Miles the Miler

On Sunday March 5, Miles fulfilled any dream by running in his first distance race! He's Miles the Miler at last!

I'm hoping he'll run track or x-c one day. I do love watching runners, and I think it's such a glorious and spiritual discipline.

Anyway, my fantasies aside, Miles had a great day. No pre-race nerves...

Here he is with the other runners from his school. A proud Belmont Rattler!

Before the 1.2 mile, there was a 50 yard dash for under kindergarten-age. Adele surprised us by entering! She was definitely in the middle of the pack, but as she ran toward a crowd of adults screaming at the runners her face crumpled and she started sobbing at the finish line.

 

She's my self-conscious child. Adele does not do performing. But I was so proud of her chutzpah!

Miles' race started without incident; he was happy and confident right till the takeoff. He got to run along the river at first:
 

He's the one with the black shirt and ponytail. Doesn't he have good form?

He runs like me, but less nervously.

Sometimes I'd see him start to walk and I'd shout at him and he'd pick right back up running, no sign of weariness.
And he even had a kick at the finish!

I hope this is the first of many such races! Miles has never really been athletic, but his running form is good and he seems to like it. Maybe "Miles the Miler" will stick!
 

What a beautiful morning. 

 
 
 

March, but in color

Above: Miles' Superkid week at school was in February, but I was proud of the poster I made for his personal history day. 
I am so happy to have made it to March, at last. Time seems to move faster in March. February is a trudge; March feels like a brisk and cheery stride. 

Our zoo pass expired in February, so we took one more trip last weekend.
 

We had memorable moments with the Ostriches, the lynx and the African Painted Dogs. All this 60 degree weather and sunshine had the animals active and frolicsome.

And we're off into Lent already! First, a pancake supper for Shrove Tuesday at church.

I'm back to subbing every day. I recently got myself onto the District 70 (school districts in rural areas surrounding Pueblo) substitute list. I'm hoping to double my chances of getting a long-term assignment somewhere this spring! Oh please oh please! That'd make our trip out east this summer much easier to finance.

 

I continue to sub every day and I continue to love it. One school in particular, the middle school down the street from me, has been very rewarding. I've had four English gigs there and the kids are always very responsive and warm. Many times a student's asked me, "Are you a real teacher?" I want to say, "Maybe someday, if I am brave, truthful, and unselfish." (We've watched Pinocchio recently for one of our weekly pizza-movie nights) On Monday, I got a great compliment: after the last bell, the teacher across the hall shook my hand and said, "where did you teach before? Because I know you've got yeeeears of experience." This made my day, especially since I'd recently (in another school) had to send my first unruly kid to the office. If God wanted to send me a job at this middle school, I would not be unhappy.

Every afternoon after school we go to the elementary school playground and exercise the dog and kids simultaneously.

There are big posses of neighborhood kids now the weather's turning spring already. 
This is our second month attending Free Science Saturdays at the Pueblo Steel Museum. This month's theme: the science of color.
 

 

Afterward, we explored the section of the museum that displays Pueblo Steel Foundery History.
 

 

The gritty beauty of this industrial desert town continues to grow on me.

Evening game of keepaway with neighborhood kids. We are having a serene and remarkably sunny March.
 
 
 
 
 

La Lucha

I'm going to stop apologizing for not posting, as it seems it's my new reality. My days now have little to do with a computer, in stark contrast to my life as a Virginia Tech captionist.

Our mission to stay on budget has been mostly successful. We survived January. This is despite having to borrow more money to cover the repair of our car window, after it was smashed by vandals while we were enjoying an evening at the park (which we assumed would be free recreation).

One good thing which will come out of this long trudging season is that I will never be unable to have compassion on people who struggle and live paycheck-to-paycheck. I know how one setback can undo months of progress. It seems to me that it would be a simple and quick matter to become homeless. I'm planning to get involved in our church's homeless ministry this month, but I hope I'll be able to give more than time someday.

I will give the curious an overview of how we've spent our days since my last update:

On January 21st we joined the million plus people and marched in opposition to the new administration. It was a glorious day, and brought me the most hope I'd felt since November.

 

 
 
For it has been dreadful, has it not? The cabinet appointments, the immigration/refugee ban, the threat of ACA repeal, the menace of Russia.... I have frequent nightmares, but even more frequently do I call my senators and representatives. 

 

We do not just watch. We resist, however and whenever possible.

 
Speaking of taking action, by mid-January I had my second week with 0 or 1 sub calls at PSAS and decided to find out just what it would take to start subbing for the county. I had already put in my application for my Maryland teaching license to transfer to Colorado. And I learned a month ago that I could sub for District 60 (Pueblo City Schools) with just the receipt from my application. So off to human resources I went on January 23rd, and I have been subbing for the district ever since.

 
Literally, every day. I have missed only one day of subbing for either PSAS or District 60, and that was on Valentine's Day, so that my blessed babysitter could volunteer for her kid's school. I have been in middle schools, elementary schools, and high schools all over the city, teaching English and Art and Spanish and Third Grade and everything else. I have seen schools that are falling apart and schools that are flourishing and schools in the middle. It's truly been a joy! Imagine being able to pick your job anew every day!

