and we have made the decision to homeschool both of them until Junior High School. Yes. That is right. Homeschool. I don't feel comfortable going into the reasons why on a pubic blog, but suffice it to say, Brandon was struggling and it was time to step in. As for Kara, there was no way that Brandon was going to "get to stay home" without her. So she is here as well.

In July I attended the Phoenix Homeschooling Convention to see if I REALLY wanted to do this. My mom went with me. I needed her to see what the whole thing was about with me. I came home that afternoon and cried. It was kooky. It was weird. I have gone back and forth clear up to this past Tuesday when I finally made the phone call to their school. We have had two days in school and I am thinking we will be OK. After all, I am a trained professional (well...just in PE).

The best thing about this whole homeschool business is that there is NO HOMEWORK. I hate elementary school homework. I have always felt it was the biggest waste of time. Just removing that headache from our schedule in the evening has been worth it.

Jason has taken the team up to Payson to camp Tontozona. They are practicing at Payson high school and staying at the cabins at the camp. We are joining them tomorrow after our first homeschool field trip to the Arizona Sea Aquarium. I am eager to meet some families in the valley. Should be fun. I will post pictures this weekend of Tontozona and the kooky homeschool field trip.

Also, the Sun Devil Preview is here.

A Letter to Heaven

2010-05-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

It has been over a year since I have posted. I have had nothing to really talk about. Suddenly now, I have a lot to say, and I am so sad that the occasion upon which I am compelled to write is so somber. I have lost many near and dear relationships in my life. But it seems that the loss of those we love due to their passing provides a time for quiet reflection upon their life, and their influence upon us over the years. Those lives are now a standard upon which to measure our progress here on Earth.

So it is with an overwhelming sense of regret, that I compose a letter to heaven, to the angles that watch over us:

Dear Heaven,

I was hoping you could tell me what happened to my friend the other day? I know that she is there somewhere. She may not have felt comfortable meeting St Peter at the front gate. There are rumors here on Earth of really big welcoming parties that come out to great each incoming person. The trumpets sounding and the heavenly choirs singing might not be her style (although we all know that she deserves that kind of welcome!) I think that she may have come early, so as not to disturb anyone, and snuck around the back gate to quietly let herself in.

If you don’t have immediate plans for her to begin her new mission, don’t let her have too much down time. I am sure that she is enjoying catching up with, and checking in on, loved ones. However, she is not the type to sit around for very long, and may grow restless in a few days. Please make sure to set up her office in a really cool place that is not so formal. She does her best work in that type of environment. While she may not need to be healing bodies at the moment, she has had plenty of experience healing the souls of her friends here on Earth. In order to facilitate this, she will require a small refrigerator stocked with Diet Coke, chocolate and ice cream. I don’t know if Caffeine-free is all you have, but if you can make an exception in her case, it would really be nice.

Also, please make sure and text her when you begin to pass out angle wings. I have heard that there is a waiting list for the new model. Although, she appears to be rather quiet, don’t let her fool you. She will require the most recent, sleek and aerodynamic set of wings possible. (I don’t know for sure, but I always suspected that she got up early for work and left late, in order to race her car up and down University without getting caught).

Finally, please tell her that our family will miss her. She has been a rock solid friend to my sweet husband for nearly twenty years. He will miss her wisdom, humor and trusted advice. I will miss the fact that he had her to guide him with painful and often difficult decisions. She was one of the first people he knew in the states, helped him in his transition here, answered gospel questions, attended our sealing, danced at our wedding, and rocked each one of our children. Please ask her to check in on him from time to time.

While our loss is profound, your gain is immeasurable. The knowledge that her beautiful spirit is racing around the heavens gives me great peace. Our angle on earth is now our angle in heaven. We look forward to seeing her again.

