Quite the Accomplishment...

Tonight was the culminating event of a summer-long endeavor for Isaac & Grant, along with several of their friends. About 12 weeks ago we signed them up to run a marathon ... before you assume that we are total slave drivers and child abusers, let me clarify... the program was set up for them to run approximately 2 or a little more miles each week leading up to tonight, when they would "finish" the marathon by running in a 1.2 mile race that finished on the field of the Tin Caps, Ft. Wayne's minor league baseball team. 

Grant took on this challenge with gusto, driven to run each of his training runs without walking (training run = go out and do a mile), and on a couple of occasions he even ran 2 miles with only a minor stop in between - something his mother finds extremely challenging!  Isaac's motivation was a bit more extrinsic...basically he didn't want his little brother to show him up as they ran the circle drive that is our sub-division!  Nonetheless, they both put in their time, and far exceeded the 25 miles that needed to be done prior to this evening's event in order to claim that they ran a marathon. In fact, I think that they each had the equivalent of about 2 marathons completed before tonight's race.  This would be the perfect time to put a shout out for our schools' mileage clubs...programs where the kids are encouraged to run/walk a mile during their recess to earn feet charms, T-Shirts , Sweat Shirts, and Ultimately a new pair of shoes if they are dedicated enough.  I really saw an increase in the kids' total mileage on their mileage logs once school started and they were accumulating a mile during recess at school, and often then a mile after school around the neighborhood with Maxx.

So...tonight they ran...and I got to play the role of the proud mama, a role I love dearly love.  Both boys gave it their all...Isaac ran his heart out, not just to beat his brother, but just actually to do his best and see how fast he could go.  There is no doubt that when a bonified race is on, with someone other than Mom saying "GO!", that the boy gets a huge adrenaline surge and can MOVE! As best as we could tell, his time for 1.2 miles was 9:42...by far his best timed run.  Being 100% accurate was nearly impossible for us with the sea of aqua shirts going across the finish line. And at ages 9 &6, who cares about 100% accuracy anyway, right??? Isaac's proven his love of racing more than once in the past several months... he won his first bike race this past summer, and rode with determination in the other races he rode during the summer, and again tonight.  This kind of exercise is great for our very energetic boy.

Possibly faster than a speeding bullet!

All Smiles!
(Left to Right:) Lauren Baker, Isaac, Kassidy Pyle, Alyson Baker

As I said before, Grant was amazing us with his drive and determination from the moment he set his goal to run this race.  Tonight he ran with his buddy Isaiah, and Isaiah's dad Nate... Those two very proud and sweaty boys crossed the finish line at about 12 minutes for the 1.2 miles...not too bad at all for anyone, and pretty great for two 6 & 7 year old friends!



Isaiah & Grant just after the Finish







Can you tell that this is the obligatory "brother" picture? Check out Grant's smile with Isaiah compared to this shot. At this point the unspoken message to me goes something like "C'mon Mom, I'm STARVING!!! Can we just go??"



So here I am...the proud mama.  Quite night of accomplishment.  Just as I was enjoying these moments in the ballpark after the race with Mike and our boys, Nate & Isaiah, and another friend and her daughter, Nate said, "Look at that..."  Being the overly observant person that I am, I said, "I missed it. Did you see lightning?" (there was a pretty dark, threatening sky above)

"No," he said, "the screen." 

I looked up and my breath caught in my throat.  Up on the jumbo-tron, or whatever you call the great big screen at the baseball park, they had been streaming all the kids as they crossed the finish line. It had been a long time since the kids had finished, since we had retrieved them from the parent pick-up area, and moved slower than cattle in quicksand through the security gates where they make sure mom's pick-up tag matches Junior's bib number (measures that I am actually thankful for, I know...I would never want a stranger retrieving my children, of course!). The point is that the children's faces were no longer red, and they were pretty much all recovered from the race. And, as I looked at the screen, I saw a sight that got to me more than anything else tonight. A girl very close to my own sons' ages was being supported by two adults who obviously loved her greatly as she crossed the finish line of this race.  With a loved one on each side of her for support, we watched as she painstakingly walked down the homestretch, crossed the finish line, and then nearly collapsed and was picked up and held by one of these beloved adults.  As the moment unfolded, I was reminded how blessed I am to have two strong, healthy children. I was reminded again not to take such a gift for granted. I was reminded of our responsibility to provide our children with all that they need to be successful, which absolutely includes providing them opportunities to love and be compassionate to those less able than them.  And as I've replayed the scene in my mind a few times this evening, something else has touched my heart. For while I was instantly reminded of the blessing of my boys' health, I am also seeing that this girl is a blessing to her family.  There was no monetary reward if they pushed her wheelchair the distance tonight, no standing ovation for them or for her because she took those steps across the finish line.  From what I could see, they just loved their girl, the same as we love our boys, and they wanted her to have this experience this evening, in spite of the extra challenges she faced in order to accomplish it.  Her presence in their life blesses them, and they are clearly a blessing to her as well.  As a family they went the distance and crossed the finish line, and it was indeed ... 

quite an accomplishment.

It's a Dog's Life

It seems like summer has FLOWN right by, and we are staring the start of school right in the face...I will admit that while I really do like and appreciate my job, these last fleeting days of summer are usually tinged with a sense of dread.  In the same fashion as most summers past, this summer has been LOADED with activity and such... hopefully as school starts and we find a routine, some retro blogging can be done to chronicle those days. 

