Mom, Mommy, Mother...

As the beginning of the new school year approaches, and I prepare to return to work, I must reflect on an age old argument. And by reflect on, I of course mean to get on my soap box about. Sorry, but I must vent, just a little.
Let's start with a question: When your kids address you, do they call you "Stay-at-Home Mom" or "Working Mom?" I think not, so why do we do that to each other? We're all moms, right? Stay-at-moms work hard and working moms don't love their any children less.
The saddest thing about these assumptions and others regarding different types of moms, is that they mostly come from moms and are directed to other moms. We are harder on each other than our children and spouses could ever be.
Being a mom is not easy, no matter the forum or circumstances. I have been fortunate enough to experience both sides, working during the school year and staying at home for summers. Motherhood is a tough, 24/7, tiring and rewarding job for ALL mothers.
Let's end with a question: Why aren't we more supportive of each other in this challenging yet magical endeavor?

Live and Let Live

This started as a status post on fb, but as it grew in length I decided that I really needed to blog about it instead. The catalyst for this post is the Chick-fil-A hubbub flying around the net. I've been bothered by the back and forth hurtling of meanness and the way that some are using the First Amendment as justification that it's okay to say what you want. To a certain extent I agree and am grateful we have the rights defined in the First Amendment. But what was it that we were always taught? Our rights end where another's begins? So my right to swing my fist ends at the tip of your nose, that's the gist anyway. Maybe that's childish simplicity, but that seems to be the MO of the "debate" happening over Chick-fil-A, childish.
Again, I am grateful for my First Amendment rights, but the extent to which I agree ends when people put action behind those words. In my view, Chick-fil-A has done more than just aired their opinions of prejudice, they have become discriminators by acting on that prejudice to support the limitation of the rights and freedoms of others. Interesting how First Amendment rights are being used in an attempt to suppress rights.
Many of us lead a life of privilege where we rarely, if ever question any of our rights because we're never challenged in that way. I include my self in that group, and have referred to myself as just another all American girl, minus the blue eyes and blond hair. But I also include myself in another group, actually several groups, that have experienced discrimination. My first experiences with prejudice and discrimination happened as a child, growing up in an almost exclusively white small town with a predominant religious influence. I was not white and I was not of the predominant religion, and everyone knew it.
I have continued to personally experience racial/ethnic discrimination in different forms until this day, mostly subtle though sometimes shockingly overt. I regularly observe others that are discriminated against for the same reason. I've also experienced gender discrimination, as I'm sure is not uncommon among women. I've even experienced some ageism. Being viewed as younger may not seem like a negative thing unless it's used as professional prejudice. I've also learned a lot about the injustices that people with disabilities face, with my children as my teachers.
Anyway, I don't want to be preachy or seem high and mighty on my soap box. I just want you to take a moment to consider if something of importance to you was held hostage. If your ability to interact with something you believed in was limited or non-existent, or in fact, against the law. How would that make you feel as a human being? Do you want to be responsible for creating that feeling in others?

Whoosh...

That’s the sound of summer, flying by my pleading eyes, arms madly waving, and shouts of “Wait! Slow down! I love you!” I love you? Whoa, summer isn’t even my favorite season! But, as I’m sure you would agree, it’s a seductive one. Summer is coy, luring you in after a wet and rainy Spring. Then it moves into the more serious business of drugging you with infusions of Vitamin D. It wraps you in warmth and laziness then renders you delirious with record high temps. 

Chasing the sun around the yard.

I am more than halfway through summer. Sadly, summer has a beginning and end, even more delineated for those of us who teach. I’ve always had fun summers (minus one: chemo treatments), but this one has been especially enjoyable. I can’t put my finger on it, probably because I’d need more than the fingers I have on two hands to pinpoint all that has contributed to the season so far.

Luckily, it’s not over yet. There’s still about four weeks left. A lot can happen in four weeks, as a lot did happen in six. And if I play it right, summer doesn’t have to end when work begins. Last year I enjoyed a little summer in October, boating in Lake Powell. And if summer decides to exit early, or if going back to work gets in the way, I’ll just fall in love with Fall. 

Wasatch Back 2012

This was my second Wasatch Back. For me, it was not a total success in the running department. But something I learned last year that was reaffirmed this year is Ragnar encompasses sooo much more than running. It really is difficult to put into words what the experience of Ragnar really is but I think my teammate and friend Caryn summed it up very nicely:

"Here is what I learned this weekend! Utah is an amazingly beautiful state, I love having a huge a**, killing people is fun, getting killed sucks, squirt guns are NOT just for kids, hills suck, back seat drivers know best and LOVE hills and food, everything is funny at 3am, Seattlites make the BEST mountain drivers, I can run under a 10 minute mile and enjoy the scenery, the calm one does curse and freak out, it's ok if you cannot read or write, underwear is not necessary but deodorant is, Van 2 isn't cooler than Van 1, nothing is more beautiful than a row of honey buckets, people who wake up at 3am to check on you should always be a part of your life, NY has the best cheerleaders, my legs are strong but my heart is stronger, white people burn and the big breasted chafe, sleep is overrated but if your gonna sleep with anyone make it sister-friend, #185 is my favorite number, I heart food, basketball coaches are f***in tough as hell, exchange #19 rocks, everyone should take minutes for later review, the shwag is great but the experience is life changing! Thanks ladies!"

Yes!!! Thank you Adrianna, Amie, Angie, Becky, Brenda, Caryn, Chris, Jen, Kim, Meja, Stephanie, Tanya, and Vicki!!! I am grateful to have had such an amazing experience with equally amazing women!

