A Little out of Touch...

I have certainly been out of touch, but our family is entering cyberspace a bit lately :)  You can follow Ellery's life journey at www.Elleryslife.com  She is full steam ahead in chasing down her dreams.  It's pretty fun to watch as a mother, and exciting to support a child who is so driven.  She was scouted to be a model by an amazing child model photographer a couple months ago.  That led to a lot of work with the clothing brand Persnickety.  As they got to know Ellery, and her story, they fell in love with her.  In just a couple weeks, in their upcoming magazine, and online, they are doing an entire feature on Ellery.  She is the Persnickety girl of the year.  She is so excited for this opportunity.  Her health has been in a bit of a decline again, unfortunately.  As well as our sweet little Emmett.  We are fighting and doing treatments like crazy to keep these kiddos out of the hospital and off IV's.  But that just might not be possible.  We feel so grateful Ellery has so much positive attention right now.  She has a real reason to stay very strong, through the difficult times that could be ahead.

She's working on recording songs, music videos, ballroom dance team, and still doing flute and piano!  We try to squeeze some math and writing in along with all the fun stuff ;)

My schedules continue to be so complicated I have to take a picture of my spreadsheet and keep it on my phone!  I never fully figured out the summer.

I've learned so much the last year.  I feel like a different person in so many ways.  With all certainty I know that life can change in an instant.

Ellery wrote this poem when she was sick last year and it just sums it up perfectly.

The Flower

by Ellery

A flower dies fast and grows back slowly.

Hard things come fast and are recovered from slowly.

At the time they might seem out of order.

You may be feeling depression, pain or hurt.

But through time they always come back.

Stronger than before.

If Ellery tells me she wants to write music and try to make it big.  I'm not going to stop her.  In fact, I'm even going way out of my comfort zone and putting myself on facebook and instagram to do everything I can to help her.

My other children are still finding their ways.  Callista is the best friend I've ever met.  She has a way of winning hearts that is just amazing.  We put that little girl in any situation and she thrives.  Emmett is still my angel with his perfect temperament and curls.  He has also turned into quite the gymnastics star.  My little Berkeley is just about as sweet as they come as well.  I just want to eat her up.  For the complicated things 3 of my 4 kids were born with, I think somehow God compensated by just making them nearly perfect in every other way.

The reality of last year has kept a heavy weight on Brent's and my heart.  While in some ways we have healed, we can never be the same again.  That is an okay thing.  In Ellery's words, we are stronger than before.  But I know the disease that seemed to just lie quietly rears its head in very real ways now.  The reality of a progressive disease is never fun.

But all that being said, we are attacking life with a vigor you would not believe!!

Keep an eye on the Persnickety Website and hop on and order their catalogue if  you have a chance!

Homeschooling Curriculum Choices for 2012

An un-staged mid-day moment.  Melted my heart.

Homeschooling Plan of Attack for 2012-2013

        Each year our homeschooling morphs into something a little bit different and a little bit unique.  Knowing this, I always try to remain undogmatic in my philosophies, knowing that circumstances and individual needs are in constant flux.  What is right one year may not be right the next.  This year Ellery (9) and Callista (7) are at home full time for their academics.  Emmett (4) is attending preschool 2 days a week and Berkeley (2) moves from wildly roaming around dancing and singing, snuggling and reading, to her favorite activity of looking at family picture slideshows on the computer.

         The elementary school didn't seem to fit our family's needs this year.  The girls' admitted they wanted more neighborhood social experiences.  They have strong social interactions in church and gymnastics but wanted to get to know a few more girls in the surrounding blocks.  Soccer was their choice of a solution.

With everyone at home so much, I knew I needed to find some things a bit more scripted with less preparation required on my part.  I decided to switch several of our programs and also try some online courses.

Charter School Enrollment

         Ellery and Callista are both enrolled in a charter school.  I am at liberty to choose their curriculum but I have to submit yearly plans, goals, and submit assignments and learning logs every two weeks.  It is a bit of a hassle but I receive $1450 of educational reimbursement funds which offset a great deal of the expenses associated with homeschooling.  The children will also be responsible for taking the state tests at the end of the year, which makes us beholden to the state curricula to some extent.  In theory their scores don't matter but I want them to have a successful experience taking standardized tests.  The charter school provides a website link called "Study Island" for state test prep in Math and English. It is fairly engaging for the girls.  They spend an hour or two a week on this site, to make sure they are familiar with any important catch words or obscure concepts I may not teach them.