One of the most monumental, and most recent events of the summer is the addition of a puppy to our Flora Family. Getting a puppy has been a controversial topic in our family for quite a long time, with three of us lobbying FOR adopting a little fur ball, and one of us lobbying AGAINST such a decision.  I won't name any names in who was holding out, just know that I am most definitely a dog person:)

Much to our delight and amazement, a certain someone's heart was softened to the plight for a puppy, and while out on a date early last month, the green light was given to get a dog!  Thus, the search began...for just the right size, temperment, breed, etc. of  canine companion for our family.  And...after an exhorbitant amount of exhaustive research, e-mailing, inquiring, and studying... (drumroll, please)...this past Monday MAXX joined our family!

Maxx is a cockapoo puppy.  He should hopefully grow to be about 25-30 lbs.  Three days ago he weighed 6lbs.  So far, we think we've made a great choice in a puppy.  He has slept at night, and MUCH of the days! He has had very few "oopsies" in the house.  He plays with the boys, and follows them with a cute puppy bounce. He snuggles, kisses us with puppy breath, instead of gross dog breath, pounces and barks at the cats, comes happily when we call him, and makes us laugh at all his furry cuteness.   Possibly best of all is that I am forced to get out of bed at a decent hour in the morning to let the puppy out, and early rising is a very difficult feat for me.  Even Mike seems to think we have a keeper. 

I am working hard to keep in mind that we could very easily still be in the "honeymoon phase" with this little guy.  I mean, the first couple days he just slept and slept...I'm sure he missed his mama and 8 siblings!  A little bit more "perkiness" shows up each day... but so far, our family may just have a small case of puppy love!

Watermelon

Me: What did you learn about in junior church today?"
Isaac: " the ..something...son."  (Something was prodigal)
Me: (looking @ the jr. church take home paper) "Anything else?"
Grant: "We learned about the fruit of the Spirit" (this was what I was expecting to hear...)
Me: "Ah! Which fruit of the Spirit did you learn about? (knowing from my mommy cheat sheet that it was joy.)
Grant: "Watermelon."
Huh?!?!
So, I guess I'll just wish everyone a watermelonous Father's Day!

My Little Graduate

Tonight was a special night in our family.  One that happens only once in each child's lifetime... tonight was kindergarten graduation. And believe it or not, the events of this night almost never happened. 

There are some events in life that one just counts on, believes in, and often takes for granted that they will occur.  Birthdays, Christmas, the first and last days of school, and yes, Kindergarten Graduation all fall into this category of highly- anticipated -yet-never-doubted events.  When the school calendar came home with the KG spring music program and art show on the schedule, I assumed this was Kindergarten Graduation. We notified the local grandperents to save the date. We marked it on our family calendar.  We were ready. And then, the unthinkable occurred. A few days prior to the program, I was talking with Grant's teacher about the upcoming event, and he clarified for me that this program was not a "Graduation", just a cute spring program. I accepted this clarification, and naturally inquired about the date for KG Graduation. That's when it happened...the bomb was dropped... there was NO KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION!!!! Apparently  kindergarten graduation is no longer practiced in these parts, although no one was really sure just why.  Unbelievable.  Isaac graduated from kindergarten...we have pictures stored on the computer to prove it! Someday they may possibly even be printed! Grant is my littlest guy, my youngest! ( I know, I know, I only have two...one must be oldest, one must be youngest. But it makes it of no less import to me in my dramatic, motherly heart and mind.) 

And then, after the conclusion of the "Spring Program" (which was terribly cute, and will be retroactively blogged about on some day this summer), a glimmer of hope entered my world.  Isaiah's mom (aka my dear friend, Anne) texted me to let me know that Isaiah's teacher was holding a graduation for her class, as she had realized how much many of her student's parents cared about such an event. Anne suggested that possibly Mr. Martin could be persuaded to join in the fun, and provide we mommies and daddies of his sweet students with the sentimental torture that can only be achieved through such mile stones as Kindergarten Graduations, First Dates, Driver's Licenses, and High School Graduations.  I grabbed onto this glimmer of hope like , what do they say?, oh, like a tick on a hound dog! I sent Grant to school to inform Mr. Martin of this incredibly important new development in the KG community. I shamelessly coached him to tell Mr. Martin that certainly he wouldn't want to be outdone by Miss H, would he????  I offered to bring refreshments to the event...whatever it took.  Quite thankfully, Mr. Martin is a very reasonable man with a compassionate heart for his students, and quite possibly an acute awareness that there just might have been a relentless mother out there who would be more than willing to drive him to the brink of insanity in the pursuit of a graduation ceremony that included her six year old. ( I believe I should admit at this point that I do feel somewhat ashamed of even the possibility of how I may have actually nagged, begged, and pleaded for my heart's desire on this had it been necessary. I would like to take this moment to publicly thank Robert Martin for not creating such an opportunity for me to humiliate myself in that way :) Mr. Martin joined forces with Miss Heintzelman, and tonight there was quite a crowd to celebrate the class of 2023. Complete with Graduation Caps and Diplomas...

