Here it is... the end of 2008. I wanted to take some time to reflect on the year before looking forward to 2009.
A few years ago I stopped making resolutions and making INTENTIONS for the year. Here were my intentions for 2008:
1. Complete Adoption Homestudy and become licensed foster parents
We really didn't do anything with this as I think we still needed time to heal from the failed adoption. Recently I have really felt a calling to look into becoming foster parents, so I know this is something we will continue to reflect on in 2009.
2. Make a decision regarding fertility treatments
This is the 800 lb gorilla in the room right now. We have talked about it, but we REALLY need to make a decision. 2008 was not the year, but I am hoping to finally find some closure in regards to treatment in 2009. I really think the failed adoption had a deeper impact than either of us realized. I think 2008 was a year of healing and learning to hope again. Both Chris and I are in a better place now and are looking forward to making some decisions in the coming months.
3. I will finish a 5k without stopping
While I didn't run an entire 5k, I sure did a lot of running in 2008! Who would have thought that I would participate in 3 separate events in one year. One of them was even an 8k! This is something that I plan to continue this winter. I plan to participate in several races again and really hope to be able to RUN a complete 5k in 2009. We even used running as the "theme" for our Christmas card this year!
4. I will have dinner with Grandma twice a month
I suppose by now you see the trend... While I had good intentions, this didn't really happen. I have recently been stopping by to see her more often and realize how precious she really is. She is a big part of the woman I am today and I am working to spend more time with her regularly.
5. I will start a Master's Program
Finally, something I can say YES I did. I started a program in August and will finish in November of 2009. It is a very intense program, so much of my time has been devoted to homework and readings for class. I am so happy that I started the program and really am enjoying being a student again. I am getting a degree in Reading and Literacy which will allow me to become a reading specialist if I choose. I already feel that I am a better teacher and feel a new sense of energy and purpose in my teaching. I wish I had started a program sooner, as I realize now how important it is to nurture myself. It is nice to put something other than infertility in the front of my mind for a change.
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I have also worked on cultivating my marriage and being the wife I know Chris deserves. I know it is cliche' but I really love him more today than I did the day I married him all those years ago. We've learned to love our uniqueness and challenges. Our marriage is truly stronger than it has ever been. I know this is all part of the plan for us and I truly hope that we have laid the foundation for us to complete our family in some way or another in 2009.
We are both happy in our careers and love what we do. We are blessed to have many close friends that we spend time with. We are getting more and more financially secure and learning how to manage our money. We continue to work on our home and have created a place that is not only comfortable for us but also a place we are proud to share with our friends and family. We are fortunate to have three pets who shower us with unconditional love (and the occasional slobbery mess!)
While I didn't accomplish most of my intentions, I don't regret any of my decisions in 2008. It was a good year, and one where I learned a great deal about myself. My life is full of many blessings and I look forward to the new challenges of 2009.
May 2009 be full of love and joy for everyone who is a part of our lives...
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Christmas 2008
Wow... it has been a LONG time since I posted here! Christmas is now over, and 2008 is drawing to a close. Hard to believe that another year has passed!
In years past, I have completed Shimelle's Christmas journal. This year it was just more than I could even consider with grad school. But I love looking at the finished albums to see what we did each year. I am hoping to make a little mini album that will cover the highlights of this year to add to the collection. So... I thought I would post a little recap of Christmas here so that I can remember all of the details!
I started the season on December 7th with my 2nd annual girlfriend's luncheon. It was great to have a day with the girls once again. Sadly, I only took photos of the decorations and totally forgot to take any photos of the actual event! :-( One new tradition was creating little boxes for each guest. I then asked each person to write a little note to each other and place it in the box. (The idea was from Oprah of course!) This was one of the best things I have ever done. Once everyone left I was able to read the notes each person wrote to me. Several of the guests also commented on how much they loved their little boxes. I plan to do something like this again!We also had my staff Christmas party on December 5th at Cubbie Bear North. That was a fun night with friends. I am so fortunate to work with people that I truly enjoy spending time with. Saturday was the Swim Team Christmas party at a local Mexican restaurant. It was nice to take some time to celebrate with families that have become such a part of our lives.
The following weekend was a cookie exchange that Miriam and I co-hosted at her house. I was a little stressed since I am not a baker by any stretch of the imagination. I can do all sorts of creative things with paper... but food... that is another story all together! However, before we could even get to baking cookies.... the four of us (Rinaldi's and us) went to a BEARS game on Thursday December 11th. It was a night game of course so it was a little chilly, but we had a good time. We were out way too late and I had to work the next day before baking cookies. But I am honestly THRILLED with my cookies.
We had a great turn out and had another great day. I also made little recipe books for each person to take home as a favor. These were put together LAST minute, but I loved how they turned out!
I was glad to have some time off from Grad school. It gave me some time to actually do some Christmas shopping and spend some time with Chris. Time together has become quite a luxury, but we know that this is the way our marriage works best. :-)
Once again I hosted Christmas Eve for my immediate family. I really enjoy having everyone over and decorating the house. It was nice to have everyone over for a casual meal and some quality time together- coloring, talking, and even playing Wii! I was a little worried about how things would go with some recent drama, but things really went well. We had lasagna, salad, and lumpy white stuff (made with vanilla pudding instead of pistachio... yum!) and then pumpkin pie for desert.
I must have been a very good girl this year because Santa (aka Chris) really spoiled me on Christmas morning. It was nice to have some time just the two of us, even if it is rather bittersweet. It's hard to face another year passing without our family being complete, but we know that we are truly blessed to have each other. The dogs were also spoiled with some new toys and treats as well!
We headed to my Aunt and Uncles for Christmas Day. Another quiet day spending time with family and the kids. We even got to spend some time with our newest family member, Lexi. She is Kristen's new puppy... cute as cute can be! It made me remember just how we ended up with this beast of a dog. :) He once was a cute little puppy, too!
We went to see the movie Bedtime Stories with the Rinaldi's that night. It was nice to get out and spend some time with friends. The movie was light hearted and a great way to end Christmas Day! We later celebrated Christmas with the Rinaldi's on Sunday. It was nice to just relax and enjoy some Chili. Too bad our Bears LOST and are now out of the playoffs. Seems to be the trend with our Chicago teams. :(
I am sure I am forgetting things. I really am going to try to be good about updating here.... maybe even once a week! :-) I know there is at least one of you who read this! :-)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Thank you Veterans!
As a child I looked forward to Veterans Day as not only a day off from school, but usually spending some time with my grandfather. He was an American Hero in every sense of the word... and a hero to this little girl. I miss his wisdom and guidance so very much and hope that I have become the kind of woman he wanted me to be.
I am so very grateful for all of the Veterans... from many years past to more recent veterans. As we recently saw with the presidential election, we are so very blessed to live in America where the rights and freedoms of all are protected. I am grateful for our forefathers who fought to give us the democracy we often take for granted. I am grateful for all who have gone to war to support our way of life and the security of this great nation. While I may not agree with the current war, I to support our military who are putting their lives on the line each and every day. I pray for their safe return to their families here in the United States.
I vividly remember the days after September 11th. I remember wondering if WAR was going to come to our soil... to American soil. I remember being terrified of that thought. My generation has never seen war like my grandparent's generation. Even our parent's Vietnam was different than anything my generation has been exposed to. We are so very lucky that seven years later, we are still safe in our own country. I am sure much of that has to be due to the vigilance of the military. And for that I will be forever grateful!
I have very limited military knowledge... and am not from a military family. But I am able to step back on a day like to day and say THANK YOU.
I am so very grateful for all of the Veterans... from many years past to more recent veterans. As we recently saw with the presidential election, we are so very blessed to live in America where the rights and freedoms of all are protected. I am grateful for our forefathers who fought to give us the democracy we often take for granted. I am grateful for all who have gone to war to support our way of life and the security of this great nation. While I may not agree with the current war, I to support our military who are putting their lives on the line each and every day. I pray for their safe return to their families here in the United States.
I vividly remember the days after September 11th. I remember wondering if WAR was going to come to our soil... to American soil. I remember being terrified of that thought. My generation has never seen war like my grandparent's generation. Even our parent's Vietnam was different than anything my generation has been exposed to. We are so very lucky that seven years later, we are still safe in our own country. I am sure much of that has to be due to the vigilance of the military. And for that I will be forever grateful!
I have very limited military knowledge... and am not from a military family. But I am able to step back on a day like to day and say THANK YOU.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Remembering Wilson
It is hard to believe that it has been a year since Laurie Wilson... known to most as just Wilson, left this Earth. I think of her often and miss seeing her each and every day. She was one of the most amazing women ever to come into my life. She overcame so much in her life to become a strong passionate woman who had so many gifts. She was a talented teacher and coach and an amazing friend. She could make me laugh harder than I thought possible and always had time to talk. She opened my eyes to many things and for that I am forever grateful. We shared many moments and memories at school and there are days that I expect to see her walking down the hall.
I know that she is at peace now and pray that she is able to see what a HUGE impact she had on my life and the lives of so many. Today I remember Wilson by making sure all of the people who matter in my life know just that... that they matter to me.
You are missed, Wilson...
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Happy Birthday Bridget!
I have lots of thoughts about the election... but will share those in another post. I wanted to share a creative project I did... something that I haven't done in a LONG time. Wednesday was my good friend Bridget's birthday. She shares my passion and love of office supplies. We wanted to create something special for her birthday. After trying to come up with something for weeks, I suddenly came up with the idea to create a cake out of office supplies... you know, like the diaper cakes made for baby showers...
So I wandered around Office Max until I could come up with some kind of an idea. Came home and played with my goodies... I must admit I kept a few pens for myself. I just couldn't resist! :-)
I am pretty happy with the end result!
The bottom layer is post-its, rolled up into circles. The top "layers" are made from pens and mechanical pencils. Decorations include correction tapes and erasers. Bridget is a math teacher, so the erasers and pencils are very appropriate. She loves bright colors and purple... so this was a perfect combo. I got an extra cake box from the bakery and placed it in the box to add to the overall effect. She was thrilled with it... makes it all worth while!
