Last year, my family gathered at my house for Christmas instead of my parents. Unfortunately, the stomach virus decided to visit with us and many of us were affected by it at some point, which really put a damper on the whole thing. One thing we kept saying was that we were so glad we were at my house (4 bathrooms) instead of my parents (one bathroom) because there were 13 of us needing one and sometimes it was quite urgent.
This year we gathered at my parents house (still one bathroom) and we lost power because of an ice storm. Thankfully, they had a generator that was able to keep the well going for water, the furnace running for heat, and the fridge running, along with a few lights and outlets for charging. *side note* - it's not easy to explain to a 6 year old that we don't have power so he can't watch a movie while he's staring at the ceiling light that's on. When you have to pick between being able to flush a toilet or watch a movie, toilet wins every time. If we would have lost power at my house, we would not have been comfortable at all. No generator would mean no water and only a fireplace for heat.
At one point, my brother said, "I'd rather be without power than be sick again!" And while I agreed, I did wonder if there was an option c.
We came home on Monday afternoon and spent some time putting things away and then did a little shopping. Tuesday was spent cleaning and really getting things put away because my parents and my sister and her family were going to come on Wednesday for dinner. On Christmas day, we opened gifts, had breakfast and then did a little last-minute cleaning before family arrived. It was a very relaxing afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed the time together.
Today, I looked around and realized that my "after-Christmas" chores have been done. When you have family Christmas early and then invite people over, things tend to get put away. I've actually started cleaning out our storage area and am ready to organize and purge. And we still have more than a week off!
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Back to School!
I was really dreading it this year. I kept going back and forth about what curriculum I wanted to use - and I think subconsciously I may have been thinking, "if I don't pick a curriculum, we can't start school!" But then one day I finally made a decision and ordered our books. (And then I second-guessed that decision and thought about returning some but finally decided to stick with the first decision.)
Our school area was a mess. Books and binders from this year and last year scattered all over. Last week, I was finally motivated to organize it.
I was on call this week for jury duty. Monday I had to report in. No starting school early for us!
But then something strange happened. I came home Monday at 11 (not needed for the jury that day) and had lunch and then decided to start math with all the kids. Some of our books hadn't even been opened from the shrink wrap yet. But we got all our supplies ready and I did a lesson with each of them. And it just felt good.
We've done a math lesson every day this week and we're getting in the groove. The school area is completely ready for this year, all our books are unwrapped and we're all beginning to settle into a new routine, with a little bit of summer on the side. I don't know why I thought it would be so much harder this year. I'm exactly where I want to be.
Our school area was a mess. Books and binders from this year and last year scattered all over. Last week, I was finally motivated to organize it.
I was on call this week for jury duty. Monday I had to report in. No starting school early for us!
But then something strange happened. I came home Monday at 11 (not needed for the jury that day) and had lunch and then decided to start math with all the kids. Some of our books hadn't even been opened from the shrink wrap yet. But we got all our supplies ready and I did a lesson with each of them. And it just felt good.
We've done a math lesson every day this week and we're getting in the groove. The school area is completely ready for this year, all our books are unwrapped and we're all beginning to settle into a new routine, with a little bit of summer on the side. I don't know why I thought it would be so much harder this year. I'm exactly where I want to be.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
The livin' is easy
Oh, it's summertime. The sun has been shining, the pool is open, the water is clear and we are loving it. Our days start out slower, evenings last longer and most afternoons have been spent in the pool. What else could I ask for?
Okay, one thing. Two weeks ago, the kids stayed with Josh's parents for a couple days. I met a friend for lunch, ran a couple errands and then came home and went swimming. By myself. Heaven. I laid on a floatie and started at the blue sky and felt the warm sun and just floated. Bliss. No one splashing or interrupting my daydreaming. I think that needs to happen every once in awhile. I could just *be*. Maybe I can convince the kids to give me an hour by myself before they come out to swim.
Every once in awhile, we've had a rainy day. A perfect opportunity to clean the house, catch up on laundry and plan some meals.
Yup, there is no doubt about it. I'm spoiled.
Okay, one thing. Two weeks ago, the kids stayed with Josh's parents for a couple days. I met a friend for lunch, ran a couple errands and then came home and went swimming. By myself. Heaven. I laid on a floatie and started at the blue sky and felt the warm sun and just floated. Bliss. No one splashing or interrupting my daydreaming. I think that needs to happen every once in awhile. I could just *be*. Maybe I can convince the kids to give me an hour by myself before they come out to swim.
