Will Ski for Cocoa!

I usually get a little weepy when it's time to take the tree down each year, but when your tree goes up before Thanksgiving the transition is a little easier.  The lights are still up outside, but the only trace of Christmas in the house is my display of cherished holiday cards from friends and family, a bit of a Christmas scented candle, and the five pounds around my middle.

The three weeks of school in December were really wonderful.  Our PTO decorated each classroom door, the hallways were full of holiday student artwork, there were wonderful student concerts, a schoolwide Ugly Sweater Day, an excellent entry in our hometown Christmas parade, and a full staff Christmas Concert.  The true magic of the season could be found within the walls of FJE
and the hearts of every Bulldog.

The weekend before break I entered into the local Ugly Sweater Run and won the women's six mile despite a nasty cold and an upset tummy resulting in not one but three vomit sessions.  The first day of break found us at Miles' Winter Dance recital and the Mt. Shasta Ski Park.  Miles learned how to ski in the morning, and stole the show in the evening.

He then went on for a repeat performance of "Marshmallow World" the next afternoon and followed that up with another day of skiing.  This was all in preparation for our short post-Christmas weekend at Mt. Bachelor.  The kid was an absolute natural.  Ski, hot cocoa, nachos, repeat.

The boys are very blessed and had a wonderful Christmas.  Letters arrived from Santa before Christmas and both boys were very happy to find out that they had made the "nice" list.  That status wavered closer to the 25th and next year I hope that Santa doesn't send out his confirmation letters quite so soon.  None the less, Carter's favorite gifts were Lego sets and Miles' favorite gifts were the Whoopie Cushions which Santa gave to both boys in their stockings.  Mom and Dad's favorite gifts were Carter's ability to put together Lego sets ALL BY HIMSELF, and when not one, but TWO Whoopie Cushions broke before Christmas dinner.

For the first time in my life, I was able to enjoy a simple Christmas Dinner.  All my years growing up, I don't really think I truly appreciated the efforts my parents went to in order to prepare a very nice and fancy Christmas dinner.  Delicious food, nice table setting, all cooked and cleaned up.  Last year I did it at my own home.  The whole shebang.  It was an enormous amount of work and was over within a few minutes.  The memories lost.  I bet NOONE in this family remembers what we ate.  This year, after a splendid Christmas Eve dinner, and weeks of feasting, I decided to work smarter and not harder.  It was homemade Mac and Cheese with (gasp) Velveeta.  In an effort to not completely fall off the wagon, they also had a side of Holiday grapes.  I did serve the Christmas dinner on real plates and the boys enjoyed their apple cider in real champagne glasses.  It was all blissfully delightful.

The next day we met up with my mom and sister in Sunriver and spent two days skiing at Mt. Bachelor.  I'm sure glad I prepped Miles with two days at Shasta before this trip.  Both boys did really, really, great.  Carter and I closed the lifts down one day and I'm pretty sure that Miles finished off the hot cocoa machine the next.  We all felt very blessed that Carter and Miles were able to ski with their grandma.  Both boys (as well as Bradley and I) think their Nene is pretty darn cool.  Even if they do love to sing to her the song about Grandma getting run over by a reindeer.

Looking back over this last month, maybe it is a little sad the tree is down and another Christmas is over.  Here's to hoping for another Christmas filled with Whoopie Cushions and Velveeta!

Fake Potatoes and Ugly Sweaters

Thanksgiving went off without a hitch.  The 10th annual Scott Valley Schools' Turkey Trot was a huge success and we had more participants than ever.  This year Carter and Bradley ran/walked the three mile together and Miles joined in with Wyatt and Finn.  Both boys took a nice pre-Thanksgiving dinner nap as a result  In an effort to work "smarter not harder" I contributed to the annual Isbell Thanksgiving with some "instant" mashed potatoes.  I doctored them up with Organic Chicken Broth and a lot of butter.  Nobody even noticed and I saved myself a lot of time and potato peelings.

It's now December 7th and the holiday season is off with a bang.  Our annual tree hunting this year actually yielded a bit of snow and sledding.  This year the boys could have cared less about the tree and were intent to go all-out on their sled runs.

