Thursday, May 27, 2010

State... PR's... and top 10 finish

Brenden's state track this year was at BYU.   The first half of track season was spent out with injuries, so he was only able to run and train for the last few weeks of the season.  He was scheduled to run the 1 mile and 2 mile, one Friday morning the other on Saturday morning.  Friday morning was windy, cold and rainy... Saturday was much better weather. His best 1 mile run time (4:54) placed him 15th in the field of runners for lane placement for the one mile.  He finished 12th, with a time of 4:50.  Even with an improved time (a new PR) he wasn't happy with his finish.  (perfectionist)

Saturday morning was the 2 mile.  His lane placement had him 12th in the field (10:45).  Two of the kids that had beat him the previous day in the one mile were on his hit list for this race.  He ended up passing both of them in the last 200 yards because of his GREAT kick on his last lap.  His new PR in the 2 mile is now 10:24, and he placed 10th!!!  That's a 21 second improvement on an already CRAZY time. yay!  I am not sure who gets more nervous at these meets... him or me.

Monday, May 24, 2010

sneak peek

I have been extremely inspired by others' creativity lately, and all things in my house are in danger of a MAKE-OVER.  This cedar chest is on the list... I'll post the before and after this week when I finish it.

Aspen Antics: part 1

In the news this week in our area, a little boy lost his life at the hand of his parent. It makes me sad.  He was a year older than Aspen, and I wonder how someone could do that to someone so young and still full of life.

Before Aspen grows any more, and I forget all the cute little things she does, I have committed to writing them down.


Lately it is ALL things Dora (the explorer) or Diego.  Thank heavens for Nickelodeon.  When it is time for bed she tries to put off the inevitable by begging to watch Diego, and we say no, she says "four more minutes dad.... PLEEEEEEEAAAAASE"  and he almost ALWAYS gives in.  Ok...he always gives in.
She loves dinosaurs and the movie Land Before Time .   There is a song from the movie that has the chorus line "friends for dinner", which Aspen has taken literally.  She takes the little grape hyacinth tops, taking each bud off, putting them on a plate to serve me up some food, all while singing "friends for dinner".
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Hayden has taken the Bronco out of winter hibernation, and Aspen begged to go for a ride the minute it was in the driveway.  A few days later, while riding in it, I looked back and her eyes were shut and her arms were up, her hands in the air feeling the wind blow through her fingers.  On more than one occasion she has said "I love da Bonko, dad... I love it"
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Aspen has been put in time-out a few times lately.  This consists of sitting on her bed, with the door shut, with no toys or tv.  This is usually for tantrums over getting dressed (but she can invent things to scream over).  I can go check on her thirty minutes later, she will still be crying and wailing.   I got mad at her the other day, and at the end of the ordeal, I ended up apologizing to her for getting mad.  She has taken that one incident and has used it every time we have a power struggle.  "Sorry I be mean" she says, as she holds me (which she requests by saying "I wanna hold you mama").  I think she is trying to apologize for my putting her in timeout, not for her being a tantrum ridden 2 year old.
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Prayers with her are hilarious.  She tells Heavenly Father about all her incidences through the day:  her friends not sharing or someone scratching her.  She always gives thanks for her family, but daddy is always first on the list, followed by Morgan.  She always ends her prayer with "name of Jesus Christ, baby Christ, amen".  I promise we haven't shown her Talledega Nights.  I can't help but chuckle every night.

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Lately she has taken to calling me "mother", which sounds more like "mudder".  Not sure where she picked this up, but it makes me feel much older than I really would like to feel.  She also calls her Grandma Fraser by her first name "Debba".  I think Hayden is secretly coaching her on the side.

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Her umbrella one of her new favorites, and she even has taken to sleeping with it.  She loves it so much that I broke down and bought her another one (hey... it's a different color).  The other day she had them opened and lying on the floor in the living room.  All of the sudden I heard OOONOOO.   I looked around to find out what she was fussing about just in time to see her touch the second umbrella and say DOS... followed by QUATRO, SIETE.
Seriously.
My 2 year old counting in Spanish.
Just when I was thinking I needed to cut back on all her tv.
This just helps the mother guilt... because HEY, at least she is watching EDUCATIONAL stuff, right?

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Mother's Day 2010

Every mothers day, I'm never too sure what to expect with being the mother of two teenage boys.  This year Wade was on the ball and came prepared with a gift and mothers day greetings (I love my earrings Wade!!).  Brenden is more of my mystery son... usually waiting until the last minute to say anything.  This year was no exception.  Last year I got a cute little note, and when he realized I had posted it, he was mortified.  This year I got another note, but it had fine print at the bottom:

This page is not to be displayed on any social networking site including facebook, blog or any other program which would potentially lead to general members of society, mostly including middle aged ladies who I do not know, seeing this page.  Rewards only valid within the limits of reason and possibility.

So, just imagine a cute little note here_______ with promises to run a half marathon with me, make me dessert, and to pull out my gray hairs.

That time of year again...

Brenden ran the 1 and 2 mile at region track last week.  He placed 4th in the mile with a time of 4:55, and 3rd in the 2 mile with a time of 10:45. 
State is this Friday and Saturday, and he will be there... running both. 
Which means, I will be there... watching both. 

His time puts him in an 8th place slot compared to last years runners and times.  Just hoping his health holds up, unlike his cross country run @ state this past fall.

Good luck Brend!

Monday, May 3, 2010

HOW many days til SUMMER????

My job is the best. 
I love the content area I teach: math is cool.
I love going back in the fall, meeting my new students, and trying new things.
May, however.... 
well.... let's just say innocent children nearly lost limbs today in my last two classes.
 
Why is it that there always seems to be that ONE class that can suck the lifeblood out of a teacher?
Or that ONE student who can continually drive you INSANE?
Do their parents remain in a state of permanent insanity?
I don't know.  Not sure if I want to know.
What I do know is that there are 17 days left of school until I am able to  deal with having my OWN children drive me crazy.   I am so anxiously counting down each one...
because right now, coming back to school tomorrow is NOT on my want list.

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