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!

Mountain Men
The only reason I'm looking forward to winter. These boys have been firewood fiends. Salvaging and hauling downed trees to our yard. It will be all worth it when we have warm toes in January.

Fuh-RI-day
Tomorrow is Friday. As a member of the gainfully employed again, I can say that Fridays mean something to me once more. I'm sure you're dying to know all about my new job. I have a degree in English Literature and spent several years as an editor for a small publishing company, and then freelance editing once the kids were born. (Which is embarrassing to admit because I don't always spend a lot of time proofreading my blog posts and sometimes I catch horrible, horrible punctuation and grammar and spelling mistakes that would make my old boss weep with shame.)

I've got a background in reading, basically. I was paid to read. It was the best job ever in the whole wide world!!! Triple exclamation marks!!! (Unless you offered me a job tasting chocolate while watching Harry Potter movies over and over again and then I would have to say THAT would be the best job ever in the whole wide world.)

So what's my new job? Eh hem... if you guessed the Medical Technician at the middle school, then you would not only be totally nuts for guessing that, but you would totally be right. That's me. Just call me med tech Cathy.

Here's the skinny: I'm at the middle school a lot. And by a lot I mean all day every day. It just so happened that the old medical technician quit and there was an opening. It's only two hours a day, and my primary role is to give medication to the kids who need their daily dose at lunch time. My job also includes a lot of filing, checking immunization records, and being the "nurse" when kids are sick or hurt.

My very first day on the job, a girl fell while running outside and landed on her mouth. Another staff member brought her to the office and was helping her but then it was all me. There was blood everywhere. And I was trying to see if she still had her front teeth. We had to call 9-1-1 and I was there to make sure she didn't pass out. When they trained me for the job, they didn't tell me something like this would happen! But you know what? As a mom, you just take over. I have more medical experience as a mom than I ever dreamed of, and when it comes right down to it... I'm pretty good in a crisis situation. And I'm really good at comforting kids with upset tummies.

I love my job. I love the really bad kids that are trying to get out of class by complaining of "cramps" and can they please call home. I love the sweet little 6th grade girls who get overwrought by a hangnail. And I love the big, tough boys who are reduced to mush when they don't feel well. (Wanna know a secret? Middle schoolers are just like elementary kids... only they're in bigger bodies.)

A year ago I would not have been the best person for this job. But a year ago I had three pretty healthy, pretty "normal" kids. All that has changed. Lily has been on, and continues to be on, so much medication it makes our heads spin. And if she had to have an afternoon dose, I would have been mortified for the office staff to know what she was on and why, and I would have convinced myself that they would have judged her and labeled her. At this point in my life, I understand what it's like for your child to be unwell. And I know what it's like for a kid to really, really, really want to be normal but their brain is not functioning correctly. Through NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, their minds and bodies don't work as well as their peers. And medication helps them. I am now fierce for these kids. Fierce as in don't you dare look down on them of label them or think of them as problems. I happily help each and every one of them every day, with no judgement... and no labels. I know what to do if one of our students has a seizure lasting more than 5 minutes (it's not pretty) but I am there to do it and I'm happy about it. I know what to do if the Type 1 diabetic becomes unresponsive. We've had broken arms, a concussion, and a Black Widow spider bite. And we have more Epi Pens in our office than I even want to think about. (Can you say peanut allergy overload?)

My job is a little strange, but it is so rewarding and it feels so right. Who knew this would be my mid-life calling? I'm just glad I can do it.

Photos!
I had a whole 5 minutes to upload some photos. Enjoy.

Happy Birthday, Carver

Today Carver turns... No, I can't even write it. I CAN'T!!!!  He's ...

(insert long pause while I bite my nails and procrastinate and eat more birthday cake)

14.

There. I said it. It's actually worse than when I turned 40. Much, much worse. I mean, honestly, how the heck did this happen? 

Carver is a steady source of joy and comfort in our lives right now. I am so incredibly thankful for him. Despite his best attempts to head to the emergency room twice a week on his bike, skateboard, roller blades  and tree climbing, he is healthy and happy and just awesome. 

And we need a lot of that in our house right now. (I have a feeling pretty soon I'll be divulging more of what's been going on in our lives this past year... but rest assured Carver is just what the doctor ordered.)

I have some totally awesomesauce pictures on my camera that I hope to upload before the year 2017, and when I do I'll be sure to post them here. For now, I am a proud mom to a growing young man. A young man who was entrusted to us by his birth mother 14 years ago. 

We love you, peanut.

Maybe It's Time
to quit blogging. I mean, really. We're past the excitement of our Ethiopian adoption, which was the reason I began this blog in the first place. I'm also past the excitement of our move and kid transitions. And I'm currently only blogging once every three to seven days. What does that all add up to?