Every once in awhile, we've had a rainy day. A perfect opportunity to clean the house, catch up on laundry and plan some meals.
Yup, there is no doubt about it. I'm spoiled.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Exercise, weight loss and food
Most of the time I'm okay with how I look. There are always areas that could use improvement but for the most part, I'm happy with how things are. In January, I started to get a little unhappy with some areas. There were some things that were gradually increasing in size and number and I didn't like it. My first response was to eat more junk because I felt bummed. That was not helpful. My second response was to find a blog with a 90-day fitness challenge and commit to doing that. Much more helpful. I started and was faithfully doing the work-outs every day. Around day 21, my lower back was really sore. I tried to stretch it out better and kept on doing the work-outs. I also had not lowered any numbers. I decided to give up pop and see if that helped those pesky numbers go down.
On day 29, my back pain was much worse, the numbers had not moved and I was missing pop. I decided to stop the exercises until I wasn't in pain. After a few days of that, I was drinking pop again. The numbers started moving but it was in the wrong direction. The back pain was not any better after a week of not exercising.
I went to a chiropractor and discovered my spine goes left towards the bottom and that apparently messes up a lot of things down there. I was told it'd be best to not exercise for awhile so I started using a calorie-counter app called my fitness pal. My goal was to leave enough calories at the end of the day so I could still have a pop and popcorn. That afternoon I had a strange sensation - it was hunger! I realized I hadn't felt that in awhile. After a week of staying within my goal (except for two days of going over), my numbers are finally moving in the right direction. It's good to see progress and I am excited to think about what will happen when I can start working out again!
On day 29, my back pain was much worse, the numbers had not moved and I was missing pop. I decided to stop the exercises until I wasn't in pain. After a few days of that, I was drinking pop again. The numbers started moving but it was in the wrong direction. The back pain was not any better after a week of not exercising.
I went to a chiropractor and discovered my spine goes left towards the bottom and that apparently messes up a lot of things down there. I was told it'd be best to not exercise for awhile so I started using a calorie-counter app called my fitness pal. My goal was to leave enough calories at the end of the day so I could still have a pop and popcorn. That afternoon I had a strange sensation - it was hunger! I realized I hadn't felt that in awhile. After a week of staying within my goal (except for two days of going over), my numbers are finally moving in the right direction. It's good to see progress and I am excited to think about what will happen when I can start working out again!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Schooling update
It's March! Yesterday, Rachel was so excited that March 1 was the next day. She was fully expecting it to be spring when she woke up and was ready to wear her t-shirts and skirts. Needless to say, she was disappointed when I explained the weather wouldn't warm up for awhile. I know how she feels - my winter wardrobe is very old news right about now and we are done with winter around here! I'm not sure if winter is done with us though.
Our school year is going well for the most part. I have not been consistent with Rachel and Owen at all. Not a big deal - it's just kindergarten. And they're in good shape for first grade. We've worked on reading some and done a bit with math. They can write their letters and numbers. Owen is fascinated with maps so we gave him a globe for his birthday and he loves to sit in the recliner with that and find things and ask lots of questions. I'd like to get a more consistent with them so we can finish the year strong. I think I know what curriculum I want to use with them next year and might order some things early and start now.
Tori is on her 3rd math program for the year. I tried a new one at the beginning of the year and after 2 weeks, we were both crying when it was math time. :) So I switched back to Christian Light and things were going fairly well. She would still get some things wrong once in awhile that made me wonder if she was really understanding what to do. After talking with a friend, I borrowed a Math-U-See dvd and watched a few lessons with Tori. I had used this in 1st grade with her and Brendan but felt like they relied on the manipulatives too much. Turns out, the manipulatives really helped it all make sense to Tori. I love having the dvd to watch and the worksheets have just enough practice problems. Not too much and not too little. Goldilocks is happy. :) And I am fairly sure we will continue to use it for the rest of her schooling.
Brendan switched to Math-U-See also. I had been using a couple different pre-algebra books but I would pick and choose what topic we worked on and sometimes he would seem to catch on but then miss it the next day. I borrowed the Pre-Algebra dvd from the same friend and loved that Brendan could hear someone else explaining what to do and then I can help him with examples if I need to. Again, the practice problems are just the right length. In the textbooks I had been using, there would be 80 problems! Even assigning the odds seemed excessive. Another feature I love about the Pre-Algebra Math-U-See is the honors problems. These incorporate higher-level thinking skills with logic problems and involve multiple steps. I am fairly sure Brendan will continue to use this program for the rest of his schooling also.
