Just pluggin along.....

Nothing much going on here, and yet I am crazy busy at the same time.....

· First of all, I am insanely swamped with school work. To put it mildly, this semester is a killer! I am sharing this photo of some of text books this go round. Yes, I said just some...there are more but honestly I am just too lazy to round of the rest just for a photo op.......... C'mon, I know you're jealous. And I won't bore you with the list of papers I have to write (believe me the it's lonnggggggggg, the maps & a bazillion points on them I have to memorize, the films and documentaries I have to watch, blah, blah, blah........ Go ahead...just shoot me now!

· I am getting everything together for Battle of the Books for D's school. I am coaching grades 3-6. It's a phenomenal program, but you guessed it...more reading. Atleast these books are a piece of cake for an old fart like myself. Our first meeting is next Wednesday to fill the parents and students in on what to expect between now & January. Then we'll have our first practice the following week. So as I start to hypervenilate from it all, I just remind myself that "it's for the kids" and that it'll all be okay. I put "it's for the kids" in quotes because it has essentially become the moto of our school. It's a Charter school and we are tremendously dependent on the volunteer efforts of the student's families. And considering that my kids are getting a top notch education , I have no reason to complain....... As Dorie in Little Nemo would say just keep swimming......

·Oh, let me give a little 'horray' that Cross Country season is over for another year! I am so proud of my girl for having the drive to do it (cause I sure as heck am not a runner) but I am always a little relieved when we have a break and the mom-mobile isn't on the run quite as much. She did great at her race, finishing her 1.5mile with the pack. If you have ever seen a XC race, there are those runners who come in way ahead of the pack (the super fast kids), there is the 'pack' (the majority of the runners seem to finish within a few minutes of each other) and then there are the runners who bring up the rear...the race is harder for them but my hat is always off to them. Here's a little secret...I always cry when the last runner comes in. I try not to let anyone see my tears, but I have to stay and watch that last kid come in. Talk about determination, to know you are last & still have the perserverence to cross the finish line. To me that is real strength. Anway...back to D. Last year she was not last, but she was farther back than she was this year by far. We'll have her final times today.... *here's a funny little fact, last year & this year she wore bib #1 for the entire district. We have no idea why, but she thought it was pretty cool.*
·As I mentioned before, I am not a runner...never have been & I don't know if I ever will be. But my daughter seems to be rubbing off on my son. Weekend before last, D. wanted to run the Titan Trail Run, a race sponsored by a local middle school. So I sign her & a friend up. And sure enough little R. decided he wanted to do it too..... Well of course that meant I got to walk the trail with my little dude. Seriously, no matter how much I dislike running, I simply can't throw my 5yo out on a 1.4mile trail by himself. So we got up uber early on a Saturday morning, but it was so worth it. And we did it.....but the best part of all was watching R's face light up when they gae him a medal for crossing the finish line. He said "Mama..this is my best day ever. I never-ever-ever got a medal before!"

And he was so bummed on Wednesday at D's race that he couldn't race too. He is only & Kindergarten and XC doesn't start until 3rd grade. So to pass the time and satisfy his need to run, this is how he spent the afternoon......

running up & down the sidewalk that bordered the starting line....in Crocs nonetheless. Crazy kid!