Sincerely,
The Watson’s

February, March and 1/2 April

2009-04-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

Sooo....It's been awhile. The last 2 1/2 months have been crazy. So I am just gonna start with February and jabber on right up through today. Here goes.
February.
We have back to back birthdays at the end of January/Beginning of February. Jason is January 30 and Bubba is Feb 2. Unfortunately that has left Jason's big day somewhat overshadowed by our middle child. This year was no exception as Brandon turned 8 and was baptized. As you can see from the photo he was very proud (you can always tell he is proud because he smiles without showing his teeth). Grandma, Grandpa and Ally were able to visit from Utah for his big day. It should not surprise me, but it always does, the depth of emotion Jason and I feel as parents on days like this. We have watched Brandon the past eight years, grow into a very thoughtful child with an intense spiritual nature. I am humbled by his thoughtfulness when it came to whether or not he wanted to be baptized. It is easy to assume that children are conditioned or pressured by their parents to make certain choices. And with the way Brandon balks at going to church each Sunday I was not sure if he was going to want to be baptized. He was unflinching in his commitment and marched into the bishops office for his interview with purpose. He came out satisfied with the interview and simply said "It was great." I love that about Brandon. Once he decides he is gong to do something, that is it. It's done and done well. Jason was pretty emotional during the day. It is a big deal to him to watch our children make the same decision he made 16 years ago. It was a great day.
Spring Season and Summer Camp
Jason is nearly done with spring season. His team is looking a lot better than this time last year. They won their spring tournament at U of A and had a nice little day up at Flagstaff playing NAU. A couple of the girls had the opportunity to go try out for the national team and Jason decided to coach the A2 team this May. The culture in the gym is changing and the girls are becoming more and more competitive. They have a nice little class coming in August and should be a fairly respectable team this season. As always, Jason is shooting for the moon..."go big or go home"...right? I LOVE that about him. Super competitive but can shut it down when he comes home.
Summer camp registration is in full swing. I hope that with the economy this year, people are still going to come to camp. If we can at least match what we did last summer we will be OK. It's hard to know. We are at www.sundevilvolleyball.com and on twitter. We are geeks.
Other Watson Children
Bryce is GROWING! I can almost look him in the eye. He turned 13 this past April 2nd is officially a teenager. He has a Facebook account and a cell phone. Kill me now! He pulled straight A's this third quarter and is working hard at swimming and scouts. I can't say enough great things about Bryce. He is just the greatest kid to have around.
Kara is busy tearing up the neighborhood. She was in the emergency room a couple weeks ago for an MRI. She had left for school and was found on the playground crying. I picked her up from the nurse and she had no memory of the time she left home to the time she was in the nurse's office. I think she fell off the playground equipment and hit her head. Knowing Kara she was on top of the tallest tower doing the most dangerous thing she could think of. No serious damage, but probably not the last time she visits emergency.
Watson's to Visit from Australia
WhooHooo! Jason's family is coming to visit this August. Flights to and from Australia are incredibly cheap right now so if you are thinking of going, now is the time! The will be here for two weeks in August. Janelle and kids are going on a side trip to New York for a week. Pretty cool. We can't wait to see them and hope to have a house so we don't have to pitch a tent in the backyard in the middle of monsoon season.
House - Still looking for the Arizona Casa
We have tried to buy a home here in Mesa four times. Four times and nothing is working. So I am not going to talk about it because I am pouting. I just want to unpack. I need to find my paper shredder.
Swimming Lessons
I think I am getting back into the swimming lesson business again. It is a bit of a racket down here for lessons...$350 for privates? Extortion. So I am getting into the business with the plan to make enough money to put solar panels on the house we don't own. I figure if Obama gets his way the price of energy is going to triple and my electric bill will be more than my house payment.
Misc
I got stung by a scorpion. We went to Disneyland for spring break. Kara is riding on the back of battery powered motorcycles with boys. Bryce went on a scout overnighter and woke up in a foot of snow. Kara tried cheerleading for two weeks then quit. It was boring. Brandon is learning to skimboard on the school playground when they flood irrigate. He is also become quite the gardner, tending the potted plants out the front. He has a hibiscus that he loves and takes great care of. Jason and I are going to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversay this May. Anyone want to babysit for a few days? I think that is it.

Ready For the New Year

2009-01-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I've updated our blog. It has been a very quiet last month, which I have totally enjoyed. I love this time of year. There is not much going on. Kids are back in school and our normal routines are back in place.

Bryce is doing well. He pulled a 3.8 his first semester. With everything that has happened, I am in awe of his ability to focus on his school work. He is swimming on his off days now that water polo has started again for the semester. On top of that, he has his weight training class every day before school. He never wants to miss and I am proud of his dedication. He loves it. He is at another scout camp out this weekend. They have gone south to the San Francisco Mountains. They are supposed to do some caving which means he will be a happy mess when he comes home. Camping. In January. I love it.

