Quick Round Trip

We made our quick round trip, and packed in as much as possible.  First, we had a 4-hour drive up to Manhattan (Kansas--our van doesn't have a warp speed option--maybe that'll be a standard feature of the next minivan we buy!).  We quickly checked in to our Airbnb, which was great, by the way, and then we went to my brother's house for dinner and conversation.  My kids and their kids had a blast playing together and getting to know each other since it'd been a little over 2 years since they'd seen each other. 

Then this morning we got up and went downtown to the race location.  We cheered my mom on both going out and coming back on the race course, and my kids jumped on a bounce house between the two cheering times.  Then we did a little shopping and driving around to see all my previous schools (K-6, 7-8, 9, and 10-12) before going to lunch and hitting the road again.  All in all it was a great, albeit fast, trip.

P.S. Our high school wasn't big enough for all students 9-12, so 9th graders were in one building to combine the two middle schools--that's what our 7-8 grade buildings were called--then 10-12 were in the main high school campus building.

Finally Friday

Some weeks seem to drag on forever.  I suppose those are the weeks where something out of the norm for the schedule.  This week, for instance, has a half-day on Friday.  I suppose it's actually more than half, but many people call it that anyway.  Regardless, the excitement of getting out early so we can travel is immense.  After school gets out we have to quickly pack Coltin's travel bag since I already packed the girls' things with mine, and Travis will have to pack his as well.  It's just a short trip, so it shouldn't take long. 

I haven't seen my brother and sister-in-law or their kids (I've never met their youngest, actually) in a couple of years.  I know for some that would seem strange, and it is.  My family's dynamics are quite dysfunctional.  But it is what it is.  Aside from seeing my brother and his family, my husband, kids, and I are going to cheer my mom on in her first ever (and maybe only the way she tells it) 5K race.  Running, as you know, is important to me, so it'll be neat seeing her partake in something I love so much.

Taking it Back, Old School

Well, to some of my readers (there are about 3 of you), Disney Channel in the 1990's isn't really "old school," but to me it is.  I miss the monthly (or something like that) made-for-TV movies that would come out.  They were cheesy as all get out, and somewhat predictable, but I sure enjoyed them!  Probably the biggest and well-known was High School Musical.  It's classic, really.  I loved that one so much that when I was getting married, my bachelorette party consisted of three things: dinner out with my bridesmaids, baking chocolate chip cookies, and watching High School Musical on DVD.  Seriously.

I suppose my love for those movies helped fuel my love for Hallmark movies.  They're much the same in my book, just with older actors.  The storylines are similar, and the acting isn't always the best, BUT I'm okay with that.  They're fantastic for a lazy Sunday afternoon or when I'm crafting or folding laundry.  If I miss a bit of dialogue or have to pop out of the room for a bit, it's probably not going to affect my understanding of the plot.  They're quite perfect in that respect.  My husband rolls his eyes when I watch them because he says they're pointless.  You know within three minutes who will end up with whom.  True though that may be, they're happy and enjoyable, and my kids love them, too.  :)

Spring Fever

I'm so ready for warmer weather on a consistent basis.  I love spring, but let's be honest, this cold, rainy, gloomy weather just isn't the idealized picture of what spring looks like.  Anyway, here's another terrible poem by me.  Haha!

Sunshine
Partly cloudy
Rainy days
Inside recess
Nighttime cool temps
Go to bed later

Flowers blooming
Endless sneezing
Very pretty
Easter photos
Reading books (that goes for all year, but I was out of ideas by the end, hahahaha!)

Being Adventurous

I think I'm a pretty fun gal, at least when in small groups.  But I'm not super adventurous.  Occasionally, however, I get a wild hair and do something outside of my comfort zone.  One such time was last summer when we spontaneously went on vacation.  Usually "vacation" means going to Branson for a couple days, visiting Silver Dollar City, doing a little shopping, and having fun as a family.  But last summer I decided all of a sudden we should go somewhere new for vacation.  On a Sunday evening I brought up San Antonio as an option, took a crash course in San Antonio attractions/things to do over the next couple of days, and we hit the road that Friday.  Wowzers!  That was super strange for me, but thankfully my husband is super chill and just went with it.

