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apparently everything is too much

Posted on Feb 21, 2012 in running | 5 comments

After yesterday’s run (really more like a running attempt since I only made it through the first five sets) I was sore…really sore.

As the night wore on, I was hurting more and more.

My blasted pelvis was aching so badly it hurt to bend my right leg up in front of me at all. Like, you know, to sit and eat. Or to walk. Or to pull my pajamas on.

After a pretty painful night, I woke up this morning unable to roll over to kiss Richard goodbye. He rolled me over, gave me his off-to-work-smooch and then I started evaluating how my pelvis felt and I decided it hurt really, really bad. Bad enough that I didn’t know how I was going to get through the day. Bad enough that my post-car accident pain came back to me in a rush. Bad enough that I knew I needed it to be worked on stat.

I was thrilled when my chiropractor’s receptionist said she had one opening today. I hobbled down the stairs and did learning time with the children and then hobbled back up the stairs (boy, did that hurt) to go to my appointment.

He said my pelvis is so inflamed and the ligaments so damaged, I must stop all physical activity for 6-8 weeks. I told him flat out that that is an impossibility. He said it will not heal if you keep hurting it. I said, but what about Keziah, what about running, what will I do. He said, Tracy you are too stubborn of a person for your own good. You can do whatever you want, but you are exacerbating your ligaments and in the state they are in they cannot hold you together. This is serious and we are going to be back at ground zero if you keep this up. You have got to trust me. You have got to stop doing things that hurt yourself. Needless, to say, I still didn’t listen. I kept trying to ask about exercises I could do or stretches or something. There must be something. He said no, you need rest and you need nutrition. I said, but what about gym, I have to teach gym. To which he laughed in his grandfatherly way and said I know you will keep teaching gymnastics, because you think you are invincible, but you must, absolutely must not run until this is healed.

I was frustrated and felt rather defeated by the whole thing. Then I felt angry. Angry that the stupid car accident from over seven years ago is still haunting me. Still impacting my life.

Now I just hurt. My pelvis is throbbing. If I had any amount of sanity in me whatsoever I’m sure I would be downing ibuprofen by the handfuls. Right now I just want to cry. I want to curl up in a ball and cry and chase this pain right out of my body. I want to stop hurting. I want to be able to run with my daughter…and walk up the stairs and sweep and vacuum and all the other things that are so incredibly painful when my ligaments are unable to keep my femur head in its socket.

two minutes is one minute too much

Posted on Feb 20, 2012 in running | 8 comments

So, we have been running for one minute, walking for two minutes, running for one minute, walking for two minutes.

Today that all changed. We were scheduled to run for two minutes, walk for one minute.

It is reversed! Not only do we have to run for twice as long, we only get to walk for half as long. I have been gearing myself up for it all weekend long, knowing it was going to be a huge jump for me.

Well, it was.

Too huge.

I made it through our warm-up.

I made it through the first two minute run and thought I was going to die.

Then, when we finished the teensy-weensy one minute walk in between runs and I was just barely getting oxygen back into my lungs, I knew I would die on the second run.

By the third run I was completely focused on my breathing and putting one foot in front of the other. My femur head was hurting. My shins were burning. My right foot was once again aching. I made it through going about half as fast as I was running last week on our one minute runs.

By the fourth one, I was hurting, but I was determined to make it. Once again total focus was required and somehow I made it through. I tried walking on my heels in between to help my shins stop their ridiculous burning, but it didn’t really seem to help. All too soon the minute was up and it was time to run again. Very, very slowing I made it through the fifth run, but I knew it was time to put my pride away and listen to my body. My pelvis was not liking this at all, my shins were shouting at me, and my poor right foot was crying out in pain.

So I called to Keziah who was far ahead of me and told her I needed to just walk the rest. She said no problem, she would finish the last five sets on her own (which is hilarious because I was running so slowly she was already on her own). I hobbled back to the car, did my stretching in the blowing snow and then tried to walk a little bit more.

