Fun times

Last Friday Paige had a half day I decided to take her on a little lunch date. We enjoyed tacos in the window seats at Salsarita's. It was fun to chatter about her day and spend some solo time with my girl. Afterward, we headed to Home Goods to get a new dog bed for Teddy who has chewed his up. We didn't find a bed we liked, but we did find a Teddy costume! These girls convince me to get the silliest things for this dog. 

We also made a trip over to Target just for fun. Paige and I have managed to try on some Halloween costumes in the past and she was keen to see what was free this year. So of course, she tried on several and it made me laugh. She's such a nut. 

We also worked on her Rube Goldburg machine which is a series of simple machines that ends up watering a plant. It took several tries and lots of patience as one thing or another wouldn't work. Finally, after recording a dozen times, it all worked! Thank goodness Patrick thought to bring home dinner because by that time we were spent. 

On Saturday, Anna had some fun with the cross country girls. They had a chance to go out on a boat and do tubing as well as water skiing. Patrick and I were sure that Anna would just do tubing as she has shown no interest in skiing before and there would be the pressure of her friends. But she proved us wrong. Apparently, she got up on her first try and loved it! 

Combined with our possum adventures, we had an exciting weekend!

Our not so welcome guest-the possum

A few weeks back, I was at book club one evening and the rest of my crew was at home for what I thought was a normal evening. Turns out they saw a HUGE possum in the yard when Patrick was taking Teddy out for his last pee in the yard. That definitely flipped all of them out and it made for a good story. I thought we were done with the possum, but it turns out she was not done with us. 

Several days later, Teddy was sniffing around the back steps and seemed to really be riled up about something. There's a board there that keeps him from going underneath, but doesn't block the entire entrance. Patrick decided to rake the leaves out from underneath and what did he find....the possum! She hissed right at him and backed into her corner happy snappy. We thought it was a girl nesting and might have babies. 

I got a number for wildlife removal and Patrick called them up only to find out they charge $300. Um, no thank you. So I did some research on how to get rid of them. Mothballs were purchased, but in order to get her out, we decided on the hose method. Patrick was actually not very keen on getting anywhere near it, but I convinced him to spray from on top through the cracks to lure her out into the open. I kept an eye on her movements and after quite some time, she decided to emerge, wet and scraggly looking. 

Now what?! The possum made its way straight for the next covering, our bushes along the house. I mean the thing was not moving that fast and honestly, we thought it might have a disease. While I could have grabbed it by its tail and put it in a bucket, we thought that it was best to steer clear. 

At this time, Patrick is ready to get an axe to chop it and the girls are yelling either "yeah, chop it!" or "no, you can't do that to God's creatures!" I'll let you guess who was who. Meanwhile, I'm like there's no way Patrick is going to get near enough or get a clear enough shot to whack this thing and kill it. Basically, it was a dumb idea. 

So I made him get a bucket and Anna grabbed some blueberries from the fridge. I angled the bucket in the direction the possum was coming and it was well in the bush so I knew it wasn't coming out for us. Eventually, it got close enough to the bucket that I could rake it into the bucket while the bucket was in between us. There was definite hissing, but I wouldn't be happy either. I managed to get it into the bucket and then cap it with a tight fitting lid. We might have had to poke the nasty tail in. 

Wanna know what my crew was doing? Standing 50 feet away, yelling non-encouragements at me while I literally went jungle mode on this thing. Was there cheering afterward? No. Lots of second guessing. And I finally had to tell them to knock it off because guess who actually caught the thing and now we could get rid of it. That's right. This girl! 

Patrick went inside to get dressed in what could only be possum protection gear. Why? I don't know. The possum was already in the bucket. We loaded up the possum in the car and drove to some woods a good distance away where he "bravely" dumped the possum out. The possum was playing dead for sure, but did eat the blueberries. And of course, he left the lid close to the possum so I had to rake it back toward us in order to pick it up. 

Basically, I would like the 4.2 readers of my blog to know that the real hero of this story is ME. Some of us around here actually think a plan through and then take the best course of action. I'm now adding this to my resume. 

