Thanksgiving!
Such a great Thanksgiving week. We split our time between home and Breckenridge, and it was just about perfect. Mom and I cooked, I'd already made the pies, and my sister-in-law brought the lovely mashed potatoes. We keep holidays pretty casual 'round here: as in... roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, and get down to the business of hanging out and eating. Hope yours was equally wonderful.

Carver making his "stupid" face while Lily poses perfectly. Z, not paying attention at all, spoons up more potatoes. David is in the background shooting daggers at me for taking pictures while he waits to eat.

Ahhh, there's that winning smile.

Back in Breckenridge, at our favorite sledding hill. The weather was gorgeous. Tons of snow. Lots of fun.

Thankful

Ahhhh, it's just a few days before Thanksgiving. It's one of my most favorite holidays. Despite the dark mornings and evenings and colder weather, I do love this time of year. The 8 weeks between Halloween and Christmas. It's exciting and busy and packed with activities. We have plenty to do and still carve out plenty of time to do nothing.

This year we have much to be thankful for. I am so, so thankful for good doctors and the scientists who discover new medication. I'm thankful for those people who have gone before us and been in medication trials--to have gone through the side effects and reported them so we can know what to expect. I'm thankful for technology that is constantly on the cutting edge of finding cures for diseases and illness, that get us one step closer to having health and wellness. I'm thankful for a medication that has Lily feeling the best she's felt in years. We are beyond grateful. We are humbled.

I am also grateful to be Zinabu's second mom. We just celebrated his 10th birthday, and every day that he grows a little bigger and I get a little closer to the day that I have to let him go to be his own person, I am so thankful for today. Thankful that I still have time with him. Thankful he still lets me snuggle him and kiss his curls.

I'm thankful for my legs and feet, that continue to carry me through long, hard runs. I'm thankful for my marriage that is the hardest and most rewarding relationship of my life. I'm thankful for friends and food and shelter. We had a pipe leak from our kitchen to our basement, and it wreaked havoc on our drywall and carpet. We're talking thousands of dollars of damage. But it happened the same week that the typhoon struck the Philippines, and all I could do was be grateful that we still had so much.

So much. Ridiculous amounts of so much.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Forgetful
Would you believe me if I told you I actually forgot about my blog? Pathetic, but sincerely true. I've been coasting along these days and have remembered some amazing things, but the blog has not been one of them. I've remembered appointments and bills and birthdays and laundry and maintaining everyone's sanity, yet the little ol' internet gets put on the back burner. Sorry about that.














We've had a great fall. Carver's first high school cross country season was spectacular. We watched him grow and mature in ways I wasn't even expecting. And he's a good runner. I'm secretly thrilled that he's falling in love with the sport. So much so we're running a half marathon together in just a few weeks. This photo is Carver with some of his teammates, and they have become tight, tight friends. High school is hard--not gonna' lie. The homework is ridiculous, the hours my extroverted child puts in at school between student government and sports is exhausting, and the new responsibilities are frightening. And yet, it is such an exhilarating time of life for Carver I am completely thrilled for him.

Lily is continuing to enjoy doing school from home. It just plain works for her. I love the freedom she feels with her online homeschool program, and I like that she's learning at her own pace and speed. She's able to work way ahead whenever she wishes, and she does. There are other days that she slows down, which is exactly what she needs, as well. Her health is stable, and for that--above all--I am grateful, grateful, grateful.

Zinabu is turning into a little man, and my heart is breaking a bit each day as I watch my youngest grow up too quickly. It feels unfair that the years go by so fast, but that I have him in my life at all is a blessing of the greatest magnitude--how can I complain? He turns 10 today! And he's celebrating by taking a train trip to Seattle with David. They are off on their grand adventure, and he was the most excited child. Ever. I think he loves travel. I think it's going to be a big part of his life.