B-O-R-I-N-G.

With a capital B.

I just started a new job at Carver and Lily's middle school, so I'm never, ever home anymore (at least that's how it feels). I'm also wrapped up in life with my family, so taking time away from them to work on the computer just isn't as easy as it used to be. And I'm mostly exhausted with life right now and coming up with "fun blog topics" kinda sucks.

So... I don't know where I'm going with all this yet, but suffice it to say that if you're looking for engaging reading material, you're not likely to find it here.

What We're Reading
I'm telling you... we are reading our little tushies off around here. Even Lily! And you know how rare that is.
Without further ado, I give you:

David recently finished this one. It was required reading for a lot of staff in our school district, but David was onto it months ago. He was reading it sporadically over the summer and finally wrapped it up. None of the information was new to him, but it is presented in a way that is a must-read for anyone that is engaged with young minds.

I just (as in yesterday) finished this little number. I was doing some research in the library on anxiety (trying to help Lily) and stumbled across Agorafabulous!* I love this book so, so much. The author is hilarious, but candidly shares her life story and struggle with a little bit of OCD, a lot of panic attacks and anxiety, her breakdown when she could not leave her apartment, and her recovery with medicine, doctors, and a lot of hard work. I would love to meet her in person someday. If you have never had anyone in your life, family, or circle of friends struggle with mental illness, then congratulations. Mental illness remains woefully misunderstood and isolating and I appreciate Sara's bravery in telling her story.
*Note: the woman has a potty mouth. Big time. If you are easily offended by a lot of F-bombs, then this may not be your new favorite bedtime reading.

Carver is reading some awesome futuristic post-apocalyptic story that has him removed from the family for most hours of the day. He is working his way through the list of 20 books recommended by his middle school library. Carver wants to finish all 20, and he is really enjoying this one.

Let's see... which member of the family could possibly be reading a book on agility training for dogs? If you guessed Lily, you'd be correct.

Zinabu has more or less freaked us out with what he can now read. It's almost as if he skipped second and third and fourth grade books and went straight to fifth. It breaks my heart a little because I feel like he missed an entire genre of stories, but he's incredibly engaged in all the Rick Riordan series and can't. get. enough.

Life just isn't as sweet without a good book--at least for me. I'd love to hear which page-turners you can't put down.

I'm Guilty

Of bragging on my kids. Yes, I am. It's hard not to, when your child does something great and you know they worked hard for it or they finally reached a goal. Of course we all want to share the love when our kids feel great about something. But lately I'm seeing a trend on Facebook that leaves me with questions. People posting their kids' grades online. Is this really necessary? And it's NOT the report cards that have one A, two Bs, and two Ds. No way. It's STRAIGHT As FOR LITTLE SUSIE OR JIMMY. I'm talking actual photos that people take of their kids' report cards and update their Facebook status with them.

What the what? I guess I feel it's kinda tacky, but maybe that's just me.
Discuss.

Farewell
I have known my friend Lisa for three years now. Her daughter, Grace, is good friends with Carver at school and Lisa is a delightful, funny, sarcastic, witty, and deep soul. Lisa and her family lost their house this summer in the Waldo Canyon Fire. All of us who know her were shocked, not only because of the utter devastation but because Lisa's husband, Gerard, has been battling pancreatic cancer for several years now. It just felt like too, too much.

Gerard lost his battle with cancer on Wednesday evening. His decline was fast and furious... so fast it took us all by surprise.

So here is my friend Lisa, who is now essentially homeless and widowed--all within the span of 3 months. I feel like all the air has been knocked out of me, and there is nothing, NOTHING I can say to comfort her. I am at such a loss. However, please go find your loved ones and hug and kiss them and be thankful for them. Be thankful for the roof over your head, and your children's artwork casually displayed on your refrigerator, and your clothes and belongings that could vanish in an instant. Be thankful.

September
What???? September?
A little bit of info on me. My favorite season is summer, hands down. I do love fall--the colors, the crisp air, the events like back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, pumpkin patches, apple cider, soup. What I do not like, though, is winter. I hate the days getting shorter and the freezing air. I hate when it's dark outside when David leaves for work in the morning. I hate when it's dark outside when we come home from after-school activities. I feel like the walls are closing in on me--literally--when I can't open the windows to air out the house or go outside for an after dinner game of basketball with Zinabu. I hate that all that is right around the corner. It's making me feel claustrophobic already.
So we will make the most of the next two months, with hikes in the mountains and playing outside. Outdoor fires and football games. All that and more.
I've got to find a good half marathon or 10k to sign up for, so I don't succumb to my usual "oh, it's dark and cold out so I won't exercise today," which repeats itself over and over again until the next thing you know David is having to talk me down from ice cream binges and sweat pants. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)