The long run.....

So for the first time in a long time (think months or years) I ran 6 miles today. 2 of them were intervals (fast sprints followed by walking). I had forgotten how much I love running. Diana and I ran up the canyon and it was cold but it a beautiful crisp early winter day. Then I went running tonight with Eric. I was a bit sore but the endorphins were amazing. I felt invigorated. I started to think about how muscles only grow when you stretch them (ouch). Later tonight I read a blog of close friend going through a very trying time. I was struck by the similarities in life. Only when we stretch spiritually and emotionally do we truly grow. Just like running, it's painful. Some of the most painful times my life have led to the greatest periods of growth and the struggles I face on an on-going basis slowly add strength and faith to my life.

Amaze

Amaze: To fill with wonder. To show or cause astonishment.

Things that amaze me....
~Modern technology
~Cedar's vocabulary
~Eric's ability to plan and execute activities, lesson plans, workshops etc.
~Babies
~The number of times in a day parents (!) call their kids' cell phones while the children are in class!
~Running Water
~A child learning to read
~You can be married to someone for nearly 9 years and still learn new things about them everyday.
~Faith
~People who believe e-mail forwards.
~The human body
~Animals
~The human capacity to love
~The internet
~GPS
~Texting. Really it just frightens me. I'm incapable.
~The creativity of young minds

My so-called life

So, it has been a crazy couple of days and I wanted to just write a list of things I've learned in the last couple of weeks. Free-style so to speak......
-Children can and will change their minds constantly--this only gets worse after puberty.
-I have the cutest nephews and nieces in the world. No really, I do.
-Even big kids needs parents.
-It is possible to survive a 9-10 hour car ride with a bored 6-year-old. Possible....but not pleasant.
-Even if your parents don't live in the house you grew up in (or even lived in ever), visiting them is still like coming home.
-Women (I can say this as I'm one of them) who only have one child can become extremely neurotic about that one child. True story.
-Never underestimate the number of songs a group of 12 year old girls can sing from memory. And never, encourage them to sing them. Ever...
-You can never be too careful when watching your kids or any kids for that matter.
-Family are the best friends of all (cheesy I know)
-Little girls and little boys are not the same--they're just not.
-Never disconnect the wireless in a home. Never, never, never.
-There are several (at least 2) fast food establishments that find it acceptable to put processed cheese on tacos. I'm not kidding. And yes, it's nasty. very, very nasty. TVP might also be an ingredient. Such a disgrace to the taco!
-It's very exciting to watch your child learn to read and write. Very tender.
-There are some people in the world for whom rules and regulations are unchangeable, final and omniscient. I don't like these people and generally they cannot or will not deal with me.
-Most things are nowhere near as big a deal as I think they are at the time. They just aren't.
-Life is good.

Lucille Bal, Raggedy Ann and Me

Yes, it's red. It was masterfully hennaed (new word) but Bobb, Annette and Shelbi and I love it!

Recently got a full set of teeth.....

So, after several hours of agony (somehow I missed the fact that getting a bridge involves having two perfectly good teeth whittled down to nubby stubs-ouch!) I got my temporary bridge soon to be followed by a beautiful (read: expensive) porcelain bridge. It is so weird to not have my retainer anymore and not have a big whole in my smile! Woo-hoo. It's great!

I swallowed my tooth

It's true. There I was sitting eating a lovely black bean and cheddar cheese quesadilla on rice tortilla when I noticed my artificial tooth that has been a dear friend of mine for over 15 years now was missing. It was nowhere to be found. A few weeks ago the tooth part became disconnected (okay it broke) from the retainer part and I have been wearing it by carefully placing the tooth (which has a small metal stick attached to it) on top of the retainer and then putting it in my mouth. A real trick! But alas, it is gone-lost to my digestive system. I'm hoping that it doesn't get lodged somewhere in my digestive system. Please tell me that can't happen. Eric thinks I should try to recover it (don't think about that too much) but I think it is time to let go. He's been a good tooth but he's gone now. Tomorrow I must find a dentist who will agree to make me another flipper and not a bridge or an implant (very spendy). sigh.....

It's Official the once Yearbook Editor is now the Yearbook Adviser

It is official. I'm now the proud adviser of over 20 eager students who in the course of the next 8 months will create a 56-page full-color yearbook. I'm pretty sure that I have bitten off far more than I will want to chew but I have a passion for yearbooks (i'm weird) and the kids are just so darn excited about the whole thing! This will be the first year that Walden School has a "real" yearbook. We have the challenge of creating something meaningful for 275 students Kindergarten through 12th grade. I have already vetoed some less than stellar ideas (bubble theme?) but I have been amazed at the creativity my students have shown already in their attempts to come up with a theme and book cover. I can't wait to see what they come up with!