I think we're finally on the right track for math. Now to figure out grammar . . .
Our school year is going well for the most part. I have not been consistent with Rachel and Owen at all. Not a big deal - it's just kindergarten. And they're in good shape for first grade. We've worked on reading some and done a bit with math. They can write their letters and numbers. Owen is fascinated with maps so we gave him a globe for his birthday and he loves to sit in the recliner with that and find things and ask lots of questions. I'd like to get a more consistent with them so we can finish the year strong. I think I know what curriculum I want to use with them next year and might order some things early and start now.
Tori is on her 3rd math program for the year. I tried a new one at the beginning of the year and after 2 weeks, we were both crying when it was math time. :) So I switched back to Christian Light and things were going fairly well. She would still get some things wrong once in awhile that made me wonder if she was really understanding what to do. After talking with a friend, I borrowed a Math-U-See dvd and watched a few lessons with Tori. I had used this in 1st grade with her and Brendan but felt like they relied on the manipulatives too much. Turns out, the manipulatives really helped it all make sense to Tori. I love having the dvd to watch and the worksheets have just enough practice problems. Not too much and not too little. Goldilocks is happy. :) And I am fairly sure we will continue to use it for the rest of her schooling.
Brendan switched to Math-U-See also. I had been using a couple different pre-algebra books but I would pick and choose what topic we worked on and sometimes he would seem to catch on but then miss it the next day. I borrowed the Pre-Algebra dvd from the same friend and loved that Brendan could hear someone else explaining what to do and then I can help him with examples if I need to. Again, the practice problems are just the right length. In the textbooks I had been using, there would be 80 problems! Even assigning the odds seemed excessive. Another feature I love about the Pre-Algebra Math-U-See is the honors problems. These incorporate higher-level thinking skills with logic problems and involve multiple steps. I am fairly sure Brendan will continue to use this program for the rest of his schooling also.
I think we're finally on the right track for math. Now to figure out grammar . . .
Friday, December 14, 2012
Saying good-bye to 2012
The year 2012 was an eventful year for us but you would never know it from my pictures or blogs. Maybe I was living "in the moment" and didn't take the time to capture much on film or maybe I was overwhelmed with the moments or maybe it was a combination of both. I am hoping to do better in 2013 but before we get to resolutions, lets talk about things that were accomplished.
A NEW HOUSE!!! We finally have a beautiful new house. I still can't believe it's ours. It fits us so very well and it's everything I wanted and more. We hosted my dad's family Christmas and we had 36 people here and it was great! Yes, it was crowded at times - mostly in the kitchen - but the kids had a great time playing and the adults had a great time visiting and we are already planning on hosting it next year and hopefully more will be able to come.
Training for a marathon! I can't say I have ran a marathon - but I did train for one and I am proud of that. I ran 20 miles!
Homeschooling! I now have 4 students - a 7th grader, a 5th grader, and 2 kindergartners. Teaching kindergartners is not my specialty - I'd much rather teach pre-algebra. Most days they have lots of play with a short reading lesson and I'm okay with that. Sometimes Brendan and Tori are the "teachers" and do worksheet pages with them. And on Wednesdays, they get to go to our homeschool co-op and enjoy some truly talented teachers, Mrs. Fannin and Mrs. McGee. They do art projects and unit studies and all the things that I think sound fabulous but never get around to doing.
Tori takes art, music, Latin, creative writing, science, and U.S. Geography at Pioneers. I teach math, grammar and spelling here and then help her with work from Pioneers. Brendan takes creative writing, science, history, art and workshop at Pioneers and I teach him pre-algebra and grammar here. It is a good balance for us - we're only gone one day a week but the kids get a chance to learn from other teachers and it helps lessen my responsibilities. And the teachers at Pioneers do a great job and have a passion for their subject. We all love our day at Pioneers and also love being able to get up late the next day. This year I am working in the accounting office instead of in the classrooms and I absolutely love it. I love working in an office setting and keeping track of money coming in and going out. {And yes, I did use the word love a lot in that paragraph. Feel free to leave me a comment with other words I could use. :)}
Brendan played baseball this year and is now playing basketball for the homeschool team. He isn't sure which one is his favorite. It seems to be whatever one he's currently playing. Tori started taking jazz and tap this year and decided to take a year off from horseback riding. Rachel started ballet this year and seems to really enjoy that. Owen thought about flag football but didn't like playing in the games - he'd rather play in the yard with Josh and Brendan. Maybe in a year or two he'll be ready. He's still drumming and sounds great. He seems to be getting more into music, too. He's always the one asking me to turn up the volume in the van and asking the names of songs.
