Three months into my training for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, I am tired. Specifically, my legs are tired. It has been over a decade since I have run a marathon, so I must have blocked out how much time the training takes...and just how much you have to run! It's kind of like when you get pregnant for a second time, and then you are like, oh yea, this really sucks! I forgot! I love running, but putting in miles every day gets to be a little much. Yesterday I begrudgingly laced up my shoes for the fifth day in a row (with no breaks, one of which was a half marathon, which I raced). I am having mixed feelings about this training. I am excited about working toward this big end goal, but at the same time something that I think of as a hobby and stress release is starting to feel a little like a job, and like I said, my legs are tired! Yesterday's run felt a little like the rolling hills of Cincinnati; it had its ups and downs.
The biggest up was the weather! Cincinnati is known for its unpredictable weather, and February and March are my absolute lease favorite months because they are so grey and gloomy. However, yesterday was beautiful! It was 70 degrees, and there was sunshine! Instead of putting on gloves and my ear-warming headband, I actually wore shorts. My first down came with how slow I felt. As my Garmin beeped each mile, I was disappointed with the times I was seeing. Even though I know it is a result of being worn down, I am a little too competitive for my own good, and it started to get in my head. The biggest down came as I was waiting at a crosswalk for the walk sign. I was patiently waiting, stretching my calves and bouncing around a little bit, as we runners do, and then the walk sign lit up. As I took one step off the curb, a car came flying through about one foot in front of me, clearly running a red light. I jumped back, and my heart skipped a beat. I got that feeling you get when you almost hit a deer, and then once the adrenaline wears off and you start thinking about it, you realize you just almost died. I started to get angry at this lady for almost killing me, and just then I saw something across the street that perked me up. There was this dad (he was kind of a hot dad, if I'm being honest) taking a walk with his two little girls. I happen to have a weakness for hot dads and cute little girls. The best part was they stopped their walk and started cheering for me! All three of them were clapping and yelling. "go runner!" As I waved and smiled at them, I was grateful to them for turning my mood around. So I ran up a gigantic hill, and I was home.
I'm not sure if this is some kind of metaphor for life or anything, but I guess my lesson is that even when tired, you just have to keep trudging along, even if it's slow and up hill. You just have to look for the sunshine and for positive people (and hot dads!)
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Monday, March 11, 2019
Emerson
Being a mom is by far the most important and fulfilling part of my life. As crazy as things get, I am so grateful to have my 3 little girls, especially because I never had a sister. Each of my girls has her own unique traits that make her special. Eva is and always has been an artist, and she is also such a brave and confident fifth grader that she is not afraid to stand up to bullies if it means protecting her friends. Ellery is the classic youngest child. She is always silly and full of smiles, but she feels deeply, so if her mood changes, watch out! Eva and Ellery are a like in a lot of ways; they are fiery, fearless, adventurous, outgoing, and moody. I love their spunk, and it reminds me a lot of how I was when I was little.
And then there is Emerson...my middle child. I don't want you to think that I have a favorite, because you know moms never have favorites, but I am constantly in awe of Emerson. Emerson has the sweetest heart of anyone I have ever met. Although a little cautious and shy, she is so loving and mature beyond her years when it comes to listening to others and being kind. When we get home from running errands, and everyone hops out of the car and runs inside without a second thought, Emerson is the one who comes around to the back of the car and asks, "Can I help you carry in the groceries Mommy?" Or when she has a birthday party at school, instead of eating the cookie with her classmates, she carefully wraps it in a napkin so she can take it home and share it with her sisters. On our street, Emerson earned herself the nickname "the willow." The kids were trying to put on a play for the adults, and all the older kids were trying to direct. Emerson was cast as the willow tree which meant she had just stand and sway in the breeze, which she did happily with a smile on her sweet little face. When the play inevitably fell apart with inner-cast fighting, tears, and accusations, the willow tree stood strong and continued to smile. That is the perfect representation of Emerson, our willow. She might like to stay in the background, but she just smiles in the breeze and never yells at anyone.