It's hard for me to believe that my little miracle boy - who weighed 6lbs 6oz. coming into this world, and had such a rough beginning to life, graduated kindergarten tonight. Wow. This is our boy, and what a joy he is.  And how blessed is our family.
Thank you, one last time, Mr. Martin and Miss Heintzleman for creating this evening for so many families to make memories like these. You are so appreciated...unfortunately much more than you are shown.

Congratulations Grant-Boy. We are so proud of you.

Let's Pretend...

Yesterday we decided to pretend it was summer... you see, if it weren't for all the blasted snow days that we had, I think we would be on summer break...right...now.  As it is, Mike has all of this week left, and the boys and I have 4 days NEXT week as well! While we realize that life is not over, and that many are suffering in much more tragic ways, we still are chomping at the bit for summer. So, yesterday we decided to pretend, just for the day, that it is indeed summer.  Pretending is a lost art, I believe, and possibly highly underrated.  WE (the family of pretenders) spent a wonderful, perfect day on our own tiny slice of the beach... i think it even made facing reality today a bit less painful :)

Twice as many should equal twice as much...theoretically!

God gave us TWO ears and ONE mouth... so why , oh why, is it SO much easier for me to impulsively talk, talk, talk rather than LISTEN???  It seems that every now and then, my mouth just runneth over...or my typing fingers, or something.  I like to use airspace, and cyber-airspace, apparently.  This is not who I want to be, or how I want to be remembered.  I know that this is not what God desires of me. Here's hoping that with God's help, 34 is not too old to turn over a new leaf in this area. And to all of you that I see in real life, feel free to tell me when I'm hogging all the airspace and making it difficult to breathe!

Ever heard of Mother's Day Monday?

If you've never heard of Mother's Day Monday, don't feel bad...few have.  But I love it!  Mother's Day Monday was created in my family this very year by my mom, my sister, and me. And we plan to celebrate it annually.  I understand that it would seem that one would celebrate Mother's Day with her children, it's almost a given, I suppose.  This year my boys and I celebrated earlier in the week, with cards and gifts they chose themselves, and a wonderful Life Books Royal Wedding magazine from Mike. They really went all out being considerate and thoughtful this year, and I want to give them the credit they absolutely deserve!  I felt very special and honored. I love all three of my guys, and am so thankful for them.  Then, as an extra bonus, Mike agreed to a plan my sister and I cooked up to spend Sunday afternoon, evening, and all day Monday with Mom on a girls' mini-escape.  Hoff (brother-in-law) and Dad also agreed... let me just take this moment to publicly say to the  three guys...THANK YOU! The extra time, effort, and funding required from them for us to enjoy this time together was not lost on us, and we say THANK YOU!!!

Life gets busy, full, hectic, and expensive. Sometimes we feel like there is barely time for a long chat on the phone, let alone 24 hours away together.  But this time of Mother's Day Monday was all we had hoped for...we stayed at a hotel in downtown Indy thanks to Kelly and a cheap deal through hotwire. We leisurely window shopped in Broad Ripple.  We ate knaffa (a delicious dessert with orange blossom on top!) outside at a restaurant by the river and the Monon while we enjoyed a rare slice of sunshine.  We soaked in the hottub and talked. We had beauty night and colored hair. We looked at magazines. We went to sleep late (some of us later than others, as Mom & Kelly both snore! ;), and we watched the Today show as we got around the next morning. We had lox and bagels for brunch. We shopped at Circle Center where I bought three pairs of shoes all at once! We walked and laughed and talked. We enjoyed each other's uninterrupted company and the blessing of mothers, daughters, and sisters.

I remember what Kelly was talking about, and Mom thought she was hilarious, but I think I'll keep the story to myself!





Mother's Day Monday...may the tradition never end.

Nothing Worthwhile Is Ever Easy... But with a friend it's Possible!



Nothing Worthwhile is Ever Easy ~ Mike's high school cross country coach said those words all the time. I started dating Mike when I was a junior in high school and he was a senior. I also started dating Mike during cross country season. I knew nothing about cross country. Nothing.  But I learned...and fast.  One thing I learned fast from other runners' girlfriends was to avoid the coach. He didn't believe in runners having girlfriends, they said. Apparently his theory was that his runners had all of their lives to date, but only a moment in time to be a good runner. In retrospect, I'm not sure how it happened that Mike and I ever began dating, because at that time he lived and died according to everything Coach said.  Somehow we did though, and the gain was all mine. Not only did I have a nice boyfriend with a sweet Letterman's jacket, I gained a true friend (Anne) who was also dating a runner at the time. When she and Mike both graduated that spring, I cried more over her leaving me than I did over him ~ (at that time I figured boyfriends could come and go, but surviving a year in high school without my truest friend there with me seemed unbearable!)  Anne and I cheered at meets together...first cross country meets, where she boldly said to Coach, "Coach, you be nice to her(me), she's scared of you!", and later track meets.  We enjoyed the sidelines together, cheering and laughing, and building a friendship. We made good luck signs and went to Dairy Queen and had sleep overs and shared perfume. And even then I realized that what made our friendship so precious to me is that it was easy. I didn't have to pretend to be someone I wasn't, or compromise my values, or compete for Anne's friendship. We just clicked...we were kindred spirits, as the movie says, and I loved her. Still, I watched Mike work as hard as he could to be a scholar athlete, and I saw what Coach meant when he said, "Nothing Worthwhile is Ever Easy."  And I believed that it was true...most of the time.