So I wandered around Office Max until I could come up with some kind of an idea. Came home and played with my goodies... I must admit I kept a few pens for myself. I just couldn't resist! :-)
I am pretty happy with the end result!
The bottom layer is post-its, rolled up into circles. The top "layers" are made from pens and mechanical pencils. Decorations include correction tapes and erasers. Bridget is a math teacher, so the erasers and pencils are very appropriate. She loves bright colors and purple... so this was a perfect combo. I got an extra cake box from the bakery and placed it in the box to add to the overall effect. She was thrilled with it... makes it all worth while!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Reflections on Being an American Today...
I am excited at the prospect of change for our country. I am proud to be an American today.
I got up nice and early to hit the polls close to when they opened at 6 a.m. Little did I know that everyone else had the same idea! But as I was standing in line, I had time to reflect on what a true privelege it is to live in America.
At first I was annoyed that I would have to wait to vote. And then I thought about how blessed we are to live in a country where we are given the chance to vote without fear for our lives. We were able to wait in a comfortable location with free coffee. In the end I waited a mere 30 minutes... nothing compared to people in other nations who wait for DAYS in order to vote in an election.
As I looked around all those in line with me, I was truly touched with the ideal that we are all part of this amazing nation... and that all of these people took their responsibility to vote seriously. In my humble opinion, voting is not only a privilege, but also a responsibility. One of my students did Susan B Anthony as her biography project. If it weren't for the hard work of women so many years ago, I would not have had the chance to vote. Don't we owe it to them... and to ourselves to exercise our right to vote? It was nice to look around and see that more than half of the people in line this morning were women.
As a midle school teacher, I have had the opportunity to teach the election process over the past few weeks. It has been enlightening on my part to realize that my vote does in fact count.. electoral college or not. It was refreshing to hear these young minds discuss why people should vote and what they want to see in our next president. Of course, I am a mere observer in all discussions and pride myself in being able to keep my own personal political thoughts out of the mix.
I am hopeful... this is the 4th time I have had the chance to vote for president. My last two candidates were not successful. I feel it is time for change in this country and hope that after tonight, we will in fact have a winner. I don't want to live through another 2000! :-)
Regardless of the end result tonight, I hope that we can become one nation. I fear that will not be the case and we will continue to see a great divide among our people. I hope that celebrations are just that... celebrations and no violence comes of any of it. The reality is that history will be made with this election... no matter who wins. And I am proud to say that I took part in it...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Am I the Only One?
I am struggling right now. It seems that I am surrounded by people who are excited to announce that they are expecting. You would think that I would develop a thick skin, but that just isn't the case. Recently, there have been more announcements than I can even believe myself...
1. Good friend and co-worker of mine. Adore her and she was the sweetest when she called to tell me.
2. and 3. Chris' coaches- one was an announcement some time ago, the other more recently. My favorite part- the actual statement "Why aren't you excited for me?" Yep, that was actually said to Chris. He later called and told her we were in fact excited. (Not sure that is the word I would use... but I am bitter)
4. This week- Another coworker's wife. Now, he hasn't actually told me. One of my amazing friends told me so that I had the time to adjust before the "big announcement"
5. I walked into class last week... new professor, new class. Professor is VERY pregnant and likes to talk about it all through class. Good fun!
6. A friend of a friend... not sure if this even really counts, but seriously, am I the only woman in the world who wants to get pregnant and can't? Did I miss some meeting about how this all works? I really thought I was well versed on how babies are made...
Of course, I am happy for each and every one of these families to be. (Some I am more happy for than others...) But I can feel the sadness deepening too. All but one of these women are younger than me... most by SEVERAL years. Have I lost my chance? Am I really just too old?
What if I really am the only one that never has children? What if I am the only one who is not part of this secret society? What if I am the only one who has NO plans for Halloween... too old to go to a party myself and don't have any children to worry about trick or treating. What if I am the only woman who doesn't have to go to Toy's R Us for the must have toy? What if I lose touch with my friends because I simply can't relate to potty training stories day after day? What if I am the only one at the millionth baby shower who has nothing of any value to add to the conversation because I have never given birth or spent any more than 8 consecutive hours with an infant? What if I am the only one who sees what an amazing father my husband could have been but never got the chance?
Ok... enough melodrama. Must prepare for an entire day in one room with twelve 12 year-olds who have both Trick-or-Treating and a Dance to be excited for. Will be a LONG day tomorrow....
1. Good friend and co-worker of mine. Adore her and she was the sweetest when she called to tell me.
2. and 3. Chris' coaches- one was an announcement some time ago, the other more recently. My favorite part- the actual statement "Why aren't you excited for me?" Yep, that was actually said to Chris. He later called and told her we were in fact excited. (Not sure that is the word I would use... but I am bitter)
4. This week- Another coworker's wife. Now, he hasn't actually told me. One of my amazing friends told me so that I had the time to adjust before the "big announcement"
5. I walked into class last week... new professor, new class. Professor is VERY pregnant and likes to talk about it all through class. Good fun!
6. A friend of a friend... not sure if this even really counts, but seriously, am I the only woman in the world who wants to get pregnant and can't? Did I miss some meeting about how this all works? I really thought I was well versed on how babies are made...
Of course, I am happy for each and every one of these families to be. (Some I am more happy for than others...) But I can feel the sadness deepening too. All but one of these women are younger than me... most by SEVERAL years. Have I lost my chance? Am I really just too old?
What if I really am the only one that never has children? What if I am the only one who is not part of this secret society? What if I am the only one who has NO plans for Halloween... too old to go to a party myself and don't have any children to worry about trick or treating. What if I am the only woman who doesn't have to go to Toy's R Us for the must have toy? What if I lose touch with my friends because I simply can't relate to potty training stories day after day? What if I am the only one at the millionth baby shower who has nothing of any value to add to the conversation because I have never given birth or spent any more than 8 consecutive hours with an infant? What if I am the only one who sees what an amazing father my husband could have been but never got the chance?
Ok... enough melodrama. Must prepare for an entire day in one room with twelve 12 year-olds who have both Trick-or-Treating and a Dance to be excited for. Will be a LONG day tomorrow....
Monday, October 20, 2008
Another Monday
Where does the weekend go? Before I know it, it's Monday again! Of course our weekends are usually busy, so that doesn't help at all. I did get some time to work around the house on Saturday, so that was nice. There is just a sense of accomplishment that comes from having all of the laundry done. That only lasts for about 30 minutes, but hey... it is something to be happy about!
Nothing new here. Chris bought a new car. I don't have a picture of it to show you, but it looks a little like this:
Nothing new here. Chris bought a new car. I don't have a picture of it to show you, but it looks a little like this:
Except ours is more green that this one. He is happy, it has what he wanted so I am slowly getting over the concept of a car payment again! We rented one of these (its a Chrysler 300) in Florida once and Chris has been in love with the car since. The one he bought has a hemi, which I am told is a good thing. :-)
School is good... finished the 2nd class this week, so I am now officially 18% done with my master's degree! :) The next class is content area literature which is focused on middle and high school so that will be a nice change. I should be doing reading right now...
Chris bought me an early Christmas present... a Wii... and I am in love! We have a playstation 3, but the games are just too hard for me! We also bought the Wii fit, and I love that too. I have worked out on it a few times. I hate that they make your Mii reflect your BMI. While I know that I am overweight, I have never agreed that my BMI put me in the obese category. I hate that my Mii looks like a weeble. I suppose it is supposed to motivate you, right?! We'll see.
Must go grade notecards for Biography Day. That is a big deal in 6th grade. Each student selects a famous person and reads a biography about this person. They then dress up as this person on Halloween and give an informational speech. I do enjoy it... but it is a lot of work on my part. My students are just not independent enough at this time of the year. So now I must look over 12 sets of notecards before tomorrow.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Chicago Marathon 2008
Once again Chris made me very proud...
Last time he ran, I didn't take more than a single photo. This time I handed off my camera to a friend who took almost all of these photos. I am so thankful!
My fall break is just about over... It has been nice to have some time with Chris, but now I must go back to reality. I am glad that I had Thursday, Friday, and Today off... Saturday and Sunday were packed with the Marathon and there is no way that I would have been able to jump right back into work. Now I need to go write a paper and grade some papers...
Once again the weather was less than ideal... this time way too hot to run 26.2 miles, but he did it! He had really hoped to finish under four hours, but ended up finishing in 4 hours, 10 minutes. He is happy with his time considering the heat and the many people who didn't even finish.
I was lucky enough to have some friends with me through the day chasing him across the city!
We were able to see him at 3 miles, 11 miles, and the finish. I had really hoped to see him one more time, but we wanted to see Steph, one of his swimmers that he has trained with. Her pace was slower than Chris' so I ended up missing him at 16.5 where I had hoped to see him. But it was fun, and HOT for us as well. I didn't plan well and wore jeans... way too hot for the day! I intended to put on my Nike+ on my ipod to track how much walking I did, but forgot. I figure I walked at least 10 miles over the course of the day. Not 26.2, and not running, but still a lot of walking for me! :-)
Chris gave me a little scare at the finish as he couldn't keep anything down... not even water.
He is must better today and is only moderatly sore...not nearly what he was last time he ran it. He trained really hard this time, so I think it all paid off.
Here he is coming up to the finish. I think this is my favorite photo of the day:
Last time he ran, I didn't take more than a single photo. This time I handed off my camera to a friend who took almost all of these photos. I am so thankful!
My fall break is just about over... It has been nice to have some time with Chris, but now I must go back to reality. I am glad that I had Thursday, Friday, and Today off... Saturday and Sunday were packed with the Marathon and there is no way that I would have been able to jump right back into work. Now I need to go write a paper and grade some papers...
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
AOL Journal Import
I started a journal on AOL back in 2003 when we started all of this. AOL journals is now closing down but I was able to transfer all of the posts here. I have been meaning to do this for some time, so it was nice that I was forced to do it.
So, there are now posts all the way from 2003 here. I am not going to go back and read any of them now as I think it would depress me at this point.
If you want to read them, you can find them through the archives on the right -->
So, there are now posts all the way from 2003 here. I am not going to go back and read any of them now as I think it would depress me at this point.