As I try to teach my children to successfully navigate the world, I want them to be smart, hard-working, successful, polite, friendly, and all of the other qualities that parents want for their children. While trying to teach them these things, I always am surprised by how much I learn from them. At 6-years-old, Emerson has already taught me so much about what it truly means to be kind.
And then there is Emerson...my middle child. I don't want you to think that I have a favorite, because you know moms never have favorites, but I am constantly in awe of Emerson. Emerson has the sweetest heart of anyone I have ever met. Although a little cautious and shy, she is so loving and mature beyond her years when it comes to listening to others and being kind. When we get home from running errands, and everyone hops out of the car and runs inside without a second thought, Emerson is the one who comes around to the back of the car and asks, "Can I help you carry in the groceries Mommy?" Or when she has a birthday party at school, instead of eating the cookie with her classmates, she carefully wraps it in a napkin so she can take it home and share it with her sisters. On our street, Emerson earned herself the nickname "the willow." The kids were trying to put on a play for the adults, and all the older kids were trying to direct. Emerson was cast as the willow tree which meant she had just stand and sway in the breeze, which she did happily with a smile on her sweet little face. When the play inevitably fell apart with inner-cast fighting, tears, and accusations, the willow tree stood strong and continued to smile. That is the perfect representation of Emerson, our willow. She might like to stay in the background, but she just smiles in the breeze and never yells at anyone.
As I try to teach my children to successfully navigate the world, I want them to be smart, hard-working, successful, polite, friendly, and all of the other qualities that parents want for their children. While trying to teach them these things, I always am surprised by how much I learn from them. At 6-years-old, Emerson has already taught me so much about what it truly means to be kind.
Friday, March 8, 2019
Friday...time for Happy Hour!
On Friday nights, I hang out with my neighbors. It's called Royal Place Happy Hour (our street is Royal Place), and it is often the highlight of my week. The whole crew consists of 8 adults and 10 kids, and we all love being together. The adults drink wine and chat while the kids just have fun and play together. We rotate houses and also rotate who pays for the pizza. We all appreciate and enjoy this time together, and we have all admitted that we consciously avoid making other plans on Fridays for fear of missing Royal Place Happy Hour. Last year my kindergartner even told her teacher she was excited to go home from school because it was time for happy hour.
I feel so lucky to have found this amazing group of people. We vacation together, help out with each other's kids, and there is even a Royal Place calendar! Being surrounded by people who love and support me is something that I find truly fulfilling, so I am so grateful to have all of these people right on my street, and I never want to move. So cheers to Friday, to amazing neighbors and friends, and to Royal Place.
Pictured: Royal Place kids eating pizza. Yes...we make them eat on the floor. They are kids; they don't care.
I feel so lucky to have found this amazing group of people. We vacation together, help out with each other's kids, and there is even a Royal Place calendar! Being surrounded by people who love and support me is something that I find truly fulfilling, so I am so grateful to have all of these people right on my street, and I never want to move. So cheers to Friday, to amazing neighbors and friends, and to Royal Place.
Pictured: Royal Place kids eating pizza. Yes...we make them eat on the floor. They are kids; they don't care.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Excuses
So after accepting this blogging challenge and posting the first day...I have not written in 5 days. Usually I am the type of person who follows through, and when I say I am going to do something, I do it; I'm your typical straight-A overachiever. But for some reason I just have not been writing. I almost just deleted the whole thing and gave up, but with a little encouragement, I have decided to get back up on the horse. Maybe I won't blog every day for 30 days. Maybe I won't be perfect or win any prizes (and trust me...I love prizes), but I will just keep on writing. Since I am feeling guilty about dropping the ball this first week, here my excuses. In no particular order, these are the top 10 truly honest and real reasons that I have not been writing:
1. I forgot.
2. I have been doing laundry.
3. I had too many margaritas.
4. I have been very slowly helping my 6-year-old read Purrmaids, which is a book about mermaid kitten best friends Coral, Shelley, and Angel. I am not making this up. We are in the first book of a 6 book series.
5. I have been running.
6. It was Fantasy Suite AND Women Tell All week on The Bachelor.
7. I became obsessed with the book I was reading until I finished it yesterday. It's called Purple Hibiscus. I highly recommend it!
