How did it get to be Saturday?

I had no intention of going dark this week. My calendar didn't even seem overly full, so how did it get to be Saturday?

If I had posted this week I would have told you about the following…

Monday - What Are You Reading?
Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan
It is truly an epic tale, 384 pages worth, but I am fascinated about this Seattle photographer I didn't know anything about. I think this title came to me from a group of ladies whom I would join in book club bliss, if I didn't live on the other side of the world.

Tuesday - Slice of Life
Since I couldn't manage to notice an entire week go by it is no wonder I couldn't capture a sliver of it. Oh my! Now to try and even remember what happened on Tuesday…

Perhaps we shall wait for next Tuesday. What do 'ya say?

Wednesday - Wordless Wednesday
And this is when I go to my phone and see what bits of life I have noticed and captures on film my camera.

Thursday - Thankful Thursday
I continue to be thankful for this amazing weather, which you may be sick of hearing me talk about. However I hear 'back home' it is similarly beautiful, so perhaps a bit easier to swallow. The difference this week, instead of every.single.day being blue sky, sunny, and in the 70s we have had a couple of rain showers pass through. Still in the 70s and the rain drops are greatly appreciated by this Seattleite.

I am thankful for my daughter's piano teacher who can find the balance between being patient with a nearly six year old and realizing when the little one is stalling or being lazy and push her to excel.

 

Here we are, Saturday morning, while everyone else is still in bed. I woke up before the weekday alarm would have gone off. After attempting to read and roll over and go back to sleep I decided it was futile and I could see what I might accomplish before people are talking to me.

Deep Thoughts

Does anyone remember SNL's "Deep Thoughts By John Handey"? Well, my deep thought tonight is this…

How is it possible to have three different devices all be looking at my Facebook page at the exact same time, with the exact same settings, and receive three different feeds?!?!

The moment I saw it…

 

The morning walk to school involves three school campuses after two blocks of walking through Hamra;

• cross before the gas station
• share greetings with the book keeper at the butcher
• squeeze onto my part of the narrow sidewalk as other pass the other direction
• notice that the doucan isn’t open yet, and the young helper is waiting for the owner – again
• glad to see the bomb sniffing dog headed my way
• dodge two lanes of traffic

I pass the guard at the university gate, the length of the male dorm on the left with a parking lot, smoking area, and bookstore on the right.

Through another gate and down two steps is my entrance to a pre-K through 12th grade school. (Sister school or rival? Neither really as the teaching philosophy and curriculum are completely different between the two).

There is a short cut through the middle school building (where I am nearly knocked over as a boy, in his P.E. uniform comes tearing out of the door with three other identically clad shabob in pursuit.) Down some stairs, a steep hill, and several more sets of stairs puts me on the early year’s playground.

Traversing this space takes awareness and the ability to change course quickly. Three little people, just over two feet high, are lined up before me. A gaggle of girls begin running on my left, their trajectory plotting directly into my course if it is not altered and as I scoot a step to my left, I sashay around a little boy in a puffy red coat who has the strap of his lunch box firmly in his right hand and what look like another strap in his left hand, clutched even tighter.

The moment I saw it I knew I would be writing about it as my slice for today. As I pass I realize that he is clutching strips of textured rubber – a toy snake. I smile and think how to share this small moment.

Should have seen it coming!

 

© BitchBuzz (Attribution)

 

I am an advisor for our elementary student council. The student council is hosting a talent show this year. We asked for interested acts of third – fifth graders to sign up. I now get to sit through 60 auditions. (I won’t get started on the fact that these all have to take place during the school day and no grade level has the same recess time.)

I don’t know how I didn’t see this coming. (You are going to catch on VERY quickly.) The first act is two girls singing a song. When I ask the title they replied with a grinning, enthusiastic, “Let It Go”!

Ugh.

Are you laughing at me yet? How did I not see that coming?!?

As they were working their way through the song I had a brilliant idea. After everyone auditioned we would take all of the girls wanting to sing “Let It Go”, put them all together, and give them each a few lines. What a great way to incorporate more kids into our talent show? (Our show is a talent sharing, of the non-competitive variety.)

Brilliant? I thought so.

Now comes the real shock.

They were the only act that sang “Let It Go”.

Oh brain! Where art thou?

There are times that I seriously worry about how my brain works (or doesn't). I remember it starting when I was pregnant, but then I could just right it off to 'prego brain'. This was followed by 'mommy brain' and the understanding that lack of sleep combined with nursing and voila, my body was not my own.

 Outer surface of the human brain. Pubic domain.