If you want to read them, you can find them through the archives on the right -->
Sunday, October 5, 2008
What happened?!
This is how I feel this morning... What happened? How did the team with the best record in the National League end up losing all 3 games in the first round of the playoffs? I am just sad...
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Happy Birthday Megan!
Happy Birthday to my dear friend Megan!
Megan and I met through work- We both taught at CSMS until last year. Megan got her dream job at a new school and left us. I miss seeing her every day. She is a good soul and is my voice of reason. We've tried to talk at least once a week since school started. Today is her birthday and a few of us sent her a cookie boquet shaped liked birds... this is only funny if you know that she is terrified of birds. :-) Hopefully she will get a laugh and think of us all today.
Megan and I met through work- We both taught at CSMS until last year. Megan got her dream job at a new school and left us. I miss seeing her every day. She is a good soul and is my voice of reason. We've tried to talk at least once a week since school started. Today is her birthday and a few of us sent her a cookie boquet shaped liked birds... this is only funny if you know that she is terrified of birds. :-) Hopefully she will get a laugh and think of us all today.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Week in My life...
So I was all excited to be starting the Week in my Life project that Ali Edwards is running on her blog. She taught the class at CKU back when I went, but I chose another album track. I always wanted to do it, so when she had it posted on her blog this week I jumped on board. I haven't been taking many photos lately, and I haven't felt very creative. I needed a boost. I know that I NEED to take the creative time- especially when I don't seem to have the time. It keeps me grounded and makes my spirit happy.
So I got my camera all set for Monday so I could capture my day in photos. I charged up the battery and put in the memory card. The memory card acting a little funny at first (wasn't recognized by the camera) but then it was fine. I went on my merry way taking lots of photos. Last night I was just too plain lazy to come upstairs so I didn't "dump" the memory card last night. This morning I was running late, but I remembered to grab my camera and took photos on my drive in and throughout the day just as I did yesterday. I was so proud of myself.
I finished my homework for class tomorrow and decided to dump the photos onto my IMac. Put the card into the card reader....... AND MY MAC FROZE! It has NEVER EVER EVER done that. :( Had to reboot. So I put the card back in and everything appears to be fine.... until I realize that photos are MISSING... like 50 or more photos! Of all of the photos I took yesterday, only SIX made it on my computer. I could scream. From today, there are tons missing too. They aren't even all in order... it is a few here and there. I AM SO MAD! I was so proud of myself and now I don't have the photos I wanted. So what do I do? Do I try again tomorrow? Do I scrap the whole project? Is this a sign that I have too much on my plate right now to even consider this? I really feel that this will be good for me- it will let me see my life from the outside and reflect on what is going on right now.
Ok, whining over. Here are some of my favorites that did make it onto my computer...
These are the books/notes that I should be reading right now
My darling Patches.. whining to go out for the 100th time tonight. She has recently found some spunk and has found her naughty side. While I am happy to see her active, she is making me a little nuts with everything she is getting into. But then I remember that my days with her are numbered... she will be 13 in December!
Then there is this face.... how can you not let him walk all over you? Wait, it's me that he walks all over! Yes, they still have on their 4th of July collars... it's too early for the Halloween ones and by the time I was ready to switch them, I decided to just wait a few more weeks and put them in the Halloween ones.
Ok, I will try again tomorrow. I have a different memory card in the camera now and am charging up the battery. Maybe my camera is finally starting to go wacky... it is an original Digital Rebel from 2002 and I have been drooling over the smaller, more advanced versions... A girl can dream, right?
Off to do some reading... maybe I should have some idea about the content for class tomorrow!
So I got my camera all set for Monday so I could capture my day in photos. I charged up the battery and put in the memory card. The memory card acting a little funny at first (wasn't recognized by the camera) but then it was fine. I went on my merry way taking lots of photos. Last night I was just too plain lazy to come upstairs so I didn't "dump" the memory card last night. This morning I was running late, but I remembered to grab my camera and took photos on my drive in and throughout the day just as I did yesterday. I was so proud of myself.
I finished my homework for class tomorrow and decided to dump the photos onto my IMac. Put the card into the card reader....... AND MY MAC FROZE! It has NEVER EVER EVER done that. :( Had to reboot. So I put the card back in and everything appears to be fine.... until I realize that photos are MISSING... like 50 or more photos! Of all of the photos I took yesterday, only SIX made it on my computer. I could scream. From today, there are tons missing too. They aren't even all in order... it is a few here and there. I AM SO MAD! I was so proud of myself and now I don't have the photos I wanted. So what do I do? Do I try again tomorrow? Do I scrap the whole project? Is this a sign that I have too much on my plate right now to even consider this? I really feel that this will be good for me- it will let me see my life from the outside and reflect on what is going on right now.
Ok, whining over. Here are some of my favorites that did make it onto my computer...
These are the books/notes that I should be reading right now
My darling Patches.. whining to go out for the 100th time tonight. She has recently found some spunk and has found her naughty side. While I am happy to see her active, she is making me a little nuts with everything she is getting into. But then I remember that my days with her are numbered... she will be 13 in December!
Then there is this face.... how can you not let him walk all over you? Wait, it's me that he walks all over! Yes, they still have on their 4th of July collars... it's too early for the Halloween ones and by the time I was ready to switch them, I decided to just wait a few more weeks and put them in the Halloween ones.
Ok, I will try again tomorrow. I have a different memory card in the camera now and am charging up the battery. Maybe my camera is finally starting to go wacky... it is an original Digital Rebel from 2002 and I have been drooling over the smaller, more advanced versions... A girl can dream, right?
Off to do some reading... maybe I should have some idea about the content for class tomorrow!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday Update
It's Monday... and I am tired! I seem to be getting back into good health for the most part. A few sniffles are still here and I have a strange ache in my shoulder/upper back... but I am not miserable like I was last week. I hope that I am on the mend and will be healthy for some time now. I still need to follow up with my family doctor and probably a dermatologist from the allergic reaction at the end of last month, but who has time for that?
School is busy... both my classroom and my Grad program. I started the next class last week and there is a significant increase in homework for this class. I am WAY behind in reading (which is what I SHOULD be doing right now!) but my two papers are done and my presentation for class on Wednesday is almost done. Feeling pretty good about that right now. From the syllabus, next week looks a little bit lighter, so that is good. I do need to start working on some of the bigger projects for the class though.
I haven't been running or walking at all since school started. MUST GET BACK INTO A ROUTINE ASAP.... Who am I kidding? I do need to get started soon, since I have commited to running (or walking) a 5k again on Thanksgiving. It is hard to believe that all of this running stuff started almost a year ago. Now our friends are all obsessed and I am still trying to get into it. Oh well! Maybe some day I will enjoy running... maybe?
Chris was gone most of the weekend for swimming and for a training run. The marathon is only a few short weeks away now, so he is deep in training. I will be glad when it is over and I can have what little free time he has back. :-) He doesn't have practice on Friday night so maybe we will even try to go out for dinner... wouldn't that be nice? I would like to try to get in a weekend away some time this fall. It may not work out, and I may have to settle for just one night, but we need some time away. We'll see. Swim meets start up again this weekend but there are a few free weekends here and there.
Dealing with what I feel was another early miscarriage... I just know my body. This time there was a faint positive test to back it up, though. Since I was on the steroids for my allergic reaction, I think that had something to do with it. I really need to schedule an appointment with a reproductive immunologist just for a consult. I really feel that it is an immune issue with us since our embryos are always good and I have had several documented "chemical" pregnancies and several more that are undocumented like this last one. I know we need to do something, and I am getting close to making some steps. Chris is worried that it will be more than I can handle since I was so stressed at the start of the year already. Maybe he is right... but I know that doing NOTHING for the past year hasn't been healthy either.
Ok... I really should go get some reading done....
School is busy... both my classroom and my Grad program. I started the next class last week and there is a significant increase in homework for this class. I am WAY behind in reading (which is what I SHOULD be doing right now!) but my two papers are done and my presentation for class on Wednesday is almost done. Feeling pretty good about that right now. From the syllabus, next week looks a little bit lighter, so that is good. I do need to start working on some of the bigger projects for the class though.
I haven't been running or walking at all since school started. MUST GET BACK INTO A ROUTINE ASAP.... Who am I kidding? I do need to get started soon, since I have commited to running (or walking) a 5k again on Thanksgiving. It is hard to believe that all of this running stuff started almost a year ago. Now our friends are all obsessed and I am still trying to get into it. Oh well! Maybe some day I will enjoy running... maybe?
Chris was gone most of the weekend for swimming and for a training run. The marathon is only a few short weeks away now, so he is deep in training. I will be glad when it is over and I can have what little free time he has back. :-) He doesn't have practice on Friday night so maybe we will even try to go out for dinner... wouldn't that be nice? I would like to try to get in a weekend away some time this fall. It may not work out, and I may have to settle for just one night, but we need some time away. We'll see. Swim meets start up again this weekend but there are a few free weekends here and there.
Dealing with what I feel was another early miscarriage... I just know my body. This time there was a faint positive test to back it up, though. Since I was on the steroids for my allergic reaction, I think that had something to do with it. I really need to schedule an appointment with a reproductive immunologist just for a consult. I really feel that it is an immune issue with us since our embryos are always good and I have had several documented "chemical" pregnancies and several more that are undocumented like this last one. I know we need to do something, and I am getting close to making some steps. Chris is worried that it will be more than I can handle since I was so stressed at the start of the year already. Maybe he is right... but I know that doing NOTHING for the past year hasn't been healthy either.
Ok... I really should go get some reading done....
Friday, September 19, 2008
Go, Cubs, Go!
I have been a Chicago Cubs fan since I was a little girl watching the game with my grandfather. My dad is not a baseball fan at all, so it was my grandfather who instilled the love of the Cubs. In 1984, I was in the fourth grade and collected baseball cards for the first time. I was in LOVE with all of the Cubs players.