The first month of teaching all 4 kids was a little rough. It was hard to not think about how much easier it would be or how much I could get done if all were in school. But after we got into the swing of things and we all adjusted our expectations, I found that I still really enjoy having them home and being in charge of their learning. This is definitely what God has called us to do. And until He lets me know otherwise, we'll keep on doing it.
I didn't intend to write a Christmas letter but there you go. You're welcome. And now that you have this rosy version of our perfect life, next time I'll write about a real day.
A NEW HOUSE!!! We finally have a beautiful new house. I still can't believe it's ours. It fits us so very well and it's everything I wanted and more. We hosted my dad's family Christmas and we had 36 people here and it was great! Yes, it was crowded at times - mostly in the kitchen - but the kids had a great time playing and the adults had a great time visiting and we are already planning on hosting it next year and hopefully more will be able to come.
Training for a marathon! I can't say I have ran a marathon - but I did train for one and I am proud of that. I ran 20 miles!
Homeschooling! I now have 4 students - a 7th grader, a 5th grader, and 2 kindergartners. Teaching kindergartners is not my specialty - I'd much rather teach pre-algebra. Most days they have lots of play with a short reading lesson and I'm okay with that. Sometimes Brendan and Tori are the "teachers" and do worksheet pages with them. And on Wednesdays, they get to go to our homeschool co-op and enjoy some truly talented teachers, Mrs. Fannin and Mrs. McGee. They do art projects and unit studies and all the things that I think sound fabulous but never get around to doing.
Tori takes art, music, Latin, creative writing, science, and U.S. Geography at Pioneers. I teach math, grammar and spelling here and then help her with work from Pioneers. Brendan takes creative writing, science, history, art and workshop at Pioneers and I teach him pre-algebra and grammar here. It is a good balance for us - we're only gone one day a week but the kids get a chance to learn from other teachers and it helps lessen my responsibilities. And the teachers at Pioneers do a great job and have a passion for their subject. We all love our day at Pioneers and also love being able to get up late the next day. This year I am working in the accounting office instead of in the classrooms and I absolutely love it. I love working in an office setting and keeping track of money coming in and going out. {And yes, I did use the word love a lot in that paragraph. Feel free to leave me a comment with other words I could use. :)}
Brendan played baseball this year and is now playing basketball for the homeschool team. He isn't sure which one is his favorite. It seems to be whatever one he's currently playing. Tori started taking jazz and tap this year and decided to take a year off from horseback riding. Rachel started ballet this year and seems to really enjoy that. Owen thought about flag football but didn't like playing in the games - he'd rather play in the yard with Josh and Brendan. Maybe in a year or two he'll be ready. He's still drumming and sounds great. He seems to be getting more into music, too. He's always the one asking me to turn up the volume in the van and asking the names of songs.
The first month of teaching all 4 kids was a little rough. It was hard to not think about how much easier it would be or how much I could get done if all were in school. But after we got into the swing of things and we all adjusted our expectations, I found that I still really enjoy having them home and being in charge of their learning. This is definitely what God has called us to do. And until He lets me know otherwise, we'll keep on doing it.
I didn't intend to write a Christmas letter but there you go. You're welcome. And now that you have this rosy version of our perfect life, next time I'll write about a real day.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
My dream house
We first saw the listing for this house in March. And we were like, "yeah, right. That is so out of our league." We actually weren't even looking yet and hadn't gotten our house on the market but our realtor was still sending us info about houses that would consider a land contract. Our plan b (or plan c, depending on the day) was to rent our old house and buy a house on a land contract if we couldn't sell our house. This was something we had been thinking about for two years since the last time we tried to sell our house so our realtor kept us in the loop for land contract possibilities. This one, however, was a bit out of our price range. So we scoffed at the listing and said we wouldn't want it even if we could afford it because it needed to be redecorated and had lots of pink on the inside. Yes, I realize that I was grasping at straws, looking for negatives.
Fast forward about 6 weeks - we have a full offer on our house after the 3rd showing. It was crazy fast. Our realtor hadn't even put the updated pictures on the website - and I worked hard at getting those pictures! But that is not something you complain about when you have a full price offer after only being on the market for 10 days. We started calling banks to get pre-approved and looking at houses. There was some questions about getting financing because of some previous rental properties we had purchased so we decided to look at this house in case a land contract was still our only option, although we still didn't think we could afford it.