Brandon has also managed to pull excellent grades this semester. He is reading so well and has always had a head for math. But Brandon has found his passion in flag football. He has a team...and when he has a team, he is as happy as can be. When he is not at practice, he is either outside playing football, working on his kicking game, or inside, watching ESPN and the NFL channel. He is an encyclopedia of sports trivia and knowledge. He has a thorough knowledge of BYU football, ASU and University of Florida football. He has recently become an Arizona Cardinals fan. The Superbowl is on his birthday and there is no better present than that for him. He is turning 8 this year. It is a big birthday for him, as he will be baptized. His baptism date is January 21. He is looking forward to that.

Kara is the best. She too has excelled in school this year.I have been worried about her because she is one of the youngest in her class. She has made friends and has continued to develop good social skills. She is the kids that comes home from school, throws down her backpack and heads out to play. It is a different world here through the winter...much more "normal" to me.

Jason has had a chance to rest. That has been great. He is slowly pulling his team together and constantly looking for ways to improve. Things are falling into place and we are slowly finding our way here in our new life. I have been busy trying to get camp ready for registration this February. Hopefully we will be more organized than last year and have some things in place far in advance that will help it run smoothly. We are still keeping our eyes open for a house. Our Utah house will be occupied through May and then i am not sure what will happen. It is probably going to go back on the market next month. It will be nice to find a buyer. If we can get out of it with nothing, I will be thrilled. One more little miracle needed. Again.

That is about it. Wishing everyone the best for this new year!

Don't Be Mad Honey...

2008-12-16T21:52:00.001-08:00

The only thing that is great about moving is that I find stuff that has been buried forever. What can I say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

The best thing about this team is how successful each member has become in his given profession. From a 2-27 season (note the 1991 results), you boys overcame the odds and laid the groundwork for the legacy that is BYU Men's Volleyball. Thanks guys.

Saying goodbye to 2008...Six weeks early

2008-11-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

I am not sorry that 2008 is almost over. Is that strange? I am usually quite optimistic about life but looking back at the year, it was...well...hard. Those of you who know our family understand the exhaustive list of semi-catastrophic events that shaped our 2008. One very difficult decision rippled out and changed the lives of a lot of people. I don't think I am far enough away from that choice to have a good perspective. I am sure that it will come in time. It would be easy to dwell on the difficulties that we have all faced over the course of our lives but I think that it would be counter-productive. Instead, I think that I will focus on counting the positive things that have come out of this year.

1. Our family is still together. My marriage is stronger than ever.

2. I have re-discovered all of the things that I love about Jason... patience, determination, competitiveness, faith, tenderness, strength, loyalty. I "picked the right one to be in the foxhole with," (see "In Good Company with Dennis Quaid) and will be thankful for the rest of my life that I found him.

3. My kids are troopers. They have struggled with a new environment but are continuing to impress me with their resilience and perspective. They are the best people in my life.

4. I have an extended family who have marched through 2008 lifting me up and dragging me through the weeks as needed. I could not have survived this change without them.

5. I know who my friends are.

6. I have forgiven and in turn, been blessed with forgiveness. Doesn't mean I have reached that state of perfection...just means I'm still trying to get a little better.

7. I have seen Bryce struggle in 2008 with wisdom and maturity beyond his 12 years. He has been another pair of strong shoulders to lean on in difficult times.

8. I have watched as Brandon reconciled his loyalties between two schools. He still goes to sleep with his BYU VB media guide but can now rattle of scores and standings in two conferences. He is a joy....a hyper-competitive, sensitive, mischievous child. He turns 8 next February. Hard to believe.

9. I have a daughter who is who she is...confident, imaginative, loyal...she is a mixture of lightening and rainbows and loves with a fierceness that consumes her.

10. We coincidentally rented a house in a neighborhood that was a perfect fit for our family. Our ward has embraced us and our neighbors look after us.

11. We could not sell our house this year. I shudder to think what would have happened if we bought in the Spring.

12. We "happened" to find a family to rent the Orem house in two days.

13. I found Facebook. Silly I know.

14. I know where I will be in five years. That may not seem like a big deal but the alternative is like living life with one foot on a banana peel.

15. ASU is a great place to work. Professional and supportive. YEA!!

16. I have been able to see firsthand the impact that Jason has had on his athletes, past and present. There is work to be done and he is not afraid of work.

So there were good things to come out of 2008 and maybe I will not be in such a hurry to see it end. Last year at this time I was sitting in my car parked out in front of the house. It was after a snowfall, low laying clouds hiding the mountain tops. In a moment of quite reflection, I remember thinking that life was pretty good and how lucky we were to finally be settled. We had been blessed with amazing individuals in our life and I was looking forward to 2008. I distinctly remember wondering what could possible go wrong from here on out. I thought that we were on the right path for our family.