We were supposed to have a full-family holiday photo shoot but I had the stomach flu and Vanessa ended up with Pneumonia.  The boys and my mom had a nice time and the photographer got some great shots.  Our old girl Maggie even managed to sneak in for a few photo ops.


The tree is up, house is decorated, and the boys mailed off their letters to Santa.  Carter wasn't too sure of my new method of letter this year.  I made them ask Santa for something to wear and something they needed.  As both of these categories do not consist of toys, it came as a bit of a shock to the boys.  However, Carter recovered quickly when he realized that he both needed and could wear a new pair of ski pants.

This weekend I hosted my staff for our 1st annual Ugly Sweater Party and it was a huge hit.  I can't wait for next year.  As we move forward with the holiday season, I hope to get less overwhelmed with the lists and must-dos and take time to enjoy each and every day.  The magic of the season is upon us, I've already weathered the stomach flu, so let's just hope no one argues with instant potatoes at Christmas Eve.

Concrete Jungles Where Dreams are Made

Following the end of soccer season and a rousing Halloween Parade, I left school on a Friday afternoon and raced to the airport.

After a red-eye into Newark, I departed the plane with a rolling suitcase and a dead iPhone.  One to use my resources, I had indeed packed my iPad.  Looking ever like the tourist, I grabbed my tablet, asked Siri a few questions, and rolled along with my suitcase onto a train and then the Subway.  As it was only 6am the morning after Halloween, I was able to get a few pre-race warm-ups in whislt hurdling over drunks in full-costumes who spent the early morning in Subway tunnels.  Thankful for my tablet, I was able to pop up out of the Subway, and land right in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral.  The iPad guided me to Rockefeller Plaza where I took out the sign my afterschool program made for me, and walked up proud and center onto the Today Show.  Those that know me well, know how much I wanted to be the next Today Show cohost in my youth.  However, that's many years and a stuttering impairment behind me.  As I held my sign in the rain and asked skeptical tourists to take my photo with my tablet, I'm sure I also blew the producers away with my red-eye hairstyle and smudged makeup.  I'm still trying to figure out why I haven't been called back to sub for the hosts.  Luckily, I did make it onto the show and several folks back home were able to see.

While experiencing the Today Show I made friends with a runner, her sister, and nephew.  In retrospect, it wasn't a good idea, but I did accept their offer for a ride to race expo.  The expo was unbelievable and I was able to get an autographed copy of Kathrine Switzer's book.  Google her.  Amazing.  Still hauling my rolling suitcase and using my tablet, I made it to the Upper West Side to my loaned apartment.  Incredible.  Out of a movie.  Perfect.  I spent a few hours sleeping and organizing my race items for the next morning.  I met up with Vanessa, her friend Jerzy, Niki, and Kelli for dinner at a nice Italian place.  Before retiring to bed, the Nash girls and I did make an attempt to get to the roof of the building.  Our efforts failed, but it was then I realized the howling winds.  .  .

I awoke at 4am the next morning and dressed in as many layers as I could.  I hailed a cab and headed to the New York Public Library where I hopped on a bus to Staten Island.  After the bus ride I was herded into my corral.  Each corral was roughly the size of our county fairgrounds.  Inside of each corral was hot coffee, semi-trucks of bagels, and lots of porta-potties.  This was my new home for almost four hours.  Thank God I dug through Bradley's hunting supplies and was able to gather up some hand and foot warmers.  I have NEVER been so cold and miserable as I was waiting.

Soon it was time to bundle up the clothes that we needed at the finish line and put them into our bags.  At this point we entered our running chutes and waited another hour.  Before the start we walked up to the bridge and awaited the guns.  Running across the Verranzano Narrows we faced 20+ mph headwinds and an amazing view.  I won't bore you with every twist and turn of the course but know the energy was palpable.  There wasn't a spot past mile two that the crowds were not three-ten people deep.  I was lucky enough to spot my sister and Jerzy twice along the course.  It was hard and I felt great.  I pulled a rookie move and bought a newer (smaller) Garmin at the Expo.  It worked great, but I couldn't see my overall time.  I knew I was close to my BQ goal of 3:35, but I didn't know how far back I had started.  If I wouldn't have stopped to use the potty, I think I would have made it.  From mile 18 on, my legs killed me.  I honestly don't remember the last two miles.  As soon as I crossed Bradley called and I remember asking my time, because I honestly didn't know.  Crushed that it was 1 min 23 seconds too slow for a BQ, but completely overwhelmed by emotion.  It sounds simple, but it was incredible.  The entire experience.

