Run Run As Fast As You Can

I'm a bit tense. Could it be the two cups of coffee I just downed? Probably, but still, it could be the schedule the family has been keeping this week as well. Miss 14 and I are both a bit over-taxed at the moment.

Between swim, cross country, youth group and homework we spend a lot of time running or at the table studying. There isn't a lot of time for just sitting. Miss 14 had 3 days of 2-a-day practices this week for swim. She also actually does her homework (unlike Mr 17) so she has that to do as well. It has been a few late nights trying to finish it all, and when practice is at 5:45 a.m. that gets to be a lot. Today the team travels for a meet 2 hours away and tomorrow a meet 3.5 hours away. I hope she relaxes on the bus.

Mr 17 and Miss 9 both have Cross Country this weekend. Hubby and I will be going to watch them run. Today Miss 9 runs at home, but tomorrow both Mr 17 and Miss 9 have a meet 2 hours away, and wonder of wonders, it's actually in the same place! The only downer being their races are over 2 hours apart. So we'll sit, and wait, which actually (if the weather is decent) won't be so bad... sitting I mean.

But, by far, the best part of tomorrow for me (I am so selfish!) is that I get a haircut and color. I haven't had a haircut in 3 months... and a color in over 4. I'm so excited it's just plain silly. Then I really do get to just sit.

Curmudgeon

Mr 17 has taken to mostly not speaking to us the last few weeks. Yes, he still eats dinner with us regularly, he speaks and answers questions if spoken to. Although usually it's in a grunt or such a state of voice that I can't understand him and must ask him to repeat himself, which he hates. But he rarely initiates a conversation. Granted last week was swamped with homecoming activities and doctor's appointments and homework that was just a little too far behind, but I feel left out of his life. I know that very soon he will be leaving, and that the grumpiness and the negativity are God's way of preparing me for him not to be here, but still, it's not a lot of fun. I'm hoping it is more of a stage than anything. But, Mr 17 has never been much of a talker, so I am doubting that.

Miss 14 on the other hand lets me have hope in the future. She loves to tell me the latest gossip from school, although it is often embellished, because as I may have previously mentioned Miss 14 is also known here as Miss Exaggeration. Sometimes it is hard to know exactly how sick she is, or how fast her heart was racing, or how awful her teacher really was, or how hard swim practice was because everything for her is multiplied by 1,000 for effect. Still, I love that she talks to me, and even love when she harasses me just because she hasn't had enough physical contact recently. Last night she was completely into messing with my hair every time we were in the same room, and I'm convinced it was because what she really wanted was me to grab her hand and wrestle with her. I happily obliged for a bit.

So, phase or not, I have 2 extremes for my oldest 2. Mr 17 says I am boring and have nothing to talk about anyway, so what do we need to visit for? And at times I can't get Miss 14 to stop talking or asking questions. Maybe I'm the one with a split personality?

Teacher Troubles

I'll preface this by saying I am a teacher, so I do know the challenges of the days of teaching. That being said, I am very disappointed with Miss 9's new teacher. (literally new, it's her first year) Miss 9 is in 4th grade, it's a tough year by any standards, and I remember this from when Mr 17 and Miss 14 went through it. Because of Miss 9's learning and anxiety problems we do a lot of homework every night, usually for nearly 2+ hours. However, I think it is completely wrong when my daughter is now scared to ask her teacher for help due to the responses she gets from her teacher. My daughter has commented on eye rolls, heavy sighs and being told "that one is easy, go back to your desk." The teacher knows about the learning disabilities and still does nothing to accomodate them. The same problems are being had by other students in the classroom. This morning we had a meeting with the Principal. There are 5 sets of parents with major concerns already with the teacher and there hasn't even been a month of school yet. I am completely frustrated. On the plus side, I am able to help Miss 9 with all her homework since I taught in this same grade last year and I know the curriculum. But I do feel bad for other students who don't have this advantage at home.

Alone!

I am so excited! I am going away, sort of alone with my hubby, for 36 hours! I can't remember what that is like! We are traveling 2 hours this evening to watch Miss 14 swim, then after the meet we travel 1.5 hours so that we can get up in the morning and watch Mr 17 run. My parents are very generously staying here to keep an eye on Miss 9 and Mr 17. Mr 17 gets on the busy early tomorrow morning, so they have to make sure he gets up and out the door. He is notorious for sleeping through a blaring alarm clock. So we get to be sort of alone, with bits of time here and there with Miss 14 and Mr 17 at their events. I can't wait!

Cross Country

If any of you have distance runners in your family, these are some hilarious quotes. Mr 17 routinely runs at least 5 to 13 miles a day. I can't imagine. Now Miss 9 has also started running. I can't say I understand it one bit.

www.brocawblazers.org/camp/child_runner.

Rocks

Some people will call me crazy, and that's ok. I know I'm weird. This weekend Hubby had an unexpected day off. Harvest was stalled due to some not quite ready durum. We decided to fit in some exercise and some fun. So we drove south of town to go for a long walk with Miss 9. Miss 9 wasn't too thrilled, as we really forced her into going instead of letting her sit in front of the television rotting her brain, but we knew she would survive. The weather was gorgeous aside from some wind gusts that blew sand at us. That's something you get used to here.
Miss 9 is totally into posing for the camera so I got some great shots of her, and took some candid ones as well.
Miss 9 has always loved her shadow. When she runs cross country she doesn't watch where she is going, she watches her shadow. When we go outside on a sunny day, she dances, and watches her shadow. If we go for a bike ride, she watches.. you got it, her shadow. She spent most of our walk watching her shadow this weekend. So I got some great photos of her doing that, plus the backdrop was wonderful.
Now to the part where you'll call me nuts. I don't watch my shadow, but I do watch the ground. I am a "rock person" as Hubby calls me. I'm forever stopping when we walk gravel roads to check out some unusual rock I found. South of town where we walk, there is a ton of agates. As we walk I keep my head down and actually bring a bag along to collect them. I bring them home, wash them up and scatter them around the house in pottery bowls to check out. I love the feel of them and how they look when the light hits them. I also put them in our outdoor fountain, because when they are wet they glow. So there's the part where most people just don't get me... I'm weird... and I love rocks.