Fast forward to 2003... I had lost Grandpa suddenly in December of 2002. The Cubs hadn't had a great season since 1984. While I was still a Cubs fan at heart, I had lost interest in the game for the most part. I married a Cubs fan, so we watched games but it wasn't a passion. But then the Cubs made it to the play-offs that year. I was consumed with watching every game. It was my connection to grandpa. My cousin Kristen and I would watch games in our own homes and then talk about it on Instant Messenger. She was at school at ISU and had to deal with the Cardinal fans all around her. Thankfully I was surrounded by Cubs fans at home and work. I even covered a bulletin board in my classroom with newspaper clippings about the Cubs. I simply couldn't get enough. And then I was crushed when they lost to the Marlins... in some strange way it was like losing grandpa all over again. Silly, I know... but I was feeling so connected to him during those games. However, I have been a die hard fan since that day! I watch many of the games and have been to Wrigley more times since 2003 than in my entire life before that.
So here we are again... the Cubs are two wins (or losses by Milwaukee) to clinching the division title. I can't get enough of it. Once again, I am thinking of grandpa and wishing he was here to see the Cubs actually be a GOOD team with play-off possibilities. I still miss him very much and think of him every day... especially when the Cubs are on! I hope he is watching from Heaven and will be able to see his Cubs finally win the World Series!
What made me think of all of this... Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam has released a great new Cubs song and it was playing on the radio this morning. It is available to download at pearljam.com
Here are the words:
“All the Way”
Yeah, don’t let them say that it’s just a game.
Well, I’ve seen other teams and it is never the same.
When you go to Chicago, you’re blessed and you’re healed,
The first time you walk into Wrigley Field.
Heroes with pinstripes and heroes in blue, Give us the chance to feel like heroes do.
Whether we’ll win and if we should lose, we know Someday we’ll go all the way.
Yeah, someday we’ll go all the way.
We are one with the Cubs, with the Cubs we’re in love.
Hold our heads tall as the underdogs.
We are not fairweather, but farweather fans.
Like brothers in arms, in the suites and the stands.
There’s magic in the Ivy and the old score board.
The same one I stared at as a kid keeping score.
In a world full of greed, we could never want more.
Someday we’ll go all the way.
Yeah, someday we’ll go all the way.
Here’s to the men and the legends we’ve known.
Giving us faith and giving us hope.
United we stand and united we’ll fall
Down to our knees the day we win it all.
Yeah Ernie Banks said, “oh, let’s play two”.
I think he meant two hundred years.
Playing at Wrigley, our diamond, our jewel.
The home of our joy and our fears.
Keeping traditions, and wishes anew,
The place where our grandfathers’ fathers they grew.
The spiritual feeling if I ever knew.
And when the day comes for that last winning run, and I’m crying and covered with beer.
I look to the sky and know I was right today.
Someday we’ll go all the way.
Yeah, someday we’ll go all the way
Pretty much sums it all up for me! While they lost today to those silly Cardinals, I know that we will clinch that division this weekend... fingers crossed! Then the madness and craziness will start all over again!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
First cold of the school year! :(
It's here... the first cold of the school year. I knew it was only a matter of time since I had several kiddos already sneezing and spewing germs all over my classroom. Hoping it doesn't stay long since I just don't have the time to be sick right now! I am missing school one day this week and next due to meetings, so there simply is no time to be out for a sick day! Thank goodness for Mucinex and Dayquil! :-)
We had planned to go Apple Picking this past weekend, but the weather didn't really cooperate! I don't think I have seen that much rain in one weekend in a LONG time. I am so thankful that we only had a small portion of what our neighbors in the southern suburbs of Chicago had. I am even more thankful that Hurricane Ike had lost most of his strength before making his way to the midwest. My heart goes out to those whose lives have forever been changed after the weather this weekend. I know that we are truly lucky! We plan to try apple picking again this weekend, but Chris will miss it since he will be at Notre Dame for a swim meet. Hopefully the roads to Northwest Indiana will have reopened by the weekend!
Haven't done much creatively in a LONG time. Hoping to get some inspiration soon. I have some reading to do tonight for class tomorrow. I finished the first class last week, so I am now 1/11th of the way to my Master's Degree! Only 50 more Wednesdays to go! :-)
Off to do some laundry... it just never ends! And there are only two of us!
We had planned to go Apple Picking this past weekend, but the weather didn't really cooperate! I don't think I have seen that much rain in one weekend in a LONG time. I am so thankful that we only had a small portion of what our neighbors in the southern suburbs of Chicago had. I am even more thankful that Hurricane Ike had lost most of his strength before making his way to the midwest. My heart goes out to those whose lives have forever been changed after the weather this weekend. I know that we are truly lucky! We plan to try apple picking again this weekend, but Chris will miss it since he will be at Notre Dame for a swim meet. Hopefully the roads to Northwest Indiana will have reopened by the weekend!
Haven't done much creatively in a LONG time. Hoping to get some inspiration soon. I have some reading to do tonight for class tomorrow. I finished the first class last week, so I am now 1/11th of the way to my Master's Degree! Only 50 more Wednesdays to go! :-)
Off to do some laundry... it just never ends! And there are only two of us!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Monday
Feeling much better today...
The first draft of the paper is done. I need to read over it and make some edits after I finishing posting here. I need to clean up the reference list. I spent all weekend working on it... literally! I came home from "10th period" at a local establishment after work on Friday and didn't leave the house again until I went to work this morning. Made for a dull weekend... but I feel so much better... other than my neck and shoulders are sore from looking at the computer all weekend. I do LOVE my iMac, so that made it a little easier to bear! LOL
Getting into a routine with school. My kids this year are much higher than kids in years past so I am having to adjust things here and there. The spelling units I chose for this week were all too easy, so now I have to give them a new list tomorrow! I guess that is a good problem to have! I have a training tomorrow afternoon, so I have to do sub plans. I do prefer to be out in the afternoons though since that means I only miss two classes. Much easier that way! :-) I still need to make a worksheet for science tomorrow. What I had planned is way too hard to leave for a substitute!
Spent an hour trying to get some insurance stuff straightened out all the way from June when I had my ear infection. Appears the insurance company had a loop hole that prevented them from having to pay... ugh! So I called the doctor's office back to have them resubmit the forms and leave off the date... gotta love the red tape! I hardly use the insurance at all right now since we are not in active treatment. The thought of having to fight them for infertility benefits makes my skin crawl!
We have gotten a great deal of rain over the past few days courtesy of the hurricanes. We needed the rain desperatly so I hope that now the ragweed will be washed away. Both the dogs have allergies and Patches has managed to chew one of her feet raw. Every fall she manages to do this. You think I would be prepared and start her on benadryl earlier. Oh well! My allergies are a mess too... thus the rash that is just now starting to clear. YUCK!
I ordered the books for my next class tonight. After Wednesday I will be 1/11th of the way done with my master's program! I do already feel that I have learned new things. I am a nerd at heart and really do enjoy the academic setting. I really wish I had gone back sooner. Who knows... maybe I will keep going and get a second master's degree?!
Hoping to have some creative time. Haven't done anything creative in WEEKS. I hope that this weekend allows me some time to myself for sure! I shouldn't have too much homework, which will be nice after spending the entire past weekend tied to the computer!
I will close with a photo of the two of us taken at a friend's birthday party:
The first draft of the paper is done. I need to read over it and make some edits after I finishing posting here. I need to clean up the reference list. I spent all weekend working on it... literally! I came home from "10th period" at a local establishment after work on Friday and didn't leave the house again until I went to work this morning. Made for a dull weekend... but I feel so much better... other than my neck and shoulders are sore from looking at the computer all weekend. I do LOVE my iMac, so that made it a little easier to bear! LOL
Getting into a routine with school. My kids this year are much higher than kids in years past so I am having to adjust things here and there. The spelling units I chose for this week were all too easy, so now I have to give them a new list tomorrow! I guess that is a good problem to have! I have a training tomorrow afternoon, so I have to do sub plans. I do prefer to be out in the afternoons though since that means I only miss two classes. Much easier that way! :-) I still need to make a worksheet for science tomorrow. What I had planned is way too hard to leave for a substitute!
Spent an hour trying to get some insurance stuff straightened out all the way from June when I had my ear infection. Appears the insurance company had a loop hole that prevented them from having to pay... ugh! So I called the doctor's office back to have them resubmit the forms and leave off the date... gotta love the red tape! I hardly use the insurance at all right now since we are not in active treatment. The thought of having to fight them for infertility benefits makes my skin crawl!
We have gotten a great deal of rain over the past few days courtesy of the hurricanes. We needed the rain desperatly so I hope that now the ragweed will be washed away. Both the dogs have allergies and Patches has managed to chew one of her feet raw. Every fall she manages to do this. You think I would be prepared and start her on benadryl earlier. Oh well! My allergies are a mess too... thus the rash that is just now starting to clear. YUCK!
I ordered the books for my next class tonight. After Wednesday I will be 1/11th of the way done with my master's program! I do already feel that I have learned new things. I am a nerd at heart and really do enjoy the academic setting. I really wish I had gone back sooner. Who knows... maybe I will keep going and get a second master's degree?!
Hoping to have some creative time. Haven't done anything creative in WEEKS. I hope that this weekend allows me some time to myself for sure! I shouldn't have too much homework, which will be nice after spending the entire past weekend tied to the computer!
I will close with a photo of the two of us taken at a friend's birthday party:
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Overwhelmed...
There is just no other way to put it. I am overwhelmed and over my head right now. Thus the reason there have been no posts in several weeks. A good friend reminded me that this is normal... the start of a school year is overwhelming no matter how prepared and relaxed you are after summer break. You just start to feel like you aren't doing anything right!
School is great... I like my students and things are going well. I need to get myself organized and get a plan of action in place for the coming weeks, but I am good. There is so much to get put into place at the start of the year. I always seem to forget about all of the little things that I have to teach kids to do at the start of 6th grade. We remember our students at the end of 6th grade and forget that they had to learn how to follow directions and what the routines are. I forget that these are not the same kids that I had last year... I also forget how overwhelmed they are as 6th graders in a new building with a whole new way of coming to school. I do love what I do and teaching 6th grade is challenging and rewarding all in that they change so much over the year. It is one of the reasons that I love teaching this age so much.
