Home Sweet Home

We arrived home last night.  My shower has never felt so warm, my bed so perfect nor my pillows so soft.  We rolled in late so it was jammies and bed for the three kids we brought home with us (don't worry we didn't lose two along the way we just shipped them home with the grandparents for an extended vacation). John watered his garden and checked some work stuff and crashed only to be awoken with a "my tummy hurts"from N.  We told him to crash on our floor.  Sometime in the middle of the night A joined him.  I guess after sleeping in a room with 7 other kids for a week they didn't want to be alone!
It is good to be home.  I am now trying to catch up on some TOS Crew stuff and plan to spend some time planning and inputing next year into the computer.  While we were gone we let A detonate some dynamite in a Gold Mine.  We're cool like that :)

Colorado

I'm really not a traveler. I usually get out locally a few times a year and see the country maybe once a year. Just so happens in the past week I have two vacations. Last week it was Seattle, this week Colorado for a family get together. There are 16 of us renting a house near Rocky Mountain National Park. All of us hiked Beaver Meadows yesterday seeing the gorgeous meadows and mountain peaks. We then walked around Estes Park doing a little shopping and sight seeing. Dh and I snuck out for an evening hike at Lumpy Ridge. That's me on the trail :) As we were driving back up the drive of the rental house I snapped the sun setting over the valley. I am amazed at the gorgeous beauty of this area. I miss mountains living in Texas.

Seattle R & R

I was blessed last weekend with a trip to Seattle.  Two friends put the weekend together and invited me along for the ride, all I needed to do was book my plane ticket and pick up a third of the tab.  DONE!  I had a wonderful weekend away.  I was blessed with conversation, scenery and no one calling me mom.  These two friends made me laugh, ushered me through an unexpected encounter with race for the cure, and shared a fondue pot with me.  We saw orcas hunt a harbor seal, saw a bald eagle fly, and blue sky in Seattle :)  I came home refreshed and relaxed and blessed by my time away. 

I Tri-ed

Sunday was the big day.  My alarm went of at 3:45AM, yes AM.  John got up and made me coffee while I blended up my protein smoothie.  He saw me off.  I swung around the corner and picked up a good friend who volunteered to get up at an ungodly hour to go with me.  She was going to do the race but found out she was pregnant a few weeks before.  So she came to be my cheerleader and volunteer.  We got to the ski ranch about 5:30 parked and walked around checking out the swim and facilities.  When transition opened we set up my bike and gear.  I got 402 marked on both arms, both legs, and the number 37 on the back of my right leg.  The 37 is my age at the end of the year.  All women had their age listed on their leg.  During the race it was exhilarating to pass a 20 something and humbling to get passed by a 50 something.
At 8am the first wave was in the water, 8:04 the green caps went, at 8:08 the red caps started swimming with me in their midst.  It was a fairly easy swim other than the fact the water smelled sulphurous.  No visibility in the water.  I apologized to the few people I swam over and then gave up being polite as I got swam over too.  I ranked 75th in the swim with a time of 7:11.  (out of 422 participants) As I exited the water I pulled off my cap and goggles and jogged over to the transition area trying not to trip on the mats.  I sat down rinsed my feet, pulled on my socks and running shoes.  I stood up put my sunglasses on, slammed my helmet on my head and buckled it, choking from the strap I yanked the back of it over my braid and could breathe again.  I pulled on my jersey but my back was wet and it rolled.  I wrestled with it and finally got it on.  I unracked my back and jogged to the mount area on the frontage road of I-35.  Transition took me 3:21.  The bike started with a brief flat and then hit a hill to get up to the overpass.  After that it was rolling hills and mostly flat through a farming area.  The course was open road so Comal County sheriff were at each corner holding traffic for us.  I think my time could have been better if I had the whole lane to pass on the downhill.  But I had to hold back a few times because there wasn't room on the smooth lane and I really didn't want a flat riding on the rough lane.  The bike was shortened the morning of because of rain the previous night causing a low water crossing to have too much water on it.  So the bike went from 11.1 miles to about 10.6.  I ranked 271 on the bike with a time of 43:54.  I dismounted and entered tranisition, racked my bike, tore off my helmet, swigged some gaterade, and realized my bib number had flown off during the bike.  Transition this time only took me 1:17.  Due to a recent calf strain I was worried about the run.  I jogged out of transition and through the skate park and then slowed to a very brisk walk.  I alternated jogging and walking.  My friend was at the final water station and she cheered me into the last mile.  The last 1/3 of the race was back inside the venue so I jogged the whole time crossing the finish line with a time of 1:20:05 (24:19 for the 2 mile run) My run rank was 341 (yikes).
Overall I was pleased.  My goal was to finish (preferably not in last) and I accomplished that.  My overall rank was 262, looks like about 59 out of 90 for my age group.  Lots of room for improvement in the future :)
 I haven't signed up for my next race yet but plan on doing a 5k run while in Colorado this summer.