     Fast forward 17 years...I'm married to that scholar athlete ( I have been for 12 years!), and believe it or not, Coach's two sweet girls were the flower girls in our wedding. Coach is my principal at the school where I teach!  Anne is still one of my truest and dearest friends... by a miracle we even live in the same town! And more and more Coach's mantra that Nothing Worthwhile is Ever Easy  proves itself to be true.
     And now to the point of the post (and yes, I am very aware that it took FOREVER to get to the point...)


About a week and a half ago I achieved something I didn't believe was possible.  It was worthwhile. It WASN'T easy.  But with my friend it happened.  I RAN! And not just a little bit! I finished a half-marathon. And I ran the entire thing. I never stopped...not once..... 13.1 MILES, PEOPLE!!!! I finished in 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 20 seconds. And yes, that means I actually ran for 2 HOURS 18 MINUTES and 20 SECONDS!!!  I still can hardly believe it.  I realize that many have done this, have run this inconceivable distance, and even run it much, much faster than I did. But we're talking about me in this post, and until Saturday, May 7, 2011, I had not. And I did not actually believe I ever could.
 But Anne did.


As mentioned in the previous post, Anne called me up one November evening and asked if I would consider doing the mini with her. Eventually I agreed...partly because I had been sedentary for WAY too long, but mostly because I was amazed, (and secretly flattered) that she believed I could do it, and that she wanted me to do it with her. I told her I would only do it if she would commit to train and run together at least 1-2 times a week. Otherwise I knew that I would eventually give up.  So that's how it started.  In November I couldn't even run for 10 minutes without feeling as if my lungs were collapsing, and unfortunately, that meant I could barely run a mile.  I was again incredibly doubtful that running the entire 13.1 miles could be a reality for me in May.  Anne wasn't. 

Quite honestly, I never actually enjoyed the training.  Running is not fun...inevitably your breathing gets labored and your legs hurt.  The reality that you are not oh, so young hits you often like a 2 x 4. First, my ankles hurt.  Then, it was my knees. It was COLD outside. In February we ran a "Think Spring" 5k ~ those 3.1 miles felt like 13.1! The realization that a 5k is not even  quite a quarter of a half-marathon is not a pleasant one. The realization that we actually paid money to torture ourselves, plus money for a hotel room was also discouraging.  What was I thinking???  Through all this Anne was encouraging.  She kept telling me I was doing alright, that I was even ahead of where she was at the same point in training last year. At the same time she pushed me further than I would have ever gone alone...earning herself the loving term "Hitler".  Later in training when we went for a long run and my knees were killing me, she went ahead and then came back for me.  She never made me feel bad about slowing her down. 

While I never really enjoyed the running, I did enjoy achieving longer distances and times without walking.  Before this, 2 miles was the longest distance I had ever consecutively run, and I'd never planned to try to go further.  The other plus? Spending time with my friend.  Life as a teacher, mother, wife, daughter, & sister is full.  I'm always WAY behind on my "to do" list.  Often, there just isn't time in the day for a nice long chat on the phone, or coming over for tea... but because we needed to get the run in, we got to spend time chatting as well ~ at least until the point in the run when we could no longer breathe!  I am so thankful for the opportunity we had to renew our friendship and to spend time sharing about our lives, our children, our God, and everything else in between.  In high school our friendship was worthwhile AND easy.  As 30 somethings, our friendship is just as worthwhile, but sometimes not quite as easy to find the time for.  I think if anything, this is what would motivate me to put myself through such a journey again.  I'm proud of this accomplishment ~ absolutely!  I can say I've done it, and in some ways, that's enough. No need to repeat it.   There are definitely a zillion things calling for my time and attention these days.  I am certainly NOT wondering what I could be doing with the hour or two previously spent on the workout and recovering.  But, less than 2 weeks following the big event, I find myself missing the time spent doing something good and healthy for my body while simultaneously doing something good and healthy for my spirit.  Hopefully the time spent together was good for her spirit, too.  I'm hopeful we'll be training together again soon, as long as it's not for a triathlon! 



Me, Maria, & Anne before the race...don't we look happy and energetic?



Still waiting for the start...




There were SO many people there...over 30,000!

 


The corrals begin at A (where the FAST people are (like Grant's kindergarten teacher...no joke!) ) We were in O.



Only finishers get these totally awesome medals:)



Mike was a fabulous support system throughout this entire journey. He never complained about the time I took to go run, he watched kids (ours and the Lowes') when we needed him to so we could run, and he stayed at the start the entire time until we began running. I couldn't have done this without him!

Knowing you have a friend that believes in you, even when you don't, and accomplishing something you thought impossible - because she believed you could, is very worthwhile.



Like Trying to Escape the Freight Train...

