Our Labor Day weekend was nice, and rather relaxing. We loved visiting with your friends Sunday evening, and we all especially loved sleeping in. I'm tired, my husband is tired, and the kids are tired. The thing is, none of them individually are doing too much, but it all adds up. I'm looking forward to what I hope will soon be cozy days of fall.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
A week into September
Life is moving along. The oppressive heat and humidity is back, although a cold front will come through sometime this weekend. Not soon enough, as far as I'm concerned. In addition to the poison ivy I've been battling which finally stopped seeping yesterday, I am absolutely covered in bug bites of some kind, and I've also got some kind of cold/allergy/sinus issue and feel pretty miserable. Mom's aren't supposed to take sick days though, so I'm fighting through it.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
It brings tears each time
Today was another cross country meet. Obviously, Robert is out of running for a while. We left he and Catherine here today since she wasn't feeling well either, and made the hour drive to the meet. Thomas cut five minutes off his time, but still finished 262nd out of 263 runners. His teammates though, well they are just the best. Several high school students were positioned near us at the half way point and were cheering him on. Andrew commented that he couldn't believe these high school kids remembered he would be out there so long after all the other runner had passed or that they knew his name. I commented that I'm not surprised. After all, Thomas is a very sweet, friendly, and likable kid...and he is Andrew's son. Andrew doesn't think that has anything to do with it, but I strongly disagree. Every one of the kids that were standing there were either current or former students. I am so grateful for these kids who cheer on our son, and I'm so grateful that Thomas has learned to persevere even when he's struggling.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Three day weekend
The nice thing about starting school so early in August is that when Labor Day rolls around, we are really on a break! It's not just right after school starts (or even before, as it used to be), but it's a break that we can truly enjoy.
And of course, Labor Day weekend means college football!!!!! There are some absolutely great games this weekend, although I may not get to see either OSU or Notre Dame. Ironically, we don't have that many plans, but the few ones we have are during those games. Although we don't have a lot of plans, I am really looking forward to the ones we have. This evening, Robert is working for three hours, and Andrew and I are having dinner with friends. Tomorrow, Thomas has a cross country meet (Robert isn't able to run for three weeks) and then we are having lunch with friends. Sunday Robert works in the afternoon and then we get to go to our former town and visit with dear friends, and Monday is NOTHING! I was also able to have lunch today with some friends, and tomorrow evening we are bringing in Chinese, so there is plenty of down time to go with all of the visiting. I am so, so looking forward to this weekend!
And of course, Labor Day weekend means college football!!!!! There are some absolutely great games this weekend, although I may not get to see either OSU or Notre Dame. Ironically, we don't have that many plans, but the few ones we have are during those games. Although we don't have a lot of plans, I am really looking forward to the ones we have. This evening, Robert is working for three hours, and Andrew and I are having dinner with friends. Tomorrow, Thomas has a cross country meet (Robert isn't able to run for three weeks) and then we are having lunch with friends. Sunday Robert works in the afternoon and then we get to go to our former town and visit with dear friends, and Monday is NOTHING! I was also able to have lunch today with some friends, and tomorrow evening we are bringing in Chinese, so there is plenty of down time to go with all of the visiting. I am so, so looking forward to this weekend!
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Happy to see August behind us
I've written for years that August is not my favorite month. I am glad this one is behind us. It was far, oh so very far, from the worst, but it had some not-fun moments. For one thing, it was just really busy with school starting again, both boys having cross country, Andrew coaching football, and Catherine having marching band, along with my volunteer responsibilities. We also have Robert at school 1/2 hour away, and I have my part-time job. Busy, busy. We had our garage flood at the beginning of the month, and our month ended with poison ivy and Robert's surgery. We also had our a/c on almost the entire month, and many of those days were oppressively hot. So yep, I'm ready for September.
Already the temps are cooler, and hopefully we are more settled into our routines. College football begins in full force this weekend, and I'm so ready! I woke up with a migraine, but I'm hoping September is a great month!
Already the temps are cooler, and hopefully we are more settled into our routines. College football begins in full force this weekend, and I'm so ready! I woke up with a migraine, but I'm hoping September is a great month!
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Hernia surgery
Robert had hernia surgery yesterday. We've known for about 3-1/2 weeks that he had a hernia, but it had stopped bothering him so we weren't terribly concerned. He finally saw a surgeon last week and he scheduled it for yesterday so that Robert might be able to compete again by the end of the cross country season. Everything went well and we were home by mid-morning. He slept most of the day and is handling the pain fairly well. My mom came down last evening while we went to Thomas's cross country meet and she thought he looked as though he was doing well. He tried going to school today, but I received a phone call to pick him up after just two hours. Tomorrow is questionable, but we are hoping he might be able to make it through half a day. We are also hoping that tomorrow being the beginning of September brings a healthier month!