Math

Math this year we are tackling online.  I have mixed feelings about it so far.  Callista is using a program called Odyssey.   She has already completed the 2nd grade and is working on 3rd grade.  Ellery is using a program called ALEKS.  She has almost completed the 4th grade portion, but I don't feel she is at mastery level.  Both programs, I feel are weak in assuring mastery.  Callista's program teaches concepts quite well.  Ellery's has no teaching per se, usually I end up having to teach her each new concepts.

I like that to some extent they can work independently and we have a very tangible record of their progress in the form of periodic assessments.  I feel they will have no problem taking the state tests, as this curricula is tied to the state and common core.

I miss teaching them math, but I found it quite difficult to teach all subjects.  I'm not sure if I will choose math as their online course next year or not.  Maybe I will rotate.

English

I have been dedicated to the Writing Road to Reading/Spaulding Method and Spell to Write and Read for a couple of years.  However I feel most days it became too time intensive.  I decided to brake English up into several smaller divisions.

Grammar

Instead of trying to use our spelling words for grammar study I am using the Well Trained Mind series of First Language Lessons.  Callista is using Level 2 and Ellery is in Level 4.  These books are demanding but engaging as well.  I have learned a significant amount as we move through them including diagraming sentences and direct objects, predicate nominatives etc.  The programs include excellent poetry selections for memorization.   Callista's are a bit below her level, because she is so familiar with poetry and memory work. I just give her extra poetry and she often learns Ellery's as well.
The Level 4 is intense but superbly chosen.  It may prove difficult if your children are not accustomed to poetry.

The programs are divided into 100 lessons.  We do around 4 a week.  Sometimes less for Ellery because the lessons are longer.  They are completely scripted so they require no forethought.  I actually love this.  I don't always follow the script, but many times I do.

Writing

I used Writing with Ease, also part of the Well Trained Mind program, last year, but I did not order the workbooks.  This year I ordered the workbooks.  It was an excellent choice.  I don't have to search through books looking for sentences containing adverbs etc.  All the literature selections are provided.  The programs have 4 day weeks, each with a specific theme or book.  There is copywork, narration and dictation.  Callista is using Level 2 and Ellery Level 3.  The Level 4 was too difficult.  The first dictation is an entire paragraph.  (It is read to the student 3x.  The student repeats the selection back and then writes it down from memory.)

I trust the Bauers programs.  Their literature selections are phenomenal.  The intellectual rigor is demanding.  This approach to writing, grammar, history is unmatched in my opinion.

Spelling

What I miss most about the Spell to Write and Read program was how it grouped spelling words in such a manner to evoke the most creative writing.   I also love the beautiful sentences it provided for introducing the spelling words.  However, mastery was not stressed.

The spelling program I chose this year is Spelling Power.  It is an excellent time efficient, mastery driven program.  There are several levels of review built into the program.  The idea is to introduce new words for only around 5 minutes a day.   The children are tested on words they miss each day and continue to be tested on them until they spell them correctly the first time.  Then review lists are often given which include the most frequently misspelled words.

My complaint with the program is the word grouping are very uninspiring.  I may move to try to combine the two programs.  I'm not sure how it would work out.

Literature

The very first year I homeschooled Ellery for a partial day in first grade I used the Sonlight curriculum. I loved the heavy focus on literature, but felt it was thin on the mechanics.  This year I decided to order nearly all of the Independent Reading selections for 2nd-4th grade and the Read Alouds corresponding to Early American History, which we are studying this year.  All of them have been fantastic.  However, I find Callista is still in a bit of limbo between introductory chapter books and "real" chapter books.  She isn't quite fluent enough yet to just love and become absorbed in a longer book.

Reading aloud is my favorite part of homeschooling.  If ever the tension level gets too high, my best solution is to pull out a book, snuggle on the couch and start reading.

History

We love the Story of the World.  It is always my girls favorite part of the day.  We are currently in Volume 3.  The children remain engaged and love the maps and coloring pages.  I rarely have time for all of the activities but whenever we can we squeeze them in.

Science

This year we are finishing up our Noeo physics study units as well as our Science in a Nutshell kits.  I wish I had more time for Science.  I love it so much, but usually we only tackle it once a week.  We also will be doing the Science Fair this year.  Of course my favorite!

Spanish

Bertha our Spanish tutor comes 6 hours a week.  Four hours are instructional.  Bertha is a fabulous teacher.  She love children and teaching.  She includes Mexican History, Math, Fashion, Dancing, Singing, Science, Grammar, Art etc. in her lessons.  The girls do not speak well, but their comprehension is increasing rapidly.  I feel it is a very worthwhile addition to their education.