I am almost done with my first master's class. Of course the timing couldn't be worse! I have a LARGE paper that I really should be working on right now. I will.... Last night was our first night of class after teaching all day. Boy am I tired today! It will all work out. I just need to learn how to manage my time and get myself organized. I did tell my students that I needed to practice what I preach... since I had HOURS of homework that I should have done over the weekend. :-)
On top of everything, I ended up in the Acute Care Center last Thursday with some kind of allergic reaction. It started on the Sunday before after I had spent two days working in my classroom. I am hoping that there isn't something in my room that I am allergic too. I broke out in random spots on my arms and legs that were very itchy. I am now on steroids which are clearing the rash, but also giving me all kinds of other side effects. The worst is the fact I can't seem to get a good night's sleep. I toss and turn and am awake every two hours. I am really looking forward to this weekend when I can sleep in! I am supposed to follow up with my doctor, but I just don't have time right now... but if I keep feeling cruddy after I am done with the meds, I will have no other choice.
My house is a mess right now and it is making me nuts. I should be writing a paper and reading the homework assignments. I need to write lesson plans. Whenever I get to this point and have so much to do I just can't focus... and then nothing gets done. It will pass. I will get through this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On another note, a good friend of mine told me yesterday that she is pregnant. I am so very happy for her. She has been a good friend for many years and has "protected" me in the past from pregnancy announcements and was a HUGE savior for me last year when our adoption failed. She "GETS" it. She was so sweet last night when I talked to her. She wanted to tell me in person, but I had class so she had to tell me over the phone. In all reality, that was probably better for me. I hate the fact that she has to feel bad about telling me she is pregnant. She knows all that we have endured and knows that I would not wish infertility on anyone. She shouldn't have to feel guilty telling me. I am so very touched that she wanted to make sure I was ok. I will be ok... it will just take me some time and I know that she understands. That is what truly makes her friendship so amazing. Did a little bit of my heart break last night? Yep, as soon as I got off the phone with her. It isn't that I am not happy for her... I am sad for me. Every announcement seems to open up that little part of my heart that dreams of being a mother and wants it more than anything. Most of the time I have that part under lock and key just to keep my sanity. I know that our friendship will change now... she is now part of the "club" that I so desperately want to be part of, but I keep getting rejection notices! While we will have things in common, her life is about to change drastically and I won't be able to relate. It has happened over and over as each of my friends has started their families. It's my fault. Maybe I am the one who starts to take a step back. I don't know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, enough of that... must go do some homework! I have a great student who is reminding me of all of the things during the day... I think I might tell her when I have homework so she holds me accountable! :-)
School is great... I like my students and things are going well. I need to get myself organized and get a plan of action in place for the coming weeks, but I am good. There is so much to get put into place at the start of the year. I always seem to forget about all of the little things that I have to teach kids to do at the start of 6th grade. We remember our students at the end of 6th grade and forget that they had to learn how to follow directions and what the routines are. I forget that these are not the same kids that I had last year... I also forget how overwhelmed they are as 6th graders in a new building with a whole new way of coming to school. I do love what I do and teaching 6th grade is challenging and rewarding all in that they change so much over the year. It is one of the reasons that I love teaching this age so much.
I am almost done with my first master's class. Of course the timing couldn't be worse! I have a LARGE paper that I really should be working on right now. I will.... Last night was our first night of class after teaching all day. Boy am I tired today! It will all work out. I just need to learn how to manage my time and get myself organized. I did tell my students that I needed to practice what I preach... since I had HOURS of homework that I should have done over the weekend. :-)
On top of everything, I ended up in the Acute Care Center last Thursday with some kind of allergic reaction. It started on the Sunday before after I had spent two days working in my classroom. I am hoping that there isn't something in my room that I am allergic too. I broke out in random spots on my arms and legs that were very itchy. I am now on steroids which are clearing the rash, but also giving me all kinds of other side effects. The worst is the fact I can't seem to get a good night's sleep. I toss and turn and am awake every two hours. I am really looking forward to this weekend when I can sleep in! I am supposed to follow up with my doctor, but I just don't have time right now... but if I keep feeling cruddy after I am done with the meds, I will have no other choice.
My house is a mess right now and it is making me nuts. I should be writing a paper and reading the homework assignments. I need to write lesson plans. Whenever I get to this point and have so much to do I just can't focus... and then nothing gets done. It will pass. I will get through this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On another note, a good friend of mine told me yesterday that she is pregnant. I am so very happy for her. She has been a good friend for many years and has "protected" me in the past from pregnancy announcements and was a HUGE savior for me last year when our adoption failed. She "GETS" it. She was so sweet last night when I talked to her. She wanted to tell me in person, but I had class so she had to tell me over the phone. In all reality, that was probably better for me. I hate the fact that she has to feel bad about telling me she is pregnant. She knows all that we have endured and knows that I would not wish infertility on anyone. She shouldn't have to feel guilty telling me. I am so very touched that she wanted to make sure I was ok. I will be ok... it will just take me some time and I know that she understands. That is what truly makes her friendship so amazing. Did a little bit of my heart break last night? Yep, as soon as I got off the phone with her. It isn't that I am not happy for her... I am sad for me. Every announcement seems to open up that little part of my heart that dreams of being a mother and wants it more than anything. Most of the time I have that part under lock and key just to keep my sanity. I know that our friendship will change now... she is now part of the "club" that I so desperately want to be part of, but I keep getting rejection notices! While we will have things in common, her life is about to change drastically and I won't be able to relate. It has happened over and over as each of my friends has started their families. It's my fault. Maybe I am the one who starts to take a step back. I don't know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, enough of that... must go do some homework! I have a great student who is reminding me of all of the things during the day... I think I might tell her when I have homework so she holds me accountable! :-)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Gold Medal Moms?
Swimming is over in terms of the Olympics... but I am hooked on the Olympics no matter what now! Thank goodness that I am still not back in school or I would be one cranky teacher! :-) There are some interesting sports for sure. Chris and I found the steeple chase event interesting... no horses, but PEOPLE running around the track jumping over what looked like horse jumps... including one with water! Very interesting... but the American's did not do well in that event. I tried to watch the dressage with the actual horses, but just didn't "get" it. I was excited to watch some synchronized swimming. What amazing talent those women have. However, I can't handle the clown like makeup they wear!
My biggest Olympic addiction after swimming/diving is beach volleyball. How can you not love Misty May-Treanor and Kerr Walsh? I was glued to the TV last night watching them battle the Chinese team in pouring rain for the gold medal. Not exactly the image you think of when you vision beach volleyball! But those girls are amazing and came through with the victory in two sets. It was exciting to watch for sure. I was sad Chris wasn't home so Romeo had to listen to me as I watched the match.
I have been captivated by these women not only for their athletic prowess, but also for their spirit and soul as they are interviewed. I was so struck last night by their comments in an interview right after winning their second gold medal... something no other beach volleyball team has done. They were asked about what they planned to do next. They both said without question that they wanted to start a family. Kerri Walsh actually said something close to "I want to have a baby so very bad." I couldn't help it. Tears started to fall. I get that. Here are two amazing athletes who have won consecutive gold medals and will be remembered in history for the ages. Yet the one thing they want more than anything is to be a mom. In that moment, I felt so connected to these women. (Anyone who knows me knows that there is not one ounce of athleticism in my body, so there are really no other comparisons!) As women MOST of us really want one thing more than anything... to be a MOM. We can make great strides in our career, we can go down in history, we can impact the lives of many, but in the end we want to have the one title of MOM.
You bet I will be keeping a eye out for articles about these two in the coming months. I hope they are able to start their family the "easy" way and do really get it all. I really do. I wouldn't wish the strain and struggle of infertility in anyone.
My biggest Olympic addiction after swimming/diving is beach volleyball. How can you not love Misty May-Treanor and Kerr Walsh? I was glued to the TV last night watching them battle the Chinese team in pouring rain for the gold medal. Not exactly the image you think of when you vision beach volleyball! But those girls are amazing and came through with the victory in two sets. It was exciting to watch for sure. I was sad Chris wasn't home so Romeo had to listen to me as I watched the match.
I have been captivated by these women not only for their athletic prowess, but also for their spirit and soul as they are interviewed. I was so struck last night by their comments in an interview right after winning their second gold medal... something no other beach volleyball team has done. They were asked about what they planned to do next. They both said without question that they wanted to start a family. Kerri Walsh actually said something close to "I want to have a baby so very bad." I couldn't help it. Tears started to fall. I get that. Here are two amazing athletes who have won consecutive gold medals and will be remembered in history for the ages. Yet the one thing they want more than anything is to be a mom. In that moment, I felt so connected to these women. (Anyone who knows me knows that there is not one ounce of athleticism in my body, so there are really no other comparisons!) As women MOST of us really want one thing more than anything... to be a MOM. We can make great strides in our career, we can go down in history, we can impact the lives of many, but in the end we want to have the one title of MOM.
You bet I will be keeping a eye out for articles about these two in the coming months. I hope they are able to start their family the "easy" way and do really get it all. I really do. I wouldn't wish the strain and struggle of infertility in anyone.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Random Thoughts
The summer seems to be coming to a close and my mind is just a jumble of random thoughts. So you, my faithful blog readers (all three of you!) get to hear them all... :-)
Chris and I just got back from a motorcycle ride. I am actually frustrated by how little we have used it this summer. The time just slipped away! I really do LOVE being on that bike. There is something calming and exhilarating all at the same time about it. My mind wanders and clears as I go from one random thought to another. I am also amazed at the beauty that surrounds us in our local area.
Along the way we saw a beautiful prairie preservation area. Here in the midwest we don't have mountains or the ocean. Many people feel we just have flat land. Seeing this prairie from the back of the motorcycle today was simply breathtaking. I honestly wish I had my camera with me. The sun was setting over it and it seemed that you could see for miles and miles. We don't need mountains here! :-)
We just rode and ended up getting dinner at a little bar in Burlington, Wisconsin. They had Woodchuck hard apple cider on tap. I forgot how much I LOVE cider brews. I don't think I have ever been somewhere that had it on tap. They had a great menu and will eventually brew their own beers there. Chris and I love microbreweries so we can't wait to go back once they are open!