As for me, I'm just hanging on for the ride. That's how it feels most days. I'm still working part time and still living most days in my van. I'm still happy to get a run in first thing in the morning, and I'm grouchy when I don't get enough sleep. I feel a bit frozen during this period of mothering--frozen in the sense that I'm stuck in the busiest years of parenting and unable to contribute much to anything else. There are days I feel bad about that. I read about all the amazing things my friends are doing in their lives and I don't come close to their philanthropy or brilliance. But I'm here for my kids when they need me, and for now that's exactly where I should be.

 



 

Under Water
So... the last few weeks have been interesting. Between the weather apocalypse and the back-to-school apocalypse, I feel a little unnerved. I'm pleased to say that I've stayed on top of 9th grade, 7th grade, 4th grade, my job, and every single form, paper, article of homework, lunch, school supply, meeting, appointment, and general there and back drop off and pick up. One of these days I'm going to institute a medal of honor for parents and caregivers who get their students to graduation. It's real life, people. No joke. And I'm not even the teacher. The kids are surviving, enjoying, and dealing with their respective schools and responsibilities. I've declared the 2013-2014 school year to be "The Year I Let Them Fail"--as in, they forget it or lose it or misplace it or don't do it so be it. Apparently it's all the rage among child psychologists, so I'm seeing what happens in our sweet cherubs' lives when it hits the fan here at home. To be fair, I'm not that much of a helicopter parent, but I've done my fair share of rescuing at times. No more. Hear my battle cry to my children: Go out there and mess up! It's good for you!

As for the weather, well... I feel that Colorado has been given the raw end of the deal this year. I'm sure you'd agree. We're pretty speechless. It runs the spectrum of totally horrified by the loss of life to selfish tantrums over trails and parks washed away in the blink of an eye. I feel trapped in the house after days and days and days of rain. Heavy, scary rain. Rain that is so loud it drums on the roof for hours without letting up. I ran this morning in the dark, damp, muddy, splattered neighborhood and felt sick and tired of it all. This is a catastrophe that will take years to recover from. There just aren't enough words.

Things that make me smile, though, include Zinabu at the dinner table trying to talk in a British accent. He's terrible at it and it is precious. Carver's constant hugs and late night talks with me about life. Lily's health and peace and continued love of dogs. There is still good in the world. I'll keep embracing it.

 

Pre Z



I realized this week I've reached a marvelous point in our lives. I have a very, very hard time remembering life before Zinabu. Of course I remember the baby, toddler, and young elementary school years with Carver and Lily, and I remember trips and holidays before he was with our family. But the day-to-day stuff. He's just so immersed in our lives, it takes my breath away to think there was a time when we thought two kids were going to be it for us.

 

This photo is three years old, but it's a delightful foreshadowing to the relationship Z and Lily were building. I'm convinced that when they are old and gray, they will be some of the only people that truly understand each other. Z gets Lily and has such compassion for her. And Lily--deep down--knows that he is her best friend. Yes, there are days when they are at each other's throats. But most days they stinking adore one another.

 

It is very difficult to remember a time when Lily was the baby of the family and not a big sister. She was born to be a big sister. She's crazy good at it. And how is it possible that Z was just a glimmer in our eyes when we were kicking the tires of the idea of a third child? How did we go from there to here?

 

I guess you could say our little family is part miracle.

Me and My Minivan

It's that time of year again when I spend half my day in my van. Lots of driving hither and yon, lots of sharing the radio and personal space, and lots of weird conversations with Zinabu. I just can't complain about any of it, because I know there will come a time in my life when I won't have this and I will miss it. This was our fist week of school, and I have to pat all of us on the back for surviving--especially Carver. My high-schooler.

He's done so much to set himself up for success and I couldn't be prouder, but the whole week has been overwhelming for both of us. Tomorrow is his first cross country event, so bless his heart he can't even sleep in. I think we're both running on adrenaline at this point.

Zinabu is content because there's not a lot of change for him. Last year was the new school jitters and having to make new friends and--this year is a breeze. He loves stability.