It's Coming. .  .  .
 Unless I figure out a way to halt time, the reality that I cannot avoid Saturday, May 7 forever is painfully clear.  Saturday is the designated day for the Indianapolis Mini Marathon.  This would not really be a big deal to me except for one minor detail... during a moment of complete and utter insanity I signed up to participate.  Why would I do such a thing?  Whatever could have possessed me to make such a decision???  A little review~
Anne called in November to see if I might be interested in doing the race with her this year (she did it last year and survived).  My gut reaction ~  NOOO WAY!!! What good could EVER EVER come from running 13.1 miles in ... a ... row???  But, (there's always a but, is there not??) 
*I was flattered she thought I might even possibly be capable of this feat
* I have gained pounds in my sedentary lifestyle that I thought might want to jump ship if I began running (No such luck, by the way, they seem to be exceedingly comfortable living with me!)
*I thought it might be an avenue to new shoes, and I LOVE new shoes! ( I got 2 new pairs of shoes, but I'm not yet sure that this is the best way to make that happen!)
* Mike said, and I quote: "I think it would be good for you," (He later acted shocked when I told him I'd signed up, and claimed he thought it would be good FOR me, not necessarily a good IDEA...I'm sure you can see how my misunderstanding occurred!)
* I wanted the kiddos to know that Daddy is not the only one who can exercise.
* I felt the "Now or Never" pressure ~ possibly never is not always bad!
The nerves are setting in.  I didn't sleep too well last night, I was dreaming and waking up with thoughts of the race.  I fear the humiliation of going so slow that the little golf cart comes to pick me up because I exceed the maximum time limit.  My body has proven that it is not quite so young and resilient as I had hoped ~ 34 is NOT the new 20, just so you know!
I fear getting lost, oversleeping and missing the start, under sleeping and being too tired, forgetting my shoes, broken down cars on the way, traffic jams, losing my ticket, looking rather stupid, slowing Anne WAY down,  and throwing up...to name just a few.
  In January I still had dreams of running an amazing race and finishing 10 minutes faster than my goal.  I invited much of my family to come be there at the end to witness my triumphant finish.  That dream has since turned into the previously mentioned nightmare, and I would like to request that everyone stay home, at least except for Mike ( he's my emergency contact, and I need him to hold my jacket!)

As I try to deal with this anxiety and still live daily life this week, I fully anticipate that tonight I will dream that I am tied to the train tracks as the freight train blows its horn wildly and is barrelling straight towards me...
I am trying to escape the Freight train...
 but it's turning into a big train car full of Sport Beans....
Possibly I should give up trying to live daily life this week and focus my attention solely on halting time...

Don't leave me hangin'!

Just to preface...this post is pitiful.  I know it. This is glaringly pitiful.....but I have experienced a small bit of rejection today, and if you know me, you know I struggle with that. just....a.... bit.  ~so, here is my sad, desperate cry...if you happen to glance over this spot, if it makes you smile, laugh, or even roll your eyes, would you please, please, please leave evidence that you saw it (i.e. a comment!)  I suspect I may be suffering from a cyberspace complex...unrequited love in blogland.   I come home from an evening out and kiss my kids, chat with my husband, and then...just real quick, of course, I do a little check to see if anyone visited my little site.  I feel like Shopgirl and NY152 on the movie You've Got Mail (one of my all time favs!)  Once again, I am aware that I am pathetic, sad, and needy....but maybe, possibly, might you humor me???

Much Love,

Jen

He Can Ride!!!

     There have been numerous occasions in the last 6 years when Mike and I are clearly reminded that while we have two sons, they are very different little people.  This seems like a very easy concept to grasp..."elementary, my dear Watson," but as many parents would agree, comparing your children and expecting them to be somewhat the same is an easy trap to fall into.  I remember moments after Grant was born being rather surprised as I commented to Mike, "Look at him! His nose is different than Isaac's!  They look different!"  Apparantly I had expected my babies to be little carbon copies of each other...considering I was completely aware that this baby was coming along 2 1/2 years after his big brother, and were clearly not identical twins, I have no idea why the possibility that they may look a bit different was so tough to grasp.

    Among the differences between my boys is when they have learned to ride their bikes...sans training wheels. A few days prior to his 5th birthday Isaac took all of 15 minutes to learn this skill...while I was on a quick errand to the drugstore ( His daddy promised it would take longer than that and that I wouldn't miss it...plenty of opportunities for pictures and videos, no worries! Note that I have NO pictures or videos of this milestone as he caught on so quickly, and was off and riding forevermore!)
     Contrastly, I was beginning to give up hope that Grant was ever going to learn to ride. Before you laugh and say, " Jen, EVERYONE eventually learns to ride a bike!", let me just say that this is not so, and that I have a very dear friend who could never ride a bike until after her 30th birthday! Learning as an adult was not such a fun process for her, especially as her sweet husband dubbed her "stubborn, unteachable, and a bad listener!!" This is not a fate I desired for my Grant-Boy. And yet, the struggle continued...last summer we bought a bike for him that seemed to fit him better and would be easier to learn on...Nope.  I bribed him and withheld treats all at the same time..."No more neopolitan ice cream until you can ride your bike. Then we can go right to the store and get some!" (Neopolitan ice cream is his fav, and we had recently run out.) Nope. Mike patiently coaxed and coached. Nope. Mike impatiently coaxed and coached. Nope. We tried peer pressure..."Isaiah and Cambel can ride! And Cambel isn't even in kindergarten yet!!! Don't you want to ride with them and Emily at Camp this year???"  Nope.
   But people, I present you now with proof that miracles DO exist!!! As Isaac has been enjoying riding his new road bike this past weekend, Mike's disorganization has thoroughly paid off. (Before that sounds like a dig, let me be quick to say I am just as disorganized, and I am absolutely NOT insulting my husband!) Grant asked Mike to find his training wheels so he could ride his bike too...but, Mike couldn't find those training wheels anywhere!  So, as I happily blogged and made picture slideshows Saturday, a miracle was occurring right outside... and...on Isaac's 9th birthday...Grant learned to ride his bike!  My only complaint...I missed the maiden voyage. I didn't even know it was going on!  Somehow though, after all the time and struggle, the triumph lessened the pain of missing the very first ride, and I happily took a few seconds of video of the following rides to be preserved for all time.  Way to go, Grant Evan Michael! You can Ride!!!!