After I finished, it took me two hours to make it back to the apartment.  One hour was spent walking through the finish chute to get my bag.   I couldn't get a cab, so I had to ride in a pedi-cab back to the apartment.  Thankfully, my sister ordered me some hot soup, which followed by a hot shower made for a nice nap.  Dinner and drinks with Ness, Jerzy, and the girls made for a delightful evening.  We made it to a bar that happened to be directly across the street from my cousins' apartment. More fun was had with them, but I dont' recall a lot after that point.  All I know is that my legs stopped hurting.

The next morning I packed up my things into my rolling suitcase and hailed a cab to the Battery.  Although I'd seen it before, my breath was still taken away by the Statue of Liberty.  From there I walked a few blocks up towards the Freedom Tower and the 9/11 memorials.  The memorials were incredibly moving.  At this point it was time to begin the journey home.  All I can say is that I want to do it all over again.  It was simply AMAZING.

The week ended with parent/teacher conferences.  Carter is doing an amazing job academically in school and is a friend to all.  Bradley and I were proud parents.  We only get this life once.  Grab it, enjoy experiences, run away with opportunities.  Concrete Jungles to mountain landscapes.  We are so blessed in this life of ours.  All of us.

Two Heads are Better Than One!

It's been a month where Bradley and I both got to experience single parenting for a few days.  We've each had the kids on our own before overnight, but never with school age kids, who are playing "sports".  Come to find out, Bradley's not too great at remembering to feed the kids their lunch AND working the pumpkin patch at the same time.  I also failed when I got home in a rainstorm and realized I needed to place 60+ pumpkins for school kids AND our portable tent/canopy had been destroyed by said rainstorm.  Thank goodness my new principal colleague is pretty amazing, strong enough to dismantle portable canopies, and lives very close.

Backpacks, dinner, school folders, bathing, stories, bedtime, breakfast, packing snacks, making lunches, starting a fire, doing the chores - it's all a lot harder solo.  I know a lot of happily married people who survive just fine with a spouse who works away or odd hours, but I fail at this.  I need my husband.  I appreciate him.  However, when he's not here to do the early morning chores before we leave for school, I have a pretty awesome five year old.  Each morning Bradley was gone, Carter popped up right out of bed, slapped his headlamp on, and took off for the chickens, chicks, and the horse.  Rain, nor damp fog could deter this worker.  He even gave up his morning ritual of chocolate milk and iPad time on the couch.

Although we were both gone from each other, Bradley's trip was not for fun.  I however, got to participate in the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco.  Turns out, my new weight routine has paid off in the gym.  .  .  I beat out 26,850 other women.  Yep - 150th out of 27,000.  Chip timed and everything.  I could actually see Joan Benoit Samuelson and Shalene Flanagan from the start.  I take off this Friday to run the NYC marathon along with 50,000 other runners.  I'm not usually so self-indulgent/lucky.  The Nike was a fluke deal to get into, and NYC has been in the bag for two years.

We're closing the month out with the most successful pumpkin patch to date.  The boys have decorated their gingerbread haunted house, tried out the costumes, and carved their own pumpkins.  Funny how you own a pumpkin patch, but forget to pick your own kids' pumpkins until the last day.  Sorry guys.

This week will see the end of both soccer and the first quarter of the school year.  Time flies when you're having fun.  If your significant other is around to help that is.

Lifelong Learners

Being involved a bit in education, I've always been a big believer in making lifelong learners out of kids.  You want children to have an intrinsic desire to seek knowledge and answer those higher order thinking level questions.  The goal is to embed this concept and have it carry on throughout life.  As a parent, I've come to accept that my own sons may be lifelong learners, but without the correct information.  In fact, I've started believing we've failed at this already.