Well, my femur head didn’t like the walking one little bit, so I gave up all together and sat in the car while Keziah finished up. At the end, she was still looking strong. She is a tough cookie!

Now, I just want to get in the bath and go to bed!

the symphony

Posted on Feb 19, 2012 in art & music, family, homeschooling | 1 comment

I have several friends in the Symphony and sometimes I am able to get cheap tickets to their performances. On a spur of the moment decision, I decided to get some $5 tickets and plan a triple date with my friends…can’t beat a $10 date, right? One friend decided they couldn’t go, then the other friend’s husband hurt his back and so they couldn’t come, so just few hours before the concert I was stuck with six tickets. I decided to try to sell them on Facebook. That didn’t work, so I decided to sell them to those in the waiting line. Then Richard decided we should have everyone get all dressed up and take the whole gang.

I thought he was crazy, but decided we could give it a shot. Maybe, just maybe, by some heavenly intervention, Fisher and Annesley could sit, not only still, but also silently, for two-plus hours.

Riiiiiggghhhhtttt.

No can do.

Now to give them credit, they did do pretty well. Well enough that at the end the people behind us thanked Fisher and Annes for being so well-behaved and not being like other children they have had to sit by at prior events.

But not well enough that the people in front of us didn’t move. Granted they seemed to be grumpy, uptight folks, but we were much to alive for their taste, so they moved to a section at the very top where the nearest person was three rows away.

Annesley loved having an almost running discourse about each instrument, each dress, each bang of the drum. She pretended to play the harp, the violin, and the cello. When our friend, Jesse, had his solo, she called out in her best excited whisper “That’s my Jesse!” She also drew a keyboard in her notebook and typed the night away.

Fisher did a little better in the quiet department, but he was definitely ready for it to be over the very moment the last note was played. He drew lots of pictures and tried to figure out when to clap and not clap (not between movements, after each completed piece, and lots and lots and lots at the end).

Fisher: What are we doing now?
Me: Clapping
Fisher: Still?
Me: Yes, clap.
Fisher: Isn’t it over? Isn’t it time to go?
Me: The music is over, the clapping is not. Right now we clap.
Fisher: Why do I have to clap?
Me: To tell the musicians thank you and great job.
Fisher: What are we doing now?
Me: Clapping
Fisher: Still?
Me: Yes, clap.

After the clapping was finally over, they were thrilled to go out to the lobby and have cupcakes and punch. I don’t know that either of them will want to go to the symphony again any time soon, but at least they will know what it is like should they ever get a hankering.

Lessons learned?

  • Have a notebook for the little ones to draw in. They both drew for quite a bit of the night and those papers and colored pencils were life-savers.
  • Should have brought a few water bottles so we could have given them a drink when they were certain they were going to die of thirst.
  • Sit away from grumpy, uptight people.
  • My children’s knowledge of music and instruments was quite helpful. I was able to whisper in their ears about what was going on and they knew what I was talking about. So, if you are planning on taking your children to a fancy-schmancy concert, put some time into preparing them.
  • Sit little one, big one, little one, big one to have the wiggling, noisy children spread out between older, more responsible ones. We didn’t start out that way, but throughout the night we rearranged into that formation and it worked much better.
  • Make it a big deal by dressing up. I think it really helped them to sit more quietly with Fisher in his suit and Annesley in her dress.
  • Most people are enamored with little ones…at least they were with mine. We had a German lady help Fisher navigate the crowd with his punch, many grandpas and grandmas talk to them about music and what they liked about the performance, and we got smiles all night long. I can only assume people thought we were either incredibly brave and were trying to give us encouragement or incredibly stupid and they were giving us sympathy looks.
  • Attending the Symphony is one piece of the musical education I provide my children. We sing, dance, write our own songs, play a variety of instruments, mingle with many musicians, attend fiddle events, bluegrass competitions, and all sorts of other types of performances (preferably down by the river where we can dance and wear our blue jeans), take music classes, attend MAT Camp, take private music lessons, practice incessantly, and attend high-brow events like the symphony. I hope this is giving them a panoramic view of what music is and can be in their lives. I’m not up to a Symphony type event on a weekly or monthly basis, but perhaps once a year we will try to add this piece into their lives.
  • Parents that take their young children to the symphony deserve a lot more than a cupcake at the end! I needed a hot soak and massage!