We walked through it and loved the floor plan. Loved the space. Didn't love the pink. Didn't know if we'd love a master bedroom on the 2nd floor. But overall, loved the house. Which made it really hard when we looked at other houses that were priced a little lower. There was always something wrong with those houses - needed too much work (we had done enough projects already, thank you very much), driveway was too steep or too small, yard was too small, subdivision was too closed in, rooms felt small. It was hard to complain about those houses because they were all bigger than our current house but we had this feeling that we didn't want to be doing this again in 5 years - we wanted it to be permanent this time. We didn't want to settle for okay. We wanted to find something that felt like home.
Then, we found out the sellers lowered the price on this house. And we got financing. And we crunched some numbers. And thought, maybe, it would work. We negotiated and agreed on a price. The inspection went well. The timing was just about perfect - we had to be out of our house by July 1 - the sellers were already out of this house but needed to move a few things yet. They graciously agreed to let us move in if we didn't mind their things being here for a couple days. And before I knew it, I was living in my dream house.
My kids have friends over now and it doesn't feel like they're taking over the house. It's not so big that we lose each other - we're still mostly together in the kitchen or family room in the evenings. But it's big enough to have family and friends over and not feel like we're sitting on top of each other. It has everything on my list that I was looking for and then some. I even like having a master bedroom on the 2nd floor. It's perfect.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Attempting to run a marathon
I don't know if I'm ready to talk about this yet. It's easy to say that I came close and I did more than a lot of other people and I tried hard and gave it my best but the fact remains, I didn't finish. I trained hard and I ran a lot of miles and I tried to make sure I was prepared but still, I didn't finish.
I remember watching my mom iron my dad's shirts once and asking her if it was annoying to have to iron all those shirts for him and she said, "only if I think about it". Which made me smile. But I get it.
If I don't really think about what I didn't accomplish, then it's not a big deal that I didn't finish. I can feel good about the accomplishments I had along the way. I ran 20 miles on a training run and felt great! I ran 22 miles on the day of the marathon!
But when I really examine my feelings about the marathon, the one thing that stands out the most is that I didn't finish.
The course was beautiful, the weather was mild and cloudy. I was trying to drink water and stay hyrdrated and I had lot of GU (energy gel) packets. But somewhere around mile 14, I started to not feel great. My stomach was kind of rolling and when I tried to have some GU, it didn't go down very easy. I tried to drink more water but still kept stopping to walk. I'd get a burst of energy and run for a few minutes and then walk again. I kept thinking it was mental and I just needed to push through. I tried GU again with the same results. Ick. Then, about halfway through mile 21, I started feeling a tingly sensation in my arms and legs and knew that wasn't good. I told the girls to go on without me and they asked if I wanted them to flag down a car and I said yes.
There was an ambulance ahead so we went there and they asked if I needed to go to a hospital or if I wanted a ride back to the finish and I said a ride back would be fine. My friends went on ahead (after repeated assurances that I would be fine and they should go- they did not want to leave me behind). I waited for a car with the EMT's and they checked my pulse, which was on the slow side. I sat down on a cooler and then the car came. I went to stand up and apparently, I went really white and almost passed out. At that time, the EMT's decided to give me a ride in the ambulance and I was just glad someone else was calling the shots because I didn't like how I was feeling and just wanted to feel better.
They took me to the medic tent and after a few attempts, finally got an iv started. I laid there and listened to the people around me and wondered how my friends were doing. A little bit later, I heard someone say that yes, Angie Hall was in the tent, but no, they could not come in. And I smiled and couldn't wait to get out to find them. The iv was almost done and I was feeling pretty good (just freezing!) so they unhooked me and helped me sit up and then stand. I walked out and saw my friends and got hugs and heard about their finish and got some food (I was so hungry!) and shivered because I was still freezing and walked back to the car. I was so happy for them and so happy that I was feeling better and so happy it was all over.
We went back and showered (and I was so happy to have a warm shower) and then got some more food (so happy to be eating again!) and we had fun hanging around. I wasn't too sore and joked about running another one soon while I was still in shape because I wanted to cross that finish line. I wasn't too upset about not finishing but didn't really think about it. I figured I was just handling things really well.
After we got home, I started to see people who knew I was planning to run a marathon. And all of a sudden, my story sounded really lame. "I felt okay and ran 2/3 of it and then started feeling bad and went back in an ambulance. I don't really know what happened. But I'll try again!" I just wanted to hide for awhile. Because instead of being someone who ran a marathon, I was someone who tried but didn't succeed.
