Winter Blah!

I have stayed very busy over break...catching up on dentist appointments, getting Tuff to the vet for his skin, and running like crazy. I have enjoyed catching up on these things and finally feeling a little caught up, just in time to celebrate New Years and go back. Lori and I will hit the road running as soon as break is over: she will complete a week of solo teaching the second week, as well as begin her teacher work sample in math. After getting the kid's test scores back, all were outstanding, but math...which were good, but not great. A teacher work sample is an intense unit, that is very well planned out with lots of supplemental activities, and taught in a strategic manner. So the students benefit is usually greater than just the average lessons.

When Lori is solo teaching, I will set up a little group area in the hall, and pull students out for some intensive one-on-one teaching in areas that they most need. I am excited about this because it gives me the opportunity to work on those areas where a student may not be grasping a concept. I do not take this opportunity for granted, as I know it is a privilege to be able to have this time.

Oh ya, back to my title. "Winter Blah!" Here I go, wrapping this all back together: as I mentioned in the beginning, running like crazy has been keeping me occupied much of my day. AND it has been really cold here in Colorado. It seems like when it finally reaches over 30 degrees, I feel like it is warming up. It has been a long, cold break. So on an up note...it is suppose to be 45 two days in a row this weekend. I am looking forward to a couple's run in the Garden of the Gods...will take lots of photos, and a run with Halee and the dogs as well. Halee is up to 6 miles this weekend. I hope that we have more of these 40+ days, like last year, and the 30 or cooler days go by quickly. For now, stay warm!

New Car

Catching up with all of the new things seems to happen over breaks. On our way to get our Christmas tree (we cut it down in the mountains), we stopped by the LandRover dealership.

Perfectly dressed in our snow clothes, winter hats, gloves, and boots, we were approached by a salesman. We have wanted a LandRover for about 2 years now, and were waiting for our lease to end on our Volkswagen. We told the gentleman that we would go get our tree and stop back by on the way home. So with our tree atop of our 87 Blazer, and our attractive outfits, we purchased a LandRover. I commend the salesmen for not judging us.

Halee and Her Half-Marathon

Halee is officially training for her first half-marathon. We talked with her Doctor, because she is 13, and a few others...and she is good to go. She has actually been training for about 3 weeks already. It is fun to watch her, but more funny because in all of her 13ness, she doesn't think I understand the difficulty of training. I keep explaining that if it were easy, it wouldn't feel like such an accomplishment. One of my running friends, Tracy, said it perfectly, "If it were like eating breakfast, it wouldn't be a big deal." Her perspective of me and my training is interesting: she believes that since I love to run, it is not hard. On the contrary, the harder the workout or race, the more I feel that I have actually done something. I am realizing that most runners are this way, even the elite. We all change our workouts to fit our ability or level we are at, and they are work.

We all went on Halee's long run with her yesterday, as a family. Marc and I ran with her, and Christian rode her bike. The dogs came along as well. It gives our family, and especially Halee, some great time together. I look forward to several more runs with her this winter and spring.

Finally!

Finally, winter break has arrived. The last few weeks are very difficult for teachers. Just hanging on by a thread, the world seems to crash down, and the students come with it. From getting in any last instruction before break to district assessments, packed full doesn't begin to describe it. Teachers are usually finalizing grades for 2ND quarter, getting their rooms ready for January, and helping the kids prepare Christmas ornaments (in my case) or decorations to go home. Since my breaks are a time to rejuvenate, I plan on taking this one off from doing school work...EXCEPT for report cards if I get around to it.

In all of the hustle, I managed to disappoint some more people's expectations of me. Because I go to Halee's counselor with her, I took him up on some advice that he has given her, "Write down your feelings when you get upset." Such simple advice, but I tried it last night in an effort to unwind from a difficult day, and yet another disappointment which squeaked in at 3:45pm when I was walking out of school. It really helped.

Have you ever asked the question, "Can things get any worse?" Well, every time I ask that, I know I am dooming myself to more torture, thus my break was necessary to merely survive. Part of my survival plan is to begin training by amping up my mileage. Scheri and I are nosediving into two high mileage weeks. I look forward to this time of talking with a friend that truly likes me just the way that I am. If I have learned anything from life it is to surround yourself with those people. I am sure I will write again soon since I am break, and hopefully I will be able to report some happy thoughts! Until then, hang in there, enjoy the holidays with your families, and get some rest...however your break looks!