Starting off the weekend right

Shh...it's a surprise...

I don't know how he (at least mostly) pulled it off, but Kevin (with a great group of friends and family) pulled off a wonderful celebration in honor of his wife, Molly, last night here in Chicago. It was to celebrate how far she has come in her battle with breast cancer and the grace with which she has done so. Just to see Molly brought such joy to my heart and to the hearts of all those gathered together. And it was wonderful to see some additional ACE faces as well - all the way from South Bend, no less!

#teammollypowers #hitmewithyourbreastshot

I didn't stay too late at yesterday's gathering - after all, it had been a full day (not to mention a full week with all the Advent stuff) at school, and I was pretty tired. While I had crawled into bed around 10:30 and had fallen asleep fairly quickly, the alarm clock was still not what I wanted to hear this morning. After only a few snoozes of the alarm, I got up and got ready to go for a run. Though it was, admittedly, bitterly cold at times, it was peaceful and beautiful, as a light dusting of snow had covered most everything overnight. The sun even decided to peek out from the clouds as I rounded the curve to Navy Pier. Other bonuses included seeing a handful of running groups and fellow runners on the path as well as getting the chance to hear live classical music in Navy Pier when I stopped in to warm up for a few minutes.

What a great day!...and it's not even noon yet...

Ripppppppppped

Rrrrrripppppp

Dang it. My best mittens, the lined ones. Ripped. (A small rip, it's true, but still.)

Remember the Children's Museum excursion?

Yes, that one. All that climbing, I suppose it was bound to happen.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I thought that maybe it was a good thing. Every time I see that rip, I'll think of that weekend, and I'll smile.

What rips and scars in our lives serve as reminders of "the good ol' days"?

P.S. I feel like I've neglected this blog - so much to finish up with report cards and our annual young adult retreat. Hopefully things will settle down soon...

Pigs Fly and Dreams Come True...in Cincinnati

3:57:10...It was a hard-fought battle (for me - just ask my sister), but we did it. Pigs really do fly...at least once a year in Cincinnati...

Expo

While at times I felt like I wouldn't be able to finish (at least not in PR fashion), my sister kept me going. (Trust me, she had it in her to go much faster - 3:45:00, easy, I'd bet.) She kept turning around with that look of "you better get yourself moving, you can't give up." And so, even when I started having chills at Mile 24, I kept going. Thank you, Marisa, for pushing me to beat my personal best. (And, more importantly, for making so we don't need to sign up for another marathon any time soon.)

post-race, after chugging multiple water bottles

post-race, post-shower ice cream treat at the one and only Graeter's

Thank you post card to our parents

The weekend would not have been complete without our parents' visit - they flew in and out of Chicago to make the drive to Cincinnati and to cheer us on for the race. They are the best fans anyone could ask for, and it was wonderful to spend some extra time with them, considering we don't usually see them during the school year much. (In fact, as I sat in Church on Saturday night, I was content to just be in the presence of God, and I was especially grateful to be surrounded by my family.)

Heck, we even made the local Cincinnati news - check it out around 1:20...

A Good Morning It Has Been...

Today's goal = 14 miles...

Though it was overcast (and even started snow flurrying a little bit), it was lovely weather for our (my sister's and my) first "official" marathon training run. We made it down past Soldier Field!

And who wouldn't have anything but a good morning with a stop at Yolk for our post-run Sunday brunch? (I highly recommend the fried egg & cheese on a toasted bagel sandwich.)

Today has already been a good day...and it's only about halfway done. The only things I really need to do between now and Mass this evening are to score some student blog post paragraphs and to brainstorm some ideas for a student/parent poetry analysis project.

And tomorrow's a day off for those (most) of us in the teaching world - hooray!

Going, Going, Gone

When life throws tons of things at you at once...make sure you keep your head above water.

For me (this past week), that meant giving up running and blogging (sadly).

I did take some "me" time with friends for a concert on Tuesday:

Yes, the opener (Mikey Wax) for Brendan James played the keyboard with his left hand while simultaneously picking the guitar with his right hand

Brendan James at SPACE

I could listen to this man play and sing all day...

...But that was pretty much the only "break I took. Between coaching 5th grade volleyball (practice 2 times a week and games up to two (other) days a week and school stuff (and being sick), there was not much time left for anything else.

I hope to change that this week. While I have (and will) spent (spend) quite a bit of time this weekend preparing materials/handouts/projects for school, I'm also making sure I get outside and enjoy the weather. Just this afternoon, my sister and I went to the art fair right at the end of my street. And tomorrow, I will be going to family Mass at my school. Today, I got a text from a friend about free tickets to a Cubs game this week, so that's definitely an opportunity to take a "time out" from the work and stress. (We just better wear some layers - it's going to be chilly!)

