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.  

In my next 30 years!

When Carter was first born someone much wiser than myself told me that the days are long, but the years are short.  Well, maybe not exactly in that same verbage, I'm sure it was much more eloquent.  Either way, this last month has flown by and so much has changed.  Carter lost his first tooth, he can swim independently in deep water without being rescued, and has managed to buck the old training wheels on the bike.  Oh, and I almost forgot, he got up on water skis at Trinity Lake all by himself.   Please ignore my screaming when you watch the video.

Upon reflecting on our activities this last month, I think I know how July may have seemed to speed away from us.

1) Overnight 4th of July "camp-out" at the Thamer's and Hilton's.

2) Trinity Lake/Mud Pond two night camping extravaganza with friends.

3) Family Movie Date Night to Planes: Fire and Rescue. 
4) Weekend of resealing patios and restaining porch.
5) Numerous weeknight dinners with friends.
6) Countless swim afternoons at family pools.
7) Mom's two night stay in San Fran - A nice Italian Restaurant now features a "JoyNess" cocktail.

7) Mom's Dirty Thirty Mud Run and mini Mt. Shasta vacay.

8) Maybe, just maybe, a few naps.

Reflecting on turning 30, the days are often long, but I do feel that the years are short.  I feel like I'm an "old soul" and that age is just a number.  I sure hope that my next thirty years are as blessed as my first thirty.  In another thirty years, I hope that I will have raised two sons who go out to make their own mark in the world in a positive way.  I hope they will fall in love with their soul mate, their work, their life.  In another thirty years, I should be nearly celebrating 40 years of marriage with my husband.   Maybe a few grandkids?  We'll own our home.  Maybe retired?  Grey hair and wrinkles.  30 more marathons run.   I will have completed an Ironman Triathlon, and caught a few more stamps on the old Passport.  I will have worked each day in all that I do to make the world a little better.  The days are long, and the years are short, but the decades are opportunities.

Shirtless Wonder

Just yesterday I pondered where the month of June had gone.  Apparently she never visited my blog.  The school year closed a week later than usual, we went to South Lake Tahoe for cousins' week, I started in as a principal, and that's about all she wrote.

Sometimes when perusing Facebook or Pinterest I get stuck on cheesy quotes.

 - Smile and the world smiles back.  (Not on a beach in South Lake Tahoe when two dogs try to rip your quads off, and the owner starts yelling at you for yelling at his dogs.)

- Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.  ( Try that on the last day of your teaching career while a slideshow plays and a song about kids being heroes accompanies the images.)

On the way to clean out the coop.

- Every Damn Day - Just do it.  - Except in the case of trying to entice your boys to clean out the chicken coop - AGAIN.

Or my personal favorite:  - What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?  (Certainly not allowing my five-year old to be rescued by the life guard at the pool because he felt he couldn't fail at jumping in when I wasn't watching.   OORRRR  Teaching my three year old to take his own shirt off, because he's now a shirtless wonder in most circumstances.)

This blog is a little random and that's about the speed of my brain these days.  Every damn thing must be entered into my calendar with an alarm to remind me, or I'm screwed.  Because I know this, I'm constantly second-guessing my calendar accuracy and then have anxiety I will forget something.  Between hoeing the pumpkin BY HAND TWICE, working at a new job, being a mom, and trying to not feel overwhelmed, I feel scattered.  I'll hit my groove soon, but until I do there's gonna be a few washboard bumps along the way to finding that path.  Which leads me to another quote.  .  .

- Every journey begins with a single step.  (Yes, but sometimes that step is backwards and your journey gets delayed, or perhaps you step in bubblegum and you get stuck, or perhaps you step into a pile of sh** and you then have to wash your shoes or clean up the mess, or perhaps you step into .  .  .)

Although some things have to be put on the calendar, it is often the most unplanned events that turn out the best.  This last Sunday we hiked into East Boulder Lake after toying around with the idea for a few days.  Upon finally making our decision around 10am, we were off.  Carter hiked in and out the whole way by himself and Miles did about 1/4 of the journey.

The boys kept saying how "beautiful" everything was.  Of course Miles started out the shirtless trend at the lake and everyone got sunburned, but it might have been the milky white skin that attracted the two fish we caught.

Summer Vacation is in full swing and so far our list of experiences is high:
1) Trip to South Lake Tahoe for Cousins' Week
2) Swimming at Mema and Papa's pool and the city pool
3) Horse Riding lessons
4) Hiking into a mountain lake
5) Daddy's fishing trip to Astoria Oregon
6) Purchased a more family friendly vehicle
7) Helped mom move into her new office
8) Hoed and hoed and hoed the pumpkin patch
9) Backyard barbeques
10) Mom's annual cross country racing series





Where did June go you say?  I think she took a step on her journey onto a horse and into the mountains.  I think she's getting in a few training runs before July hits. .  .