Emmett and Berkeley get in on the action as well.  Emmett plays with Bertha's two grandsons (Spanish speakers) which come along.  The one hour break gives me a nice moment of respite to work on dinner, pay bills, run an errand, or take a shower.  On Wednesday's Bertha stays with the 2 little ones while I go to piano lessons with Ellery and Callista.

Art

Ellery is attending a drawing class and Callista a pottery class at the local Arts center one hour a week.   With only one other student each in their classes, they are like private lessons.  We have had the same teacher for 3 years.  The girls love her, receive technical training from a true artist, and produce high quality pieces.

Sewing

Both girls are enrolled in sewing this year at the "Cute as a Button" sewing school.  Our neighbor also joined their class.  The student teacher ratio is 4:1 so they turn out excellent work.  Ellery keeps her sewing machine set up in her room and is constantly making all sorts of creations from flower embellishments, headbands, and pillows, to skirts.

Athletics

Gymnastics continues to be the main sport for Ellery, Callista, and Emmett.  Ellery attends 11 hours a week, Callista 9 hours and Emmett 3 hours.  This is a huge time and financial commitment.  However, no matter how many times we re-evaluate we always decide this is the right decision for our children.  The Myriad benefits include:

* fabulous friendships with their teammates

* strong healthy bodies

* tough competitive environment

* building grace and confidence, especially under pressure

* overcoming and facing tough scary things

The 3 children also enjoyed soccer for the first time this fall.  Ellery and Callista had a great time and caught on quickly.  We could barely get Emmett to run :)


Music

Music is last on my list but is one of the cornerstones of our homeschooling.  We practice everyday, and at an intense level.  It is the most trying of our pursuits on my patience and the girls attitudes.  Practicing is just plain hard.  However, because we have uniquely devoted so much time and attention, the girls progress has been astounding.  I don't say this to brag or gloat or glorify.  It has simply been the result of a long concerted, dedicated effort.   It is something within the grasp of anyone, if they make the decision.  Our homeschooling puts us in a unique situation to devote the necessary time.  We practice during the school day, beginning at 7:15.

The reason I've invested so much in music, is I feel the lifelong joy this will bring to my children and those around them is unmatched by anything else, save reading.    If anything teaches perseverance it is mastering a musical instrument.  I've found I can learn many things as an adult but the time intensity of this pursuit puts it out of my reach.  And so the oft repeated words, I swore over and over again to my mother I would never say, come out, "I wish I never quit piano lessons."

The expectation of practice is well established.  Emmett keeps asking when he gets to start.  For my personal sanity, not until the summer after kindergarten.  That time line has worked quite well for both of the girls.

Ellery continues to study the flute.  She enjoys having a second instrument.  She practices independently and so is not progressing as quickly.  Callista is begging to begin the cello.  However, it is expensive to buy the instrument and pay for lessons, so we are holding off until the summer, most likely.

The charter school actually offers semi-private instrument lessons at a local music store, which are paid through state funding.  It is something I am looking into as a possibility for their second instruments next year.


So there it is.  It looks a bit overwhelming and seems that way when I write it all down.  Somehow, day  in and day out it all works and we stay relatively sane.  It is surely not something that works for everyone, and I don't claim it is the best way, only the choice we've made for our family right now.  

Happy Mothers Day 2012

 I am so grateful to be a mother by choice.  I respect women for all of their choices.  God did not create me just as mother.  It is one of my roles, and one that brings me tremendous joy but also the burden of myriad menial duties and frustration.

 Emmett insisted on having a "dress" made for himself.  So actually both he and Brent got a homemade tie.  Brent was equally as adamant and actually the driving force behind his own matching tie.  We were a bit on the corny side at church but who cares!

My own mom and sisters.  We must have taken 150 pictures to get one we all approved of.  I'm not sure if this was one of them.

 I wish I could say I always have this big of a smile on my face, even when we are piano practicing...  But I do have this smile in my heart, even when I'm a bit grouchy.

Discipline

I've desperately tried to discover what happened to me my freshman year of college.  I still am not quite sure.  A rebound from high school and living at home?  If you want to know what I look like 45-50 lbs heavier now you know.  

It boils down to Discipline.  I had none.

No exercise.  I had always exercised and played sports.

No sleep.  I stayed out until 2-4 am and slept in or through many of my classes.

Junk.  I ate junk.  So much candy it sickens me.  Junior mints and sour gummy bears were the biggest culprits.  We laughed at the girl on our floor who counted her M & M's but guess who didn't get fat?

Mess.  My dorm room was a disaster.  