This week I got a new wild hair.  Well, wild for me.  I'm super comfortable with staying hotels, but it was suggested to me to try to find a listing on Airbnb for our quick overnight this weekend.  So I did!  I'm so excited!  It's a downstairs "apartment" of a house with a separate entrance, not too far from the neighborhood in which I grew up, and it's only $54, including fees.  Can't beat that with a stick!  Anyway, I'd never booked with Airbnb, obviously, so when I submitted my booking request I had to wait for the owner to confirm.  I didn't realize that was part of the process, so the 30-ish minutes I had to wait (the site said it could take up to 24 hours to get a confirmation) was so nerve-wracking!  I felt like a prepubescent kid who sent a folded up note with "I like you.  Do you like me?  Circle yes or no" written on it and was waiting for a response!  Holy moly was I delighted when I got the confirmation.  It seems silly, but it was thrilling!

Maybe I'll start being adventurous more often.  Or not (trust me, there were some serious snafus during our San Antonio vacation...maybe that'll be tomorrow's blog).

I Did It!

I ran tonight.  It wasn't until almost 7:30 because we went to the library after school, Travis had CrossFit, and then both girls had ball practice.  So...it was later than I wanted to go, but I got out there and pushed myself.  It was raining and pretty dark by the end, but I did it! 

Tomorrow night we have nothing too big going on (I don't think), so I should have an easier time getting out to run.  There are more chances for rain tomorrow, but I'm hoping it'll blow out by the time evening hits.  I don't absolutely hate running in the rain, but it's definitely not my favorite.

I'm proud of myself for getting my run in because dinner was ready (steak fajitas in the pressure cooker), and they smelled amazing!  So, I was a good runner girl and went and ran so I could eat extra food after. Hahaha!  That's how it goes.  I'm pretty sure if I didn't love food so much I could be super skinny, but that's okay.  Food tastes better than skinny looks.  At least most of the time. :D

The End

Oh, how I wish it were the end of Slice of Life.  Just kidding.  Well, maybe not.  It's really not so bad getting on here and typing a few sentences every day, hopefully giving you, reader, something to be entertained about, but I do always look forward to the end of March (you know, for the two times I've done SoL, that is).  Anyway, the "end" I'm talking about is that of spring break.  Yeah, it's time to go back to work.  No more late nights watching Netflix and reading books or sleeping in until 8 (that's what passes for sleeping in around here).  But that's okay.  We had a good week.  Two kids got sick, but the third one kept it at bay.  We got to go to Springfield one day and mess around a bit.  I went to Mansfield (lots of "fields" in Missouri, apparently), and I got to tour the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum and the home she, Almanzo, and Rose lived in during their later years.  I also had life group with my life group friends and my kids went to an Easter egg hunt.  All in all, it was as spectacular and relaxing as I expected it to be, so that's kind of a good thing.

Getting Off Track

Oh gosh, have I gotten off track with my running.  It's bad.  Bad bad.  I've run once in the past week and a half or so.  And I'm running out of weeks until my next half marathon.  Kids keep me busy, school keeps me busy, and I signed up to be an independent stylist with Color Street nails, so I've been doing stuff with that a lot of spring break.  This half marathon is supposed to be my redemption race, but unless I get back down to business, it's just going to be a big disappointment.  So, here I go.  I have a training plan, and I'm going to do it.  Even if it means running late in the evening, which isn't my favorite (although with daylight savings it is a bit easier to manage), I'm going to do it.  If you're reading this blog post, feel free to question me, pester and nag me, about if I've been running.  I need some accountability here, folks.  Otherwise I will be letting myself down big time.  Ugh!  Why can't there be more than 24 hours in a day?!?  :D

Sharing is Caring

So, I'm sure we've all heard the phrase "sharing is caring," but what about when it's not.  Like sharing your drink with your little sister because you're being nice, except later that day your throat starts hurting, then fever sets in, and the following morning you're diagnosed with strep.  Then, sharing isn't caring.  Although to his credit, my sweet son thought he was doing a kind thing.  Little did he know less than 24 hours later he'd be diagnosed with strep and two days later his sister would be diagnosed as well.  Oh, well.  C'est la vie!  I can't say that it's ruined our spring break since we had no grand travel plans.  And honestly, I enjoy staying close to home (as I previously blogged), so couch time with my littles (and not-so-littles) with extra snuggles hasn't been such a bad way to go.  Now, I do hope this is where it ends, though, because we're soon to be back in school from break, and who has time to take a sick day?  I'm thinking the two remaining days of spring break will be fun and relaxing, just like the previous ones have been.

