The Swan District

We had a 4 day weekend this past weekend.  Living in Europe, you would think that would mean we would be traveling somewhere.  Nope!  The school decided that it would be a great time to have some sports.  Two weeks ago we had a bye for football.  Why the bye wasn't put on a 4 day weekend, I will never know!  Next week we play the number one team in Europe... for our Homecoming.  These are the questions that make you go "hmmmm?"  I asked the Sports director, who was the brilliant person that came up with that.  He said, "it just happened that way."  Haha- I already knew the answer and shouldn't have been so rude!  So instead of sprinting out of town on Thursday night with everyone else, we stayed around- cleaned the house, went to a BLS class, went to a party, enjoyed a lovely Oktoberfest day with friends on Friday.

Saturday we were at football all day long!

The day started at 8 am when the German team that was supposed to play our JV didn't show up, because their bus broke down.  So the team was split into two and played each other.  There were some valuable lessons learned from that.

First, the coaches are schizophrenic and I will never understand them.  Both sides wanted Sam, but the side that won him, didn't let him play for the first 30 minutes of the game.  He was one of the only guys that didn't go in for offense or defense.  In the end he did get to play and went in for both.  This seems to be par for the course for this year.  I just keep telling myself that they are saving him for next year when he is bigger.  They do keep telling him that he is just too small.  

Second, Sam said his team was actually pretty stacked with great players, but that they only ended up with 3 actual linemen.  Sam's team lost-  Proof that linemen are important.  At one point they put Sam in to stand right next to the quarterback to block all the people that kept sacking him.  They put all kinds of random people in as the extra linemen, but they kept getting hurt- because they aren't actually linemen.  So Sam actually was put in as a Tackle at one point.  Sam, the guy they keep saying is just too small to run the ball!!  Also, the center wasn't very good at hiking the ball.  This caused some of the problems.

Third, Sam definitely isn't a lineman and has no idea how to play it.  He didn't even use his hands, but just hit the guy with his shoulder pads.  The guy just shot right around Sam.

Fourth, this is definitely a growing year for the JV team for everyone, including the coaches.

After that game, all kinds of people showed up for the Varsity game and kept asking me if the JV won.  Well, yes, yes we did!  By this time, Emma has ceased being the big sister of a football player and instead became "Wonder Yearbook Editor" instead.  (They also had Cross country that weekend, but when they travel they can only take their top runners and 5 extra runners that they choose from some 50 girls.  She got to go last time, so she stayed home this time.)  She had taken my camera and taken tons of pictures.  By the time the Varsity game was done- we played Lakenheath, England and killed them.   I was so happy for them when they finally got one score!  By the first quarter, I was already cheering for them.  I always feel bad for the underdog, especially when there is no mercy rule!- so by the time it was done she had taken over 490 pictures and run my battery down to nothing.  

So when the JV suited up again and got to play their reserve players and Sam actually got to carry the ball, twice!!- I didn't get any photographical evidence to prove it!  And he did great too.  He got out of one tackle, spun and made it another 5 yards or so the first time.  I think both times he got 10-15 yards.  They only have one play where he carries the ball and they have never used it before and most likely will never use it again this season.  So those were the two carries of his Freshmen year and my battery was D E A D!

During the Varsity game the JV cheerleaders had Sam doing backflips with them.  He was still in his pads.  One cheerleader did 7 in a row, so Sam did 12!  They all begged him to try out for Winter cheerleading, telling him that he would for sure make Varsity.  I think it's a great idea, but he won't even hear of it.  I reminded him of the professional football player we knew in Virginia who had also been a cheerleader in High School.  That didn't sway him.  He has determined that he wants to do wrestling.  I don't like wrestling.  I don't like boxing either.  Both of them, I will stay away from.  I told him, if he did it, I wouldn't come to any of his matches.  He said, "rude!"  But seriously, I can't watch that!!

Sunday I ran a one woman show.  I conducted Relief Society and I gave the lesson.  I had very little time to prepare, because I just learned I would teach on Thursday- and we were kind of busy as you can see.  Luckily it was from the book and people piped up and helped out.  It all went smoother than most of my other lessons.  Guess less time to worry about it, the better I do.

Monday, we finally traveled.  We haven't seen Schwangau with the kids since we have been here, so we took them to see Hohenschwangau

and Neuschwanstein. 

We also made it up to Marienbruche even though they were all complaining by this time because of the rain.

It didn't rain the whole time and was actually pleasant when it wasn't.

It truly is a beautiful place!