No 4.0.  I think after the obsession with a 4.0 in high school I just decided not to care anymore.  Some how I rolled out of that year with a high GPA but I regret my decision not to try.  I didn't even reapply for my scholarship.  I could have been outstanding and I wasn't.

Today I ran seven 800 meter sprints between a 2:55 and 2:28 pace. I'm training to run a marathon in just over 3 hours.  If you told me I would ever be able to do these things I would have laughed.    In high school I didn't think I could run faster than a 9 minute mile. 

I run.  I read.  I educate.  I cook.  So I do not become what I was.  I'm grateful to look back and learn and determined to never lose focus like that again.  Certainly I was not happier at 173 lbs and a mediocre effort at life. 

And Then There Were Two...

Yesterday was a sad one on our micro, mini, family farm.  We lost our blond chicken Miriam in an unfortunate accident.  Her persistence did not pay off.  In an attempted escape from the run her little head became wedged under a board.  Thankfully Brent came home from church early and found her before the rest of the family came home.

The girls sobbed for hours.  I was surprised at the intensity of their emotion.  We'll remember Miriam as our flyer, an exceptional egg layer (two a day), and the bottom of the pecking order.  Hopefully there is a heaven for animals were she doesn't have to try to escape a coop but can roam around to her full pleasure.  (I doubt the little spirit animals are eating thus, no poop.  I would let them roam too!)

The little hens had just come off their winter egg-laying break of 2 1/2 months.  We will miss Miriam's mischief and her blue and peach eggs.

Today it Made Me Smile...

I have to admit, a lot of weeks I go to church and don't feel like I come away with much.  I think this is a result of several things.  The major factor:  Honey Fat.  Church ends up more like a silent wrestling match, or at least me trying to be silent as I silence her, during the services.  Then I usually spend 90 minutes trying to sneak out of nursery without her wailing.  A consequence of being the baby of 4, she is very contented surrounded by family.  Or I end up home with sick kids, or a napping child.  If I am being 100% honest, church isn't really when I seem to be able to fill my spiritual tank.

That said...sometimes I catch a snippet.  A little gem that lifts or inspires me.  Today was such a day.  The last few years "Gratitude Journals"  have been all the rage.  It is a wonderful practice.  But today, a woman spoke of a different kind of daily log. "Today it Made Me Smile."  It made me smile.  I love thinking about all the things that make me smile.  Here are a just a few from the last two days...

• I won my first race ever.  I've had plenty of age group wins but never an overall 1st place.  It wasn't a fabulous time by any stretch of the imagination.  But it was a cool feeling not a having a single woman in front of me.  And the prizes were amazing!  What was the difference in this race? The women from my fabulous running group were all there.  But not running.  Instead...they trailed in front and behind me in a minivan coaching and cheering all 6.2 miles.  

A very unflattering picture.

• The minivan of middle-aged women coaching me like I was going for an olympic win.  I don't know why, but this just has made me feel like a million dollars for 2 days straight.   Brent is always asking me, "Are you sure you want to live here?"  My response,  "I'm not leaving my running crew."  You just can't replace... 
• Amanda in her tight jeans (which she looks really hot in) running in front of me yelling, "Refocus.  Start a new race.  Close your eyes!" 
• Marie, "Keep your eyes up, focus on the guy in the white.  Catch him."  
• Josie, toddler in arms, "She's 200 yards behind you.  Stay strong."  
• Jen, holding all three of her tiny kids, in her sweet soft-spoken way "Come on.  You got it.  Just up this hill." 
• Desi, in the minivan picked up after just finishing her 5k whispering in a throaty voice, "Thank you so much.  Come on!"  (We switched 5K and 10K  spots at the last minute because she got sick.)

I just don't know how many people are as lucky as I am to have these women who are such good friends to me.  There is something about doing hard things which really brings you together.

• A Snuggle from Ellery.  Not atypical, but the circumstance brought a big inner smile.  Our piano teacher asks her students to play their sacred music each Sunday to keep up their repertoire.  Ellery was playing through her list of hymns and a Medley she is currently learning.  She got stuck.  I wouldn't let her stop until she figured it out.  She was furious and refused help.  "Sweet is the Work" was being pounded as loudly as possible at one point.  It wasn't sweet work, believe me.  Finally, I got her through.  She was still pounding.  As she finished the song, Brent asked her to come sit down.  In the sweetest little voice she said, "No Daddy, I want to snuggle with Mommy."  She nestled right in and spooned with me for 15 minutes, holding my hand.   Not a morsel of angst lingering.  There is something about doing hard things which really brings you together.

• Callista beating the socks off the big boys in a impromptu foot race home from church.  In her Sunday shoes.  Believe me they were trying.