Favorite Television Shows

Here are some of my favorite TV shows (aside from British historical shows, which I talked about in a previous blog post):

• Psych - this is a hilarious show about a goofy guy who is hyper-observant and helps solve crimes by pretending to be psychic (and he successfully fools the local PD that he has psychic abilities)
• Baking championship shows (spring, Christmas, kids', British, etc.) - I love watching them come up with new twists on desserts to meet the challenges, but I'm especially impressed by the kids' version of the show and the British version.  The kids' one fascinates me because their skill level is amazing considering their age.  I enjoy the British ones because their sense of camaraderie and how positive they are toward each other is amazing.  Sometimes the competition between competitors on the American versions borders hateful with their trash talking and such, but the British contestants always speak in a supportive, kind manner toward their competition.  You can tell that they each want to win, but they do it with a level of grace that you sometimes miss out on with our domestic competition shows.
• Rehab Addict - I like a lot of renovation shows, but Nicole Curtis (the renovator/designer of the show) is this tiny spitfire who isn't afraid to get in there and do the hard work needed for a renovation.  I also admire the fact that she does what she can to preserve the integrity of the old homes she's rehabbing. 

There are others, but those are a few I can enjoy most any time.

A Million and One

Sometimes I have a million and one things going through my brain.  Well, most of the time I do, but sometimes it just feels more exaggerated than others.  Today is one of those days.  I started my day with my mind spinning about Coltin and how he was clearly sick with something more than a passing virus, so I took him to the Mercy clinic at Stone's Corner.  Mom-instinct was right...strep throat.  Ugh!  Then my husband and I finished the girls' bunk beds he's been building, I created some *free* Easter decorations (free because it was Easter eggs and twine that we already had at home), and had a women's ministry planning meeting during the evening.  I bought some books for my kids from a friend's online book party and tended to my own new side business of Color Street nails.  All in all it was a fantastic day, but my mind has been whirling like crazy.

Tomorrow will be a day of calm, I hope.  It'll be a bit crazy in its own way because a friend and I are taking a girls' trip, BUT it'll be a fun day to relax and not worry about my mom duties.  I love my kids, but "me" time is important for everyone, and tomorrow I shall enjoy some "me" time. :)

(Below is a pic of our free Easter decorations.  Nothing fancy, but it was enough to delight my kids!)

School Break Sickness

Why is it that sickness always seems to hit during a break?  The day before Christmas break I was diagnosed with influenza A.  Ugh!  (Although I can't say that lying in bed watching Netflix and reading books for a few days was the worst thing in the world... :D)  I don't know if it's because we go, go, go, and finally when we have a chance to rest our bodies cry "uncle," or what.

We've had a good break so far.  Lots of time at home, resting, relaxing, and working on a few projects around the house, but tonight Coltin didn't want to do his slice.  That surprised me because he's usually eager to do it.  Tonight, however, he said he was just too tired and was ready to go straight to bed despite the fact it wasn't late.  I didn't check to see if he did "slice," but if he does it in the morning to catch up that'll be okay.  When I checked on him about an hour after he went to bed, he was sound asleep and burning up.  NOOO!!!  His temp was only 100, so elevated without being "high," but I'm hoping that it breaks during the night and he's right as rain for the rest of break.

Spring Break, a Poem

Sleeping in if I want
Projects galore
Running in the morning
Interesting conversations with my kids
Netflix watching late at night
Girls' day trip with Delissa

Books, lots of books
Reading those lots of books
Eating healthy foods
Attending a planning meeting
Kick off party for my Color Street nails business!!

March Madness

I don't like basketball.  Not really.  I played in grades 6-8, but that's mostly because I participated in pretty much any sport that was available to me.  (For example, in 7th and 8th grades during the spring, I had middle school track practice 5 days a week, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I went to soccer practice right after track and softball right after soccer since I played on travel teams for both of those sports.)  Anyway, I digress. 

I don't fill out a bracket, and I don't pay attention to who wins or loses during March Madness beyond what is posted on Facebook by friends.  According to the almighty Facebook, my K-State Wildcats won over UMBC (who just upset #1 seed Virginia the other day--also news from Facebook).  I'm glad for them, but as much as I love my 'Cats (EMAW), I have no intention of watching them play; the incessant timeouts and squeaky shoes drive me bonkers.  So much so that even though I love my kids with a seemingly immeasurable amount of love, I might have to draw the line at basketball.  So, here's to hoping they forever are content with playing sports other than b-ball.