Lily has jumped into 7th grade with gusto. I'm extremely proud of her. Because she does an online homeschool program, she can work ahead if she desires... and she has. I'm thrilled to report that Lily is feeling great right now, and we are grateful to the tips of our toes that she's getting a respite from some tough medical issues.

I feel overwhelmed with joy over the blessings of my children. The good, the bad, and the ugly. We've walked through all of those seasons (as all families do) and it's amazing to see what we're made of. It's also tremendous to do the work of figuring out who my kids are meant to be and to support them as they navigate the dark tunnels of this world. The pressure to be who the world says they should be versus who they want to be. To teach them, as Einstein said, "Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."

I treasure these days.

Lightning Hopefully Won't Strike Twice

I've been off the grid for a few day because our house was struck by lightning and we lost a few electronics, including our internet service. Bummer. It's being fixed as I write this so I hope to be back in business soon! The Xbox did not survive. Carver is in the seven stages of grief right now.

What We're Reading

I just finished Wonder, and I can't say enough great, great things about it. Such a quick but deep read, and the main character... Oh. My. Goodness. Go get this book. GO GET THIS BOOK. Seriously, stop what you are doing right now and buy this book. Clear your schedule for 24 hours and read it. Commence weeping. Then, if your kids are old enough, read it with them and talk about it. We're reading it aloud at the dinner table right now. It's definitely a game-changer. It's the kind of book that everyone should read immediately.



















I just started Kathine Switzer's Marathon Woman and although I'm only 25 pages in, it's grabbed me. She's a very good writer, and you just gobble up each word. She's the woman we can all thank for starting and revolutionizing the women's running movement. She snuck her way into the Boston Marathon in 1967, was threatened with physical force to drop out, but she kept going. Whether you like running or not, I still think this book is a must-read because she paved the way for all women. I know I take for granted how accepted women athletes are today, but in her day that just wasn't the case. Women were told not to run--for fear their uteruses would drop out of their bodies or they would develop too many facial wrinkles. Whatever. But that was the prevailing attitude not so very long ago. So whether you run, play basketball, practice yoga, or stick with a workout DVD in your basement, you're riding the coattails of Switzer.

I confess I don't know what David's reading at the moment. I think he has an audio book going, which he falls asleep to each night. Probably the same chapter over and over.



















Carver is finishing up Lord of the Flies, which is another book he had to read this summer for school. A bunch of boys living on their own on an island. What's not to love?

Lily is reading some book about dog breeds... Sigh. I fear she will never break out of the animal care genre.

And Z is up to his neck in his favorites. He keeps rereading all his Rick Riordan books, but we're also reading Jennifer Murdley's Toad, and it's nice to have a book we can do together.





















Can't wait to hear about what's on your nightstand!

You ARE A Good Mom


See this photo of me? I love it, because it's proof that I can be a good mom sometimes. And there are days when I need concrete, solid proof--because a lot of the time the evidence points in the other direction.

The mountain of laundry that I willingly pass by every time I see the laundry room.
The fact that I haven't cooked a real dinner in 4 days.
The complaining from children that I am supposed to be raising with good attitudes.
The fact that school starts in a week and I haven't even rounded up school supply lists, let alone supplies.
The amount of TV that's happening here just to get me through the end of summer vacation.

All those plus more. Much more. Trust me.

So that photo? Taken by my friend Tesi when I was in Seattle and I was having a little face time with my kids. Don't I look delighted to speak to them? I know, right? It's right there in the photo. Joy and delight and happiness and giggles and love. It's so good to see, because I think we beat ourselves up way too much on a daily basis--I beat myself up on a daily basis--only remembering the negative. Wouldn't it be wonderful to hire a photographer to follow you around for a few days to capture a similar expression on your face? Cause you make that delighted face. You do! Maybe when your sleepy kiddo just rounds the corner into the kitchen while you're having your morning coffee, or when they make it down the slide at the park and look to you for approval, or even when you're just playing a board game and yukking it up together. If someone captured your face of pure delight over your kids, you could tuck that photo in your pocket and slip it out whenever you feel discouraged or less-than. Look at the proof in your eyes and smile that you are 100% in love with being a mom.