I Tri

Picked up my packet and swag bag for the tri tomorrow.  The nerves flared as soon as that cute little tech shirt was in my hands.  The swag bag... full of goodies, cap color... red, popcorn flavor.... dill pickle??  really dill pickle flavored popcorn?  Pass on that one.
I'm ready.  I wish I would have been able to train harder but the calf strain put a crimp in my training schedule.  Tomorrow's goal ...... finish (preferably not in last)
I have a sweet friend who is getting up at dark o' thirty to go with me.  She was going to race it but had to withdraw so she is volunteering and being my car trip buddy.  She has done tri's more recently so I am mooching some supplies off her and her wealth of knowledge.
I will report back tomorrow with how I fared, hopefully with photographic evidence.

Pic coming later of the swag..........

TOS Review: e-book Help, Lord, I'm Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler

I was asked to review this product by The Homeschool Crew as I have "older" kids.  Exactly when did "my" kids get older?  Thirteen years ago homeschooling wasn't even on my radar, now I'm gearing up to homeschool one through high school.  Seriously... high school?
Aging crisis aside...  When I loaded the e-book and read the title it took awhile to register in my brain that I was indeed graduating a junior higher in just 4 short weeks and that this  e-book did indeed pertain to my current life stage.

 Help, Lord, I'm Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler provides encouragement to parents about to embark on high school.  This $12 e-book published by TOS is a compilation of 13 short essays from a variety of homeschooling parents who have been there done that and lived to tell about it.  Amanda Bennett provides an introduction while Deborah Wuehler wraps it up in the epilogue.

Each family's way of going about high school is different, but one thing remained the same for all of them, they sought the Lord's wisdom in the path they should pursue.  Reading how each of them sought the Lord reminded me that I am not the one in charge of my children's educational path.  Relief from buried anxieties flowed through me as I read how each high schooling path was as varied as the child and teacher forging it.  High school does not have to fit any preconceived mold, even within the same gene pool!   I enjoyed reading the different ways the families pursued the high schooling years, whether dual enrollment, apprenticeships, or life skills focused.  It offered insight into finding what was right for each child, by seeking the Lords' direction to suit their individual temperaments, talents and passions.

The final pages of this e-book are filled with resources and web links - from transcripts to general help.  I look forward to grabbing a few of the recommended books to read over the summer.

If you value peace of mind as you approach the high school years, this book is invaluable.


Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this product for review purposes

Getting off my Butt

I have decided to get off my butt.  Two reasons really, mentally and physically.  I have had a downward spiral in my physical well being since being laid up for 6 weeks and then scared to lift anything heavier than my laptop for a few more weeks than that.  Then it was too chicken to start back at the gym lest I tear or pop something.  I have no excuses now.  I have been cleared by my plastic and my onc to get back to the gym.  So I joined a little gym up the street with John.  We've been twice in three weeks :)  Need to work on that.  I have also rededicated myself to tri training.  I enjoyed biking 9 years ago when I first got in to tri's.  Swimming for me is a given.  So I am joining a tri training group, downloaded a Couch to 5K app, and have almost signed up for my first sprint tri in May.
Mentally I need this.  I need a season of me time.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm in a dark place right now.  I need to get out of it.  Part of it is what I have been through, not sure I ever fully processed what happened to me and I am now suffering for laughing my way through the pain.  Homeschooling and parenting are overwhelming right now.  Luckily the kids have switched to auto pilot and are keeping pace while I do what I can.  John has stepped in also to ease my load.  So for a season (hopefully a short one) I need to focus more on me.  Is this selfish?  Yes in the short term, no for long term.  I need this.  It isn't a want it is a need.  I need to be healthy both physically and mentally and I have neither right now.  I am on the road to recovery.......