8. I have been working on a 5th grade book report.
9. I was legitimately very sad about Luke Perry dying.
10. I was feeling insecure about this whole blogging thing for some reason.
So there is my confession. Hopefully I will be writing more soon, not worrying about if I'm doing it right or if anyone is even reading it. I'll just keep writing!
1. I forgot.
2. I have been doing laundry.
3. I had too many margaritas.
4. I have been very slowly helping my 6-year-old read Purrmaids, which is a book about mermaid kitten best friends Coral, Shelley, and Angel. I am not making this up. We are in the first book of a 6 book series.
5. I have been running.
6. It was Fantasy Suite AND Women Tell All week on The Bachelor.
7. I became obsessed with the book I was reading until I finished it yesterday. It's called Purple Hibiscus. I highly recommend it!
8. I have been working on a 5th grade book report.
9. I was legitimately very sad about Luke Perry dying.
10. I was feeling insecure about this whole blogging thing for some reason.
So there is my confession. Hopefully I will be writing more soon, not worrying about if I'm doing it right or if anyone is even reading it. I'll just keep writing!
Friday, March 1, 2019
Day 1
As I accept the challenge to blog a slice of my life everyday, I am feeling overwhelmed before I even begin. I have never blogged before, and I am not even sure if my blog looks right or what I am supposed to be talking about, but I guess I will give it a try! As a teacher of writing, I am always asking my students to get out of their comfort zones, so I guess I should do the same. I hope the blogging world will accept me as I take on this challenge. Here goes...
It seems like day one of a month long blog is a good day for introductions. Hi...my name is Courtney. I have been teaching high school English for 15 years, 14 of them in the same district. I mostly teach Honors English III and AP English Literature. I am also married to another teacher at my school, Shane, who I met my first year when we coached cross country together. We are both runners, and I am currently training for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, which is
taking up a lot of my time. We have three girls: Eva 11 (it is her birthday today! Actually, her birthday is Leap Day, but we celebrate on March 1), Emerson 6, and Ellery 4. I imagine that if this blog is truly a slice of my life, these three will be the stars. All my good stories have to do with them.
The most relevant story in my life this week has to do not with the birthday girl, but with Ellery. I have been suffering from some serious mom guilt because Monday night when helping me make tea, Ellery spilled boiling water on her self and got second degree burns on her stomach. Right now she looks like a little mummy because I had to take her to the Shriner's Hospital, which is a hospital specializing in burns, and they wrapped her entire abdomen in gauze and put this little gauze t-shirt thing over it that she has to wear all week. Besides maybe a little light scarring, she will be fine, but I still feel so bad for letting it happen. Ellery has sensed my guilt, and she keeps telling me not to worry, I am still a good mommy...which is so sweet it makes me feel worse. Here she is in her "burn cast:"
I love that confident smile! Obviously this situation has stressed me out more than it has stressed her out. Anyway, thanks for reading my first ever blog. Happy Friday!
It seems like day one of a month long blog is a good day for introductions. Hi...my name is Courtney. I have been teaching high school English for 15 years, 14 of them in the same district. I mostly teach Honors English III and AP English Literature. I am also married to another teacher at my school, Shane, who I met my first year when we coached cross country together. We are both runners, and I am currently training for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, which is
taking up a lot of my time. We have three girls: Eva 11 (it is her birthday today! Actually, her birthday is Leap Day, but we celebrate on March 1), Emerson 6, and Ellery 4. I imagine that if this blog is truly a slice of my life, these three will be the stars. All my good stories have to do with them.
The most relevant story in my life this week has to do not with the birthday girl, but with Ellery. I have been suffering from some serious mom guilt because Monday night when helping me make tea, Ellery spilled boiling water on her self and got second degree burns on her stomach. Right now she looks like a little mummy because I had to take her to the Shriner's Hospital, which is a hospital specializing in burns, and they wrapped her entire abdomen in gauze and put this little gauze t-shirt thing over it that she has to wear all week. Besides maybe a little light scarring, she will be fine, but I still feel so bad for letting it happen. Ellery has sensed my guilt, and she keeps telling me not to worry, I am still a good mommy...which is so sweet it makes me feel worse. Here she is in her "burn cast:"
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