I had high hopes of trying again in June but it was really hot that weekend. Since I'm fairly sure that dehydration was the culprit for my first failed attempt, I didn't think it'd be good to add heat when I tried again. So I decided to run the one in our hometown that was supposed to be on a nice, flat course. How cool would that be? Support from friends and family, running in the fall, training on the actual course - sounded perfect.
Then I found out the course wasn't flat. At all. And I was having trouble staying motivated for the training runs. And I got really nervous about trying again and failing. So now I am setting it aside for another time, maybe next year. And I'm wondering if I didn't handle it as well as I thought. I'm thinking there might be some issues going on subconsicously with me and running. I need to make it something that is for me, not for anyone else. It's great to run with friends but it needs to be something I will do even if no one is out there with me. If I can't do that, maybe I don't want it bad enough.
I remember watching my mom iron my dad's shirts once and asking her if it was annoying to have to iron all those shirts for him and she said, "only if I think about it". Which made me smile. But I get it.
If I don't really think about what I didn't accomplish, then it's not a big deal that I didn't finish. I can feel good about the accomplishments I had along the way. I ran 20 miles on a training run and felt great! I ran 22 miles on the day of the marathon!
But when I really examine my feelings about the marathon, the one thing that stands out the most is that I didn't finish.
The course was beautiful, the weather was mild and cloudy. I was trying to drink water and stay hyrdrated and I had lot of GU (energy gel) packets. But somewhere around mile 14, I started to not feel great. My stomach was kind of rolling and when I tried to have some GU, it didn't go down very easy. I tried to drink more water but still kept stopping to walk. I'd get a burst of energy and run for a few minutes and then walk again. I kept thinking it was mental and I just needed to push through. I tried GU again with the same results. Ick. Then, about halfway through mile 21, I started feeling a tingly sensation in my arms and legs and knew that wasn't good. I told the girls to go on without me and they asked if I wanted them to flag down a car and I said yes.
There was an ambulance ahead so we went there and they asked if I needed to go to a hospital or if I wanted a ride back to the finish and I said a ride back would be fine. My friends went on ahead (after repeated assurances that I would be fine and they should go- they did not want to leave me behind). I waited for a car with the EMT's and they checked my pulse, which was on the slow side. I sat down on a cooler and then the car came. I went to stand up and apparently, I went really white and almost passed out. At that time, the EMT's decided to give me a ride in the ambulance and I was just glad someone else was calling the shots because I didn't like how I was feeling and just wanted to feel better.
They took me to the medic tent and after a few attempts, finally got an iv started. I laid there and listened to the people around me and wondered how my friends were doing. A little bit later, I heard someone say that yes, Angie Hall was in the tent, but no, they could not come in. And I smiled and couldn't wait to get out to find them. The iv was almost done and I was feeling pretty good (just freezing!) so they unhooked me and helped me sit up and then stand. I walked out and saw my friends and got hugs and heard about their finish and got some food (I was so hungry!) and shivered because I was still freezing and walked back to the car. I was so happy for them and so happy that I was feeling better and so happy it was all over.
We went back and showered (and I was so happy to have a warm shower) and then got some more food (so happy to be eating again!) and we had fun hanging around. I wasn't too sore and joked about running another one soon while I was still in shape because I wanted to cross that finish line. I wasn't too upset about not finishing but didn't really think about it. I figured I was just handling things really well.
After we got home, I started to see people who knew I was planning to run a marathon. And all of a sudden, my story sounded really lame. "I felt okay and ran 2/3 of it and then started feeling bad and went back in an ambulance. I don't really know what happened. But I'll try again!" I just wanted to hide for awhile. Because instead of being someone who ran a marathon, I was someone who tried but didn't succeed.
I had high hopes of trying again in June but it was really hot that weekend. Since I'm fairly sure that dehydration was the culprit for my first failed attempt, I didn't think it'd be good to add heat when I tried again. So I decided to run the one in our hometown that was supposed to be on a nice, flat course. How cool would that be? Support from friends and family, running in the fall, training on the actual course - sounded perfect.