thankful thursdays 2/16

Posted on Feb 18, 2012 in thankful thursdays | 2 comments

Yes, it is Saturday afternoon and I am writing my Thankful Thursdays post now. I didn’t have time on Thursday and I never have time on Friday to write, so now that my Adult Worldviews class is over and my babies have been loved on, I have a few minutes to put fingers to keyboard and record my gratitude for the week.

  • I was able to attend a homeschool conference last Saturday. It was wonderful to see old friends and give & get lots of hugs. It was a recharge to my heart to keep on keeping on and to focus on the educational goals we have created for our family. The drive down was squishy, but it was so, so fun to talk with seven other women for six hours while we drove. I love being with other women! I always learn and grow and come home invigorated!
  • I am so grateful for my friend Jennifer. We are serving on a Board of Directors together and have grown to trust one another and love one another. At the homeschool conference, I was ogling an American History book all day long, but forced myself not to buy it (all spending money for the next several months has gone into my new running shoes). On the drive home, Jen gave it to me as a gift! I love it and can’t wait to read the stories in it to my children…and the artwork, ahhhhh! Thanks Jen! For all you are and all you do, thank you.
  • Two ladies from my church stopped by this week with some yummy caramel popcorn and a sweet little note. So sweet! They weren’t assigned to or anything, they just did it and it totally made my day! Thank you Josie and Ali!
  • I just finished up my monthly class with my Worldviews group. We had a wonderful discussion on sociology, what elements should be in the “ideal” society and which should not, the role of agency, the purpose of education, the value of marriage, the sovereignty of family, the nature of man, and so much more. Every month before class, I wonder if I can keep studying and teaching and inspiring and every month after class, I am so grateful I am blessed to have this life, to have these women as friends, and to have a thirst for knowledge so strong that it pushes me into situations that bring me growth. Today three ladies brought food and it was oh, so yummy!!!! Thank you!
  • Yesterday the sun was beautiful!!! Even though I was teaching gymnastics for most of the day, the minute it was over, I strapped on my running shoes and did my training workout in the sunshine. What a treat to run with the sun shining down on me and the cool-ish hour not letting me overheat!
  • On Thursday I was able to watch my niece, Andie, run in the Simplot Games. She loves running…which rubbed off on Keziah…and is now rubbing off on me (Is it rubbing off on me? Will I start loving it? Probably not, but the fact that I am doing it is pretty shocking in and of itself!) so it was super fun to see her compete in the thing she loves.
  • On Thursday, I was also able to see my long-time (16 years!) friend, Robin, while our children played at the park for a little bit. We hugged and talked and laughed and shared our struggles with estrogen and miscarriage and faith and health. I love being with her and don’t get to see her anywhere near often enough…I wish she could be my next door neighbor!
  • As I think about all the varied events of this week and all the different conversations, situations, readings, classes and responsibilities I have been involved in just the past few days, I am grateful for truth. I am grateful for the desire to learn truth. I am grateful to believe truth exists and that we can discover it. I am grateful to have the goal of finding truth in my life and to let that search guide me. I am grateful for those around me who are committed to truth and are humbly seeking it.

itunes u

Posted on Feb 16, 2012 in homeschooling | 1 comment

I recently discovered iTunes U audio downloads…wowsers! It is simply amazing. We have already downloaded hours of audio books and have been listening to a variety of fairy tales, Beatrix Potter, What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen by Bastiat, The Adventure’s of Huckleberry Finn, Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, C.S. Lewis’ Theology, and an Oxford University class on Tolkien. There are thousands of books, lectures, and classes available for free!

Our favorite place for audiobooks (so far, since we are newbies!) is Lit2Go, which is a collection of literature put out by the University of South Florida. You can find them on the web here or search in the iTunes U app for their offerings. They have a fabulous collection and all the ones we have listened to so far have had skilled readers.