I am starting to think about school starting. I love teaching for many reasons, but one of them is the clean slate each year. What other job to you get to start over each year? I love having my summers off and I know those of you who aren't teachers hate when we say that. Honestly I think we NEED that time off to regroup and prepare for another year of adventure. I am starting my eleventh year of teaching this fall and not one of them has been close to the same. After the turmoil of last year, I am just hoping to have a nice quiet year where I can focus on my students and my own education!
I had my first official class last night... one down and 54 more to go! :-) It was good and the professor is really dynamic. This is the first time she has taught the class and the first time this program has been taught as a hybrid (online and classroom) so there are some kinks that need to be worked out. I know it will work out. I just really want to get something out of this... of course other than the obvious pay raise. I have always been a "nerd" and I am falling right back into that role as a student.
The start of the school year also marks the first year we are starting without my dear friend, Wilson. She passed away suddenly last November and I still think of her all the time. There will be a new teacher in her room this fall and we won't have her humor at the start of the year in services. While I relish the passing of time, it is milestones like this that cause me to pause and reflect. At the end of the last school year we took up a collection to put a headstone on her grave. Her family just didn't find it in themselves to put one there. I haven't been back to the cemetery since her funeral last November. I think I am going to go there in the morning before I go to school.
Chris just took Romeo on a half mile run and then left him here with me while he does another 2 or 3 miles. Romeo paces the entire time he is gone because he wants to be with him. Romeo is getting better about pulling but it is still really hard on Chris to run more than a mile with him. Romeo is whining and I get the pleasure of listening to it until Chris gets back. I don't really like when he runs in the dark, but he is a big boy and I have to trust he will be fine. :-) So for now I have to deal with the neurotic dog.
We haven't watch the finals of the Olympics yet tonight but did watch the prelims that were shown during the day. My heart is breaking for Katie Hoff. She had such high expectations this year and she is struggling for sure. She has three medals, which is an amazing feat, but that is overshadowed by her two fourth place finishes and the fact that she didn't even make the finals in the 800 tonight. She is still really young and has come a LONG way from the 2004 games where she collapsed on the deck. I hope she continues to train and we will see her in the 2012 games. She is only 19 so she has youth on her side. :-)
Enough randomness for tonight... must go deal with neurotic dog.
Chris and I just got back from a motorcycle ride. I am actually frustrated by how little we have used it this summer. The time just slipped away! I really do LOVE being on that bike. There is something calming and exhilarating all at the same time about it. My mind wanders and clears as I go from one random thought to another. I am also amazed at the beauty that surrounds us in our local area.
Along the way we saw a beautiful prairie preservation area. Here in the midwest we don't have mountains or the ocean. Many people feel we just have flat land. Seeing this prairie from the back of the motorcycle today was simply breathtaking. I honestly wish I had my camera with me. The sun was setting over it and it seemed that you could see for miles and miles. We don't need mountains here! :-)
We just rode and ended up getting dinner at a little bar in Burlington, Wisconsin. They had Woodchuck hard apple cider on tap. I forgot how much I LOVE cider brews. I don't think I have ever been somewhere that had it on tap. They had a great menu and will eventually brew their own beers there. Chris and I love microbreweries so we can't wait to go back once they are open!
I am starting to think about school starting. I love teaching for many reasons, but one of them is the clean slate each year. What other job to you get to start over each year? I love having my summers off and I know those of you who aren't teachers hate when we say that. Honestly I think we NEED that time off to regroup and prepare for another year of adventure. I am starting my eleventh year of teaching this fall and not one of them has been close to the same. After the turmoil of last year, I am just hoping to have a nice quiet year where I can focus on my students and my own education!
I had my first official class last night... one down and 54 more to go! :-) It was good and the professor is really dynamic. This is the first time she has taught the class and the first time this program has been taught as a hybrid (online and classroom) so there are some kinks that need to be worked out. I know it will work out. I just really want to get something out of this... of course other than the obvious pay raise. I have always been a "nerd" and I am falling right back into that role as a student.
The start of the school year also marks the first year we are starting without my dear friend, Wilson. She passed away suddenly last November and I still think of her all the time. There will be a new teacher in her room this fall and we won't have her humor at the start of the year in services. While I relish the passing of time, it is milestones like this that cause me to pause and reflect. At the end of the last school year we took up a collection to put a headstone on her grave. Her family just didn't find it in themselves to put one there. I haven't been back to the cemetery since her funeral last November. I think I am going to go there in the morning before I go to school.
Chris just took Romeo on a half mile run and then left him here with me while he does another 2 or 3 miles. Romeo paces the entire time he is gone because he wants to be with him. Romeo is getting better about pulling but it is still really hard on Chris to run more than a mile with him. Romeo is whining and I get the pleasure of listening to it until Chris gets back. I don't really like when he runs in the dark, but he is a big boy and I have to trust he will be fine. :-) So for now I have to deal with the neurotic dog.
We haven't watch the finals of the Olympics yet tonight but did watch the prelims that were shown during the day. My heart is breaking for Katie Hoff. She had such high expectations this year and she is struggling for sure. She has three medals, which is an amazing feat, but that is overshadowed by her two fourth place finishes and the fact that she didn't even make the finals in the 800 tonight. She is still really young and has come a LONG way from the 2004 games where she collapsed on the deck. I hope she continues to train and we will see her in the 2012 games. She is only 19 so she has youth on her side. :-)
Enough randomness for tonight... must go deal with neurotic dog.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Reflections
I work at a school that has a very close knit staff. Frankly, it is one of the main reasons I stay at the school. I simply love the people I work with. It is as close to a family as one can get... honestly I spend more time with these people during the school year than I do with anyone in my family.
We've had a great deal of loss over the past years. We lost a friend and coworker last year. Several of the teachers have lost their spouses to terrible illnesses and accidents. Sadly, I just heard that another staff member has lost her husband after a long battle with illness. My heart breaks for her. We've taught on the same team for the past 8 years. She truly is an amazing mother and wife and some how always found time to do it all. She has three children, the youngest of which will be a sophomore in college this fall. They were living the American Dream... their youngest child was "out of the nest" and they were ready to start living their lives together, just the two of them. They have raised their children well and deserved to live and experience life together. My only solace is the fact that they had the summer to spend together and say their goodbyes. I know that Hospice was a big part of making that possible for them. Please keep Patti and her family in your thoughts as they grieve their father and husband.
It is events like this that make me question my faith more than ever. I have often wondered why Chris and I have been dealt the hand of infertility while we long to have children. Here is a family that has been blessed with three children, and now have lost their father. These are good people... I think Chris and I are good people. Why does it seem that the "bad stuff" always happens to good people? Chris and I have strayed from the church in our struggle, but I know so many who have strong faith and are active in their church and still suffer much. I am just not sure that I can believe.
Another one of my coworkers and close friends lost her husband a few years ago after a battle with brain cancer. They, too, have 3 amazing children. Her faith is so very strong in spite of her immeasurable grief. She is an inspiration to me, not just for her faith, but in the way she lives her life. I always joke that when I grow up I want to be just like her. She and I have had several conversations about faith and about God. She always tells me that it is okay to be mad at God.. that he can take my anger. And today I am angry. Not for me, but for my friend and her children who will have to become adults and learn to live life without their father and husband.
I am grateful to have Chris in my life. He is my best friend and so much more. We struggle to get along at times, but that is who we are. It's strange how the loss of my coworkers spouse makes me reflect on our infertility and our loss. It's not the same kind of loss, but it is loss. And so I remember today all that we have lost and hope that we will have some resolution to that loss someday.
We've had a great deal of loss over the past years. We lost a friend and coworker last year. Several of the teachers have lost their spouses to terrible illnesses and accidents. Sadly, I just heard that another staff member has lost her husband after a long battle with illness. My heart breaks for her. We've taught on the same team for the past 8 years. She truly is an amazing mother and wife and some how always found time to do it all. She has three children, the youngest of which will be a sophomore in college this fall. They were living the American Dream... their youngest child was "out of the nest" and they were ready to start living their lives together, just the two of them. They have raised their children well and deserved to live and experience life together. My only solace is the fact that they had the summer to spend together and say their goodbyes. I know that Hospice was a big part of making that possible for them. Please keep Patti and her family in your thoughts as they grieve their father and husband.
It is events like this that make me question my faith more than ever. I have often wondered why Chris and I have been dealt the hand of infertility while we long to have children. Here is a family that has been blessed with three children, and now have lost their father. These are good people... I think Chris and I are good people. Why does it seem that the "bad stuff" always happens to good people? Chris and I have strayed from the church in our struggle, but I know so many who have strong faith and are active in their church and still suffer much. I am just not sure that I can believe.
Another one of my coworkers and close friends lost her husband a few years ago after a battle with brain cancer. They, too, have 3 amazing children. Her faith is so very strong in spite of her immeasurable grief. She is an inspiration to me, not just for her faith, but in the way she lives her life. I always joke that when I grow up I want to be just like her. She and I have had several conversations about faith and about God. She always tells me that it is okay to be mad at God.. that he can take my anger. And today I am angry. Not for me, but for my friend and her children who will have to become adults and learn to live life without their father and husband.
I am grateful to have Chris in my life. He is my best friend and so much more. We struggle to get along at times, but that is who we are. It's strange how the loss of my coworkers spouse makes me reflect on our infertility and our loss. It's not the same kind of loss, but it is loss. And so I remember today all that we have lost and hope that we will have some resolution to that loss someday.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Go Matt Grevers!
Chris and I had an amazing opportunity last night to watch the Olympics with the Grevers' family and friends. We spent over 2 hours in the car to get downtown (unprecedented traffic with no reason!) and get our spot at ESPN Zone. In the end, there were probably more than 200 people there all cheering on Team USA and this young man. It was surreal to watch the swimming among so many other like minded people who are as obsessed with the sport as we are. Matt's mom was one of the first coaches for the team Chris coaches now. The family is very involved with local swimming as his brother and sister both coach local teams.
What a night to watch swimming, too! Team USA won three golds in a matter of minutes it seemed. The air was electric waiting for the 100 back finals. I don't think I have EVER been somewhere that loud in all my life. What an amazing race it was! While we all hoped Matt would beat Piersol, everyone was thrilled that he won the silver medal. His brother and sister were almost speechless as the cameras all panned to them. Several local news teams were there to witness the event and there were snippets of the party on all of the local news channels.