Sunday, August 28, 2016
A weekend with a lot of emtion
I wish I could say that yesterday was the end of the emotions for the weekend, but that is not the case. Last evening I learned about the death of a schoolmate. It wasn't someone I knew well, although I had known his brother better. The deceased had graduated two years ahead of me and I had interacted with him minimally. Having said that, he was only two years older. That is always something to make one question one's own mortality. Sadly, I've learned it was most likely a drug related death.
This morning I was greeted by the news of the death of someone I had known better as a child. To be honest, I thought she had already passed away and I had just missed it at some point. It turns out she had been suffering from dementia. I also learned we shared the same birthday. While at lunch with my mother and grandmothers, I learned about the death of a brother of a friend and classmate of my parents. He wasn't yet 60, and again, it is sad news that makes one question mortality.
The most emotional thing about today though, was dealing with my sister. We are considering purchasing a car from her that she had offered to give us years ago. She rescinded her offer however, when Robert started pulling his stunts. I'm not entirely certain what that has to do with Andrew and I and us paying for the car, but I'm sure it is her passive aggressive way of letting us know she thinks we are lousy parents. I guess I should be grateful she is being passive aggressive as she has been known to come right out and tell us what she thinks of us as parents. Anyway, we went today to give it a test drive, and the fact that I knocked on the door instead of ringing the doorbell, the fact that we came into the house because the kids had no where else to sit, and the fact that Andrew needed to use the restroom all managed to annoy her to no end and she didn't even want to discuss selling the car to me. Robert even mentioned to my mom about what a bad mood she was in. It truly, truly bothers me that my kids see my sister treat me as she does. I was working so hard to make sure I didn't offend her because I truly never know what will set her off.
My emotions are so out of whack this weekend that I cried on the way home. She hasn't been shy to express how awful it was growing up as her sister, and I'll be honest...I don't know what I did. She mentioned to someone last week how she had to tell me that she didn't need me to be her third parent. That is so odd...that is exactly the way I always felt about her. I don't even remember wanting to be around her as an adolescent so I really don't know what she's talking about. I do remember stopping to see her at school when we were really little, like when she was in first or second grade. I suppose it might have been perceived as being overbearing and parental, but honestly it was just that I liked seeing my little sister. In our adolescent years I always felt that she was being the third parent because she always made sure Mom knew everything I did that my sister considered to be incorrect. I really hate that my kids see her treat me the way she does. I try so very hard not to speak badly about her in front of them, and maybe that isn't okay. Family unity is important to me though, and I don't want my mother and grandmothers hurt because my sister and I can't get along. I guess I just need to learn to get over it.
Overall, it's been a tough weekend on my heart. I'm sure part of it is hormones, part is the unbelievable heat, part is the lack of sleep in our lives these days, and part is the rash that is beginning to break out on my face and the allergies that are in full swing (the rash might be another post). Hopefully I get a grip on things and function like I need to this week!
This morning I was greeted by the news of the death of someone I had known better as a child. To be honest, I thought she had already passed away and I had just missed it at some point. It turns out she had been suffering from dementia. I also learned we shared the same birthday. While at lunch with my mother and grandmothers, I learned about the death of a brother of a friend and classmate of my parents. He wasn't yet 60, and again, it is sad news that makes one question mortality.
The most emotional thing about today though, was dealing with my sister. We are considering purchasing a car from her that she had offered to give us years ago. She rescinded her offer however, when Robert started pulling his stunts. I'm not entirely certain what that has to do with Andrew and I and us paying for the car, but I'm sure it is her passive aggressive way of letting us know she thinks we are lousy parents. I guess I should be grateful she is being passive aggressive as she has been known to come right out and tell us what she thinks of us as parents. Anyway, we went today to give it a test drive, and the fact that I knocked on the door instead of ringing the doorbell, the fact that we came into the house because the kids had no where else to sit, and the fact that Andrew needed to use the restroom all managed to annoy her to no end and she didn't even want to discuss selling the car to me. Robert even mentioned to my mom about what a bad mood she was in. It truly, truly bothers me that my kids see my sister treat me as she does. I was working so hard to make sure I didn't offend her because I truly never know what will set her off.