• Brent coming home a day early from his trip.  Life just isn't the same without him.  I had a wonderful long conversation with his mom.  She mentioned the only one of the 10 commandments associated with a direct promise is, "Honor thy Father and thy Mother, that thy days may be long upon the land."   Brent never wavered in his obedience and respect to his mom and dad.  I know many obedient people whose lives seemed to be far too short, but I am banking on the literal fulfillment of that promise.

• Emmett moaning through his fever, in his high little voice, "Mommy...I love you so much."  Not atypical, but how could that not elicit a smile.  And...Emmett sitting as peaceful and serene as ever while getting blood drawn, for a vitamin D check.  It is so torturous when a doctor asks you to choose one of your children to have a blood draw.  Ugghhh.  I tell you though, those nurses had never seen anything like it as Emmett watched every moment carefully and trustingly, just giving a little moan at the poke.  Angel.  I take zero credit for him.

• Singing "Come Thou Fount" with the church choir today, and remembering when I sang the same song at my Grandma's funeral.  Thinking of her.  And of my uncle telling me it was the most beautiful thing he had heard (his emotions speaking).

Hopefully I'll take the time to record more of these moments that make me smile, because they come fast and furious.  Something I hope I never forget.

34 Years Young

 I spent the first 6 hours of my birthday in a serious funk (excluding the first hour during which I ran 6 miles in fairy wings and a feathery headband). There is just something about a birthday that brings out all the wrinkles, pounds, personality flaws, and motherly and wifely failures...

Mostly I just wanted to lay in bed and feel sorry for myself (which really only happens to me on my birthday).  Poor Brent was patient and thoughtful.   He even decorated the house with "ticket" streamers.  (I think we were out of crepe paper.)    You may remember the girls "blown up balloons" from last year.  It is always interesting to see what surfaces when it is mom's birthday.

Around 1 pm I finally got a grip and finished the day full of cheer.  The day after we celebrated and took the family out to breakfast, got a babysitter and Brent and I went to Park City.  It was a great birthday.

Something to be Grateful For...

...this is Berkeley's prominent double chin in our self-portrait, not mine.

They keep telling me she is only the 5th percentile...not real sure about that one!

Special Delivery

No snafu's this year.  Registered on time.  I'm going for it!

Top of Utah Marathon Race Report

Courtesy of jolesch photography.  Their pictures are way too expensive!

Top of Utah Race Report

Runners high. Eleven and 3:16. Two words and two numbers.  The summations of my race.  Runners high, even that seems not to capture the feeling of this race for me.  Saturday night after 26.53 miles(over a third of a mile long on the course according to my Garmin) I was ready for a speed workout on Monday.  

Admittedly today, the high has worn off a bit as I hobble down my stairs (not certain yet how to avoid that horrible leg soreness) and I think I will opt for yoga in the morning and not a speed workout.  Here is the nitty gritty of the race....  (I only have post race pics so they will have to provide the photographic interludes)

Holding my Moose Trophy.  Of course none of this is possible without my number one fan.  

All Marathon Eve:

Nerves were racing high.  I felt quite a calm throughout the day compared to the edginess of the previous week.  I pounded my chia seeds, fish oils, oatmeal, and greens.  By evening I was tense.  We got up to my parents at about 4 pm.  The kids were geared up for a "sleep over"  since Marie and her family were staying with us.   At 8:30 we had the kids down and Brent, Peter, Marie and I headed over to the Expo and to pick up our numbers.  I had a bone to pick with the pacers, who were pacing times faster than their PR's.  I chose not to run with them.   


The weather turned ominous at about 10 pm.  With my flash light app, I just kept going over possible pacing strategies.  Ultimately I decided, I wanted to finish strong.  I would come down the canyon at 7:15 pace, and finish the second half with around a 7:25 pace,  not too big of a spread.   All recommendations are to start this course fast because of the downhill in the beginning.  However, I knew I didn't want to run 10 minutes miles the end of my race.  


I was asleep by 11pm.  Thunder and a beating rain at  2:30 am woke me.  I listened on and off for the next 2 hours as it never let up, praying it would at least stay warm.  Please no snow!  

Crack of Dawn: 

My alarm went off at 4:50 am, not too bad of a wake up time.  I was mostly awake as it was.  Brent drove us to the busses.  At 5:20 we hopped on board.  Marie and I both confessed considering mascara but opting out because of the rain.  Oh the vanity.

We listened to some slow old men, talk incessantly about the hundreds of marathons and ultras they had run.  We also spotted two foreigners across from us, and tried to decipher where they were from.  Marie thought France.  My guess was Germany.  Turns out Switzerland.  We decided the woman looked fast.  (More on that later.)  

