In Full Swing

I know it has been a long time since my last post. This will just be a quick update post to catch up on our busy life.  If I had found the time to write a post yesterday I think it would have had an entirely different theme to it, but after going to Bible study and having someone mention Philippians 2:14, 'Do everything without grumbling or arguing', this will be toned down a bit. That is probably a verse I should commit to memory and then meditate on every morning before the day starts. Of course when Clark heard this mentioned at Bible study he just looked at me and said, "impossible for you." That is okay and probably fair. I whine and complain a lot! Hence the need to think about this verse at the start (and probably ever hour thereafter) of each day.

So school is in full swing and we just completed our first full week. So far, so good. I think everyone is having fun. I can never tell about Ryan b/c he certainly won't admit he might like school. With him, I will settle for not having any strikes and no tears getting on the bus. I will say that I am still figuring out how all this is going to work. I am ashamed to admit, but I did more screaming at kids in this last week than I have in a long time. The hour of getting them all ready in the morning is not going well. I end up so frustrated b/c I repeat myself and every step seems like a huge struggle. By the end, I am screaming at them all. I must say get up, what do you want for breakfast, get your shoes, brush your teeth, etc etc 100 times each. The kids seem to fight (often literally with constant wrestling) and argue about everything down to who leads on the way to the bus stop. So what we are doing or how we are doing things is not working. I need to come up with something new. I think I will have to do some sort of chart for just the morning routine with rewards or something. I also think that if I start my day reading my Bible even if only for 15 minutes before I get the kids up, I will better be able to handle whatever is thrown my way. I did feel better when at the bus stop all the moms were talking about how much screaming goes on to get their little ones ready. I am clearly not alone. In fact one mom who has only one child to get ready has to start over 2 hours early b/c there is so much drama along the way. That made my mornings seem not so bad. We just need to find our groove and I need to establish some more control over both the kids and my own emotions. I can do this!!!

As soon as the kids step off the bus it all just starts over only now the fights are over what snack they get and who gets to do what once home and fits about not eating dinner, etc etc! Homework has started to trickle in and this coming week I think will be much more realistic on what to expect with that. I am still trying to figure out some system to keep everything straight. On Friday I spent almost an hour going thru the newsletters from 5 different teachers. I had to take notes just to keep straight who has to do what. Once the classes get into more of a routine this should get easier.  Aside from homework there is no doubt  that what makes our evenings INSANE, is the sports. Our kids are gone M-Th from nearly the minute they get home until almost 9pm. Homework gets done in the car or when wasting time up North waiting for someone to finish their sport. It really is insane. I have already told Alexis that we are going to have to start doing things on the weekends b/c otherwise there is no time to get it done during the week. Doesn't sound like Nick will have the school stuff on the weekends to do so he will just get less sleep. Let's not even talk about the weekends. The gymnastics meet schedule just came out. The hockey tournaments are slowing making their way to the schedule. It is nothing short of IMPOSSIBLE! We just keep adding things to the google calendar and I guess our plan is to figure it out as it comes. Nick being on travel hockey means there are sooooo many weekends away. Alexis however has sports on weekends too so she has to be here. Clark has already had to ask his partners to change call weekends to make some work. It is all causing me so much anxiety that I would rather just not talk about it anymore.

Let's talk about happier things like my training update. I did see Dr. B this week for my shoulder popping, pain and numb thumb while running. He wasn't sure but thought some type of thoracic outlet obstruction impinging a nerve causing my thumb to go numb. Nothing all that bad but probably need some physical therapy to stretch muscles and consider taping? I see Shane starting next Friday. My week in training has looked like this:
Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 9 miles (7 miles then break to get kids off to school then 2 more miles). This was my first run in the dark. It went fine. I took a little light and was glad I made it home in one piece. I did see a shooting star and I loved watching the sun come up. It was also much better weather!
Thursday: 10 miles on Tmill at gym. It was storming this day so the long run with Jaime got moved.
Friday: Bike at gym for one hour
Saturday: 19 miles on Monon with Jaime. Weather was perfect. This was a really fun run. Our overall pace was only 8:53 per mile, so I really felt fine at the end.
Sunday: I hope to do an easy 5 miles

Clark had fun on his bike ride in Colorado last week. One of his friends was not feeling well and stopped 5 miles into it so it ended up just being Clark and Steve for the rest. I think parts of it were really cold but most of it was a "beautiful" ride. Not near as challenging as the ride he did last year but a great ride still. He thought the place they stayed in Colorado was really nice. If his friends would post some pictures I would be happy to add some here:)

As for Clark and I as a couple.....all the above has made life hard. He has been gone twice within a short time. His calls have been very busy even when home. Add in sports and kids stuff and well...we just don't see each other much. That is never really a good thing. You all know how important I think dating your spouse is!! I write this all the time but at the end of the day when the kids are grown and gone you have still like your spouse b/c that is what is left...haha! A marriage is constant work. It is important work and should be one of your highest priorities..... even more so than the kids. Kids need happy parents!! So much like my morning routine that needs some tweaking so does my marriage. Don't read anything into this that is not there. We just need to remember to focus on each other and not let this year of pure insanity drive a wedge between us. Heck if I do nothing more than just remember that Bible verse I mentioned above, my husband would be happy. He needs me to complain less and just get what needs to be done, done! As for me, I need him to take me on a date. In fact I have pretty much banned any sort of physical contact until that happens..haha! So here is how we are tweaking things. Clark turns 50 this November (now that last sentence I just wrote about physical contact won't bother my husband a bit, but the fact that I just mentioned his age is going to make him mad::)) I am not the party planning type of person. Nobody with a social phobia does this. So there will not be a 50th B.D. party for all to attend. Instead Clark and I are going to take a trip. A trip without the kids where for one week we just focus on us. I can't wait. Really....I CAN'T WAIT!!  We are in the process of booking the trip, but right now it looks like we will be going to St. Lucia on a Sandals trip. Since we are celebrating something big we will do this trip right and stay in one of the nicer rooms (looking at one with private pool, whirlpool, butler service, etc). On a smaller scale, hopefully we are going to go on a date TONIGHT. I am thinking a dinner or a movie. It is our last chance for awhile!

Okay I have done enough updating for one day! I hope everyone is out enjoying this amazing weather! Happy training/racing to all!