We had a wonderful adventure and don't regret the 3 1/2 hours we were in the car. We headed home and watched what was left of the live coverage. We finally headed to bed around 1 am. This is what this summer has been all about... adventures and time together.
Chris is off hanging banners at the pool today and I think I will head out to Target for some school shopping. I am so grateful to have these extra two weeks this summer!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Team USA!
It's no secret that swimming is a big part of my life. Every four years we have the excitement of the Olympics that shows of our sport to all of the world. Everything else on our TiVo has been erased to make room for the Olympics. We eat, sleep, and breathe Olympics here!
Last night was an amazing race in the 4 x 100 men's relay. I am so glad that we were able to watch it live. For those of you who are not swimming fans, this race will go down in history for many years. Jason Lezak came back and swam the FASTEST RELAY SPLIT IN HISTORY to win the gold for Team USA. This is even more sweet considering the French were talking smack and said that they would smash Team USA. Just didn't happen! We had all the windows open and I am sure that the neighbors knew exactly what was happening in our house.
Tonight we are heading downtown to watch the finals of the 100 back. One of our local swimmers, Matt Grevers, is in the race. He is the underdog behind Aaron Piersol, but we have high hopes for him! It will be fun to watch some of the swimming with like minded people... those who are entrenched in the swimming world.
Other than the Olympics, we have spent some time with friends enjoying the dwindling days of summer. Chris is running miles and miles preparing for the marathon. We spent the day at Great America yesterday taking in a few shows and games. It was very crowded, so the lines for the rides were ridiculous! After some pizza and beer we headed home to watch the Olympics of course!
I've finished my first reading assignment for class and have my first real class on Wednesday. I am grateful to have two full weeks left before school starts for me. I will head in later this week to start cleaning and getting things set up. I can honestly say that I am ready to go back. I am re energized and ready to start a new year. Of course if I had to go back tomorrow, I might not be saying the same thing!
Off to enjoy a BEAUTIFUL summer day here.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
It's official!
I am now officially a student again! YIKES! I am heading back to school for a master's degree in reading and literacy. I have wanted to go back to school for years, but the timing just wasn't right and our focus was on building our family. I finally decided that I was tired of having my life on hold so I started looking at graduate school programs.
I started looking at online options, but eventually decided on a classroom format. It is held at the local community college which has a "university center" where larger schools come in and offer graduate and bachelor programs. I will have class one night a week with an online component as well. It will be intense... each 3 credit class is only 5 weeks long. It will be worth it though... I am set to be all done by the end of November next year. Not too bad... 14 months for a masters degree.
One of my coworkers and good friends is going to do the program with me. I am excited that there will at least be someone I know! She is out of town this week so she will miss the orientation but will be back for the first class next week. It will be nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to do projects with.
I am nervous and excited... it has been more than 10 years since I was last a student. I know I am at my best when I am busy so I hope that things will all fall into place. It HAS to be an easier year at school this year... I can't have another year like the last one!
I am off to enjoy my last real week of summer. Where did the time go?
I started looking at online options, but eventually decided on a classroom format. It is held at the local community college which has a "university center" where larger schools come in and offer graduate and bachelor programs. I will have class one night a week with an online component as well. It will be intense... each 3 credit class is only 5 weeks long. It will be worth it though... I am set to be all done by the end of November next year. Not too bad... 14 months for a masters degree.
One of my coworkers and good friends is going to do the program with me. I am excited that there will at least be someone I know! She is out of town this week so she will miss the orientation but will be back for the first class next week. It will be nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to do projects with.
I am nervous and excited... it has been more than 10 years since I was last a student. I know I am at my best when I am busy so I hope that things will all fall into place. It HAS to be an easier year at school this year... I can't have another year like the last one!
I am off to enjoy my last real week of summer. Where did the time go?
Monday, August 4, 2008
I am so proud of this man...
Chris' swim season came to a close this weekend with the state age group championships (formally known as the Junior Olympics). It is hard to believe that it was just a year ago that we made the decision for him to leave the YMCA and focus on coaching full time. What a year it has been! His goal was to have his team finish in the top 15 of the state. Last year this team was 26th. It is a three day meet in Chicago, so he stayed downtown. The meet is LONG so it only made sense since he would have spent 3 more hours a day driving back and forth. When I talked to him on Friday he was feeling down because a few of the kids had not had the best swims. He had a few good swims, and one state champion on Saturday so things looked up a tad. :-) I knew I needed to be there to support him for the final day. What an amazing day it was! One of his swimmers took first place in two more events and the swimmer's brothers each placed in events too. Chris was just beaming. This is a family that has truly got it all figured out. Not only are the three boys amazing swimmers, they are also great young men. The kind of kids you just want to be around. Chris had the pleasure of presenting the medals to his state champion twice yesterday.In the end, Chris' team ended up in 10th place overall out of 70 or so teams! This is a huge accomplishment and really solidifies that he is doing just what he is meant to do. I couldn't be more proud of this man and all he has accomplished. Not only did he meet the goal, he has created a climate within this team that is just amazing. These kids want to be around each other and Chris and strive to be amazing young people. Even after spending three LONG days together (14 hours each day!) they still wanted to get together last night to celebrate before heading home. Of course that meant we didn't get home until after 1 am this morning.
He is sleeping soundly now. Only two more days of practice and then he has some time off. Of course I have one week until things start really getting busy for me. But it will be nice to have some time this week just to hang out around the house.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Tagged
One of my closest friends from High School and I have reconnected courtesy of email and blogger. She just had the cutest little man in the world... who also happens to be named Christopher. Anyway, she "tagged" me on her blog.
10 years ago: August 1998
I was getting ready for my second year of teaching at Antioch Lower Grade School (now Antioch Elementary.... Lower Grade is a rotten name for a school, isn't it) I had a year under my belt and thought I knew it all! I think Chris was still working at Hastings YMCA, but I don't remember. We had one dog- Patches and one cat- Simba We aren't even thinking about having kids yet!
5 years ago: August 2003:
Getting ready for another school year... this time at Carl Sandburg where I have been since. Who knew I would fall in love with the middle school age group? I am so grateful I stumbled on this job in 2001. I work with amazing people and have made so many close friends. Chris was working at Leaning Tower YMCA in Niles. Long commute and things were starting to get ugly with the Metro YMCA association. We lived in our current house. Still only one dog and one cat! We were deep in infertility treatments. We were healing and going strong into another treatment cycle.
5 months ago: March 2
Hmmm... in the middle of ISAT testing I think. Chris was a the peak of his winter swim season and I had yearbook deadlines. I was preparing to run my first (and ONLY) 8k. We now have TWO dogs and a cat. Chris is coaching full time for Warren Blue Devil Swim Club and LOVES it. We've been on a "break" from infertility treatments for a year or two. We are healing from the failed adoption in October still.
5 things on my to do list for today:
1. Vacuum again. (Can I saran wrap the dogs to keep the shedding down?!)
2. Finish cleaning my studio
3. Spend some time with my friend Megan playing in my studio
4. Get the dogs out for some exercise if it stays nice and not too hot
5. Stalk the ISI Swimming Results page to track how Chris' kids are doing at the State Champs
5 bad habits:
1. leaving my shoes all over the house
2. eating anything chocolate
3. spending too much time on the computer doing NOTHING
4. watching train wreck TV
5. leaving shampoo bubbles all over the shower (Chris HATES that!)
5 places I've lived:
1. Round Lake Beach, IL
2. Houston, TX
3. Crystal Lake, IL
4. Bloomington/Normal, IL
5. Antioch, IL
5 things people don't know about me:
1. I am not a fan of birds. I am not really afraid, but I don' t care for them AT ALL
2. I once almost got into a bar fight with a little person (!)
3. I am a tad claustrophobic
4. I wanted to be a pediatrician or an interior designer when I grew up (can you say opposites!)
5. I can't watch scary movies... they give me nightmares. (My students make so much fun of me!)
5 people I tag:
I don't think I have 5 readers! LOL
1. Gloria
2. Kellie
3. Beverly
4. ???
5. ????
10 years ago: August 1998
I was getting ready for my second year of teaching at Antioch Lower Grade School (now Antioch Elementary.... Lower Grade is a rotten name for a school, isn't it) I had a year under my belt and thought I knew it all! I think Chris was still working at Hastings YMCA, but I don't remember. We had one dog- Patches and one cat- Simba We aren't even thinking about having kids yet!
5 years ago: August 2003:
Getting ready for another school year... this time at Carl Sandburg where I have been since. Who knew I would fall in love with the middle school age group? I am so grateful I stumbled on this job in 2001. I work with amazing people and have made so many close friends. Chris was working at Leaning Tower YMCA in Niles. Long commute and things were starting to get ugly with the Metro YMCA association. We lived in our current house. Still only one dog and one cat! We were deep in infertility treatments. We were healing and going strong into another treatment cycle.
5 months ago: March 2
Hmmm... in the middle of ISAT testing I think. Chris was a the peak of his winter swim season and I had yearbook deadlines. I was preparing to run my first (and ONLY) 8k. We now have TWO dogs and a cat. Chris is coaching full time for Warren Blue Devil Swim Club and LOVES it. We've been on a "break" from infertility treatments for a year or two. We are healing from the failed adoption in October still.
5 things on my to do list for today:
1. Vacuum again. (Can I saran wrap the dogs to keep the shedding down?!)
2. Finish cleaning my studio
3. Spend some time with my friend Megan playing in my studio
4. Get the dogs out for some exercise if it stays nice and not too hot
5. Stalk the ISI Swimming Results page to track how Chris' kids are doing at the State Champs
5 bad habits:
1. leaving my shoes all over the house
2. eating anything chocolate
3. spending too much time on the computer doing NOTHING
4. watching train wreck TV
5. leaving shampoo bubbles all over the shower (Chris HATES that!)