Case in point.  Mr. Merrihew is Carter's fantastic Kindergarten teacher.  He's silly, fun, smart, tall, and Carter loves him.  It's pretty nice working as a principal at the school your kid goes to because you get an inside view of it all.  This last week Mr. M. shared with me that he had a picture up of Johnny Appleseed and he asked the kids if he knew who he was.  Carter's hand shot up with great confidence.  When called on, Carter stated that it was a picture of Jesus.  "Well, not exactly Carter," continued Mr. Merrihew, "but he was a really nice man who planted trees all over".  Up goes the hand again with much conviction.  "It's God."  "No, Carter, it's Johnny Appleseed".  Apparently, Carter's been studying up on his biblical knowledge more than traditional folklore.

In addition to not helping our children become accurate lifelong learners, we also learned to take a slice of humble pie this month.  For several weeks our black laying hen was nowhere to be found.  We assumed the worst and explained to the kids that she had been eaten by predators.  This was not enough information for Miles.  He insisted for weeks that the black chicken was just under the porch.  Soon he had his brother on his bandwagon, and they both insisted that the hen in question had in fact been seen. We insisted in our parental ways and ignored the blossoming truth.  Sure enough, one Thursday evening out came the hen with five little baby chicks.  Turns out the rooster left his legacy before Bradley had shot the poor bas**** a month prior.  We're just praying the chicks aren't roosters.

Moving from the spiritual, to the natural, onto the sports realm.  Along with inaccurate lifelong learners, and denial skills, it also turns out we didn't teach our kids proper sportsmanship.  The first game of the season found Carter cartwheeling (mind you it looked more like a cat hopping out of water) across the field after he scored a goal, and Miles throwing a fit when he ran as hard as he could and no one would "give the ball" to him.  Great - ly - embarrassed!!

The week only got better when Carter decided to open his own vegetable stand at the pumpkin patch.  Not satisfied with simply helping his parents sell pumpkins, he wanted to make his own money.  The kid woke up early Saturday and Sunday to pick tomatoes and bell peppers.  He hired on his brother and friend Macey to help.  Open and Closed (in case he had to go to the restroom) signs were made.  I know what you're thinking.  This is great!  He's working hard and ambitious to make the money.  Yes, that's all true.  All was well and good until I heard his prices.  Depending on the customer he was able to bring in between $1 to $3 PER TOMATO!  Add in overinflated sense of monetary compensation to our list of inaccurate lifelong learning skills.

All joking aside, I'm so proud of my boys.  They're hard workers like their daddy.  They pay attention to details like their momma, and they're just a bit competitive.  Apart from working on correctly identifying the main characters in biblical history and folklore - I'd say they rate up there pretty high.  Lifelong learners take a lifetime to cultivate.

Work Hard Play Hard!

I barely got a post finished in August before a fun-filled Labor Day weekend was over.  The timing is quite perfect as August was a month which balanced fun and labor.  Prepping for school to start, enjoying riding new bikes, purchasing school supplies, fun at the fair, more prepping for school.  Enjoying Lake Siskiyou and the first week of school before finally enjoying a weekend at the Oregon Coast with friends.  It was truly a month in which the last few breaths of summer were savored and much work was put into preparing for a new school year.  Bradley was also hard at work on the fires hauling waste for over 30 days straight.  A new school year as a principal and also as parents of a Kindergartener.  School rules and purchasing backpacks.  Handbooks and new shoes that tie up.  Policies and new lunch boxes.  

As the month rolled out Carter really mastered his new bike.  In fact, he's my new pacer.  Many runs this month were spent with Carter hammering out the miles in front of me as I pushed Miles.  It's pretty gratifying to have your five year old ask you, "Can we just do one more mile Mom?".

This year's fair found Miles a bit too short for the big boy rides, and Carter more than willing to try anything - including the drop ride.  In between working it was fun to take the boys shopping for new clothes and school supplies.  Mornings were also spent on horseback at Ms. Lauren's for riding lessons.  We even managed an afternoon at Lake Siskiyou with friends.  Perhaps the highlight of the month was a repeat of the backyard movie night with Wyatt and Finn.  

The first week of school was very successful.  Carter loves Kindergarten and I love being the principal.  Everyone has adjusted well and as long as the smoke clears out soon I think we'll be even happier.  

This past weekend we were able to sneak away to Bandon for crabbing with friends.  It was the perfect ending to our month of labor and fun.  Turns out crabbing is a lot of fun and a lot of work.  From the rigging to the eating - it was a mixture of work and play.