Because we are. We just need a reminder once in a while.

My New BFF

I've found a new friend. It's acupuncture. This photo is not me, but it's what my left foot looks like when I'm at an appointment. Turns out I really like it. Like, a lot. And trust me, I'm just as surprised as you.

My first appointment was amazing. I wasn't nervous; I was eager to get my heel fixed. I met with Hannah at the acupuncture clinic and she was literally cute as a button. I kinda wanted to hug her just for the fun of it. Super nice, put me at ease, didn't try to oversell me or claim to solve all my digestive problems with a few needles to my forehead. Instead, she really listened to me and agreed that I had "tried a lot" to solve my plantars fasciitis. She has treated other people with the same injury with mostly positive results. She didn't promise a miracle cure, but she said I was pretty likely to get major relief and hopefully kick this injury to the curb. She also said one treatment would not be a magic cure, but to plan on coming two or three times a week for a couple weeks and then tapering down.

After our consultation, she led me into the next room--the sign on the door said "Silent Room." It was full of overstuffed recliners, white noise, and blissed out people with needles in them. That's part of this clinic's philosophy--community care, available to everyone, affordable for everyone. To keep things affordable you sit in the same room as everyone else. But it was no different than pre-school nap time or getting a pedicure. Acupuncture doesn't need to be done in private.

Hannah told me to relax--which I did. I brought my ipod and listened to a podcast. She put about 20 needles in me, a lot on my left foot, a few on my left leg, and a handful of others on my arms and head. Even my forehead.

No, it didn't hurt. At all.
Yes, I felt the few needles around my ankle because it's just a more sensitive spot.  But they didn't hurt. More like a tiny twinge when they went in.

Hannah had told me that 20 minutes is the minimum amount of time she likes her patients to stay, but adding more time after that doesn't give you any more benefits. It's not like the longer you leave the needles in the better your results. However, it is so relaxing you could stay there all afternoon. No joke, the person next to me was sound asleep!  I told her 30 would be plenty for me, because I had to go home and make dinner. I then closed my eyes and just enjoyed not having to be anywhere or do anything. It went by way too fast!

So here's the crazy part: my heel felt amazing. No pain at all. And I continued to have no pain for another 24 hours. I did run, and it was a pain-free run. I tightened up after the run and was back to some heel pain after that, but not as bad as in the past.

I thought I should rest and not run at all during this time, but Hannah suggested I keep running a few miles at my normal rate to gauge how pain management is going.

I had another appointment yesterday and I have two more this week. I'm so optimistic that my heel will get better that I can almost taste it! And if it doesn't, I have to tell you I will still go for the occasional treatment because it really feels that good. So good it almost makes me not care when I hear Blurred Lines on the radio for the ten millionth time. Almost.

Today

I have an acupuncture appointment today. First time I ever wrote that sentence. I have a nagging running injury that I cannot get to leave me alone--despite stretching, resting, and icing. It's preventing me from increasing my mileage, which is not that big of a deal except with fall right around the corner and darker, colder mornings, I am more apt to stay in bed than get up and run. I need to sign up (read: pay money and therefore fully commit) for a longer race this winter to keep me in shape. I want to get rid of this injury, and I'm willing to try just about anything. So enter acupuncture. I'm oddly curious, not afraid of needles, and there's an open clinic here that allows walk-ins and a "pay what you can" philosophy. They ask for a donation between $15 and $35 per session. Their philosophy is that the more affordable the care, the more often you will get treatment.

I agree.

So at 3:00 today I'll be lying on a table with needles all over me. I'll let you know how it goes.