Breaking 20

For lots of reasons, this has been a jam packed week! Anna had, no joke, 9 tests this week. This is not exam week nor is it standardized testing. Because of the time allotment for class, several of her classes had multiple days of testing to get through the unit. Let's just say she has been up late studying and doing a great job. 

Her high school also hosted their first home cross country meet of the season. This is a lot of work because Patrick is in charge of the course. He redesigned it this year, created the map, made signs, put out flags and cleared the course, part of which goes through the woods. Enter, my birthday gift. Now, let's all remember my birthday is not until October. But one day as I'm sitting in the living room, Patrick pops in from the garage with a large box and thuds it in front of me while yelling Happy Birthday! It was a backpack leaf blower!! I should add that this is something I've been asking about for YEARS because it would make life easier in our yard in the fall and winter. So, I was certainly glad to see it, but also perplexed by the timing. After my initial thank you, Patrick then asked, "So, can I borrow it this weekend?" And there we have it. Somebody needed to use it to clear the cross country course. Ha! I was glad to let him use my new toy and I even helped him rake a large section of the wooded path. We were pretty gross afterward. 

Come race day, Patrick took a little personal time from work to get out there early and set things up. I think he really loves coaching and man is he good at it. The girls have come a long way in two years and just love him. They qualified for state for the first time last year and are now ranked 10th or above. I'd also like to remind everybody that this is completely unpaid! He also runs the workouts with the girls and there are more than a couple times he's come home with his butt kicked, although he loves the exercise too. 

Ok now the race! Paige and I got out there early to help toward the finish line. Anna was very much keyed into break the 20 minute mark this week. She was seconds away over the weekend and mad that she didn't get it. Well, an Anna running mad is a fast Anna. She had great workouts this week and they had the 3rd ranked team in the state coming to their home course. Anna knew she couldn't complete with the Fort Mill lead runner who is something like top 5 girls in the state, but she had a shot with the 2nd girl who has run sub 20 before. So she and Patrick plotted out her strategy. Laced up with new (BRIGHT!) running shoes and a determined attitude, she was ready to put it all out there. I should also mention it was very hot this afternoon, but that didn't seem to stop Anna. 

I got to see her start the race, come around the practice field, go on to the track and then come back up the same way she started. She looked good and got a great start. She's smart about running her race and pacing no matter who starts out too fast. After she passed me, it was a matter of waiting many minutes for her to go into the woods and pop back out. You can hear shouting and yelling, but that's about it. Settled on top of a hill, I could see clear across the track and practice football field all the way to the softball and baseball fields. This is about 150 yards away. Sure enough the lead bike and runner pop out of the woods. Then I started looking for the 2nd Fort Mill girl followed by Anna. Well, I didn't see the 2nd Fort Mill girl. I just saw Anna. I realized she was in 2nd place! This mama started yelling clear across 150 yards for her girl!!

She then had to run up the lacrosse field and past the tennis courts where I couldn't see. I sent Paige over across the upper practice field to cheer for her while I manned my post. Sure enough the fast girl came speeding around and then Anna, not much further behind her. I was shocked and of course, yelling very loudly because I knew she had a chance to break 20. She came running toward me and I was cheering her on with all my might. Sure enough, she passed me, sprinted it in and came in sub-20, meeting her goal. Her final time was 19:54 and she was 2nd place with the 2nd Fort Mill girl trailing well behind her. 

After the girls race finished, she came running over to me with the biggest smile and hug. She was so thrilled to have met her goal and now has the school record of 19:40 in her mind. It was a thrilling race and I am just so proud of her. This has been a tough week in a lot of ways: school, cross country, friends, but she has proven she is determined to do her best and focused on her goals. As a captain, she is encouraging others and even making arrangements for Senior Night in a couple of weeks. Go, Anna Go!

You can barely see me in the background right behind Anna's head with my fist in the air. Ha!