"Be careful what you ask for" seems like the most obvious lesson but as I sit here now and reflect on the past year, I think that simple moment in time was God's way of letting me know that He is still mindful of me and of our little family. We have always landed where we were supposed to be and after fourteen moves, six states, and seven wards, I see our growth reflected in each successive move.

I think its OK to look back at 2008 with some sadness but recognize the danger in dwelling in those self-serving emotions. Excerpts from a conference talk by David F. Evans in April of 2006 illustrates this point beautifully.

"There [comes] a time when discouragement turn(s) to commitment. For him (Gordon B Hinckley), the beginning was a letter from his father in which he read: "Dear Gordon, I have your letter. . . . I have only one suggestion: Forget yourself and go to work."

From Pres. Hinckley, "The whole world changed. The fog lifted. The sun began to shine in my life. I had a new interest. I saw the beauty of this land. I saw the greatness of the people. . . . Everything that has happened to me since that's been good I can trace to that decision made in that little house" (in Mike Cannon, "Missionary Theme Was Pervasive during Visit of President Hinckley," Church News, Sept. 9, 1995, 4).

As the weeks and days count down, I will pick my chin up and greet 2009 with eagerness and anticipation. There is no time for sadness...there is work to be done.

Food For Thought...

2008-11-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

There has been so much going on in the last month, and I am emotionally drained. I have struggled with whether or not I would pop off on politics...this has been a rather divisive election season. I found this on a message board of all places, and it made me remember to hold fast to the things I love and believe in.

From the BYU Speeches website (via www.cougarboard.com):

Your discipleship may see the time come when religious convictions are heavily discounted. M. J. Sobran also observed, "A religious conviction is now a second-class conviction, expected to step deferentially to the back of the secular bus, and not to get uppity about it."

Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even these, however, must leave a record so that the choices before the people are clear and let others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, that others will step forward, having been rallied to righteousness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds--a majority which was, till then, unconscious of itself.

Neil A. Maxwell
Meeting the Challenges of Today,” in Devotional Speeches of the Year, Provo: Brigham Young University, 1978, page 156

Tagged...

2008-10-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

So I have been tagged and thankfully, Louie, you described what it was and what to do about it once it has happened. For all you rookies out there (like me), I quote directly from LH's blog

"Basically the rules are, I tell 7 weird/interesting things about myself and then tell 7 other people to do it and leave them a comment about it! I am having a total brain fart on what is really interesting about me, but I will give it a try for you [Lindsy] :) " Thanks, it was a good start.

1. I hate odd numbers for some reason.

2. At one point in my life I wanted to be a marine biologist, furniture builder, rancher, massage therapist or family counselor.

3. I can't type or say the word "therapist" without having vivid thoughts of the SNL Jeopardy sketch with Sean Connery. I am dying laughing as I write this.

4. I have had a paying job nearly every year since I was 10 years old. These jobs include actor, lifeguard, swim instructor, pool manager, swim coach, diving coach, Cannon Center vegetable prep worker, MTC bakery worker, nanny (kids were 17, 15, and 13...not a good job), soccer coach, dental lab driver, aloe vera juice office manager, GTA, milk jug manufacturer line worker, cleaning lady (NOT as a mom, I cleaned a bank late at night), hotel room cleaner, data entry, hockey arena cleaner (overnight shift...a low point), substitute teacher, actual teacher (K-12 PE), and YMCA youth sports director ( a favorite).

5. The "acting" job was during the 4th grade. My older sister and I worked a year as extra's on the short lived TV series, Father Murphy. Every once in a while, you can see us in the background fake studying, eating stew, playing softball, or running across the set from one building to another. Pioneer children never walked...they ran EVERYWHERE.

6. I am extremely shy....I am not good in large groups or any situation that I can't prepare for. When I was little, I used to sing to my family for talent night. I would start to sing, then I would run and hide behind the curtains then cry when it was over because I could not finish. Some things don't change.

7. The ancestry of my children literally circles the globe. The Watsons and Perkins both left England in the 19th century. Perkins went one way and Watsons went the other. And we found each other. Miraculous.

Who do I tag? If you read this and have not been tagged, then I tag you. How's that?

On The Road Again...

2008-10-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

There are a few parts of Jason's job that I will never be able to understand because I am not there day in and day out. Those of you that have taken up professional coaching will understand (shout out to the blogstalker) what I am talking about. Most people out of the profession usually wonder what it is exactly, that a coach does all day.