5 places I've lived:
1. Round Lake Beach, IL
2. Houston, TX
3. Crystal Lake, IL
4. Bloomington/Normal, IL
5. Antioch, IL
5 things people don't know about me:
1. I am not a fan of birds. I am not really afraid, but I don' t care for them AT ALL
2. I once almost got into a bar fight with a little person (!)
3. I am a tad claustrophobic
4. I wanted to be a pediatrician or an interior designer when I grew up (can you say opposites!)
5. I can't watch scary movies... they give me nightmares. (My students make so much fun of me!)
5 people I tag:
I don't think I have 5 readers! LOL
1. Gloria
2. Kellie
3. Beverly
4. ???
5. ????
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Library of Memories Update
One of my goals for the summer was to fully implement the Library of Memories framework. I took a class from Stacy Julian this spring and LOVED every minute of it. I wasn't able to keep up with all of the assignments at the end thanks to the end of the school year. The system just makes sense for me and I wanted to get it all set up before school starts again.
I spent most of today working on getting all of my finished Layouts integrated into the system. For those of you who aren't scrapbookers, I basically wanted to get my finished pages organized into categories so I could find them when I wanted to and others could look at them in a logical way. I decided that I would leave any pages that I did on Creative Memories pages alone... for now. I don't want to have to figure out how to separate them just yet.
So I started by taking all of the layouts out of their current albums. As a side note, whatever adhesive I used in 2004 failed miserably! I spent a good hour repairing pages with loose elements. So sad! I am hoping that my current adhesive holds up much better! Here is what it looked like when I pulled them all onto my dining room table:
The end result is the photo at the top of the post. I need to create a few more tags and actually need to get another black and red album to get things organized as I would like them to be. In sorting the layouts, I really started to see the patterns in what I scrapbook and what I really want/need to scrapbook in the future. I gave up chronological scrapbooking a few years ago, but I was never deliberate about what pages I did create. It was just whatever was closest to me. Now with this system, I can find my photos and really create pages that I want to create. I can create with intention. It is almost as if my love of the art has been reborn with this system. So that may be a little melodramatic...I also did some cleaning in my studio before starting all of this. The side where I actually create is a MESS right now, but the rest of the room is in much better shape.
These are the shelves in my "reading corner" The albums here are the chronological storage binders where all of my unscrapped photos are. I still have a few more years worth that need to get into binders. Right now they are in the triage area:
The basket holds all of my memorabilia that needs to be filed as well. It is all starting to fall into place!Here is the TV and table I have in the room when I have other people over to crop. It was our kitchen table in our last house! I would like to paint it white eventually and maybe even put on a glass top.
The fan is necessary to keep the room cool. I have an OLD window air conditioner that has served me well up here! The fan just gives it a little extra help!Here is my little reading corner. I would like to create a slip cover for the chair this week. We'll see how adventurous I feel. Sewing is really not one of my talents. :-) I leave that to my mom and sister!
I will probably spend most of tomorrow trying to get the other side of my space cleaned up. I really want to scrapbook now that I have most everything organized. I just need to have a clean space to do it in!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
A little productive...
I have been pretty lazy most of the summer. But considering the school year I had, I think I deserve it! :-) I am finally getting some things done. School will be here before I know it!
I think I have decided on a grad school program. Hopefully everything will fall into place. It starts right when school does, so I will be hitting the ground running for sure. I know that I am much better when I am busy anyway. My best year in college I had an overload of classes and worked 30 hours a week off campus. I am excited to be starting a grad program... something I should have done years ago.
I haven't been running at all, but I have been riding my bike. Chris is training for the marathon so I ride my bike as he runs. Last week we went 4 miles one day and yesterday we did 6 miles. We had planned to run/ride today but Chris ended up getting his eyes dialated at the eye doctor and couldn't see very well. He was wearing his sun glasses... I told him he was my own personal Stevie Wonder! He didn't think that was too funny.
I am making progress on getting all of my photos organized. I'd like to get my studio cleaned up so that we can have a girl's "playdate" here before school starts. We'll see how that goes. I know that if I just schedule something I am more likely to get things cleaned and ready to go. We'll see. One hurdle at a time.
I still haven't made any progress on making a Dr appt. I think once I get the grad school stuff taken care of, I will work on that. At least I am moving forward with my life somewhat. Time will tell. I need to make an appt with the counselor I have been talking about. I am hoping she will help me work through whatever is keeping me from moving forward with treatment.
Back to being productive!
I think I have decided on a grad school program. Hopefully everything will fall into place. It starts right when school does, so I will be hitting the ground running for sure. I know that I am much better when I am busy anyway. My best year in college I had an overload of classes and worked 30 hours a week off campus. I am excited to be starting a grad program... something I should have done years ago.
I haven't been running at all, but I have been riding my bike. Chris is training for the marathon so I ride my bike as he runs. Last week we went 4 miles one day and yesterday we did 6 miles. We had planned to run/ride today but Chris ended up getting his eyes dialated at the eye doctor and couldn't see very well. He was wearing his sun glasses... I told him he was my own personal Stevie Wonder! He didn't think that was too funny.
I am making progress on getting all of my photos organized. I'd like to get my studio cleaned up so that we can have a girl's "playdate" here before school starts. We'll see how that goes. I know that if I just schedule something I am more likely to get things cleaned and ready to go. We'll see. One hurdle at a time.
I still haven't made any progress on making a Dr appt. I think once I get the grad school stuff taken care of, I will work on that. At least I am moving forward with my life somewhat. Time will tell. I need to make an appt with the counselor I have been talking about. I am hoping she will help me work through whatever is keeping me from moving forward with treatment.
Back to being productive!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Monday Update
Just thought I would post a little update as to what I have been up to. I haven't scrapped in a few days, but have spent most of the past two days here in my scraproom. I found two rubbermaid totes FULL of photos that I didn't realize I had. I have been getting them all organized into my LOM system. I am so excited to see that it really works for me! I still have a LONG way to go, but at least I had a starting point for all of these photos and such. Most of the photos are from at least 10 years ago, so it was fun looking at all of them. Big hair and all... LOL.
It all started because I have finally decided to start a master's program this fall. It is something I should have done a LONG time ago, but life just wasn't right at the time. I could have done a cohort group right in my building years ago, but I was sure I was going to get pregnant and would have to leave the program. Funny how life works out, huh? So now I am just going for it. I should have started the process back in June, but I wasn't ready I guess. Now I am trying to make a decision about which program to go with and then I have to get all of my paperwork together. All of the applications need to know your undergrad GPA. I know the ballpark, but I don't remember the exact number. I know that I have a copy of my final transcript around here somewhere, but I have not been able to find it. :-( What I did find was the boxes listed above! LOL. I think I may call my district office because I know they have one on file so I can go get a copy of it. Most of the programs also need a copy of my current teaching certificate which is also kept at the district office. So looks like I will be heading into school sometime this week!
We've been busy with friends and the swim team. We went to the water part at Six Flags on Tuesday... that was fun, but our day was short since Chris had to get to practice. We had a double graduation party on Saturday for siblings on our swim team. The daughter is off to North Carolina in the fall. We've known her since she was 8, so we felt really OLD at her graduation party! LOL. The conference swim meet was also this weekend for the summer season, and Chris' team won. He was really excited about that since they lost the winter one by just a few points. We went out and celebrated last night at a local pizza place. We stayed until the mosquitos got so bad on the deck that they were carrying the small children away!
We took Dad's convertible out to lunch and we went to a place about an hour from here. I didn't even think about putting on sunscreen... and I ended up with a nice burn that includes a tan line... where the seat belt was! It is rather funny to see! My dad has this great dark skin, so he didn't even think about getting burned. LOL. Live and learn. Now I just need to put on sunblock everywhere BUT where the seat belt was next time we are out.
It's rainy and gloomy here today. Chris did not have morning practice this morning thankfully. He has been getting up at 4:30 every day this summer. He is just so tired! He is home by 8:30 am but then has office work to do. He is back at the pool by 3:45 and then gets home around 10. He is just plain tired! He has a few weeks off in August, so that will be good for him. I am not used to sharing the house during the summer, though! I am used to having my own space and my own schedule. I am sure we will survive!
It all started because I have finally decided to start a master's program this fall. It is something I should have done a LONG time ago, but life just wasn't right at the time. I could have done a cohort group right in my building years ago, but I was sure I was going to get pregnant and would have to leave the program. Funny how life works out, huh? So now I am just going for it. I should have started the process back in June, but I wasn't ready I guess. Now I am trying to make a decision about which program to go with and then I have to get all of my paperwork together. All of the applications need to know your undergrad GPA. I know the ballpark, but I don't remember the exact number. I know that I have a copy of my final transcript around here somewhere, but I have not been able to find it. :-( What I did find was the boxes listed above! LOL. I think I may call my district office because I know they have one on file so I can go get a copy of it. Most of the programs also need a copy of my current teaching certificate which is also kept at the district office. So looks like I will be heading into school sometime this week!
We've been busy with friends and the swim team. We went to the water part at Six Flags on Tuesday... that was fun, but our day was short since Chris had to get to practice. We had a double graduation party on Saturday for siblings on our swim team. The daughter is off to North Carolina in the fall. We've known her since she was 8, so we felt really OLD at her graduation party! LOL. The conference swim meet was also this weekend for the summer season, and Chris' team won. He was really excited about that since they lost the winter one by just a few points. We went out and celebrated last night at a local pizza place. We stayed until the mosquitos got so bad on the deck that they were carrying the small children away!
We took Dad's convertible out to lunch and we went to a place about an hour from here. I didn't even think about putting on sunscreen... and I ended up with a nice burn that includes a tan line... where the seat belt was! It is rather funny to see! My dad has this great dark skin, so he didn't even think about getting burned. LOL. Live and learn. Now I just need to put on sunblock everywhere BUT where the seat belt was next time we are out.
It's rainy and gloomy here today. Chris did not have morning practice this morning thankfully. He has been getting up at 4:30 every day this summer. He is just so tired! He is home by 8:30 am but then has office work to do. He is back at the pool by 3:45 and then gets home around 10. He is just plain tired! He has a few weeks off in August, so that will be good for him. I am not used to sharing the house during the summer, though! I am used to having my own space and my own schedule. I am sure we will survive!
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