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