"So what does your husband do for a living?"

(ME) "He's a coach"

Long, long pause...."Ummm, really? So, like, what else does he do? He only has to coach a couple hours a day."

"Well, yes, being in the gym is big part of it. The season lasts about four months, a bit longer if you are lucky..."

"So he really only has to work like, one-third of a year?" (This is the part where you get the bug eyes)

"Well, there is film work, speaking engagements, recruiting..."

"So he travels?"

"...yes, club tournaments, home visits, spring ball..."

Now the course of the conversation can go in several directions - club volleyball, high school volleyball, should you play club or just high school, the horrible cost of club in general. I hesitate to bring up the team specifically. A conversation about managing relationships is another can of worms that can just stay closed.

I am beginning to scratch my head and I take a deep breath so I can list all of the things that he actually does so that I can make the person understand that YES my husband really works. I know he averages 18 hour days during season (up at 6 AM to get ready for an 8 AM practice, actual office work till 5ish, home for dinner and then film until well after midnight) and that does not count away matches where they leave Wednesday or Thursday and come back Sunday. Factor in all the unplanned "quick trips" that pop up anytime there is not a quiet period and I begin to reassure myself that he actually DOES work.

But I blow it of course, and mention that because of the quiet periods, January and May are actually really nice. He gets a break during these months.

"He gets all of January and May off?"

"Well..."

At this point I give up. It's just too hard to explain what it is that he does. I suppose that other jobs are as demanding, and I sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be married to a person who works 9-5. I wonder, but I would never want that for him. He would never be happy. He loves his profession. He often jokes about how his mum used to tell him as a teenager that volleyball would get him nowhere.

Which leads me up to the fact that he is gone again until Sunday. I think it must be lonely at times, all of the travel... I could never do what he does.

We have a standing agreement that when he would rather be at his job than be home with his family, it is time to find something else to do. In almost fifteen years of marriage I have never felt that he would rather be at the gym than with me. He's a great coach. He's an even better husband and father...that's what makes it easy to do what I do.

Thanks J, I miss you.

House For Sale and other not so interesting news.

2008-10-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

I love being a home owner...I just hate the fact that the home I own is 600 miles away. Luckily, in this economy, if I have to pick a state to own a home, it would be Utah. The market has not completely tanked there yet so I am keeping my fingers crossed that we can get it sold. So if you know anyone who is in the market for a place in Orem, let me know. I am getting jealous of Kelli, who has been hard at work painting her house. I want to paint and take care of my own house!

This week was back to the normal routine. The kids are doing well and I am counting the days down to December. Highlights of this week include my first lock down at Bryce's school, pumpkin carving for Halloween, Halloween costume shopping, Brandon getting his haircut and Bryce doing a Mormon Battalion mini trek with his scout troop.

He had a great time and came back with some pretty good stories. They had to sleep in a bedroll last night, not a sleeping bag. He was cold overnight in his wool blanket but was proud of the fact that he got the campfire started without any help. This ward in Arizona that we stumbled on is changing Bryce's future. We are so lucky to have these people that give up so much to make our young men better.

In volleyball news, we are almost half way I think through conference. As predicted it has been pretty brutal in terms of win/loss. However, the team dynamics are changing. They are coming together and really starting to care about what it is that they are doing and what it is that they represent. What is always interesting to observe is how these girls view themselves as individuals. They are beginning to understand how their choices in everything they do effect more than just themselves. They are learning that little things matter. They are starting to believe. It is exciting to watch. I am so proud of who they are becoming.

Kara is now sitting with me as I type. This is what she wants to say. "We went to Utah and today I played with Jessica and Jamie. We went costume shopping and it kinda of freaked me out and I'm gonna be a vet for Halloween and that's it kind of....that's it." She is the best.

What I Learned this Weekend

2008-10-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

First, I learned that it is impossible to completely detach from Utah. Lots of memories and wonderful people...see previous post.

I have a great family. Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, EVERYONE!

I LOVE fall in Utah

Nothing is as good as French Toast from Kneaders with Ally except maybe driving with her to Sonic for a Diet Coke with lime.

Women do, indeed, have excessively long memories. In this case, three years of internal rage building up against a certain anonymous poster on Volleytalk who can't seem to get over it. I wish HER husband had a message board for his job.

I need to get a life.

I will never be a fully functioning mature adult until I can forgive EVERYONE.

I am not in danger of being translated anytime soon.

I spend WAY too much time apart from Jason. He make me better.

There is no place like the Smith Field House.