My emotions are so out of whack this weekend that I cried on the way home. She hasn't been shy to express how awful it was growing up as her sister, and I'll be honest...I don't know what I did. She mentioned to someone last week how she had to tell me that she didn't need me to be her third parent. That is so odd...that is exactly the way I always felt about her. I don't even remember wanting to be around her as an adolescent so I really don't know what she's talking about. I do remember stopping to see her at school when we were really little, like when she was in first or second grade. I suppose it might have been perceived as being overbearing and parental, but honestly it was just that I liked seeing my little sister. In our adolescent years I always felt that she was being the third parent because she always made sure Mom knew everything I did that my sister considered to be incorrect. I really hate that my kids see her treat me the way she does. I try so very hard not to speak badly about her in front of them, and maybe that isn't okay. Family unity is important to me though, and I don't want my mother and grandmothers hurt because my sister and I can't get along. I guess I just need to learn to get over it.
Overall, it's been a tough weekend on my heart. I'm sure part of it is hormones, part is the unbelievable heat, part is the lack of sleep in our lives these days, and part is the rash that is beginning to break out on my face and the allergies that are in full swing (the rash might be another post). Hopefully I get a grip on things and function like I need to this week!
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Sometimes you just can't be stoic
Today, even just by Noon, was one of the most emotional days I've had as a mom in a long time. Our boys had a home cross country meet. Of course it is another one of those miserably stifling and oppressive days. Andrew and I had agreed to work the traffic post, as there was a point in the course where the runners have to cross the driveway at about the 1/2 way mark of the race. They had planned to do it such that we would be able to watch our own kids run, but honestly, that isn't really how it was going to work out. I was okay with just seeing Robert only pass us, and to be honest, I was pretty sure Thomas was going to be close enough to the end of the pack that I'd still be able to get to the finish line. When Robert came by, I could tell he was struggling, and I was a little concerned after last week. He was the last high school race, and as we began adjusting to move to our middle school race crossing point, I saw two female runners that know us running out to us. My immediate thought was, "Uh oh." As they came closer I yelled, "Everything okay ladies?" My mom intuition was barking. Heather responded that Robert had gone down and was completely out for a time. The trainer had gotten to him and they were taking him in. I asked if he was conscious, and Heather explained that he had been able to get into the gator on his own. I had Andrew call the trainer, and he said that Robert seemed to be responding well to an ice bath. We explained that we were out working on the course, but would come in if needed. The trainer stated that he thought we'd be okay.
The middle school girls ran next, and then the middle school boys. I'll be honest, part of me was so dreading this. I was completely realistic that Thomas was probably going to walk about 80% of the two miles, and that was fine. Having already had one kid go down, and knowing that Thomas has a history of health problems in the heat, well, that definitely added to my concern. The lead runners came by, the next pack came by, the steady flow of the middle runners came by, and the last pack came by. The stragglers started coming by, and one was a friend of Thomas's. I could tell her was struggling, and kept asking if he needed anything. He crossed our area, and when he got to the grass on the other side he stopped and stooped over. I kept my eye on him and kept asking if he was okay. Finally I had Andrew call the athletic director and tell him that we needed an adult following these runners in a cart (a good move as it turned out he was also unable to finish the race). During none of this was there any sign of Thomas. I finally told Andrew to take off going on the course going towards the beginning to make sure he wasn't down somewhere. Finally I saw someone walking in the far off distance, and as a mom I immediately recognized it as my son's walk. He came by and I gave him an extra bottle of water we had on hand. Not sure if that is allowed, but I didn't really care. We decided it wouldn't be a bad idea of Andrew kind of jogged nearby (there was one other runner behind him at this point) since the golf cart was already up ahead with the others.
I cleaned up a few things at my post that I needed to do, and then I began to walk to the finish line. As I came around the corner of the school, I realized that one of our team's runners had someone running along side him. I began crying and took off running when I realized it was Thomas and Catherine was running right next to her brother.
The emotions of the day were just too much for me at that point. As Thomas came into view of the finish line (he still had a loop to make) the various people gathered around saw Thomas and Catherine come around the corner together, followed by his dad, and then followed by his crying mom. A lady I knew from church gave me a hug and I just couldn't seem to get words out through the tears. They weren't sad tears, although there certainly had been concern about Robert. They were tears of pride as I watched my son keep fighting through the struggle, and watching my daughter, who had struggled the exact same way two years ago, remember that I had run alongside her at the end of her very first race and did the same for her brother.
I was able to get to the finish line well ahead of Thomas who had to finish his loop. My sister, my mother, and my grandmother had come down for this race and we were all standing near the finish. I suddenly noticed Lizzie, one of my favorite high school students. She realized Thomas was still out on the course, and began gathering her high school teammates to cheer him at the finish line. Thomas's middle school teammates had already been cheering him on as he came into view around the corner earlier. I cried again as I watched my son cross the finish line, and in what I consider to be a moment of divine intervention, someone caught Thomas crossing the finish line on video. I was just completely overwhelmed by it all.