Then I found out the course wasn't flat. At all. And I was having trouble staying motivated for the training runs. And I got really nervous about trying again and failing. So now I am setting it aside for another time, maybe next year. And I'm wondering if I didn't handle it as well as I thought. I'm thinking there might be some issues going on subconsicously with me and running. I need to make it something that is for me, not for anyone else. It's great to run with friends but it needs to be something I will do even if no one is out there with me. If I can't do that, maybe I don't want it bad enough.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Promises, promises
I know, I've let you down. You don't have to say it. I can tell by the look in your eyes. I said last time I would write more about my marathon experience and I talked about how we had an offer on our house and had to move but didn't know where we were moving and then what do I do? I leave you hanging all summer. And now, it's September and I'm finally back and you know what? I'm not going to talk about either of those. Not just yet.
We started back to school last Monday. For us, that meant getting up around a regular time (except for Brendan - that boy learned to sleep this summer! So I had to wake him up at 9:30 - rough life, I know), eating breakfast, and doing some math and grammar before playing. No big deal. I bought some new curriculum this year and was excited about starting out. Mostly. It was nice this summer not having to think about it but I did feel ready for a routine and a plan to our day.
This was how our day started: I did spelling and grammar with Tori and the new books were great. Rachel and Owen came down about 5 times in 20 minutes asking if I was done yet and if I could do school with them. Brendan finally came down and I got him going on grammar and vocabulary. I started math with Tori and a few minutes later, Brendan was ready for math. I went over his math lesson and then went back to Tori, who needed more help. I went up to work with Rachel and Owen and they decided that learning to read was boring and practicing writing letters and numbers was even more boring. But they didn't want to color or play with playdough - they wanted to do real school! I have no idea what they were expecting exactly, but clearly I was not delivering! At this point, Tori comes up with her math and is very frustrated and still not done. And I am thinking, "Why do I do this? How many more years of this do I have?"
It has been a struggle this year for me. For the very first time (I swear, this is true), I have felt envious of my friends posting about their kids going back to school. I imagine the quiet house (I'd have all 4 of them gone!). I imagine the work I could get done and the breaks I could take and the sense of accomplishment I'd have at the end of the day. And oh, the grass looks so much greener over there.
Then yesterday,we went to our homeschool co-op. And this year, I have a new position there. I am working in the accounting office. At a computer. On a desk. Entering things in a computer. Adding things up. A cupboard full of office supplies. I LOVE IT!!!! I really should have majored in accounting. It has actually made me think about the idea of getting a regular office job and sending the kids to school. But yesterday, I talked to the other ladies in the office about how I was feeling. And they totally understood and said they've been there before. They both have older kids and some homeschool graduates and they shared some positives they have seen from homeschooling their kids and how they were so glad they stuck it out. They talked about how they feel now that they are almost done - or at least closer than I am. And there is some sadness that it's coming to an end for them.
Today, our day went really well. Tori's math wasn't even that painful. We all had a great day together. Among all the posts and status updates about how people are finding so much time to get things done with their kids gone, I read a post about finding time for projects during the season of homeschooling and it was exactly what I needed to read. After turning down invitations to run or workout because of needing to be at home teaching my kids, all the kids seemed to really appreciate me being here today. It just confirmed that this is the right choice for us right now. And it's all going to go by so fast.
It was definitely not the smoothest start to a school year. But the waters are calming down and we're on the right path. Now to just stay the course. And I promise - I will not wait 3 months to write again and I *will* talk about the marathon and our new home. Which I absolutely love. Not to leave you hanging or anything.
We started back to school last Monday. For us, that meant getting up around a regular time (except for Brendan - that boy learned to sleep this summer! So I had to wake him up at 9:30 - rough life, I know), eating breakfast, and doing some math and grammar before playing. No big deal. I bought some new curriculum this year and was excited about starting out. Mostly. It was nice this summer not having to think about it but I did feel ready for a routine and a plan to our day.
This was how our day started: I did spelling and grammar with Tori and the new books were great. Rachel and Owen came down about 5 times in 20 minutes asking if I was done yet and if I could do school with them. Brendan finally came down and I got him going on grammar and vocabulary. I started math with Tori and a few minutes later, Brendan was ready for math. I went over his math lesson and then went back to Tori, who needed more help. I went up to work with Rachel and Owen and they decided that learning to read was boring and practicing writing letters and numbers was even more boring. But they didn't want to color or play with playdough - they wanted to do real school! I have no idea what they were expecting exactly, but clearly I was not delivering! At this point, Tori comes up with her math and is very frustrated and still not done. And I am thinking, "Why do I do this? How many more years of this do I have?"
It has been a struggle this year for me. For the very first time (I swear, this is true), I have felt envious of my friends posting about their kids going back to school. I imagine the quiet house (I'd have all 4 of them gone!). I imagine the work I could get done and the breaks I could take and the sense of accomplishment I'd have at the end of the day. And oh, the grass looks so much greener over there.