Happy birthday Isaac Boy!

   * I wrote this post last night....I just had so much trouble getting the video added that it didn't get posted until today.  Please humor me and pretend that it was posted on April 30...;)

  Today is Isaac's 9th Birthday. Each time one of my boys has a birthday, I find myself amazed at how old they are, amazed at how quickly the days, weeks, and months passed since their last birthday, and amazed at how much they've grown and changed in the year that has just flown by. And this day is no exception. Isaac is growing and changing so fast, and the sad thing is that life gets so "full" (the nice way of saying hectic and busy) that I often find I've missed the process and just get a glimpse of the results!

      We looked through his baby book today, and the reality of all this development and change was poignantly clear. I found myself missing that baby... the soft, snuggly baby skin, the sweet, toothless baby smile, the unmistakable sweet baby lotion smell, mixed with the genuine article! Yet in the midst of all of this sentimentality and nostalgia, I realized how thankful I am for the boy that I have, and how blessed I am to have a healthy, energetic, intelligent, "normally developing" (whatever that means!) son. The challenges are certainly different than in babyhood...then it was changing diapers, multiple nighttime feedings, and fussy evenings. Now we have to check to see if homework and piano are done, remind this boy a zillion times to pick up his clothes, and, on occasion, check his attitude. But the "fruits of the labor", so to speak, have remained, and maybe even increased over the years, as well! When he was a baby I got to watch him sweetly sleep, giggle at whatever tickled him, and celebrate as he achieved new milestones. Now, I can still climb up to his bed and watch him sleep (if I just slow down and put down the laundry to take the time to do it), watch him laugh and giggle ( unfortunately often at things I find rather dumb or gross...typical, so I hear), and definitely celebrate as he achieves new milestones. Being able to time travel back and forth within the stages of his childhood and relive the sweetest moments would be lovely, but obviously not possible. What's a mom to do? Pray, pray, pray...that we bring him up to love and honor God, that he undoubtedly knows the love of his parents and brother, and that we train him up in the way he should go, so that as he grows older, he will not depart from it. And while I pray, I intend to pay attention... to watch him sleep now and then, to try to laugh and giggle here and there with him, to absolutely notice and celebrate my boy's achievements and milestones, and to thank God every day for the blessing of being his mom.
                  Happy birthday, Isaac-Boy. You are loved.

Meet my Little Basketball Enthusiast...

I told you that posts will be random and not chronological...at least for a bit.  Case in point... I just wrote about the Royal Wedding that took place only today, and I now revert back to another Spring Break moment. 
I case you aren't aware, Grant loves basketball.  Loves. it. period.  His daily routine when he gets home from school is to go down to the basement to play at least one game in which he chooses two NCAA teams to pin against each other, and then  play out the game, in which he is the only player on each team, keeping track of the score, and then report the outcome to Mike & I when he's finished. He revelled in the NCAA tournament, and was really disappointed when his beloved Purdue Boilermakers were taken out by VCU. Even his teacher at school commented that "Grant bleeds pretty bad for those Boilers!"  He is looking forward to the beginning of next year's season and Robbie Hummel's triumphant return.  He's adopted another team to love, however, in the Butler bulldogs.  This worked out well for him as they made it to the final dance in the tournament.
The final games of the tournament took place over Spring Break. Here's a glimpse of Grant's dedication to the game.

We had dinner with Angie's cousin and her husband this night. They were very accommodating to Grant's need to post his sign:)

Kye really could have cared less about this Butler/VCU game, but he worked hard to be a supportive friend to Grant!



Grant was happy to call Mike and PopEd with the game results!



Princesses & Weddings..and Such

It seems to be that the majority of my friends and acquaintances aren't all that interested in the Royal Wedding that took place today.  As I took an informal poll the range of enthusiasm for the wedding went from lukewarm to utter disgust (Grandma!). Oh, there were a couple exceptions...my mom finds it intriguing, and my Lori (who has been lovingly dubbed "Queenie" in our family for almost as long as I can remember) does too. And, I enjoyed a long post-wedding chat about the event with my sister.
       Now, I find this general lack of enthusiasm unfortunate... anyone who knows me knows that I Love, Love, Love all things "princessy", "weddingy" and romantic. A friend/former roommate once claimed that if I ever had a daughter she would probably look like pepto-bismol exploded all over her.  That's a bit harsh, I think! 
Well, guess what...I have two sons and no daughters... and there is a distinct lack of most things pink or "princessy" at our house, and a plethora of light sabers and balls and cars and planes. Please don't mistake this for a complaint...of course I love my boys and would never,ever trade them for any little girl.  But one does crave a feminine fix now and then, doesn't one?  And, Angie, the Warrior Dash certainly doesn't qualify :)!!!
This morning's Royal Marriage fit the bill quite nicely. And, to make things even better, Mom came over just after 5:00 with fancy tea cups (so what if we filled them with java instead of tea!), and English muffins. We sat together and enjoyed a very peaceful early breakfast and kept our own running commentary of all the different ensembles and head wear displayed. The bride was stunning, the flower girls were precious, and my inner princess is content and satisfied, shored up and ready to jump back into the world of soccer, boats, and bikes just in time for Isaac's 9th birthday dinner tonight!

