School's Back- And Everything With It!

 The start of the school year came in and we started off running! It seems everything else started right away, with no adjustment period. I was fine with that, personally, since I was pretty busy over the summer. I think everyone else is too because it's all the fun stuff- cross country, piano, orchestra, football games, the first marching band competition next Saturday, and even the homecoming games and dances have started. Canton HS had theirs last weekend (the marching band performed at their game and many of Victoria's good friends go there, so she was excited about the game). Salem HS hoco is this weekend and that's our assigned school. The marching band will also perform at that game and Victoria will go to the dance on Saturday. Since the marching band will compete in the first competition this Saturday, they're all going to Plymouth's hoco dance the following weekend, so that's when Kai will go. 

My mom was here and got to enjoy a lot of the firsts with us. Including my brand-new assistant at Red Bell who quit after only 10 days of working there. So glad my mom could be here to be an extra hand while we work through what we're going to do! Apparently, there were some family issues that my assistant of 10 days needed to attend to, plus the job wasn't what she thought it would be. It was sad to see her go. I thought we worked well together for those 10 days and she was really good! The kids loved her and she looked like she was having fun. The past two days she hasn't been in class have been a little less smooth, just because the kids can sense that something is different, even if most of them haven't even asked about her (she was only there in the morning and they barely knew her). Now that my mom is gone, I'll have one less helper. It will be fine, but it was definitely good to have her here by the 3rd day of school this year to help the kids learn the ropes. I have a younger group and they just need extra help remembering that they can't pull baskets of toys off of shelves when there are already baskets at each table and floor area where they can play. It's always a work in progress!

School hadn't even been in session for 2 weeks yet and already the high school had an emergency. Yesterday, on the 3rd floor of Salem, there was a fire in a bathroom garbage can which sounded the smoke alarms. The students had to evacuate Salem and go to Canton gym. One student had a seizure and another's appendix ruptured at around the same time, all at Salem. 4 fire trucks and an ambulance arrived. The sprinklers were triggered by all the smoke and the water was leaking through ceilings. Lucky for Kai, she felt prompted to disobey her teacher and keep her phone with her, so she was able to contact us to let us know that they were fine and were coming home early. Thank goodness she followed the prompting!

Teachers have already been out for Covid and one of Victoria's best friends has it, so it seems like another interesting start to the school year! 

On a more positive note, Erik was chosen by his vice principal to be a safety for the first week of school and help the kindergartners and 1st graders get adjusted. Austin had attended a WEB training over the summer and was a mentor for the 6th graders at the middle school. So proud of their willingness to help others!

First day of Senior Year!!

Last year I'll have a child in elementary school...

New playground at Miller and they're renovating other parts of it, just in time for him to leave for middle school.

First cross country meet!

He made a new PR!

Walking to the stadium for the first game!

During the game.

Kai's in the hazmat suit. This is part of the competition routine of this season's show: Band to the Future.

Erik played goalie the first half of the first game.

2nd half he was defense and sweeper. 

Look at his determined face to get to the ball!

Remember my monstrous garden? It was a gourd plant that was growing. My mom helped me take it out.

This wasn't all that we picked. We have close to 100! I gave some to my Sunday school class and will give some to my preschool students and my Primary Activity girls. I still have a bunch for decor!

Check out the vine!

And the root!

Sunday!

Another Tri

 I decided to do a sprint tri to show for all the swimming practice I've been doing the past two years. I go once a week and swim a mile, my unique breaststroke, without getting my ears wet. Two years ago I did my own self-supported Olympic tri because I wanted the excuse to run a 10k at the end, as opposed to a 5k, since I'm best at the run. Last year I ran in the Ragnar, so I was only focused on running. I have a hard time finding convenient races that work with the other areas of my life, so I just thought I would stick with the ol' T-Rex series sprint tri that's only 30 minutes from home. The main problem with this race is it's at 6pm, so I'm not at my peak performance time, but that just makes it more challenging, right? Otherwise, it would be a lot easier for me!

Since Covid, they now have swimmers starting two by two, according to their swim times, which is so much better than the mass that used to run into the water together! I felt much more comfortable being spaced out like that. I started with the 16-minute group because that's about what I was doing in the pool (not exactly to the second because I don't time my seconds, but I do keep a close eye on the clock and when I'm at my best, that's about what I can do). I guess there are two reasons why I took a few minutes longer than I was supposed to. One, I really didn't swim in the lakes this summer, just kayaked. In the past, I didn't think it helped me much since I don't put my head in anyhow, it never seemed too different when I got in the lake, but maybe I should have practiced in the lake. Two, I spent most of the day trying to process some back-to-school-woes of some of my children and we'd had some heated discussions, so I felt all anxious due to that and got a side ache in the swim because of all the oxygen I'd been taking in that day. 

My transition to the bike was very quick and I got on only to learn that my chain had come off, probably during the bumpy ride up because of the side dirt roads I had to take since the freeway is still under construction. I don't usually have a problem with my chain, so I didn't even check it earlier. Luckily, it didn't take long to put back on and I made a pretty good time on my ride. I think I did about 2 minutes faster than in my last sprint tri. Even still, biking is never my best with all the mechanics involved on the bike and timing going down and up hills, so everyone who passed me on the ride, I passed on the run! I did pass some on the bike but was only passed twice on the run, and one was by a 68-year-old man! My total time was 1:31. I got 10th in my category. 

As usual, I didn't feel great on the run because it was at a late time for me, but I pushed anyhow because I know that I can- 3 miles is nothing. The week before when I did the race in the morning (the swim was in the pool and I only ran 1 mile but did the whole swim and bike) I felt so good and did a much better time for my swim. It doesn't really matter to me though. I just like to have something to train for to push myself a little harder during the summer months. The nice thing about triathlons is that they don't kill your body. I felt totally fine afterward and in the days following. I wasn't even sore. In fact, a week later, two days ago, I walked a very fast power walk with a friend for 4.5 miles to keep her company and then roller bladed for two hours in the afternoon. Parts of my legs that I don't get running are still sore from that!