The most surprising revelation I have had this year while on a sabbatical from Home Schooling is this ---- I LIKE my kids. I really like them. I MISS them when they are not here. I miss having conversation with them. I miss watching them learn, solve problems & interact with each other. And, now that everyone is potty trained & can dress themselves -- THEY ARE FUN!!!! Really fun.
The Home School sabbatical has been fantastic on so many levels. When school began this year, I didn't know it was a sabbatical. I just knew I was sending my kids to school. Kid #1 was going into middle school & wanted to play sports, student council, etc. Kid #3 was going to kindergarten & wanted a REAL teacher. #2 had never experienced "traditional" school & I thought it would be good for him to experience that. I personally needed affirmation that I wasn't raising freaks that couldn't function in the "real world".
Superspouse & I realized around the Christmas holidays that all of these needs had been met. #1 settled in & loves school & all the extra curriculars it offers. He's staying on that path for the long haul. #2 & #3 have had a great experience seeing how "the other half lives", but are ready to come home. We miss our life.
So, this week, we'll get a taste of our former life & the life that we will have again come May 29.
Spring Break -- Yea!!!
Here is the official race recap: It was a beautiful, crisp morning. The race started in downtown Chattanooga @ 7:30am EST. We ran along the riverwalk, turned around at the halfway point (6.55 m) & then ran back along the river walk to finish back right where we started. It was a very small event. And I mean this. Small. The newspaper today said 165 completed the Half. I'm not quite sure what the completed part means. If anyone dropped out of the race part way through, I feel certain we would have seen them lying around or sitting on a curb...it was a very narrow course. And, since the race organizers had asked for volunteers to bring up the rear of the group, and, since 'Thong & I already knew we'd win a prize for best dressed and had volunteered for that job -- I really think we would have seen the quitters. I'm just kidding... about them asking for volunteers. But 'Thong & I did finish in the spot typically saved for the best. Yes, that would be LAST. & what made it even more hilarious is that they literally were shutting the race down as we passed by. It was hard for me to convince her that at a larger venue, like Nashville, there will be hundreds of people running with us at our pace. As we came down the hill to the finish line over the loud speaker they actually announced, "Here they come!!! The last two finishers of the 2006 Chattanooga Half Marathon!!" If we hadn't have been so ecstatic over the fact that 'Thong hadn't succumbed to an asthma attack & we were actually beating my SF time....I think we might have been offended. But as it was,we were elated. And haven't stopped laughing about it!! Her supercute son finished the race under 2 hours. It was the first "long" race he had run in his life & he trained all of 3 seconds for it. Isn't youth wasted on the youth!?! 