So, creeping up on five years later, why do I still have moments that I just CAN NOT come up with a word or name that I really, really KNOW? Why do I find very creative spelling in my typing when I have been a very proficient typist since the days I learned on a typewriter? Why do I seem to not know where the edges of my skin are as I randomly bump into furniture and door frames?

Yes, I am able to function. I can still take care of everything that comes with being 'mommy'. I am still successfully challenging my students at differentiated level. I am able to have fulfilling conversations with adults on a variety of topics. And so on, but I miss my brain. I miss knowing that I could count on it.

I realize that there are far greater challenges in life. My ponderings do not come close to friends with health problems, aging family members, and horrific loss. I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. There are still times I wonder…

Trampolines

Do you have a trampoline? 

Did you play on one growing up? 

Do you let your children play on one? 

Did you ever have a major accident on a trampoline? 

If so, do you still bounce or let your kids bounce?

photo by Lovelyinlatoo

I wonder all of these things after a nephew broke his jaw (with his own knee) on a trampoline. I have friends (and friends of friends) who have had ACL reconstruction after being double bounced.

My daughter likes to bounce, but I always wonder if it is worth it.

What do you think?

To quote a student…

I am grading papers and have to share a line with you. If nothing else it proves job security for us teachers.

"Sometimes a terminal illness is fatal, but very rarely."

The things I could write about…

Doors closing, waiting for windows to open
Report cards
Ants
Family dinner - prep and eating
Independent play
Bedtime rituals
Pretending to plan when you can't
Ready to head to bed, but needing to post first
Hot bath
Love of the library
Snuggles

Please walk

I prefer ‘rules’ in positive language. Why say “Don’t Run!” when you really mean, “please walk”. In fact, saying “please walk” would encompass no cartwheels in the hall as well, which is what I encountered this afternoon as a six year old was leaving school with her mom.

Some rights reserved by Brandon Milner

Why not put the best spin on things possible? (Pun intended).

Who knows?

I always thought it was a foregone conclusion that any weight I gained, in my adult life, would go to my hips and thighs. That is the way I am built, my genetics. I have visual examples within my family to point to this in addition to my own experience.


And then I started my 40th year in my skin and it doesn't seem to be true any longer. Over Spring Break I ate all kinds of fabulous things and drank wonderful calories. I, therefore, expected to come back to find my slacks too tight and I that I would need to get walking / riding the bike. 


This time my slacks are fine and I have a tummy. What is up with that?


Some rights reserved by Lynie

Is this a part of aging? I wouldn't be as surprised if I was now adding weight in new areas, but it seems to be a shift. I find myself perplexed by the change. 

Of course there was the (welcome) season of thickening around the middle as "Pipkin" grew inside me. That was different. That had a purpose. Once she was born I took on the challenge of training for, and completing, a marathon. I walked hundreds of miles in the months following giving birth, primarily in an attempt to repossess my body. (Since I was still nursing it only partially worked, but I felt better.)


As I was trying to make sense out of this seemingly new body, I found myself thinking of my mother. Genetically she is my best guess as to what my body will do. There is one picture I think of in which was was really skinny - her wedding picture with Jim. She wasn't that much older than I am right now.


The next time we Skyped I told her about my ponderings. During our conversation 
she asked an interesting question - how will I know when I have started menopause since I am on Depo? 


I told her I had no idea. I had never thought about it.


Our conversation continued for a couple of minutes before I realized the possible implication of her question.


I know she went through menopause in her early 40s and hoped (because I am betting on being one of the 99.9% whose migraines end with menopause) it would start soon, but I figured I had a couple more years. 


She told me how her weight shifted to her tummy when she started menopause. 


Oh, is that why she asked the question? Hmmm.


J got home in the middle of this conversation, a bit amused at the tidbits he was hearing. I got off Skype with my mom and filled J in so he would have some context. As I was talking with him I started putting some things together. 


About two months ago I started wearing a big t-shirt to bed. He had asked me why. I explained to him that I got sick of waking up in a pool of sweat. (Are you laughing yet?) I had never even considered that it could be night sweats.


Credit Anthea Sieveking

I know the internet is not a doctor, but it is a resource. I was curious, both the answer to my mom's question and to learn more about menopause. Yup, I spent some time Googling. 


I learned something interesting. Insomnia is a possible symptom. I have always been an excellent sleeper, until a couple of months ago. Now I am up at weird times and can't seem to sleep 8 hours if I try, though I have always needed 9.


There are other small things, but I also realize we sometimes makes things fit into what we think we are experiencing. I will see my doctor this summer.


Who knows? I might be starting menopause.