And I do hope to be back in the blogging action. So many thoughts and questions (especially about the classroom) have been swimming around in my head, and I want to share...

Until next time...

Lazy Saturday...Beautiful Weather...

Beautiful days are not meant to be wasted inside. Though good weather has been inconsistent this "spring" (and I use the term loosely) in Chicago, the sun is shining today, and my sister and I enjoyed a leisurely lakefront path jog this morning followed by a stop at Starbucks.

I don't have many lazy Saturdays...but every once in awhile, I'm sure I glad I get to have a few...

A Little Bit o' Nostalgia and Hope

It's a day like today - a perfect Fall - that fuel the soul.

It's a day like today that remind you of the more important things - friends, family, good conversation & company, etc. - in life.

It's a day like today that make you nostalgic for things that have been and hopeful of things to come.

Today was a pretty historic one for me - first time apple picking. Ever.

(Yes, I'm 27 years old.)

Growing up in Florida, I never went apple picking. Strawberry picking? Absolutely. But apples, no.

It was so much fun! And the weather was absolutely beautiful - not too hot, not too cold. (All you need is a light jacket.)

Here are pictures from the day - I will spare you my apple jokes...

There will be many an apple in my lunchbox this week...

She looks so "Midwestern", doesn't she?

Yes, I even picked my own pumpkin to carve. It's sitting in the corner of my living room by the window - I'm hoping it will inspire me to carve something brilliant...or, at least, something cute.

And I will definitely be roasting (and eating) the pumpkin seeds.

There was a sign that pretty much summed up my feelings for the day pretty perfectly:

Oh, yes indeedy...

Sunday Funday

Well, technically today was my working day - the rest of the weekend was time spent away from school work, my computer, and my stresses.

Friday night started my weekend out with a bang, as the students (4th-8th grades) at our school performed "The Wizard of Oz Jr." in front of a packed auditorium:

They had been working so hard for the past few months, and it really came together in the end. I think my favorite part was when the Wicked Witch was saying her line, "Do you see that hourglass? That's how long you've got to be alive. And it isn't long my pretty" - she smashed the hourglass in mid-sentence, and the audience couldn't help but laugh. It belonged on a true blooper reel. (Maybe you had to be there, but it was pretty darn funny.)  

Plus, the costumes (some rented, some made by parents) and the set (painted by students) looked great!

On Saturday, I talked with both my parents on the phone - I had called to wish my dad a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :) And then I was off to Service Day with my Church. Over 500 parishioners participated in the event, and we went in groups to different agencies and places around the city to do clean-ups and such. I was with a group that helped with the garden area of a local women's shelter. We pulled loads of weeds, planted new flowers, picked up trash, swept around, and overall beautified the place. (I'm not going to lie, though - too much kneeling and up and down made my legs feel pretty heavy today.) It was nice to be part of a group and yet also get some time alone during parts of the day too. The weather was perfect to be outside!

When we returned from our respective places, we celebrated Mass together, and then we had a pizza and pasta dinner over in the school hall. We were all pretty tired by then. In addition, caked in sunscreen and not having showered that morning (I know, too much information - sorry), I was extremely excited to get cleaned up. It was a quick turn-around, then, and I was meeting up with my sister to head out for drinks to celebrate one of our Church friend's birthday. A little loud in the bar, but it was still fun. (And on the way home, Marisa and I managed to have an adventure finding an ice cream shop that was open - eventually, success was ours!)

And that brings me to today - another beautiful day (weather-wise) that started with a morning jog along the lakefront path. I took a quick trip to Target to get a few things, and then Marisa came over to FINISH up the ACE unit we've been working on. (Woo hoo!!) We then both worked on our respective grading, lesson plans, lit prep, etc. before I took her home.

Still trying to figure out what I have yet to do before tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the week - we're going SCREEN FREE at school, so I am also trying to do so at home too - no Facebook or Pinterest, and no T.V. either. We'll see how the kids and I do...

I do hope you have had an enjoyable and relaxing weekend too. :)

Hey, hey, the weekend's here...

What's the beauty of a day off from school on Monday?

Well, let's face it, the extra day is worth it, in and of itself. But add some bachelorette festivities for a good friend, visits from out-of-town ACE classmates, tailgating (& bartending) with ACE, ND game watching, marathon cheering, and much needed relaxation, and you get an A+ weekend! (Heck, it's not even over yet.)

Long weekends are few and far between - let's celebrate them when we can...

Kelsey's bachelorette weekend festivities

Go Irish! (and Go ACE PHOENIX!)