In other news, Paige came home one day deciding to go the extra mile in her dance class. They are learning a latin dance that I think they are going to perform for the community in October. As they are learning about the heritage and culture of this group, she thought she would make a clay doll that is representative of this community. So off she went, gathered the supplied and got to work. A few hours later, bam! A faceless doll out of nowhere! She's made a flag this week and has been working on her Rube Goldburg machine to water a plant. There's lots of trial and error for this, but I know she'll get it. 

The inspiration

The finished product

Meanwhile, I have been busy grading mock interviews. I'll get done one day! And I've been coordinating the removal of one of our Leyland Cypress trees which died from a disease. I had a great crew come one day and take it out for us. There's a huge hole there now which we will plant with another Carolina Sapphire this fall. 

The view to our neighbor's yard that wasn't there before!

I leave you with these pics of Patrick. Stocking stuffers anybody?!

Mostly normal

It's been a bit since I posted, but that's only because it's been a relatively lowkey couple of weeks. We're firmly into our school/work routine and things seem to be trucking along normally. If anything, it's a bit odd to feel somewhat normal again. We've taken off our masks. Events and such are happening without a hitch. And our schedule is fuller. It's odd only because it just happened slowly over time, an imperceptible shift where you barely know you're in a different place. It's such a contrast to how this whole pandemic thing began with a sudden shut down of the world. A few things that have crossed my mind about this:

-I missed people more than I thought I would and it's good to be reconnecting in relationship.

-Our schedules pre-covid were very buy and while that's still the case to some extent, I've been more protective about our time.

-Rest is a good thing. I don't feel guilty about resting. 

-I'm enjoying teaching this year. I think when you go through collective trauma and you call it what it is, it gives you automatic buy-in with kids who are struggling. I've had more personal conversations with my students in the past year than I have in the last 10 years.

-Hard things happen. Just like keeping our bodies in shape, I've learned the importance of being mentally healthy. It helps us deal with the hard. 

-We prefer take-out which was a shift from before. 

In any event, we're doing our things over here. Paige is still managing school really well. She's decided not to audition for the Columbia Children's Theater production as it falls on her birthday and she really wants to have a party this year. It makes our lives a little easier although part of me will miss seeing her in something. No worries, I'm going to convince her to audition for the school musical which will be in the spring. 

Anna is also managing school well. She's been having strong workouts at cross country practice and we're excited to see how she's racing lately. This morning was a fast course in Chapin where she PRed at 20:09. While this is thrilling for me, both Patrick and Anna were mad she didn't break 20, her goal for this year. I know she'll do it and will use this to fuel her next race.

Patrick is doing all the things-coaching, lobbying, teaching and working for NAGB. He has to submit paperwork for his renomination this year and has been asked to chair the committee he is on. He's also deeply entrenched in an advocacy group for school safety. So, you know, fighting for the causes. 

I'm hitting my stride with teaching, although mock interviews are due on Monday and the grading will rule my life for a couple of weeks. Teddy and I have been hanging out and manning the home turf to keep everybody going. That dog loves to sleep at my feet. I'm also working toward our second mental health seminar at the end of the month, went to book club, spent a thousand hours in carline and managed to keep my people fed. 

Moms....I see you in there...let me in.

My delicious appetizer I made for book club-honey whipped feta with roasted olives

So that's what we're up to these days. Normal feels nice. 

All about that bass, Eye Opener, taco trucks

 Sweet Paige finally got to pick up her bass on Friday. She decided in orchestra this year to play the bass and later learned she will be the only one in the 6th grade playing that instrument. She was sized and learned she would be playing the 1/4 bass, which we rented from the same store Anna has her viola. Whew, the bass is a lot more expensive! But she's so excited and waited patiently until it finally arrived on Friday. When we got home, she played a few tunes for me and Anna was able to show her a couple of things she knew. Eager beaver Paige has already been practicing every day. I can't wait to hear her in her first concert!

On Saturday, Patrick, Anna and I woke up EARLY (ahem 5am) to go to the Eye Opener meet in Spartanburg. Paige was not thrilled with the early wake up time, so we left her home and she went to soccer with the Soongs who were happy to have her for a bit of the morning. Meanwhile, we arrived in Spartanburg on time and then waited for the late bus to arrive. They barely made it in time for the girls to get on the line. They ran in the fast varsity race and the JV race. It was definitely a FAST race! Anna finished 56th with a time of 20:50. If she had run in the slower varsity race, she would have finished 8th. 