Hanging out with my kids makes me better.

Loosing sucks whether you are a cougar or a sun devil.

Arizona is looking better and better. We left in a snow storm and arrived in Phoenix at 70 degrees.

One day, I need to take a house boating trip on Lake Mead.

I will always have a job at Freedom Academy. Thanks Lynne.

Finally, the cougars still love my family...that means more to me than anything.

Home Sweet Home?

2008-10-07T16:49:00.001-07:00

I am now living in limbo, no real place to call home. It is comforting and depressing to be back in Utah for the week. We spent the day down at Freedom Academy, my kids' ex-school and my ex-job. With all of the moves I have made in my life, I just try to move forward and not dwell too much on the people and friends that I have made along the way. I was hugged by so many little rugrat kids, I forget how they used to drive me batty. I will always love Utah and all of the experiences that have made me a better person. I am sure that there are people that will never, ever want to live here and that is fine. There are a lot of strange people here, but a lot of people that loved and cared about my family. So thanks, Utah friends. I miss you.

Kara is the Star Student

2008-10-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

Kara is the star student this week and Jason and I get to go to her school and present her life history to the class. What can I say about Kara? She is simply the best. We made a DVD to show the class and I thought I would post it here. The pictures toward the end are of the class field trip to the Stuffington Bear Factory last month. Thought the kids would like that.

I'm Grouchy

2008-09-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm grouchy and I feel like crap. Simple as that. Everything stinks today and anyone who thinks they can cheer me up with their glorious insights and positive attitude can just take a hike. I am basking in my miserable crankiness and I have no pep talks or word of wisdom for anyone. My children are crazy and I miss my better half. It was 104 degrees today and I am living in the middle of nowhere. I miss my family. I miss my sister. If we were still working together, I would have vented all of this at her and then I would not have to resort to pounding the keyboard to feel better.

Blogging really is therapy. I have no illusions whatsoever that my posts are helping anyone out there but me. I think my life is actually pretty funny...see I'm feeling better already. I am reminded of the poem by Shel Silversten, "Sick" (except I'm not faking....)

Sick
---------
'I cannot go to school today, '
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more-that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut-my eyes are blue-
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke-
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is-what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is...Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play! '

Source(s):

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/sick-20/

But did he catch it?

2008-09-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to write this story down. Classic Bubba. On Tuesday I am at ASU. Jason and I had ducked out for lunch and picked up take out for Sammi, Brent and Shasta. I'm sitting in chatting with Sammi and my phone rings. Brandon is in the nurses office. The nurse said that he is soaking wet and covered in mud after landing in a mud puddle during the daily lunch recess football game. I bust up laughing and Sammi begs me to take a picture when I go down to the office and bring him a change of clothes. Jason's first question was, "Did he make the catch"? Yes, he did, and I've got the picture to prove it.

A Funfilled Weekend at the Arizona Casa

2008-09-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend is going to be pretty crazy at the Watson's. Jason has three matches this weekend, two today and one tomorrow. I got to see the match this morning versus Montana. They won in three, but as I said before, still have a long way to go. The team is now 6-2 and if they do alright in the pre-season they could be 11-2 or 10-3 going into conference. What is funny is that they still have a huge mountain to climb and would consider this a successful season if they manage to stay over .500.

I love being married to Jason. He is the best man in the world for me and I am so blessed to have him in my life the last 16 years. To me, he is a husband and father who happens to coach volleyball. I can't separate what I do day to day from what he does in his job so there will always be some discussion about volleyball.

Having said that, I am smiling as I watch him navigate this team through simple flashes of brilliance. There is an evolution that takes place as teams that have a history of......well.....not being so good, struggle to learn a new way of thinking. He has always espoused being "good over time" and this team is still learning how to do that. The flashes of brilliance need to evolve into sustained, penetrating, brilliant, white light. I am not laughing at the fact that they have work to do - I laugh about his competitive nature that is packaged in a very quite and methodical personality. People have categorized him as having a "bad personality." He just chooses who he opens up to, very carefully. He wants to win and he wants to win well. Teaching his team that philosophy is part of the challenge he faces at ASU.

Kara and Brandon have a soccer game each this weekend. Kara goes tonight at and Bubba goes tomorrow. ASU football game vs UNLV plus Jason's tournament mixed in throughout and we are up to our ears in sports this weekend. We will see how we go with soccer. I am coaching both Kara and Brandon's team. Makes for a hectic week but it is a good way to get to know the community. Brandon's team is a ton of fun. They are a bit older and so have the basic game strategy down. Kara's team is still learning what direction to kick the ball and are more interested in the mushrooms growing on the grass than in actually playing the game.