Pinterest

Catalyst or crusher of productivity? Creative inspiration or intimidation?  Time-saving or a time-suck?Feelings of success or Economical and cheap ideas or an excessive and capitalistic influence?

I've been pinning for a few months now, and other than the quotes I use with my students, I have only completed 2 pinned projects. The first project were the bookmarks I made my AVID students for Valentines Day. The second project I did just today. It was a combo project, with ideas from more than one source. The Pinterest inspiration is on the right. I paired that with a system I saw in use at the US Post Office, and voila, an calendar command center!


That's it! That's the entirety of my Pinterest glory. 800 pins and this is what I have to show for it. I haven't even tried making any of the Yummy! recipes pinned on that board. The smart ideas on the Too School for Cool board, have yet to make it to school. As for Bookilicious, should have spent that time actually reading books!

Time, ugh, I don't want to even think of the time I "wasted" on Pinterest. At this point in time, for me anyway, Pinterest has been a productivity crusher and time-suck more than anything. A smallish percentage of time "wasted" on Pinterest has been a welcome diversion, or a space filler, but mostly just a true waste of time. Maybe if I'd been cooking those meals, or applying the workouts, or cleverly decorating for the holidays.... Sigh.... nope, nope and nope.


I could let all of the "greatness" that I see on Pinterest make me feel less than great for not being able to achieve it all. But I won't. I could blog about how it may be doing us more harm than good, creating desires that may create unhappiness. But I won't. There are advantages and downfalls in just about everything we encounter in life, it's that awareness that helps us maintain balance. So, I will continue "wasting" time on Pinterest and gain a few tips here and there to enhance my already great life!

  

SetBACK

I am in the midst of a setback, due specifically to my physical back. Those of you who know me quite well also know that my lower back decides to seize up on me from time to time. This time I felt impending doom the morning of the Race for a Cure. I even texted Brenda to let her know how I felt and that I would just have to ignore it until after the race.
The causes of my condition are many: weak core; not doing core strengthening exercises for said core; stressful, busy times (but a good stressful), etc... In addition to the causes, I’m guessing that the catalyst for this particular injury was the barbecue Costco trip Meja and I went on the evening before the race.

Needless to say, I made it through the race, literally running and weaving through it. Thousands of people showed up, the vast majority of which walked. We had great team representation with a combination of people cheering both Lee and I on. I ran with Meja, Brenda, and Caryn the whole way. We crossed the finish line together, hand in hand, arms raised high.
And then as if on cue, my back went and muscles spasms started almost immediately after the finish Other than that and momentarily losing Porter, it was a fabulous morning.
I was feeling better enough by Monday morning that I wasn’t worried about going to work. That feeling lasted pretty much until Thursday morning, after I bent over to pick up a bag. Before I even had the bag in my hand I felt it, and continued feeling it the rest of the day. I hobbled my hunched up, bunched up body to school, determined to get through the day. Unfortunately it got bad enough that the large amounts of ibuprofen I was taking weren’t even making a dent, and I had to call in for an afternoon sub so I could go home. Sigh…..
The biggest bummer of this whole situation is that I had to miss run number six. I had run five 5Ks in 5 weeks and really wanted to believe I would be doing my sixth last Saturday. It was the Girls on the Run running program annual 5K. At 5:21 the morning of the race, I admitted defeat and texted Brenda to let her know that I would not be joining her for the race.
I am too busy to deal with a back that is preventing me from doing much of anything, yet it’s probably the way my body is telling me I’m too busy doing everything. That’s an exaggeration, I don’t do everything, but what I do keep myself busy doing I enjoy very much. Even the good stress gets you! Ah, to truly eat your cake and have it too!

Kellie "Like"

Sunday morning Clint says to me, "You're not being very Kellie-like," followed with, "What happened to go with the flow?"
Kellie "like." Hmmmm.  What exactly does that mean? It means something different now than it did 10 years ago. And though Clint was applying it to a couple of specific situations, it really applies to most aspects of my life. I don't believe I'm a different person per se, just that I think differently. Here's what I mean:
Kellie-like then meant a plethora of wrist watches and Franklin planners. Now it means NEVER wearing a watch, losing track of time and managing my calendar instead of my calendar managing me.
It meant believing that things happened for a reason and now believing that good and bad things happen and you make reason from it, as you choose, for better or worse.
It meant being more cynical and suspicious while now I can't help but give everyone the benefit of the doubt and believe good can be found in every person, often to the point of naivete.
It meant not wanting company because the house was a mess and now it means not wanting to miss out on company even if the house is a mess.
It meant getting by on being deceptively fit, and now it means being a runner.
It meant files, ledgers and balancing the checkbook, and now it means that Clint is bewildered as to why Directv won't let him order the fights because the bill hasn't been paid. (Thank goodness he opened the one that threatened to shut off our power!)
It meant being the go-to-girl for graduate school projects and organization to becoming the girl that was going to everyone else for due dates, instructions, and follow-through.
It meant getting from point A to point B without any variation and now it means we might stop for an overnight stay along the way to our destination. No hurries, no worries.
I'm sure there are things that have been more constant over time, only those of you have known me before, after and during truly know. I personally feel that I've evolved more than I've actually changed, that some tendies were suppressed while others became more enhanced.

Most importantly it means moving along a continuum from judgement to more compassion, from making assumptions to taking the time to know and from taking things personally to realizing that it's so much more than just about me.  

Which is why I went with the flow and gave in on getting a family dog, then topped it off with a Kellie-like thing and insisted we get two! More on our new families will be posted soon!