It was raining softly on the bus, not too much to be concerned about.  We were pleasantly surprised when we stepped out and it seemed quite warm.  We spent the obligatory 30 minutes in line for our moments in the port-a-pottie.  At 10 minutes out we stripped down and threw our bags in the bus.  As if on cue, the heavens opened in a torrential downpour.  


We hid out like human sardines in the tent for a few minutes, and then ventured to the starting line.  The rain had lightened a bit.  I kept probing runners, searching for a fellow 3:15'er.  No luck.  Muskets fired and we were off.  






The First Fourteen:


My luck changed in only the first mile.  I heard three women about 10 feet ahead of me discussing pacing strategies.  I surged up to join them, introduced myself and so we formed a group of four trying to bank a 3:15.  My PR was the slowest of the group, but I didn't feel intimidated.  We all happened to be in different age groups which relieved a bit of the competitive edge.  Heather, as seen in the picture below, turned out to be my most faithful companion.  Of all things, she is a cross country coach.  She has that wonderful running dynamic like Marie.  Positive, fun and very experienced.  This was her 19th marathon, and I think her eighth time running this particular course.  

Nothing beats a great running partner in a marathon.  Heather was 100% positive.
I never would have the same race without her.

We braved the rain and even hail as we cruised down the canyon.  Within a few miles it was clear our pace was going to be around 7:20.  However, I made a decision, I would slow for the companionship.  Running a marathon alone was unpleasant and brutally long.  Ogden sealed that in my memory.  


I felt like I was on a great training run.  We had fun conversation and I rarely even thought about the miles as they just flew past.  Passing the half-way mark, we were soaked through, but buoyant nonetheless.  It was fabulous to see Brent, the children and my mom braving the elements to cheer me on at the mouth of the canyon.

1- 7:23

2- 7:15

3- 7:21

4- 7:25

5- 7:13

6- 7:20

7- 7:21

8- 7:12

9- 7:19

10- 7:25  here it really started coming down...

11- 7:29

12- 7:27  hailing...

13- 7:21

14- 7:16

Miles 15-22:

At this point in the race the course flattens out with several hills.  Our effort picked up, and we tried to pump up all the hills.  At mile 21 an awesome spectator informed us we were 16, 17, 18, and 19th of the women.  Heather and I looked at each other and decided we would finish top 15.  


During these miles I started to feel the same pain in my feet which crippled me in the Ogden Marathon.  Instead of panicking I decided to use my breath and take care of it.  Utilizing my yoga skills, I sent every ounce of breath towards those feet.  Willing the pain to go away.  Guess what?  Every time it did. 


Around mile 18 two of our group had dropped behind.  I loved this portion of the course as we ran almost within eye site of my parents ranch.  I knew all the turns, the elevation changes...we even ran by the scene of my dog attack 4 years ago!  


Saw the family again.  Awesome boost.

Going to meet Heather, as she finishes

Heather began to fall behind at mile 22.  I kept encouraging her to pull back up.  Four different times she did, but then she didn't.  It was up to me to bring in the last 3 1/2 miles.  We had caught several women by this time and loads of men.  I was feeling great.  Still no pain to speak of.  The weather really became a non-issue the last 10 miles.  We had thunder, but no wind, freezing temperatures, or significant cloud bursts.  I was very wet and heavy, but it didn't hamper my spirits.
15- 7:25

16- 7:29
17- 7:20
18- 7:23
19- 7:30
20- 7:44
21- 7:16
22- 7:34

Mile 23 to Finish:

Here the course hits a significant hill.  I powered up and still felt strong.  I continued to pass runners.  In fact, I wasn't passed the entire race after the first 2 miles.  On a flat I started hearing some awful moaning.  Loud, horrible groans.  I was approaching a man in his late forties, who appeared to be in solid physical condition.  He was accompanied by a partner.  This man's eyes were closed and his face was contorted in what appeared to be excruciating pain.  Based on his vocalizations, I think it was pretty bad.  I tried offering words of encouragement and tips to relax and breathe.  I don't think he was coherent to much.  One thing I knew.  Get out of earshot fast!  It is not good mentally to be around that kind of moaning.  I pushed past him.

Another significant pass was the 3:10 pacer.  This was probably my low point of the race.  I gave a snide comment to him.  "You are lame.  People were depending on you!"  In retrospect I probably should have refrained.  However, they were so over confident the night before as I drilled them.  They guaranteed a 3:10 finish which would have been a PR for the guy.  I should have cut him some slack, they weren't professional pacers.