I have spent the last two days trying to get my Arizona teaching certificate. Always a pain. I have to take another Praxis exam, and Arizona Constitution class, and a three credit hour English immersion class with in the next three years. Along with the pending Arizona certificate, I will have been licensed to teach in Montana, Kansas, and Utah but actually been hired for contracted teaching positions one and a half years of the 12 I have been out of college. There is also that Masters degree which I have started and stopped twice. I really would love to finish but I am not sure how that works into the plan. I keep thinking that I have lots of time for some kind of career and teaching is the one area that fits with raising a family. So I think I will at least keep my options open and jump through the Arizona Department of Educations' hoops.

I am going to take a nap and then off to soccer. Hopefully ASU gets a win tonight vs. Cincinnati - its always more fun when you win. Bye for now!

Larissa

Sundays Are Always Good

2008-09-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

Sundays are always good at the Watson's. Sunday means we are usually all together for the better part of the day. The weekend was good. Jason has had some success, going 3-1 for the weekend. They are now 5-2 for the year with a long way to go. I am happy that the stress of knowing where we are going to be year to year has been eliminated. Don't get me wrong, there is an enormous amount of pressure to be successful but and I think Jason's physical ability to stay in this profession has increased 10 years.

It was a nice weekend. I finally got to visit the local nursery to see what grows here in Mesa. I was surprised at how much we can actually plant here. I get my tomatoes and peas this year, I just plant them in September instead of May. I will try my hand at planting in containers for the time being. Then, if we ever get a house, I can take them with me.

The kids and I went to our first college football game at ASU on Saturday. We never went in Utah because we only got a couple tickets and Bubba and Kara were too small anyway. The kids had the best time. Brandon was in football heaven. ASU plays UNLV on Saturday so we are heading that way, hoping to learn the fight song.

Another Spectacular Failure

2008-09-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that the lessons that you try to teach your kids all sort of converge into this meltdown vacuum? Like most kids, Brandon believes that things should be simple and easy for him just because he wants it that way. The whole concept of working through things that are hard is still foreign. He is great in math. At age three, he was in the gym, learning his numbers off of the back of the girls' jersey's. He was running the scoreboard in the field house at age four, adding points and resetting the scoreboard each day. He can add and multiply numbers in his head and those concepts are easy for him. Reading and spelling, is another story. He can't spell to save his life (another great quality inherited from his mother). His reading is getting better, but he just glances through the words, trying to come up with what he thinks is the right answer. If he does not know it, he skips it.

Yesterday he came home with a reading paper that had only one correct answer. He flipped out and refused to even talk about it. Within the hour, Bryce storms in from his scouting activity completely ticked that he can't water ski (he has been on a boat twice in his life). He was the only one in the group that could not get up on his skis at the lake and is now swearing off new activities.

So I am sitting there trying to figure out what to say to both of them. It is amazing how fast all of your options for responding wiz through your mind. Do I just say "Yep, you are right. Quit now while you are ahead." I could go the "you are special and everyone has talents that they are good at" route, in an attempt to just make them feel good about themselves. Instead, I choose to reference my most favorite movie, Meet the Robinsons...thinking of course that it was a perfect example that the kids could relate to. So I smile as big as I can and say, "That's fantastic! Another spectacular failure!"

Every once in a while I can see that my boys actually do come from the same parents. Their expressions were priceless. First confusion, then betrayal, then...da da...revelation! All of this in three seconds. I had hit a parenting home run. We talked about the things we stink at and discovered the humor that this life holds. I have always thought that God had a pretty good sense of humor. Look at all of the tricks He has played on us so far! So maybe, just for today, my boys will not take themselves so seriously and maybe I can fool them long enough into thinking I actually know what I am doing.

The Stank That is Our Rental

2008-09-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

So the first time I went into 2205 E Nora St, I was overcome by the smell. It was awful. Our landlady swore up and down that she could not smell anything. We agreed to a 6 month lease, then month to month after that. Camp came and went and I kept asking anyone in the house if they could smell anything. By August, I had completely bought out the store's freshener s and carpet deodorizers. I Googled and tried to figure out how to remove what, by this time, I had decided was pet urine. However, Google was adamant that there is a distinction between cat and dog pee and that I needed to know what animal was responsible so I could take appropriate action. Before I began to hunt down the animal and shoot it, I figured I better take a look and make sure I was not crazy. I pulled back a corner of carpet and saw the urine stain. And it kept going, and going and gong. Pet urine was crystallized on top of the pad and the stain that I could see was about 3 feet by 5 feet. The Landlady's daughter was playing at put house and made the comment that she "never used to come over to this house because it smelled so bad."