Photo Disclaimer:
Please remember that it was early...just after 5:00 a.m.!  I came straight from sleeping in bed to the "telly"...hey we didn't attend the wedding, no need to get gorgeous!  Still, I loved making these memories with Mom this morning!

Memories of Spring Break... # 1

Spring Break has come...and gone. And I would have told you about it sooner, honest I would have, but we have had some major internet problems...like no internet at all at home, since the very day we got home from Spring Break.  So...be prepared for post palooza ( my fancy shmancy title for catching up on blogging!) Because, as any teacher or parent knows, MUCH happens in the life of a youngish family during April.
I make no promises of any kind that posts will be in any type of chronological order, only that I hope to write them!  Now, back to the topic of this one...Spring Break.

The heart of every child beats a little quicker at the mention of those two words..Spring Break...(pitter patter, pitter patter)  The heart of every teacher nearly goes into cardiac arrest (beep!beep!beep!) at the mere mention of Spring Break, we are so excited.  So imagine the atmosphere at our house, with two children and two teachers.  Gravity did not exist.  I should write a quick disclaimer right here ... we get this excited when we have somewhere to go. While we prefer a balmy destination, we are still rather content just to have a destination. Preferably with loved ones.  This year did not disappoint.

This year we went to Kentucky with our dear friends, the Grants, ( in case I've not previously introduced you all to them, these people are so special that our children consider each other cousins, and the terms Aunt and Uncle preceed the first names of all four adults to the corresponding kiddos. This being said, our kids do actually realize that they aren't biologically related, which is a good thing, because Isaac is betrothed to their only daughter, Kenna. Yes, that's right, we are very much in favor of arranged marriage.) We began the trip as soon as school let out Friday afternoon, as we could wait no longer to escape the cold and rain and see our friends. On the way we stopped in Indianapolis for dinner at Bob Evans with Kelly & Hoff ( my sis & brother-in-law).  Why Bob Evans you ask? (just pretend you asked, okay?) Because when I asked Grant to think of one thing he really wanted to do on Spring Break for fun, his answer was,"Let's go to a restaurant, like Bob Evans! Yeah! Let's go to Bob Evans!" The child is just so hard to please.
Then, it was onward to Louisville.

The beginning of our little vacation was spent with the families divided...Mike and Isaac went with Darin, Kohl, and Klay and some other friends to Red River Gorge near Lexington for some hiking and camping.  Angie and I opted to stay at her cousin's house in Louisville with Kenna, Kye, and Grant, sleeping in real beds with real showers, and familiarizing ourselves with nearby parks, cupcake shoppes, and gelato shops.  Mmmmm!  

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How His Mind Works...

In our family, we enjoy reading The Jesus Storybook Bible together before bed almost every night. If you are looking for a new Bible/devotional to use with your kids, I highly recommend this one... it was suggested to me by a friend, and my boys love it. It does great things for a mom's heart when her boys want to read "just one more, pleeease?"

We've gone through it a couple of times, and when we finish it, we just start back at the very beginning.  My hope and prayer is that as we read through this bible, the history and themes of God's Word will be carved into my boys' hearts and minds, and that they'll always know the depth of God's love for His children.

Woven into each of these stories the theme of a wonderful rescuer (Jesus) that will come, and then come again, to save the world.  Last night we read about the tower of Babel (taken from Genesis 11), and how the people tried to build the tower to reach up to Heaven, all with their own strength and power...without God.
The story goes on, as I'm sure you know, to talk about how God confused their languages and stopped their plans so that they would see their need for Him.  The last part of the story goes like this:
     "Because the way back to heaven wasn't a staircase; it was a Person.
     People could never reach up to Heaven, so heaven would have to come down to them.
     And one day, it would."

So, following the reading, I say to the boys,
   "How did Heaven come down to us? What day do you think that was?"
Grant's reply:
    "Saturday."

As you can see, the meaning and theme of these passages is seeping deep into his soul ;)  Still...I think I love how his mind works.

Happy Monday!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Yesterday the sun was shining.  Yesterday there was a carnival, and I ran...a lot. Yesterday is over.

Today it is raining. It is chilly, possibly even cold.  There is no carnival. I have not run yet, and who knows if I will muster enough energy to get up and do so.