At mile 24 fatigue began to set in.  Now it was time to push myself.  I decided to ignore my lower body completely and just let my arms bring me in the last 2 1/2 miles.  I pumped as hard as could.  There were two women I could see and I knew I wanted to catch them.  The hill at 24 I caught the first.  Last woman to reel in was of all people, the Swiss woman from the bus.  I gave it everything I had and passed her with a mile to go.

Besides the 3 hills, the last 3 miles had 2 short, steep downhills.  On fatigued legs, this can be tricky.  However, I decided to lean as far forward as I could and open my stride, letting gravity do all the work.  I think I passed 5 men on the downhills.  (I also think my price to pay is this horrid soreness in my quads.  But well worth it.)

When my watched clocked 26.2 miles it stung knowing I still had 2 more straightaways to go.  However, at the half, it was clear the race would be long, so I was mentally prepared.  The last 1/3 of a mile I sprinted as fast as I could.  My vision blurred a little.  All I thought about were my arms.  On the homestretch I even won a footrace with the man next to me. (The evidence is on the video at the start.  I look painfully slow but I was cooking for just having gone 26.53 miles!)  I  finished with a 3:16:49.

23- 7:53
24- 7:39
25- 7:25
26- 7:33
.53- 7:08  I kicked it in strong the last 1/2 mile!

Eleventh place overall for the women and an 11 minute personal record.  I was 104th overall in over 1850 runners.

My time was a minute slower than my goal, but it was a triumphant race for me.  I am confident all the time I spent analyzing this race, my goals, what I wanted...it all paid off for me.  I ran a smart, strong race, passing 8 women in the last 11 miles and over 35 women after the half mark.  I still have the runners high, and I apologize if it sounds like I am tooting my own horn here.

Marie finding out she would walk away with some money,
because she was first not second!

Lessons Learned:

Your breath can heal, distract or somehow erase the pain.  Thanks to yoga for that gem which saved me!

Incremental success can be more fulfilling and motivating than a wild shot at glory!  I chose to have an enjoyable race early on, knowing I would probably fall short of my 3:15 goal.  But the reevaluation was the right choice in hind sight.  An 11 minute PR is a wonderful stepping stone.  Next year, I will try to break 3:10!

Both lessons have worthy application in myriad circumstances.


Best of all, Marie and I took first and second place in the 30-34 year old women.  We were so excited, because initially the results said second and third.  We had time to shower and come back at 1:15 for the awards ceremony.  In fact we were running there as we heard our names being called out!

First and Second Place for Females 30-34, the fastest age category.
Neighbors, friends, and running partners to top it all off!

Despite everything I said previously, I decided to register for Boston.  I'm not sure if I will run it or not, but I wanted to leave the door open.  If there are still some spots left, I think I will get in.

(This week they choose the fastest times to fill the remaining spots.  Registration opened last week.)


This marathon was invigorating and I am convinced I am just tapping into my potential.  Train harder, longer, and faster and who knows what the future holds!



Check the box for a job well done.

Sustainable Homeschooling

Sustainability is my mantra this year.  

After two years, and two different attempts, this year is all about creating an educational experience conducive to our entire family, long term.  It doesn't necessarily mean a rigid schedule, because things seem to be in constant flux...it does mean certain sanity measure are built into our days and week.

Of course what is sustainable for everyone is different.  Someone might look at my schedule and think I am out of my mind.  Another may think I am letting my kids off easy.  What works for everyone is different.   But here are some tricks I have built into to help me:


Exercise Out of the House


I exercise every morning.  Out of the house.   I leave by 5:50 am at the latest and return between 7 and 7:15.  Usually I run 4 mornings, and yoga and bike once.  There is no such thing as sleeping in our schedule, so it is better to be out of the house :)

Not being in charge of the wake up and morning chores is helpful.  It is intense when I get home because we start right away with practicing.  Ellery practices independently on the flute.  I know she won't progress as quickly but, she relishes the independence and my goodness are her lungs getting a workout!  

20 minutes to Get Ready


Brent gets the kids out of the house and exercising while a jump in the shower and get ready.  It is a fast 20 minutes, but at least I get a shower and can get my makeup done.  The Hunny hangs out with me as I am getting ready.

Husband Pick Up

It sounds much more intriguing than it is!  Gratefully I have a husband who can work his lunch schedule to pick up Emmett from gym twice a week.  He also gives me a lunch hour on Friday afternoons to squeeze in another yoga class.  Thankfully the yoga studio is only a mile from our home, and Brent's office is only about 4 miles away.