I am so excited to discover the treasures that await us!

fiar: hot air

Posted on Feb 14, 2012 in FIAR, history & geography, homeschooling, language & literature | 2 comments

This week we are reading Hot Air by Marjorie Priceman. It tells the mostly true story of the first hot air balloon ride in Versailles, France in 1783. A chicken, sheep, and duck were sent up in the air and stayed up for eight minutes traveling about two miles. This particular book gives the background events and then makes up what could have happened to the three animals as they flew across the city. Fisher thinks it is hilarious and we think you will as well.

lessons learned: running

Posted on Feb 14, 2012 in running | 10 comments

Keziah and I have started running. We have now run together three times (which is three times more than I ever thought I would run) and I haven’t died. That is lesson learned number one. Running for one minute at a time will not kill me. I’m still not sure about longer than one minute, but given my experiences thus far, I don’t have a great fear of dying come Monday (just a teensy-weensy trepidation).

I have already learned gobs about running and about myself. I have spent oodles of time reading about running and investigating all the various opinions about stretching, breathing, shoes, surfaces, gear, goals, injuries, treatment, schedules, training, races, etc.

Lessons learned after two weeks in this new world of running:

  • Having a bio-mechanical evaluation done at a real running store is a great idea and will help you know what your feet and legs normally do. This will save you time (theoretically…see below) in picking out shoes that are correct for your feet and stride.
  • Trying on lots of shoes is a great idea. I am so glad I didn’t just order some off the internet. Unfortunately, if you are like me, you might spend several hours in the running store trying to decide between two pairs of shoes and wear yourself right out by running and running and running in them to help you make the final decision.
  • I prefer dynamic stretching instead of static stretching. We walk, do jumping jacks, skip forwards and backwards, toy soldier kicks, butt-kicks, and whatever else strikes us as a great stretch at the moment.
  • I do not know how to breathe AT ALL. I breathe out over and over and can’t figure out how to breathe in. If it is absolutely the ONLY thing I focus on, I can manage to breathe in through my nose, but if I let my mind wander for even a millisecond, my breathing is all messed up.
  • I breathe out for a really long time. I read you should breathe in for your left, right, left steps and then breathe out for your right, left steps, then get ready to breathe in again when you hit your left foot. Mine is more like right, left, right, left, right.
  • I am kind of drawn to barefoot running. I’m not doing it, but it definitely intrigues me.
  • Running in cemeteries is nice.
  • I like running outside. I feel like I am feeding my body a much needed dose of God’s creations.
  • Running with my daughter is much more enjoyable than I ever imagined.
  • Running with Scout is not so enjoyable.
  • Stretching after a run feels really, really good.
  • Something is wrong with my right foot. It aches when I run. The running store recommended orthotics with massive arch support for my insanely high arches, but I am hesitant to try them because I want my arches to be strong all on their own. Still thinking about this one.
  • 38 degrees is a lot warmer than 31 degrees.
  • I must find some wind-proof gloves.
  • My running clothes feel so comfortable I am tempted to wear them all the time. They are warm and cozy and I can move ever so freely. Then I look in the mirror and realize it would be a big mistake to allow anyone to see me like this.
  • There are more runners in my life than I realized. I am surrounded by them!
  • I need to figure out a better way to time our training runs. Holding my cell phone is driving me crazy.
  • I love being a mom who can choose to make this happen for my daughter. I know everyone doesn’t have the option to exercise with their children and I am so grateful I do.

What else should I look forward to learning? What do I need to know? What advice do you have for me? Would you like to train with us? Tomorrow is our walking and/or biking day. With all this mud, I don’t know that we are biking anywhere!

 

 

breakfast in bed

Posted on Feb 14, 2012 in family | 0 comments

This is what I woke up to this morning. What a guy!

