Finish Line

So I opened my mailbox late last week to find a Government of Alberta marked envelope.

Remember the test he was going to take- the Entrance Exam into college?

He passed.

Really passed.

A 90% pass.

When I opened that envelope and read his mark...(the teacher and principal of the 

school is allowed access to his mark 1st- right?)....

I burst into tears.

{And I never cry.}

In that moment, 12 years of teaching passed in front of my eyes.

His learning to read, teaching him his numbers and how to add and subtract, story after story, writing his curriculum for each month and lesson plans for the year....

It flew through my mind in a second, 

and that 90% was the Finish Line.

In that moment, the sense of completion I got was the same I feel at the end of a race.

It's over.

And we crossed that line!

Through all the aches, pains, breathlessness, hills and trail....

we ran and kept on running.

And actually made the Finish!

And I am so proud of you Bud!

~~~

Now....a  new race begins.

[And maybe part of the tears were because this next race - you do on your own.]

But I promise...I will be on the sidelines.....

your biggest cheerleader!

Race on my dear son. 

Race on!

~Bright Side~

I was given these flowers as a hostess gift ....

and they brightened my week.

(For instance....)

I  slid my van in to the ditch- yet again.

{The brighter side ....}

I NEVER HIT THE MAIL BOX THIS TIME!

~~~

~~~

Upon coming out of the gym one morning, I slid on a patch of ice, "gracefully" flew up in to the air, and landed on my rear.

{The brighter side....}

ONLY ONE PERSON SAW IT HAPPEN. (I think)

{And the ice meant that the weather had- at one point- been warm enough to melt snow!}

~~~

~~~

I have consumed at LEAST 3 times the amount of sugar this week....due to extra chocolate and desserts around the house.

{The brighter side...}

I HAVE ENJOYED THE OUTSIDE AND MY SKIS A LOT MORE 

IN TRYING TO BURN IT ALL OFF.

~~~

~~~

2 extra bills came in the mail which I wasn't expecting, my van needs to be expensively fixed, and I just found out I've paid a company twice for one item- but they never bothered to tell me.

{The brighter side....}

I GOT  A LOT OF PRACTICE IN THE PATIENCE AND 

PERSONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENTS.

~~~

~~~

We had another dump of snow this week, and tonight it is supposed to once again hit almost -30 degrees celcius....and that's without the wind.

{Brighter side...}

I GET TO CONTINUE TO WEAR MY FAVORITE RED WOOLEN MITTENS.

There's a bright side to every story.

You just have to know where to look!

~~~

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

I GET to!

(Beware: a bit of whining may be to follow)

~~~~~~~~~~~

I have to admit- I have been super crabby lately. I get upset over every little thing, every one, every job to do.....

never-ending dishes!

overlapping schedules for 4 kids!!!!!

NEVER EVER ending laundry EVERY DAY!

The list is incredibly long in the spring. With Mike off seeding from morning til morning- everyday chores, schedules, routines fall into my lap alone.

That part is all fine. But I have realized over the years that I am the type of person who needs a moment now and then to re-group my thoughts- ALONE.

I LOVE my alone time....but it seems

I am never alone.

I homeschool. (My choice)

I have 4 kids. (My choice)

I married a farmer. (My choice)

I have 4 homeschooled kids who have jobs, rowing, soccer, youth group, skateboards, basketball, horses...not to mention the laundry they create, the food they need (it seems on an hourly basis), the one-on-one time I try to give every so often and of course their 4 different grades I need to keep up on and teach.

I don't like it much right now. Any of it.

A woodpecker woke me up at 5:25am today.

I thought I had better take advantage of the hour before the rest of my family woke up.

So I did what I seem to do when I want to get away from it all....I went running.

But running turned into a walk/run/thought time, and an article I just read in my Runner's Magazine came to mind.

The author was lamenting about her run and the difficulty of it, her schedule and time she seemed to spend on everyone but herself. (Kind of like me at this moment....)

Then it hit her:

"All of a sudden a few people came to mind, some sick, others struggling, and I thought about how much they would love to have the opportunity to run up this hill. I bet they wouldn't think they HAD TO. In the clarity of thinking that comes with adversity, they would likely say they GOT TO run up this hill.

Perhaps I had become so encumbered with my to-dos that I forgot to be thankful for the opportunity to do them."

I am lucky. I am healthy. I have people to love. I have the ability to care for them. I get to.

I am going to go make breakfast, finish washing the sheets from the beds, go teach some kids math, and then drive to 2 soccer games and a rowing practice.

All this because I am lucky enought to actually GET to!

What do you GET to do today? :)