School starts!

This week our school district finally went back to school. The three month long hiatus is finally over! My daughter is now a fourth grader. Wow, she gets to go to the "big kid" wing of her school. We also found out they get real desks as opposed to tables. All of this has heightened the excitement of starting a new year. Time to reconnect with friends not seen over the summer, meet new friends and finally having structure during the day! This year they have added Spanish to their 4th grade curriculum.
My son starts high school this year. We have been up at the high school every day all summer long for football, so going to the area very early is not the issue. We have just never been really in to the school except for the commons area. He was having all sorts of apprehensions before the big day. Will I be able to find my classes in such a big school? Since there are no more assigned tables at lunch will anyone want to sit with me? Will I get stuffed in a locker? Will I just look like idiot freshman all day? Turns out that none of his worries came to fruition. He was able to find all of his classes and figure out the school layout. His friends from middle school did wave him over to eat with them at lunch. Being 6’2” and a football player, no, there was no stuffing in a locker. As for the idiot freshman, he realized that he has kids from all grades in his classes and he actually has some idea of what he is talking about on most days. In other words, he is just like every other student in high school. Which when you are 14 is a big issue.
On my part, I have vowed to make this as less of a stress-fest as possible. We are going to try the backpacks by the door, clothes laid out type of mentality. I let you know how it goes, but after three days, it seems pretty good so far. We still have 185 more to go.
Here’s to a new school year! May it be sometimes exciting, never dull but always interesting.

Not New Year's Resolutions

Okay, it has been forever since I wrote a blog. I kept thinking that I would, but around the holidays life gets so crazy. And in our household it is always crazy.
So here I am at the beginning of the New Year and thinking about the craziness of life. I, as most people, have made resolutions for the New Year. I try not to think of them as resolutions, but as life style changes or goals. It makes me feel better. That way when I kind of go back to old habits, I really haven’t broken a resolution, just had a setback. I can continue throughout the year trying to change instead of feeling guilty about what I haven’t done.

What are these grand life style changes? They run the gambit. One is to eat healthier. Not to go on a diet or anything, just pick up a carrot instead of a potato chip. At the beginning, I thought that sounded stupid. Yes, I was telling myself my own reasoning was stupid. But after about a month, I can honestly say that eating the good stuff is not so bad anymore. Oh, I won’t kid you or myself that I am always eating wonderfully (though the homemade corn dogs and French fries tonight DO NOT count). But when I do choose meals I am getting better to choose more wisely. I consider that progress. I am also hoping to instill in my children that junk food is nice for a treat, but not as a way of life.


Another change I am making is trying to spend more time with my hopefully healthier kids and husband. The house is always a mess, laundry always needs to be done, but I can always do those things when my kids are no longer in the house. We are trying to have more game nights, which slowly my kids are realizing that maybe the television is not as interesting as mom and dad. Okay maybe that will take a while to convince them, but it’s a start. Plus I’m sure my daughter will one day be able to go to Vegas and be able to pay off my house. Okay, maybe not. I just hope she walks away with the knowledge that her parents spent time with her, and that she knew she was loved.

Another goal for this year was to run a half marathon. So far not, so good. A wrenched knee is keeping me sidelined at the moment. Well, at least it’s a good excuse. But I am bound and determined to do this. My husband however says I should be locked in a room padded in bubble wrap so I won’t hurt myself anymore. That one will be a wait and see. Maybe I should change it to cheering on other people who run a half marathon. I think I could do that.

My final goal for the year is to read the entire Bible in a year. One of my favorite stations is the Christian station K-Love. They charged everyone to try to do this. So I signed up and got my list of daily readings. Although it has been only a month, it has been going well. I think knowing that I only have to read a certain amount every day makes it easier. It’s the old adage of how do you eat an elephant – one bite at a time. Looking at the whole elephant would be too difficult of a challenge. And who would want to eat an elephant anyway? K-Love even sent a nifty blue plastic bracelet that I wear constantly to remind me of this challenge. So, I will report back from time to time on how that is all going.


Oh, one more I guess. My final final goal is to write my blog on a regular basis. Don’t know if anyone besides Sherri actually reads them, but at least once a week, is my pledge. Hopefully more, depending on life. But if my kids can pledge to continue to work on their homework, then I can pledge to continue to write my blogs. Hopefully something at least a little interesting.

So there you have it. Who knows what my blogs will be in the coming weeks and months. Football? I’m sure. Summer vacations? Weird things my dogs do? Funny things my daughter says? So we will see what happens in my sometimes exciting, sometimes dull but always interesting life.