 

He always has some wonderful trick up his sleeve to let the rest of us know how much he loves us. I should be more like him, as I haven’t given Valentine’s Day any thought and now I have only today to create something special for him.

thankful thursdays 2/9

Posted on Feb 9, 2012 in thankful thursdays | 1 comment

Today I am surrounded by dirty dishes, laundry up the wazoo, filthy floors, whining children, a clogged central vacuum unit (been clogged since last Wednesday and I have spent several hours working on it to no avail), and dreary skies.

I may lose my mind. Not really, but I am a wee bit frustrated with how this day is going…so it is time for me to clear these emotions out and focus on my blessings…otherwise, I really may lose my mind.

  • I attended a fan-ta-bulous scripture study class last night about Jesus Christ. It was exactly what I needed! My mind was going a million miles a minute processing all I was learning and my hands were flipping through the scriptures and taking notes as fast as I could. Then I came home and taught my family what I learned and we had a great discussion. My kind of evening!
  • I am loving my Zing! class. Yesterday we had a blast in class and I can’t wait to read what they write this week at home.
  • Speaking of Zing!, I am grateful for my zany personality, love of knowledge, and passion for sharing it with others. Teaching brings me so much joy and I am thankful my Heavenly Father has blessed me with talents that enable me to do so.
  • I am grateful for a working vehicle. Two actually.
  • I am grateful, oh so grateful, for the mattress set we were surprised with a few weeks ago. My back is feeling gobs better and I no longer resemble the letter “U” when I wake up in the morning.
  • I am grateful for my friends and family that spent the week with us last week. They pampered me and cleaned and fixed things and massaged me and filled me up with love.
  • Tami brought some food she won’t be using before she goes to Australia and we have been using it up! Thank you!!!!
  • I am grateful for my children. Even though three of them are pretty grumpy today, I am grateful to have them and grateful to be able to learn how to navigate this life together with them. There is no where else I would rather be than with these precious spirits.
  • I am grateful for Blythe’s mentors in her play. They have amazing gifts to bring out the best in the youth they work with. They grow them into actors that are confident, joyful, and capable of wooing audiences.
  • I am grateful for my red Danskos. Each time I wear them I am full of joy!
  • I am grateful for my shelves that were hung up by my friends last week. I can’t wait to dive into that room and make it all orderly and useable!
  • I am grateful for the big slice of Asiago sourdough I had yesterday at Great Harvest. It was honkin’ huge and served as my dinner last night in between iFamily and the scripture study class.
  • I am grateful for this space I have on the web to share my thoughts with the world and make connections with people that were not possible just a few short years ago.
  • I am grateful for my body. It may not be the strongest or always work properly, but it has served me well for many years and I am grateful to have it. Starting to run with Keziah this week has taught me much about how wonderful it really is and how blessed I am to have these muscles, bones, and ligaments. Yesterday at a running shop, I was evaluated for pronation, stride length, heel strike and lots of other things. I was told I have excellent technique and that it is obvious I am a sprinter because my heels don’t even hit the ground (no wonder I can’t run longer than a minute!), so now all I need to work on is stamina (which I have NONE of).
  • I am grateful to be a daughter of God.

there was an old lady who swallowed a fly…

Posted on Feb 8, 2012 in homeschooling, language & literature | 0 comments

When Annesley was two to three years old, this was her favorite song. She sang it over and over and over. She loved singing it for strangers at the grocery store, for grandparents, for the dogs, for everyone. She loved it so much that one year for her birthday her Grandma Dorothy gave her an old woman with a ginormous mouth complete with all the animals she swallows and that doll has been played with like no other. We like to sing it all crazy and dramatic like…probably because we are crazy and dramatic (you should have heard my voices last night during family read-aloud time!).

Did you know there are lots of hilarious versions of this story? I didn’t know it until I stumbled across one of them last year at the library. Since then we have been checking them out and giggling ourselves silly.

Today in Zing! I am going to read a few of them to my students and then each of us will write our own version. Doesn’t that sound fun?

Here are some of our favorites:

What are some of your favorite writing projects? What have you found brings out the creativity in your children/students?