The other cool part of the race was seeing lots of friends and their kids run. We met up with the cousin Powells who moved to TN a few years ago. Their son Nate now runs for his high school. I also cheered for Emm and her sister Becca who now runs for Westwood. These are good friends go to our rival school, but we've known from our CFI days. Then I cheered for Maggie who is the daughter of friends from Rock Hill. Yes, THE Rock Hill where Anna's big rival runs. So, we'll see them again this season which is great! Oh and I cheered for the rival too. All in all, I think I ran a 5K going to 4 different spots for 3 different races, back-to-back. 

The rest of Saturday was low key and filled with naps, as well as CC who came to stay with us overnight while the Powells were out of town. Needless to say, both dogs were thrilled to see each other and finally calmed down enough to actually sleep. Paige also managed to make her own board game which was so much fun!

Then on Sunday, we attended the Galloway's 50th b-day celebration. The girls stayed home and we had a date night with friends which was so nice. The Galloway's got a taco truck and threw a fun party at their new place in Camden, complete with live music from our friends and worship leaders, the Wrights. We had perfect weather, great company and lots of fun hanging out eating tacos. I loved it!

First race, Mental Health Matters seminar and loss

All the things lately. We got highs. We got lows. We got each other and we have God to get us through. 

This Tuesday Anna had her first cross country race for the season. It was in Lexington clear across town. Good news...she got to ride the bus there and only missed her study hall and part of Spanish. I'm so grateful she's not missing a substantial class to go to these meets. It was a hot afternoon and she has been battling a small cold the last week so her time wasn't the best. But she came in 18th in a really fast race and was faster than her first time of last season. She knew she could have run harder, but honestly with this cold she's had, it's probably for the best. It was fun to be back out there again. Paige and I even set up the tent! Bad news....Anna got home at 9pm and then sat right down to do her homework which lasted until 11:30pm. Don't get my started on how absurd I think her workload is. 

On Wednesday, I hosted our Mental Health Matter seminar at church. This is something I proposed back in the summer and then spearheaded with several professionals in our church and a new friend outside of our church. These ladies are so gifted in their professions and have a love for the Lord. The combination of mental health and our faith has been on my mind for quite some time so I was really glad we could launch this seminar which will be the last Wednesday of the month for three months. 

I was certainly nervous introducing it to over 100 people who had come out and then leading the panel discussion. But we laid out a strong case for how our mental health and spiritual health are so interconnected and why it's important to be intentional about caring for both. We also did a couple of exercises as a group. The only hiccup was when one attendee pointed out that mindfulness has roots in other religions and then left. Fortunately, we rebounded and did a wonderful practice of mindfulness that was fully integrated with our Christian faith. Plus, we've reached out to clarify things with this particular person. 

While that was uncomfortable for sure, I'm glad we are having these discussions and I can only follow the Holy Spirit's prompting. We received a lot of positive feedback afterward. I also felt loved and supported by many dear friends who had come to hear the info. And our youth was able to process with Ashley afterward which she said was really successful. So, if they were listening and following along, it's a win!

In the not so great category, we are walking through grief with several people in our circle. A dear friend lost a brother suddenly three weeks ago and I've been mindful to check in on her. Another dear friend's mother passed away last week and I attended the funeral for her. This sweet family has a lot of hard they are dealing with and my heart hurts for them. Finally, we learned that Uncle Mark passed away yesterday after a long health battle. I will miss his deep voice and big presence at our family gatherings in TN. He always had the best twinkle in his eyes and loved all the food we had when we came together! My heart is extra heavy for Aunt Brenda who faithfully walked this road with him and is now missing her partner. We love you Aunt Brenda! 

This side of Heaven, this is life. We have ups and we have some really hard downs. I continue to cling to my faith in Jesus and the promise that one day He will make all things new. Until then, may He draw us all near to Him.