When does life become too busy?

If ever again I think it's a good idea to tackle grad school, coach a sport, run a marathon, and help plan a wedding in the same year, someone please make sure I get my head examined.

At times, when my schedule comes up in conversation, it becomes almost comical -->

Friend at church: Oh, so once you're done with grad school, you can start coaching again, right?
Me: I'm coaching volleyball this spring.
Friend: And you're training for your marathon.
Me: Yep.
Friend: Wait, so what hobby are you going to take up next year?
Me: Guitar?

And this one -->

Principal: What are you going to do with all your free time next year once grad school is over?
Me: Maybe I'll finally get a life.

And people wonder why I haven't been dating recently.

It's not that I regret any of it - as you can see, I apparently love being busy. But, in all honesty, I'm not quite sure what I was thinking. (Though, in all fairness, the combo of grad school and my sister's wedding was not part of the deal when I started Remick.) But, at times I worry because being so busy is exactly what got me into trouble last year - I wasn't able to take the time and space to just sit with my thoughts and reflect on what was happening in my life, especially in some of my relationships.

I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel (at least this one currently in front of me - who knows when the next tunnel will start), though - I've only one more paper (granted, it's a big one) due for grad school this semester, and the marathon is just about two weeks away. Once my sister's bridal shower is over, the only thing I'll really need to worry about for the wedding is working on my speech. And, perhaps best of all, I am turning off my phone and going on a camping road trip right after school gets out. Talk about finding time and space to clear your head!

Being busy (with the right things that give life meaning and purpose) is good, but there is such a thing as being too busy (even with lots of the "right stuff") in my humble opinion. Here's hoping that I can find that balance sooner rather than later.

And then, just maybe I will finally get a life...

Wait for it...

Once every so often you get lucky enough to secure tickets to a taping of "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me!" here in Chicago. But even more amazing than getting tickets is getting tickets for a night that Paula Poundstone is on...

It was truly a great night - so many laughs! I am so grateful for the five of us who were able to attend together. I love having friends here in Chicago who are always up for an adventure!

Even when weeks are busy with the day to day and grad school, there is time for some fun. We are living proof of that.

Make sure you listen in to the show this week - you're in for a good one!

You can learn a lot

You can learn a lot from watching yourself (or, in my case, others) in action.

That's what the second year ACE teachers just did and submitted - videos & related analyses of their teaching from paper to practice. What went well? Who needed help? Where are areas for improvement.

Sometimes I kick myself for signing up for another thing to do, but I found that watching the ACErs' videos and reading through their unit plans and analyses was very insightful. There are definitely a few things I plan to take away, especially in regards to getting students' attention, not talking over students, and use of more movement & student talk.

And we march on. So much to do, but it's all part of life. We just can't let the life part get away. This week I'm heading to see the opera "Romeo and Juliet" with my sister and a friend, and I have my Lenten prayer group on Thursday. This weekend is St. Patrick's Day festivities in Chicago, but I'm planning to keep it low key with a few fun "projects" and a birthday brunch on Sunday.

Have a great week, everyone!

What About a Slow Down?

Talking out loud - no real direction of my thoughts, just throwing it all out there into the open air of my car. Cruising down Clark Street, I was never so glad to have foggy windows. Although nowadays with technology that allows people to talk on the phone via Bluetooth or speakerphone, one hardly has to worry about a passing driver's unsolicited judgment on one's mental state.

It felt pretty good to just send my brainwaves into the void. I didn't get any answers, but I'm pretty sure my head felt even the slightest bit lighter. And, more importantly, my mood improved. (That could have been due to the change in radio tunes - suddenly there was a real driving beat coming through those speakers.)

To the point, though, I have more "to-do"/reminder post-it notes on my desk at the present moment than some people gather in a semester-long period. I send more emails to myself on any given day than I send emails to my fellow faculty members combined.

Face it - working ahead doesn't always help; sometimes it even ends up bringing on more work/stress.

Sheesh.

When will it all slow down?

I'm praying that Confirmation is the "magic slow-down point," but then I remember that following shortly thereafter is the end of the trimester, which means report cards (and report card comments), parent/teacher conferences, and other meetings signaling we only have one more trimester to get our butts in gear.

In reality, there probably is no be-all, end-all "magic slow-down point" (except when we die, and, who knows, maybe not even then), but, rather, we get all these mini slow-down moments instead. A weeknight here, a long weekend there, a cancelled meeting at school...you get the idea. We gotta seize 'em when we get 'em.

How do we seize them? We do it by being in the moment, by breathing, and by slowing down. We seize them allowing ourselves to laugh and to not take any one thing too very seriously. We seize them by thanking God for all the opportunities that get us so busy in the first place - some people never even get these chances...

Sometimes, you just have to make your own "slow-down."

"Fall"ing

I keep joking with coworkers, family, and friends that maybe after the 6th grade girls' volleyball season is over I just might have a life. Seriously, though, there have been so many things that have been piling up that I want to blog about, but I just haven't had the time to sit down and do it.

And, just to be clear, I'm not saying that I'm not enjoying and learning from every bit of what life is throwing at me right now - don't worry, I haven't gotten to this point:

If I ever do get here, you'll know - I'll be miserable. :P

Enough about all of that; let's turn our attention to Fall!

Don't you just love the Daily Quipple?

Fall is my favorite season - it always has been, even though growing up in Florida we never had the changing leaves or cooler weather (at least not until January, really). It's football season, and school is still fresh & new. There are apples to be picked (doing that with some friends today!) and coats to be taken out of the closet (need to do that sometime soon). There are pumpkins to be carved and pumpkin treats to bake/taste.

And change is in the air - both changes we're excited about and changes we may have mixed feelings or be sad about. One of my good friends from church just got a new job (awesome!)...in St. Louis (not so awesome). As a few of us (including the gal who just got the new job) were sitting around at dinner last night (see image below for what our sushi looked like), we were talking about how on one hand we are going to miss her a lot but, on the other hand, how it's impossible not to be thrilled for this new opportunity where she will have more job satisfaction than she does now and be back with her immediate family. One of the other girls said something along the lines of "It's not about me. If it were, it'd be easy to say, 'You can't leave. I need you here.' But since it's not, I want what's best for you."

Mixed emotions, there we have it.

But all in all, there is so much to look forward to and be excited about on personal and professional levels. Here are just a few things:

Personal --> upcoming young adult retreat next weekend, apple picking with friends (today!), Chicago marathon cheering, friends' birthday celebrations, CST show...
Professional --> ongoing leadership opportunities with my school's data/school improvement committee, a unit on Catholic Social Teaching with 8th grade, a field trip to the theater with 6th grade, continued collaboration with the middle school team...

So, there you have it: Fall in a nutshell. I hope you find change and contentment in the beauty of this Fall...