Maybe I should have told you how I really feel... :D

Day One of Spring Break

I've been looking forward to spring break for a while, although as I stated in yesterday's blog post I have no big travel plans.

Today we had a relaxing morning.  I took the kids to get donuts, and then we came home so they could eat them.  I went to the bank and then the library.  The library will be closed all of spring break for some scheduled maintenance, and I had to take advantage of the last day they'd be open for a little over a week to get a couple new books to read.  In the afternoon we went to some stores: Suzanne's, Academy, and Kohl's.  We didn't buy anything, but sometimes we just enjoy "window shopping."  I made some soup in our Pressure Cooker Plus for supper and I sat outside on the front porch for a bit while the kids played outside a couple houses away with some neighbors.  All in all, I can't complain one bit about the first day of spring break. :)

Finally Friday!

I am soooo excited that it's Friday.  Today, shortly after 3:00 (CST) spring break shall begin.  I don't have any grand plans, but that's okay.  I enjoy staying home.  I hear about vacations and exotic locations around the globe and think, "Wow, it would be so cool to go there," but those travel plans just never seem to happen.  Travel is expensive, although there are ways to do it more affordably, but the crux of the matter is that I'm a homebody.  I have been to Mexico on a mission trip twice.  I've also visited Paraguay and Brazil.  I did a two-week teaching internship at a bilingual school in Paraguay and took a weekend trip with our group into Brazil to see gorgeous waterfalls in the rain forest.  All of that aside, traveling into the unknown--or at least what is unknown to me--is uncomfortable.  All of those times I traveled widely I was with others and most definitely not in charge.  I think one day I'd like to travel more, but it will be after lots of research and picking the brains of others because I don't fly by the seat of my pants in situations like that.

Happy spring break!!

Planning Ahead

While my "desk" (it's really a round table) is often covered with mounds of things, I do like planning and organization.  (I've read articles stating that a messy workspace is indicative of high levels of intelligence.  So really, it's not my fault.  Haha!)  Anyway, I've already begun planning curriculum for next year even though this school year isn't yet over.  I believe there is great value in student choice, and when students are invested in their learning, they are more likely to be motivated in their work.  When I taught in the general education classroom setting, I tried to infuse student choice wherever I could, but in this position the parameters for choice are blown wide open.  I have to teach core subjects, but the unit topics are largely whatever interests me or my students.  Because of this, I've taken the units the GEM program already had, bought a few more to add to them, and even created some myself.  Then I sorted them by grade level, and in the 4th quarter I give my students the list for their subsequent grade level and let them choose.  I average the rankings given the units by my students and, voila, I have a guideline of what I'm teaching the following year.  It may seem silly to start the lists so soon, but I have to make sure I'm meeting standards, fill in year-long objective charts, etc. to make sure I'm fulfilling academic requirements.  While my students do enjoy coming to my class each week because we have fun while we learn, it's not just all "fun and games," contrary to popular belief.

Blank Space

All day long my blog editor space has stayed a blank space, until now.  It's not because I didn't want to write or even that I didn't have any bright ideas on what to write about.  Mostly it was because I had my students' slice journals to read through and catch up on.  It wouldn't be a big deal, but I only see each class once a week, and half of them forgot their journal last week, so I had a LOT more entries to read through than normal.

I'm having my students write an acrostic poem about a word/phrase/character related to the book they are currently reading in their literature circles.  Because of that, I decided to do one myself.

Mourning the loss of her daughter
A resident of Hope's Crossing
Unbelieving that her HS boyfriend has returned to town
Reliant on others to help her with her store
A business owner of a book store and coffee shop

(This is the main character of the book Sweet Laurel Falls in the Hope's Crossing series by RaeAnne Thayne.)

Training Kids to Adult

Adulting is hard some days.  It really is.  However it's our job to train the next generation how to adult, whether in our classroom or at home.  It's important.  It takes time and effort, often more so than just doing a task ourselves.  But I feel it's more important to take the extra time and effort to train kids to adult (and let them fail a little) than to quickly do things ourselves.

For example, this morning one of my students was trying to put together a light system for his presentation board.  He asked if I knew how to do it because he was having trouble.  I told him I didn't in fact know how, but that I would be glad to help if a bit more time and effort on his part was unsuccessful.  Sure enough, a few minutes later he had figured it out.  Could I have completed it faster?  Maybe.  In this case the student is a VERY strong kinesthetic learner, so I can't guarantee I'd have gotten it sooner, but regardless of the speed, he learned more by doing it himself.