Today is also hair day for Lily. That means taking out braids (that have been in her hair way too long and her hair has certainly started to lock together), washing, moisturizing, and getting it into a new style. It's a 2 hour commitment at the least. I may need acupuncture on my fingers when it's all over.

Today, thankfully, is Friday. That means David can put to rest another crazy week of job insanity and hopefully rest a bit. He and Z have fun plans tomorrow, and I hope to play, rest, and read.

Today...
I feel grateful for the boys in my life.

David, Carver, and Zinabu. My awesome boys. Dude on the bench? I have no idea who he is.

Summer
It's my favorite time of year. That's a solid fact, right there.

I love summer. I love when my kids are home all day. I love hot weather--not just warm, hot. I love swimming and staying up late and popsicles and watching my kids figure out what to do when they're bored and going on vacation. I especially love the absence of cold, dark, freezing mornings and long days of little daylight and chilly temperatures. I'm so not down with that.

Our digs at Yosemite National Park. Let's hear it for tent 635!

This summer has been no exception. I've been able to run more. We took an epic road trip through 3 national parks. The kids are so self sufficient at a pool all I have to do is bring a good book for me and throw food at them every once in a while. Carver has a phone now and makes plans for himself constantly--he just tells me where and when. I watch the Today show. Lily and Zinabu are thrilled and over the moon to have no schoolwork. I confess I am on their side and feel just as happy. No reading logs to track, no field trip forms to pay for and sign, no driving to multiple school events for three different schools on the same day, no cleaning out mushy sandwiches from backpacks on Sunday night, no math tests or math homework (it's not a coincidence that I haven't cried a single tear since the last day of school and math homework).

As the kidlets have gotten older, school has become harder. It's almost a full-time job juggling their work, schedules, and needs. Homeschooling Lily (while definitely the best for her) just adds to the chaos. My house used to be clean, we used to rarely eat out, I used to mail out thank you notes on time and never, ever, ever paid a bill late. Things are different now. Paperwork piles up, a bill gets lost in the shuffle, appointments are made by the skin of our teeth, and Subway is our go-to meal when we won't be home at night.

I really miss when these babes of mine were all in the lower elementary grades, when school meant kissing them good-bye in the morning and afternoons meant playing at the playground until I had to go make dinner. Talk about living the dream!

So I approach August with trepidation and a little bit of nausea. School is going to kick into gear here in a few weeks--with Cross Country officially starting for Carver before that. I've got doctors appointments to make and school supplies to buy and schedules to figure out and meals to plan and last minute house projects I'd wanted to get done in May to actually start... I feel the panic creeping in and dread the homework and late nights.

Can I get a summer do-over?

Zinabu

Oh, my sweet Lord, where do I begin?


Um, this. Pretty much all the time.

Zinabu really hasn't changed in the past year. He is still super inquisitive and super talkative (that's a nice way of saying he has to process out loud with words every single thought that passes through his brain) and super particular about not drawing attention to himself. For example, he still won't wear clothes with any writing on them, lest someone look at him and try to read his T-shirt.

He is also hi.lar.i.ous. David and I, more often than not, can be found trying not to laugh out loud in his presence at the ridiculous things he says. Sometimes when he's trying to be funny, but lots of times when he's just making regular conversation.

He picked out Pringles for a reading reward at school. The boy loves him some salty snacks.

Zinabu has a sweet heart, though. This past year two of his good friends got into a little trouble at recess and he was sick to his stomach all night long thinking about it. He hated that they had made a bad choice, and he hated that his buddies were facing consequences. He hated the conflict and wanted peace on Earth right that very minute.

He is also waaaaaay more determined than I am. He doesn't like to give up easily, and there are times when I want to throw up my hands because I can't answer his question or figure out how to fix something that he refuses to let me quit. Case in point, this photo of him when we went hiking. We were in Yosemite and it was just the two of us on this hike and it went straight up for what felt like hours. My knees were screaming at me, and every twenty minutes or so I would say, "Zinabu, we should really turn around now." He would look at me like I had just suggested we eat snakes for breakfast and say, "Pleeeeeaaaasssseee, Mom, let's keep going. I really want to make it to the top." Thanks to him, we did.