With this incriminating information I walked across the street to show the landlady what I had found. Long story short, I have now moved all the furniture (again) out of the living room/office so that the carpet cleaner fixer man can pull the pad, completely sterilize the carpet and re stretch it. This is good because Kara and Brandon have been complaining about stomach aches and bad tastes in their mouths from the fumes that this toxic waste area has been spewing. Its been a good week.

So it begins....

2008-09-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

So with the race to Christmas beginning at the Watson house and no outlet for venting anymore I thought that I might try my hand at blogging - mostly to give me something to do during those long evenings that Jason is on the road. I have also been inspired by the therapeutic way my bro-in-laws blog (whosdamannow.com) has helped him. He seems to have found a way to deal with the unbelievable crap that is his current job. I swear he could write episodes of The Office. I figured, with the way my life is, I could use all of the free therapeutic opportunities I could get. Of course, blogging is also useful way of communicating our day to day with friends and family. Our family is REALLY spread out now and it will be interesting to see if I can do my job even half as well without anyone I trust a simple phone call away.

We spent this labor day doing what we normally do - trying to rearrange clutter and hit the truly ick infested parts of the house. I am on severe Home Depot withdrawal right now. I hate being in a rental. Too many things that need to be done and no authority to fix anything. We have found another "fixer upper" down the street from where we live. It is a disaster. My real estate agent commented how I always said "disaster" like it was a good thing. I think we might try to get it but with the Utah casa still not sold, we may have to do some creative financing to figure out how to get it. I hope we can swing it. I don't think I will feel like we have really moved until we own a home here AZ.

The kids are in the backyard again swimming. Kara has the highest pitched scream that I have ever heard and has really cranked up the fake crying as a manipulative tool. Bryce is trying to moderate an argument between Bubba and Kara and it is always scary when he sounds like me. Good times. The fight is escalating right now. Bryce is going all left-brained on Bubba, who cannot do anything other than respond emotionally to any given situation. Kara usually takes Brandon's side but right now I think she is waiting to see who has the upper hand and then will come in on the side of the underdog.

Oh, the "casa de watson" comes from the BYU team. They named our house and it stuck. I can't decide when or if I will ever comment on what has happened to our family in the last 7 months. Probably not. If I do, it might end up on Volleytalk, the best (or worst) site in the world for volleyball gossip. Its like TMZ for rabid volleyball fans. But I will say that I miss that team. It will be a while before I really feel like I fit here.

Jason opened the season 2-1. He is flying under the radar right now. I like it that way. He heads to Portland on Wednesday I think, then comes back Saturday? I never know for sure. I guess that would seem odd to some. Its just they way we operate.

We had a great date this afternoon, first to Fry's electronics for Camcorder batteries/charges, DVD-R's and a suitcase to carry them in. Then off to the apple store to find a charger for my phone. A quick side trip to Home Depot (yes!) for a weed eater and southwest gardening books and then home to our neglected kids. All of this in the rad new car that we were lucky to get at the beginning of this week. Hanging out in the car with J all to myself is my idea of heaven, so it was a great day.

Tomorrow, kids are back in school (yea!) and I need to get ready for the upcoming AYSO soccer season. I decided to coach both Brandon and Kara's team, a feat that would have been fairly simple in Utah but has become unexpectedly difficult here in Mesa. First, there are meetings for everyone; team mom, coach, team ref (yes team ref)! All of Kara's games are scheduled for 6:30 Friday night from now until December 5. All of Bubba's games are scheduled at various times on Saturday. The coaching part is fun. Practices are always great. It is just all the administrative stuff that goes along with it. The ref clinic is 8 hours and if I happpen to know anyone over the age of 10, they can attend the meeting! Too funny. We do have breaks over the next three months but a 10 game schedule is a little much for 6 & 7 year olds. Hopefully the kids will love it enough to hang in there.

One of these days I am going to count up the number of days spent with our entire family (that's mom, dad and all three kids) under the same roof. For 2008 I'm gonna say maybe 100 days. In the past we have gotten a chance to reconnect as a family but this year has been crazy. I need a vacation. I think December will be a good month. So the race to christmas begins for the Watson's...