Another example is chores at home.  I started training my kiddos how to do chores (not just picking up their things and putting them away) around age 2.  Things like folding laundry, wiping the kitchen table, and doing dishes.  My 4-year-old folds and puts away her own laundry.  She doesn't wash it yet, but her 8- and 9-year-old siblings do.  That's part of what they are expected to do weekly along with unloading and reloading the dishwasher, vacuuming the living room, sweeping and mopping the kitchen, and more.  They have daily "chores" like brushing their teeth, packing their lunch, and taking care of the dogs that are done daily, but the household chores are one per day.  It's not overwhelming, but it does help out the family and the sanity of my husband and me because it takes part of the adult load and spreads it out.  Some might say, "Well, if you didn't want to do all those extra things, why did you have so many kids (3 kids, folks, it's not that many)?"  But I don't feel like I'm mistreating my kids by having them do those things.  Rather, I'm training them how to adult one day.  Their future college roommates and future spouses will thank me, I'm sure of it, because they won't be reliant on others to do everything for them.  No siree. 

Evelyn folding her laundry this past weekend.

So sleepy

I did alright yesterday with the time change, but man am I tired today.  I don't always drink coffee, in fact I usually don't, but today it seemed to be a necessity of life.  So, here's a little poem for you.

Caffeine, sweet caffeine
Oh, how tired I am before drinking it
Finally, it is ready
Full, rich taste
Extremely hot when first made
Enjoy drinking it with my husband on a leisurely Saturday morning

I wasn't a coffee drinker until earlier this school year.  I tried liking it for years, but I just couldn't do it.  Now I like it, but I don't LOVE it like my husband; he can drink two pots in a day.  He started drinking it off and on at a fairly young age with his dad (around early teens).  On the other hand, my parents are not coffee drinkers, so I didn't grow up around it.  It's taken over 11 years of marriage for me to acquire the taste, but now it's something we can enjoy together when we have a weekend morning to relax, either an empty Saturday (or after I return from a long run) or an early Sunday morning before church.

The Circle of Life

I got to thinking today about how one thing leads to another, and sometimes those things aren't directly related, but they still flow, much like the circle of life.

This May my very first group of teaching babies will graduate.  I student taught kindergarten in Girard, KS years ago, and those kiddos are preparing to spread their wings and fly.  It's a bit bittersweet for sure.  I've kept in touch with my cooperating teacher, but I have only seen her in person a handful of times since I left her classroom, so I look forward to hugging her neck and catching up with her.  The unique thing about my student teaching experience is that I did something PDS (professional development school, or some such title like that).  What was special about that is I was connected with my cooperating teacher for a whole year!  I met with her and helped get the classroom ready for the fall.  We sat and cut out hundreds of little colored shapes--a different color and shape each day for the first full week with their name printed on it, to practice shape recognition as well as it being a way for us to learn their names quickly and easily.  I went to the district's back-to-school inservice days and was there the first day of classes.  Once the semester got going, I was only required to be there 15 hours per week, but I did all of my pre-student teaching practicum lessons there at that school.  Then, when my student teaching semester happened, I already knew the kids and started taking over the class the first or second week back from Christmas break.  It was glorious!  Having such a well-rounded view of teaching while student teaching truly made me the best teacher I could be.

Anyway, back to the whole circle of life thing... My own baby (the final one anyway since all three of them will always be my babies) will be going to kindergarten this fall.  My first babies will fly the coop and my final baby will begin testing her own wings.  I can't wait to see where she flies, too!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Haha, just kidding!  I'm allergic to chicken, so I didn't eat it for dinner.  But I did win something!

I don't typically consider myself to be a "lucky" person, but I was chosen as the WC Top Chef week 4 winner yesterday.  To say I was surprised would be an understatement.  I don't do well with surprises.  I love the idea of them, but I embarrass quite easily, as evidenced by the fact that my face was literally as red as the shirt I wore yesterday.  I'm a rather type-A person and like organization (although I'm an "organized chaos" type of person if you want to know the truth).  Anyway, I digress. 