I spent some time conversing with my family, and then we all headed our separate ways. When we came into our house, I told each of my kids how proud I was of each of them. I'm proud of Robert for trying, I was so very proud of Thomas for finishing no matter he how felt, and so proud of Catherine for being there for her brother. I began crying again as I told them each this (I'm also pretty hot & tired at this point which might have something to do with my emotions).
Every time I reflect on it, I begin to tear up again. This is exactly where we are supposed to be at this point in our lives. There is no way I could ever begin to question that. I will never forget the moment I realized it was Catherine I was seeing run alongside her brother, or hearing all of those cheers from his teammates as he ran at the end. I'll never forget the moment I saw Lizzie gathering her teammates to be there to cheer for Thomas as crossed the finish line. I know it wasn't just about a teammate, although Lizzie would've done that for everyone. It was also my husband's son. I'm so blessed to get to see everyday how much my husband is liked and respected by his students. It wasn't just a matter of being there for Thomas...these kids wanted to be there for Andrew's son. I am so very grateful to get to be the mother of my amazing kids, and for all of these moments we had today.
The middle school girls ran next, and then the middle school boys. I'll be honest, part of me was so dreading this. I was completely realistic that Thomas was probably going to walk about 80% of the two miles, and that was fine. Having already had one kid go down, and knowing that Thomas has a history of health problems in the heat, well, that definitely added to my concern. The lead runners came by, the next pack came by, the steady flow of the middle runners came by, and the last pack came by. The stragglers started coming by, and one was a friend of Thomas's. I could tell her was struggling, and kept asking if he needed anything. He crossed our area, and when he got to the grass on the other side he stopped and stooped over. I kept my eye on him and kept asking if he was okay. Finally I had Andrew call the athletic director and tell him that we needed an adult following these runners in a cart (a good move as it turned out he was also unable to finish the race). During none of this was there any sign of Thomas. I finally told Andrew to take off going on the course going towards the beginning to make sure he wasn't down somewhere. Finally I saw someone walking in the far off distance, and as a mom I immediately recognized it as my son's walk. He came by and I gave him an extra bottle of water we had on hand. Not sure if that is allowed, but I didn't really care. We decided it wouldn't be a bad idea of Andrew kind of jogged nearby (there was one other runner behind him at this point) since the golf cart was already up ahead with the others.
I cleaned up a few things at my post that I needed to do, and then I began to walk to the finish line. As I came around the corner of the school, I realized that one of our team's runners had someone running along side him. I began crying and took off running when I realized it was Thomas and Catherine was running right next to her brother.
The emotions of the day were just too much for me at that point. As Thomas came into view of the finish line (he still had a loop to make) the various people gathered around saw Thomas and Catherine come around the corner together, followed by his dad, and then followed by his crying mom. A lady I knew from church gave me a hug and I just couldn't seem to get words out through the tears. They weren't sad tears, although there certainly had been concern about Robert. They were tears of pride as I watched my son keep fighting through the struggle, and watching my daughter, who had struggled the exact same way two years ago, remember that I had run alongside her at the end of her very first race and did the same for her brother.
I was able to get to the finish line well ahead of Thomas who had to finish his loop. My sister, my mother, and my grandmother had come down for this race and we were all standing near the finish. I suddenly noticed Lizzie, one of my favorite high school students. She realized Thomas was still out on the course, and began gathering her high school teammates to cheer him at the finish line. Thomas's middle school teammates had already been cheering him on as he came into view around the corner earlier. I cried again as I watched my son cross the finish line, and in what I consider to be a moment of divine intervention, someone caught Thomas crossing the finish line on video. I was just completely overwhelmed by it all.
I spent some time conversing with my family, and then we all headed our separate ways. When we came into our house, I told each of my kids how proud I was of each of them. I'm proud of Robert for trying, I was so very proud of Thomas for finishing no matter he how felt, and so proud of Catherine for being there for her brother. I began crying again as I told them each this (I'm also pretty hot & tired at this point which might have something to do with my emotions).
Every time I reflect on it, I begin to tear up again. This is exactly where we are supposed to be at this point in our lives. There is no way I could ever begin to question that. I will never forget the moment I realized it was Catherine I was seeing run alongside her brother, or hearing all of those cheers from his teammates as he ran at the end. I'll never forget the moment I saw Lizzie gathering her teammates to be there to cheer for Thomas as crossed the finish line. I know it wasn't just about a teammate, although Lizzie would've done that for everyone. It was also my husband's son. I'm so blessed to get to see everyday how much my husband is liked and respected by his students. It wasn't just a matter of being there for Thomas...these kids wanted to be there for Andrew's son. I am so very grateful to get to be the mother of my amazing kids, and for all of these moments we had today.
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