Don't let that railing fool you. It was only there for about 15 yards, to keep people from

plummeting to their death off the ledge.

Zinabu loves to learn, and school is easy for him. I don't say that lightly (because I have two others who do not find school easy in the least) but I'm glad that school won't necessarily be a struggle for him. If his school switches to uniforms with writing on the shirts, then we've got problems.

Zinabu is a doll, loves to help, loves to make sure I'm not getting too tired, and loves one-on-one time with David or me. We work hard to give that to him, because it fills up his love tank to overflowing and yet it's such a simple thing.

Zinabu, I'm so torn! I love watching you grow up, but please slow down!

Lily

Lily. The middle child. The only girl. Easily frustrated with others. Passionate about certain issues. Wicked sense of humor. Shy.

Just. Like. Me.

Lily is pretty similar to me, and it means the things that bother her also bother me... but it also means that we can sometimes butt heads. This is real life, and I don't blame Lily for this. I blame my own faults and failures and immaturity. But this is also one of the parts of Lily I love the most. I grow as a mother every minute I'm with her. She makes me be the best I can be, and when I'm not willing to give motherhood my all, she is the mirror that reflects it back at me. We should all be so blessed to have a child like that in our lives.

This past year has been a rough one for Miss Lil. As Abraham Lincoln said, "The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise to the occasion." We are all rising to the occasion. Yes, there are days we want to pull the covers over our heads and pretend all problems can be solved with chocolate covered peanuts and denial, but most days we are fighting the good fight and are there for one another. I know Lily can do this. I wouldn't expect any less from this spitfire.

Lily at Sequoia National Park

Lily is going to be a 7th grader this fall, and she is an amazing 12 year old girl. While this year has been hard, many things remain unchanged. She. Loves. Animals. She's finally old enough to volunteer at the Humane Society, and once school begins this fall we will figure out some times for her to work there. She will continue with our district's online home school program, which allows her to be home as much as she wants, but also offers class days where she can attend P.E., art, music, and her regular subjects and just hang out with peers. She will also be in the same building where David's new job is going to be, and I think she's pretty excited about that.

Lily is my night owl. When I am yawning and crawling to bed, she is just getting going. She also loves her some bling. Hats, scarves, bracelets, and bling a-ding-ding.

Lily in the middle, literally and figuratively.

She is starting to notice that I am not so into the bling, and more than once has asked, "Are you going out like that?" (Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?) However, she is incredibly fun to shop for, and she is delighted by the smallest things.

Her favorite subject in school has turned from math to science. She's excited to see how things work and fit together, and having her do the bulk of her schoolwork at home now, I get to learn with her. I can't wait to see where her mind and interests take her, and even though she's growing up way too fast... I love the days she's home with me.

Just us girls.

Love you, Miss Lil.

Carver



Carver after his 8th grade graduation





Seeing how I haven't blogged in months and months, I thought I would take a day to write about each of our kids and give some updates about their current lives. For Carver, I think I can sum up everything with one statement: He is about to start high school.

 

It's true. My baby is a high-schooler. Is it scary? Absolutely. Is it exciting? Totally. Is it going to be easy? I doubt it. Is it going to be memorable? For sure.

 

I wasn't too worried about our kids moving on to high school because they were all going to attend the school where David works, but the bottom dropped out of that plan this spring when our district reassigned David to a new school and some bigger projects, which left me reeling with shock. All of a sudden, I was petrified of high school. The safety net I'd been relying on was gone.

 

But Carver is ready. This happens as your kiddos get older. They move through these incredible transitions but they're usually ready for them. Carver certainly is. He's done with middle school and ready to move up in the world.