My principals, a superintendent, several WC Foundation members, and most of our district's instructional coaches descended on my classroom yesterday around noon to announce me as the weekly big prize winner.  At first I wasn't sure what to spend my $150 on, but then my brain kicked in and reminded me that I have a list of things I could use it on in my classroom.  Every year, starting in the fall, I start a list of to-buy items for my classroom so that in the spring when I'm making my classroom order I'm not scrambling and unprepared.  Now to make my selections... :)

A few of my favorites

I have lots of favorite things, but here's a small variety:

1.  Using large or unusual words.  It may sound pretentious, but I genuinely love learning (and subsequently using) large words.  ("Hunormous" words as my 4-year-old would say.)

2.  Watching historical British shows.  I enjoy shows like Downton Abbey, Father Brown, and Call the Midwife, for example.  History fascinates me, especially the Civil War and WWII eras, but regardless of when the show takes place, I enjoy listening to a variety of European accents.

3.  Reading.  I do read a wide variety of books, but I tend to avoid ones that are known for being overly graphic with violence or descriptive in an intimate nature.  I don't care for that.  However, if it's a young-adult book, historical fiction, Christian fiction, contemporary romance, or others that allow me to escape to a different world of characters and happenings, I'm in.

4.  Running.  I'm not great at it, and I will probably never win anything other than a finisher's medal, I do enjoy seeing how far or fast I can go.  It's also a wonderful "me time" activity.  Being an introvert in an extroverted world of teaching and motherhood means that I need avenues for retracting into myself.  Running (as well as watching shows and reading) is a great option for me.

Fun and Games

I grew up in a family who loved to play games.  I remember family poker nights where the chips were Goldfish crackers, so if you didn't have any "chips" left to ante up because you ate them, you just grabbed more out of the bowl. :)  We played lots of other games, too, and I love playing game with my kids.  I'd like to say we have a designated "family game night" where we have a set night of the week or month where we always set aside time to play games, but we don't.  Maybe that's something I could make happen in the near future.  It wouldn't hurt.  It would be a good thing for our family to unplug and laugh and play together on a regular basis.  We have lots of games because we buy the kids a new game every Christmas to open on Christmas Eve.  This past year we bought Qwirkle.  I'm obsessed with getting games that require strategy, thinking, and planning because I always want to challenge my kids, even while we're having fun, and this game does not disappoint!  It says it's for ages 6 and up, but even my 4-year-old can understand the simple rules of the game.  I highly recommend it for all ages, school-aged thru adults.  We also tend to buy a game in the middle of summer since it's on the opposite side of the calendar from Christmas and it gives us something fun to look forward to in the summer.  What kid-friendly games do you love?

The Night the Lights Went Out

So there was this one time the lights went out...  Okay, yes, the lights went out at the MAP banquet last night, and it was handled by our Webb City administration and staff (as well as Empire crews and first responders) beautifully, but that's not the night I'm talking about.

A few years ago, around 1992-ish, I was a young tyke in lower elementary school.  The night, Halloween.  I was dressed as a cheerleader in my homemade costume (dude, my mom can sew for reals!), and we were going to go trick-or-treating.  But this year happened to be a cold one.  A really cold one.  It was snowing and icing, so we didn't stay out long.  It was dark out (because this was back in the day where you actually waited for the sun to be down before you went out), but every once in a while there would be this eerie flash of turquoise light and a loud noise.  The snow and ice was causing the transformers on the power poles to blow.  This contributed to the darkness because then the streetlights went out as well.  By the time we got home we were quite freezing and hungry.  Since the power was out, my mom said, "Well, I guess I can't cook dinner."  My younger brother had a solution, "Just put some hot dogs in the microwave!"  Little did he realize that the microwave required electricity.  That's okay, he was only 6 or something.  Anyway, we sat together in the living room with flashlights for lighting and ate candy for dinner.  And that was the night the lights went out. :)

Practice Drills

I have a love-hate relationship with practice drills of the emergency sort.  Tornadoes, intruders, and all that.  I suppose it's not so bad now because you get to sit up or stand, but doing tornado drills in the "olden" days where you lined the hallway in the "crouched with your head down and hiney up position, sometimes two-deep, I was always afraid I would be head-to-hiney with someone who would let loose and blast me in the face.  Yikes!

In all seriousness, I'm the nervous sort.  My blood pressure and anxiety go sky-high when we do drills.  I try to school the look on my face so it seems as though I'm calm and in control, but it makes me nervous.  All the what-ifs run through my mind all the time and I can't help but feel like it's the real deal.  That, as well as the potentially unpleasant scenario I depicted above are the "hate" part of the relationship.

