To update on Zach in Kindergarten, he is doing very well now! Much to our relief. A few days after I posted last, we had been talking up school ect. and as we were leaving for school, I asked Zach if he wanted me to walk him in, or if he wanted to go in all by himself. Well, he's been getting out of the car and going in all by himself (he was very slow at first) and now he makes me so proud. I cried the first day he got out and said, "Bye Mom. I love you!"
it's so good to be a mother! :)

School Daze

Kindergarten
It's been a hard week for Zach in Kindergarten.  Getting out of the car, pulling him behind me, trying to get him to let go to go into his classroom and see him struggle while his teacher gets him to his seat.  Then, I found out on Friday, he had been crying in his seat for two days til circle time.  I tell him he's going to be okay, he'll be fine, just listen to his teacher, (even if she happens to use a bit of a harsh, commanding voice that I don't use) ect.  Then I worry til I go and pick him up, which turns out to be a waste, because he comes out of school happy!  Next morning, same old misery for both of us.  I think it's getting better and I'm sure it will, but in the mean time, we're doing our best to encourage him.  I'm learning too, that you shouldn't yell at the teacher through an open window for raising her voice at your child.  You just can't calm down well for the rest of the day.

Conference
A side note: This is the my first experience getting a child to school every-school-day-on-time.   I will add that it's pretty much up to me to make it happen.  My leisure mornings are a thing of the past, and upcoming summer.  Relish the days folks, relish the days.  A wise friend once told me to stop feeling bad about the moments when being a mom is easy.  She said that sure enough, there will be days and nights when it'll be hard and we'll long for those times.  Michelle was right.  It all evens out.

We had the blessing of hearing from Elder Maynes at Stake Conference (he's in the presidency of the Seventy).  He gave an awesome talk and I could even listen to him for hours (fortunately he kept to his time frame.)  He is witty, funny and can explain it all with the Spirit.  Some people have a gift of speaking, I am not one of them, but I do appreciate hearing from those who do.

Elder Maynes talked about choices, habits, traditions and culture - how one leads to the next.  Where do our choices lead?  He said, "when you make a choice, you've taken a position and become a teacher of that position."  Then he gave this example on Family Home Evening: if parents choose to not have it (for whatever reason), they're teaching their kids the FHE isn't important.  In primary they learn that the prophet said to hold FHE.  The parents are teaching them to not follow the prophet. 

It made me think what am I "teaching" my kids by not doing, or doing.  What, as he put it, "false traditions" are in our family.  The best way, he taught, was to replace them with celestial/good traditions.  The example he gave was if the tradition is not reading the scriptures together, replace it with a good tradition of reading the scriptures together. 

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1.03.01

Finisher

I got my first medal on Saturday.  It says, "Soaring Eagle Runs Boy Scout Half Marathon" and then, "2010 FINISHER".  I may have limped over the finish line, but I finished.  

Before the madness, myself, Alison and Leisy

It was a crazy experience, but way better than I thought it would go during it, and much worse than I thought it would after.  :)  Would I do it again?  Saturday night I would have said, "no", but today, "maybe".

I waited until the week before to sign up and although I've been exercising regularly, I hadn't put in distance training until Thursday before, and it was 6 miles on the treadmill.  So I was nervous thinking, "what have I done?"  and thinking things like, "I'm going to die."  Then I thought of what had made me decide to do it finally.  That a lady who had weighed almost 500 lbs. had lost half of it and "finished" a half marathon.  If she could do it, so could I.

right before (that guy is just chillin, like let's get this started already)

So I think the miracle of a race for me consists of 3 things: first, you always do better at the race, than you do practicing it.  There is a lot of energy with the others there and adrenaline (music and a t-shirt don't either).  Second, running it with a friend and talking during it totally helps the time go!!  Alison was great to talk to and somehow I was able to keep up with her and not think about anything negative that was happening to my body. :)  Well, except for my foot, which I'll get to later.  Also, a friend popped in and ran with us for awhile, bringing her energy and enthusiasm that really helped!  The third and last thing is: the body can do amazing things, especially when the mind is in charge.

About at mile 10 the ball of my right foot was hurting and I had to walk.  I hobbled a bit, loosened my shoe laces, changed my gait and started running again.  I could see Alison ahead, but there was no way I could run faster than I was, and it was harder to run without someone to talk to.  I hobbled across the finish line and threw my hands up, I did it.

I had told my husband to come about 2 hrs. 15 min. into the run, but amazingly I finished after 2 hrs. and 4-5 minutes.  I was sad he missed it, but I was hurting so bad I just hoped I'd recover.  The next several hours brought misery, with waves of nausea and such pain in the knees and foot. (oh the horrors).  I was never doing this again.  But aside from my physical discomfort, I felt great (if that makes sense).  I couldn't believe I ran most of the time. Aside from my foot, I had energy and felt like I'd just run 13.? miles.

My smile is biggest at the end.  Leisy placed - way to go!!

Thank you Eric, for being there to take the kids, let me sleep afterwards and get up in the middle of the night with the kids (cuz I could not move).  Thank you, Alison for letting me run with you and getting me that far!  Thank you, Leisy for encouraging me to do this.

If  I can do it, anyone can!  At the end of this mortal life, we'll all be "finishers" too.  It's the journey, as painful as it may be at times, that is the whole thing!

Manana

Hello fellows ites, tomorrow I will be guest posting at We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ, for the Family Celebration month!  Please visit me there tomorrow.  :)

I love that I get to be with my favorite people everyday!  That I have a huge influence for good in the lives of my children.  If I don't do it, who will?

What do love best about your family?

Zach did not want to go to school today, even though he loved his first day.  We've had a nice, chill summer and I think he remembered that this morning. :)

Crossroads

Zach's first day of school 

:)
Kindergarten, all day, M-F
  We made it a family affair and all walked him over to his class.   We were all excited. 

Avery kept trying to get his crayons.  Can you see her eying them.

This smile says it all!

He didn't cry and neither did I. :)
But I might now.  He's so cute!

And, he had a great day!  I'm so relieved, and I couldn't be happier.

I'm so glad Eric was able to be there for Zach's first day.  Zach loves his dad.
It got me thinking about the "crossroads" in our lives.
The crossroads I'm talking about are, being there when your kids come and go from school, activities, dates, games, ect.
Someone said that they made it a point to be at the crossroads of their kids life
and that made a huge impact on them.
Who doesn't love coming home to someone who is excited to see you and find out how your day was?

I'm so thankful we got to show our support for Zach. 
Each time we make the effort, they can see it, feel it, and they know it!

*Today is the first day of The Family Proclamation Celebration!
Check out Jocelyn's blog here!