Carver and friends

He's the most extroverted person I know, which I'm still trying to understand because he's pretty opposite of me. Case in point: He was home from camp for 5 whole minutes before asking me, "So what are the plans for this week?" Always planning, always going, always wanting to be with friends... I'm trying to cherish every. single. minute. I have with him because as soon as he gets his driver's license, I don't think I'll ever see him again.

He's so thoughtful and caring, as well. He's learning how to give of his time for others and come out a better person afterward. He's pushing himself a bit too. He'd rather play outside than worry about straight As, but he is learning the positive effects of studying and working hard for school. He's getting tall. I'm 5 foot 7 (and 1/2) and he's going to pass me any day now. He's learning he's a good runner and he's going to be running Cross Country for his high school this fall. I am so excited for him.

Carver with ZInabu

He likes girls. He's afraid of girls. He has a million friends that are girls. Girls make up a big part of his day. But he still likes me, and I'll take it. I don't have to work too hard to foster a good relationship with him because he's so easy. My relationship with Carver is so natural, so smooth, so real and wonderful.

He's 14 with the world in front of him. I know parts of growing up will be tough for him, but mostly I'm so excited to see where he's going to go and what the world has in store for him.

I love you, Carver.



What We're Reading

We're halfway through summer and I've read only a smidgen of what I intended. The rest of the family is probably in the same boat. So many books, and so many lazy evenings sitting on the back porch goofing off. Too many books, but not enough rainy days to snuggle and read. I still succeed at promptly dozing off in bed at night when I try to read. However, there have been some small successes.



I read a review about this book by Jeff Chu. I was fascinated by the topic and curious about his question, How can so many people who call themselves Christians and believe in the same God have such opposite views about homosexuality? I'm a third of the way through, and I like his candor and writing style.



An easy-to-read little book on treating your family schedule like a business. Nothing I haven't read or learned before, but still good to read so I am motivated to stay on top of our crazy schedules. For me, reading books on organization is like drinking really good coffee. I love it, and it comforts me, and I can't imagine life without it. I'm weird like that.



Every month I get the latest Runner's World and dive in. I confess I don't have a subscription--I get them from the library. But I look forward to each issue the way Carver is looking forward to his first date. A lot of the information is repetitive, but it keeps me motivated and it helps me continue to set running goals for myself.



I am waiting for this little number to arrive in the mail after the printers run off enough copies for the entire world to read. It's the latest book by a little known author named Jo Rowling. Perhaps you've heard of her?



Carver is currently reading Animal Farm, because it is required for 9th Grade Honor's English and he has to have it done by the time school starts. I can't say he's super happy about it, but I hope some of the message of the book makes sense to him.


And this is Zinabu's current book. He adores fantasy, and even though I try to steer him toward more realistic fiction, he keeps coming back to all things dragon. I guess for a 9-year-old boy, dragons are pretty much awesome.

It's hard to believe we are mid-way through July and summer is speeding by faster than I want. I need more time for books!

1,000th Post

I'm back.

And it's my 1,000th post, no less.

I know this because when I logged on to Blogger (logging on consisted of me failing multiple times because I'd forgotten my password so I had to reset it and then log on), there was a little section with statistics for my eyes only: number of page views, number of followers, number of blog posts.

I kid you not--it said 999. It was meant to be that I start blogging again.

I stopped blogging for a lot of reasons. Lack of time, lack of happy-go-lucky news, lack of interest in blabbing about myself and my family, and lack of daily routine. Routine went out the window last year when I had three different kids at three different schools.

But a funny thing happened. I began to miss my own updates. Once in a while I would scroll through old posts and exclaim, "Oh yes! I remember that day!" It's amazing how quickly I forget the silly little stories, the odd sayings, the weird happenings, and the happy times.This digital journaling we call blogging that holds endless memories and photos and stories is actually the best way I know how to document my whirlwind life. So for no other reason than to keep on journaling about my children's childhood (for better or for worse--let's be real, folks!), I am going to keep on blogging and just see where it takes us.

P.S.--I've missed you!