Then yesterday,we went to our homeschool co-op. And this year, I have a new position there. I am working in the accounting office. At a computer. On a desk. Entering things in a computer. Adding things up. A cupboard full of office supplies. I LOVE IT!!!! I really should have majored in accounting. It has actually made me think about the idea of getting a regular office job and sending the kids to school. But yesterday, I talked to the other ladies in the office about how I was feeling. And they totally understood and said they've been there before. They both have older kids and some homeschool graduates and they shared some positives they have seen from homeschooling their kids and how they were so glad they stuck it out. They talked about how they feel now that they are almost done - or at least closer than I am. And there is some sadness that it's coming to an end for them.
Today, our day went really well. Tori's math wasn't even that painful. We all had a great day together. Among all the posts and status updates about how people are finding so much time to get things done with their kids gone, I read a post about finding time for projects during the season of homeschooling and it was exactly what I needed to read. After turning down invitations to run or workout because of needing to be at home teaching my kids, all the kids seemed to really appreciate me being here today. It just confirmed that this is the right choice for us right now. And it's all going to go by so fast.
It was definitely not the smoothest start to a school year. But the waters are calming down and we're on the right path. Now to just stay the course. And I promise - I will not wait 3 months to write again and I *will* talk about the marathon and our new home. Which I absolutely love. Not to leave you hanging or anything.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Still here . . .
. . . and so much to say. Where to begin? The year is almost half over. I mentioned before in a previous post (which I should provide a link to but I am tired, people) about some goals I was working towards: completing a marathon, reading the Bible in a year and selling our house.
The marathon has not been completed but that will require a separate post. I'm close - oh, so close - but not quite there yet. I am still hoping to finish one by the end of this year.
I am up to date on reading my Bible! I *love* having it on my Nook. That has really worked for me. I have occasionally gotten a day behind but have been able to catch up within a few days.
We listed our house on Tuesday, May 8. We had two showings on Saturday, May 12 (same day as Brendan's birthday gathering - that was fun). We had another showing on Thursday, May17. And received an offer on Thursday, May 17. And then walked around in a daze all weekend. Lots of mixed emotions going on around here. We have lived here for 14 years! That is the longest I've ever lived in a house. My kids have grown up here. We have worked hard at improving this house and making it work for our growing family. So I was feeling a bit sad and melancholy at the thought of saying good-bye to this place. I have been told that the wife of the couple buying it loved it and said it felt like home when she walked through. That put a smile on my face and helped my heart feel better.
Besides feeling a bit sad over leaving this house, there is also some apprehension because we don't yet know where we will live after we move out. We are house hunting but time is getting away and it is looking unlikely that we will be able to find a house and close on it before we have to be out of this house.
It's a blessing that this sold so quickly - I only had to get it ready for 3 showings this time! But we never expected it would happen this fast. We thought we'd have a year to see what was out there. So for now, we are looking into rentals, looking at houses for sale and hoping an answer becomes obvious soon.
The marathon has not been completed but that will require a separate post. I'm close - oh, so close - but not quite there yet. I am still hoping to finish one by the end of this year.
I am up to date on reading my Bible! I *love* having it on my Nook. That has really worked for me. I have occasionally gotten a day behind but have been able to catch up within a few days.
We listed our house on Tuesday, May 8. We had two showings on Saturday, May 12 (same day as Brendan's birthday gathering - that was fun). We had another showing on Thursday, May17. And received an offer on Thursday, May 17. And then walked around in a daze all weekend. Lots of mixed emotions going on around here. We have lived here for 14 years! That is the longest I've ever lived in a house. My kids have grown up here. We have worked hard at improving this house and making it work for our growing family. So I was feeling a bit sad and melancholy at the thought of saying good-bye to this place. I have been told that the wife of the couple buying it loved it and said it felt like home when she walked through. That put a smile on my face and helped my heart feel better.
Besides feeling a bit sad over leaving this house, there is also some apprehension because we don't yet know where we will live after we move out. We are house hunting but time is getting away and it is looking unlikely that we will be able to find a house and close on it before we have to be out of this house.
It's a blessing that this sold so quickly - I only had to get it ready for 3 showings this time! But we never expected it would happen this fast. We thought we'd have a year to see what was out there. So for now, we are looking into rentals, looking at houses for sale and hoping an answer becomes obvious soon.
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