September: a summary

Blogging is getting away from me. Being a full-time student, it turns out, is as time-consuming as full-time work, at least when you have children in the house half the time!

We're all doing just fine out here, just thoroughly engrossed in the demands of the semester. I thought I'd give a recounting of our new routine, so you can imagine our lives out here.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I run with Koopa at 6:30, and take the kids to school after Jon leaves for work at 7:45. We walk the 600 feet to Miles' school, drop him off, and walk home to make the drive to Adele's preschool. It's only a 10 minute drive, thankfully.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Adele's babysitter picks her up from preschool and keeps her until 3:45 so I can get my work done. I should have a full draft of my thesis this week! And then the revision begins.

On Tuesday and Thursday, Jon does the school dropoff so that I can FaceTime into my class, which meets 9:30-10:45 EST, so here in Mountain Time, class begins at 7:30 am! That's before the kids leave, yes. Last Thursday saw me all dressed sharp, beginning my presentation to the class at 7:30 from my computer, with Miles eating is oatmeal just out of sight at the dining room table and Koopa asleep at my feet. It's weird, but it's working!

Oh, and I've joined the church choir! Weekly practices on Wednesdays are a pleasant interlude to my week. Making art is a good stress reliever. 

Thursday nights are lesson nights! Tap for Miles at 4:45, and Gymnastics for Adele at 6:30. They're loving it! But I honestly drag a little on Thursday nights...

On weekends, we play, clean, attend church and try to get out to see our city, at least a little.

A couple of weekends ago we made it to a free Medieval Festival, brought to us by the Society for Creative Anachronism and the Public Library in Pueblo West.

I love free family events! Not sure if they are really more wholesome or just feel that way because I'm not paying for them...

We enjoyed our free headgear...

 Free food from a food truck!

Free bouncing:





 And free face-painting!



 Free mock battles with medieval style weapons:

 

And free mountain views:

 

I'm still running Koopa once to twice a day. Sometimes, to be honest, it's more of a fast walk/jogging in place; he's not always got his energy back to run the whole time! And he seems to think he should be allowed to inspect the neighborhood with his nose. Still, we enjoy ourselves and get my heart rate up efficaciously.  

  Here we are last Saturday, running in the middle school yard:

see Koopa's ears mid-flop?

 I get the good views in the mornings, when the sun illuminates the Western mountains:

I followed everyone's advice and got new shoes, and my body is less achy already

 Sundays we've been making Koopa's second walk a romp at the dog park. The kids love the chance to pet other doggys, and Koopa simply wears himself out tearing after his friends.

 

See? Still worn out next day

 Now that fall's begun, I'm missing Blacksburg and my community there.





 There's a loneliness to this time, since I'm not at work. But I've made a couple of friends and have many prospects to make more. I have plans to get back to work this January, too, so that should ease that ennui some.

And I have my Colorado skies, which seem to get bluer every day, since fall began:

All in all, we are flourishing. Miles loves school, and has joined the mileage (running) club. Adele loves her preK and I think she loves her babysitter's house even more. She wants every day to be a Miss Alicia day.

 All is well.