BUT... I got another piece of pie from Mom and I got to eat it while sitting on her couch:)  My boys are playing war (the card game) with a very enthusiastic PopEd, and not getting into any trouble at all:)  The kiddos and I went to Grant's favorite spot The Chinese Buffet for lunch today, and while I find the quality of the cuisine lacking a bit, my boys were happy and I didn't have to clean up the kitchen this afternoon.  I took a nap before we walked over here.  Mike will be home at this time tomorrow.   So, while I began this note  with a crummy view on my day, once again my perspective has changed a bit during the writing process.
Although I still wouldn't mind if the the rain, rain would go away.
Just thought I'd share:)

I am NOT in Florida!!!

              So, my brother-in-law got married at Ft. Myers Beach at 3:30 today. A beach wedding...it's about 87 degrees there... one of my top two all time favorite places happens to be the beach...one of our best-ever family vacations as adults with children was at (just guess, I dare you!) yep,  the beach...Ft. Myers Beach, to be exact.
      My husband flew out yesterday... but when we booked his flight in January we just didn't think we could swing the cost of three more tickets for the rest of us. We were right, and I know in my heart that this was really the only financially responsible decision, something we are far too often not so good at making. I had every intention of handling this quietly and gracefully.
     Someday I will succeed at acheiving my good intentions. Not so with this trip. As the day grew ever nearer, I felt something akin to panic within me as time passed and I had not yet found any last minute deals that would get me and the boys to the beach for this wedding for a realistic amount of money. I have exhausted every option and made a Herculean type effort at finding a way to justify us going to Florida, and being able to do it on a dime. My friends and family are all quite aware of where I would like to be today, and have been quite gracious as they listen to my moaning and complaining ( By the way, thank you, my loved ones, for continuing to put up with me these days!) 
     Finally, I have resigned myself to the fact that Isaac, Grant, and I are spending this weekend in Indiana, and, as I oh-so-often make my children do when they are acting ungrateful about their circumstances, I have decided to do my best to focus on my blessings rather than on Florida's beaches. Bear with me as I perform self-therapy and list a few of them:

1. The sun is shining here in Indiana today, and the temperature is actually 20 degrees above freezing.
2. No one in this house is either running a temperature or vomitting!
3. It is the weekend of the elementary school carnival, giving the three of us an economical way to spend the afternoon and distract ourselves.
4. With my dear friend and running partner's help, I was able to run 45 minutes without stopping, then continue for about 40 more minutes with minimal walking, for my longest "run" ever...while her husband kept track of the kiddos and delivered gatorade and sport beans at that ever so crucial 45 minute mark.
5. Spring break is just around the corner, and I get to spend it with another fabulous friend, one of my kiddos, and a couple of hers, while our husbands take the older boys on a big hiking/camping trip.
6. A youth from our church came over this morning to work at cleaning up my back yard because I  purchased his time and effort at a labor auction last spring that helped him go on a missions trip to Honduras. I hate cleaning up leaves and debris in the spring when I want to plan my flowers and landscaping.
7. I have not recently experienced a tsunami, and feel fairly confident I do not live in a  tsunami danger zone.
8. My children are currently spending a couple hours at a friend's house, and I get to blog and mindlessly surf the internet while they are gone.
9.  My mom purchased one of my all-time favorite types of pie @ the aforementioned carnival, and beofre I plugged myself in to the computer I enjoyed pie and coffee while I leafed through my brand-new BH&G magazine, alone.
10. My wonderful husband will be home on Monday...not even a week, month, or year from when he left. To all you women who have military husbands or husbands that are in a line of work that keep him away a lot, way to be strong! I am a pretty big wimp, and I miss my man.

Those were the first 10 blessings that came to my mind...and as I wrote them I realized I could keep going on, and on, and on...so although I am NOT in Florida, I am also NOT suffering the way I may have made it seem in the past days and weeks. Thanks for bearing with me as I used this spot in cyberspace as a little bit of therapy and a little bit of a reality check.
Have a great Sunday tomorrow:)

A Sick Day = Unexpected Opportunity

Yesterday I posted on this blog for the first time since its launch date in 2008...I spent much of the day experimenting with fonts, colors, backgrounds...you know, things that are much more important than laundry, mopping, dinner....

Throughout the day I realized, as I later posted, that I am finding this to be rather enjoyable and may need to give myself a time/frequency limit for this new activity. I really think this is indeed going to be required, as I find myself sitting at the computer even now. Tuesday is a teaching day for me...so I should really be at school actively playing dodgeball and hula hoop freeze tag with my students. And that was the plan, really! You see, last night, Grant looked like this:

Happily playing a game of SORRY! before bed with the rest of us...

Today, however, he looks like this:

The poor little guy has an ear infection and a temperature of 102...thus resulting in a trip to the doctor's, a stop at the pharmacy for antibiotics, and a pitiful little boy on the couch not feeling well at all. Going to the doctor's office entails a  35-40 minute 1-way trip, plus wait time and appointment time.  Therefore, having any kind of chunk of time to be truly productive today is pretty much shot.  At least that's the excuse I'm using for why I'm spending my time on this blog rather than doing the housework I ignored yesterday. Grant may not agree, but I'm labelling his sick day an "Unexpected Opportunity!" Do you think he'll be proud of me for finding the silver lining in his cloud? I suppose he may have appreciated me bringing him juice and toast a little more... Doc says he'll be home

tomorrow as well ~ maybe I can redeem myself as a mother then!  Then again, maybe I'll go see if my boy needs that juice now.