The "love" part is the fact that hopefully, if push comes to shove, we'll be so well versed in what to do that everything will work out just fine because we'll be ready.

Motivation Monday (Or a lack thereof)

How do you motivate yourself?  Especially when you don't feel like it?  I started off the 2018 year doing great in terms of keeping things scheduled and organized at home--with three kids under 10 you have to have some systems in place or it all falls apart pretty quickly.  But I also was doing very well with my running and cross-training workouts.  February was a bit rougher, but March hasn't been great, either.  I have yet to run this month, and my next race is a half-marathon in May.  This doesn't bode well.

Motivation, or I should say energy, comes and goes.  One thing you may not know about me is I have an autoimmune disease called chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto's disease.  It falls under the category of hypothyroidism, but it's a specific type where my body produces antibodies that attack my thyroid.  I'm currently in a cycle of testing and adjusting medicine, and I can feel when things are "off."  I always used to be a night owl, and it didn't phase me to stay up half the night and then function the next day on very little sleep.  That worked well for me when my babies were little.  However I'm no longer able to do that most of the time.  In fact, some nights I'm asleep on the couch before 8:00 because my body has been fighting too much on the inside to have the energy to stay up any longer.  So, on the days I do have an abundance of energy, I take advantage of it and pray that I have more good days to come. :)

March 4

So "March 4" was as creative as I could get, title-wise.  I've got a bit of a headache and I'm tired, so today's writing is a poem.  Not even a good one, but that's okay.

Sunday.
Church with my family,
Weekly grocery shopping,
Napping on the couch.

Sunday.
Playing outside with my kids,
Life groups with my friends,
Working on my computer.

Sunday.

That's it.  I told you it wasn't good.  :D

All the little things

Today was a fun day.  Nothing special about it in particular, but a fun day nonetheless.  The morning started out with my kids each getting to eat a cinnamon roll that was left over on a plate of goodies my husband got at school, from a student I presume.  Then they helped fold the laundry--we usually put off folding and putting away until the weekend even though we wash and dry throughout the week.  And they didn't argue about it, so that was nice.  After that I completed our taxes, and between federal and state we about broke even.  We ran to Sam's Club for a few groceries and I found out we had $110 in rewards on our plus membership that we could use toward today's groceries--yay!.  After we came home, Travis worked on the bunk bed he's been building for our girls (thankfully it's almost finished!).  Then this afternoon I took the kids to the park by our house where they met some kids their age and played tag with them.  None of these things were remarkable in and of themselves, but all the little things combined to make a wonderful day for our family.

Fun Friday!

Today is a fun day because we have our PTO FUNdraiser (see what I did there?).  This is only my second one here at WCMS, but I really enjoy the chance to play in the basketball game between the teachers and some of our Webb City first responders.  It's always a good time.

I'm also excited about getting a haircut.  It may sound silly, but I don't get my hair cut very often (like, once every 12-18 months), so when I do it's a really enjoyable chunk of "me" time.  There's not really a good reason for not getting my hair cut more often, but since I don't worry about maintaining a particular style and I don't have color to keep touched up, it just isn't a big priority in my life.  I'd like to think one day I'll get a wild hair (hehe!) and get it cut in a super cute look, but until then, I'll get my "usual" medium-long bob, cut to the shoulder.

There it is folks.  I'm really just a plain Jane, boring person at heart.

It's Here!!

I'm so excited that Slice of Life is here!  Well, maybe not the writing every day exactly, but March at the very least.  I LOVE spring!  Fall holds a special place in my heart because of football and the fact that the husband coaches and the son plays, but I *heart* spring.

Warmer weather.
Easter.
Warmer weather.
My birthday.
Did I mention warmer weather yet?  Of course I did!

It's not just my birthday that I love, but it sets off a whole chain of celebrations in our family.  Of course we have the standards of Mother's Day and Father's Day in May and June, but our wedding anniversary is also in June (12 years this year!), and a whole row of birthdays.  My birthday is in April, Coltin's is in May, Evelyn's is in June, and Adelyn's is in July.  My poor husband is by himself in December.  :D

Slice of Life 2018 is Coming!

In less than a month you'll get to read my wonderful (and sometimes wacky) daily thoughts for Slice of Life.  Hard to believe it's been almost a full year already!