One Day a Week Tutor/Nanny

Larisa is a huge blessing.  The children adore her, and I am free to run my errands and the children to their classes and lessons.

Date Night

Brent and I have never had this scheduled in to our week before.  I hired the 15 year old on our street to sit for us every week for 2 1/2 hours.  We choose Thursday night so she can still have her weekends, and we get an early start to ours!   I also choose an early time slot as well, 5:00 until 7:30 pm.  This was a strategic move on my part.  Marilyn is in charge of feeding the children dinner, bathing and getting them ready for bed.  The toughest part of the day :)  She definitely has to earn her money.  Usually Brent and I go for a bike ride, grab a salad or just hang around together without the kids.

Quiet Reading is my Friend

On mornings where I just need a little more time, Berkeley or Emmett is having a tough time, maybe Callista is having a 15 minute tantrum because she misspelled one of the 30 words on her spelling test (Oh man, she really is my child)...this is when quiet reading is my friend.  The kids are happy as clams snuggling in my bed with their books while I finish a shower for example.   They are accountable for their time, by passing off books to me with perfect fluency.  It usually works out quite nicely.

Here is our updated schedule:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
End!	2:30	3:30	2:00	4:00	11:45 or 2:20
6 am	Ellery:  Vest              Brent:  Wake, Shower, Breakfast					Free Time  Family Time
6:30	Ellery:  Dressed, Hair, Bed Made, Teeth, Prayers, Breakfast Callista:  Dressed, Hair, Bed Made, Teeth, Prayers, Breakfast, Lunch Packed
7 am	Ellery:  Flute Practice              Callista:  Piano Practice with Mom  Emmett:  Vest, Dressed, Hair, Bed Made, Teeth, Prayers, Breakfast
7:35	Ellery Spanish on Computer, Callista practicing
8:00	PE and Games with Dad
8:20	Academic Block:  Writing, Spelling Reading, Memorization, Poems, Read Aloud...				Spelling Tests
9 am	Ellery Piano Practicing              Callista at Cascade					Ellery Gym Callista Private  11-12 pm
9:45	Emmett Gym	Ellery Piano	Emmett Gym	Ellery Piano
10:00	Ellery and Mom Latin		Russian  with Larisa	Ellery and Mom Latin
10:20	Ellery and Mom Singapore Math			Shiller/Saxon Math	Music/Typing
11:20	Lunch  and Free Time		Lunch and Free Time with Larisa	Lunch and Free Time	Shiller/Saxon Math
12:00 pm	11:45 - 1:00 pm Spelling/Phonics Instruction with Quiet Reading				Dad Lunch  Mom Yoga
1 pm	History		Ellery Art Class Callista Russian	Writing Group all Children	Callista Art Ellery Science	Free Time  Family Time
1:35 pm	1:35 - 2:20 Callista Math with Mom Ellery Typing, Free Write, Read, Math Review
2 pm			Ellery and Callista  Piano Lessons Emmett Larisa
2:20	Free Time Snack Time	Quiet Reading		Flute Lesson  Math Callista	Free Time
3:30		Free Time  Ellery Activity Day 3:45-5 Every Other Week		Free Time
4 pm	Gymnastics 4:15-7:15  Ellery  4:15-6:45 Callista		Gymnastics 4:15-7:15  Ellery  4:15-6:45 Callista	Free Time
5 pm				Babysitter Night   Dinner with Babysitter
5:30		Ellery Sewing Class
6:30		Dinner
7:30	Dinner	Family Home Evening	Dinner	In Bed Family Scriptures
8 pm	In Bed Reading with Mom Lights out 8:30

Partial Day Dilema

We may have a few more alterations.  Callista is begging to stay home.  The elementary school has not been everything she dreamed it would be.  We have been working with her teacher and now have her on the correct reading level  (11 levels above the first book she gave us!).  However, the math and spelling are literally boring her to tears.  I keep asking her if she enjoys the children, but she says she doesn't really care.  She can't talk to anyone in class anyways, she informs us sullenly.  She wants to be home where I teach her the "hard stuff."

Brent and I have been going back and forth about this.  We don't want to pull her out too early, when it is just nerves talking.  However, we also don't want to stifle her love for learning and her drive to be challenged and stimulated.  Because I am already invested in homeschooling full time, having her home those two hours would be a simple adjustment.

We are still deciding what to do.  I think I will try to have her stick it out a few more weeks to be sure she is certain.  She is only six years old, and I don't think it is crucial for her to be away from the family right now.  Gymnastics, art, writing, church and piano all provide opportunities.

Sustainability.  


I will try to keep you posted on how accurate and effective my measures turn out.