(This mural is a couple blocks from an East Side Middle School I've subbed at three times. Inspiring, right?)
 

(The view of Pike's Peak I had from one high school classroom)
 
My Colorado teaching license arrived at the beginning of February, though, and I'm ready for full time work. I'm hoping very much to get either a long-term sub job or a temporary teaching job for the rest of the year. Here's hoping.

 

 
The kids are thriving! Miles continues to excel academically in second grade. Socially... he's doing better. He still doesn't like to approach throngs of noisy kids, preferring to befriend outsiders and loners, kids on the spectrum, kids who have family troubles, new kids, and kids in special education. His hair continues to grow. He continues to take tap and is preparing for a Spring recital to music from the Princess and the Frog. He continues to be himself.

 

 
Adele loves preschool and her babysitter's house, which is a huge blessing. I love dropping her off knowing she's happy and loved and being nurtured. Alicia has worked with her on potty training to some significant success, she's coached her on cleaning and crafts and baking, and works with her on her school skills. Her preschool, as lovely as it is, doesn't challenge her. Adele is reading and doing simple math facts, and yet her preschool spends time reviewing letters made by alphabet sounds and identifying numbers. So, I'm happy to have her at Alicia's, even as I think the preschool has a lot of social value for her. She does love her preschool buddies. She goes to gymnastics every week and she glows with happiness while there.

 
I'm impatient to get full time work, but I'm a lot more hopeful. I'm enjoying choir; the friendships I've found there make church more enjoyable.

 
And this Colorado sunshine, and the evening romps with the dog, are lifting me up and nurturing me, body and soul. I'm calmly regarding the approach of Lent.

 

One-Word Epiphany

This year's Epiphany was a good deal harder to meet than last year's. Last year on January 15, Jon received the job offer that was to bring us into our new life in Pueblo. This year, we had to face up to the fact that our finances were in a fairly grave state. We have more debt than I would like, and less ability to make progress toward repayment than we need. Our month-to-month budget is simply not sustainable, as we've known for some time. It was a sobering few days, after Christmas, when we were beginning January at a significant deficit, when my meager paycheck was halved due to a clerical error (since fixed!) and we still had to come up with the necessary funds to live, and pay the babysitter. 

We took another (generous) family loan, but Jon and I also had to come together to form a plan. I have a job, but since we're paid monthly, it didn't help much with January. We've decided that January will be the crucible which forms our Plan to financial sustainability. I'm not going to say that we hope to become debt free, because our student loans are simply not going to go anywhere until either the government forgives them or our natural death, whichever happens first. But we do need to get our other forms of debt under control. 

I'm laying this all out here because I need to make the statement, for the sake of my own commitment. 2017 is the year of Focus; this is my one word for 2017. I made so many positive strides on my 2016 efforts toward "Health." I'm much healthier, mentally and physically, than I was last year.

For 2017, we have a Plan. The Plan begins with strengthening our communication about finances and parenting, which we think will also have the effect of strengthening our marriage. We have a budget which, if adhered to strictly, will get us through the next few months without having to use credit- or fall behind on payments. This budget is uncomfortable (very simple meals, absolutely no eating out, no alcohol, no non-essential entertainment at all), but so far, we are enacting it. The next stage of the Plan involves me getting a full-time teaching job. I've recently submitted my application for a Colorado license, so here's hoping that gets processed quickly. And if that teaching job does not pay in the summer, I'm going to need a summer job too. 

In the meantime, we are staying Focused and cultivating gratitude in ourselves and in the children. I worked four out of five school days last week, so I'm feeling encouraged on that front. But it's hard to tell your kids "no" so often, from school fundraisers to meals out to pleasure trips. We say daily "help, thanks, wow" prayers in which we always remember to thank God for our house, our dog, and our community. Our daily life really is filled with joy and light! We will stay Focused on the positives and on our gratitude, even as we live out our plan. 

There have been a couple of reasonably significant snowfalls this winter. The kids have been sledding three times already! We were hoping this weekend would be #4, but this system turns out to be mostly rain.... boo. But please enjoy some pictures from the last storm!

The color of these skies is just unearthly

The color of these skies is just unearthly

Koopa absolutely revels in snowy romps.

Koopa loooooves the snow. We've done a lot of off-leash walks lately, since I just cannot run in snow gear or breathe the cold air while I'm exercising.

 The kids are flourishing! Adele's potty training is improving vastly. Both kids are reading independently. They love their schools and both have made good friends there.

 

 Leah sent the kids a gift card to Barnes and Noble, which was just what we needed. Between that and the gift card from Dad to the Cinemark Theaters (we saw Star Wars and Moana and have at least one more outing we can take on that!!), we didn't feel like it was such a lean time after all. 

 

The kids used the gift card to get: Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, and Mary Engelbright's Fairy Tales. Miles has finished with Peter Pan, and Adele reads at least one fairy tale to herself each night.

 I really enjoy my job! There is a very positive culture at the School for Arts and Sciences. Students support each other and work together well. I've now worked with all levels except kindergarten. It's been an experience to substitute for first and second graders, but I'm finding lots to enjoy.

I haven't been back to Rochester since May, but Mike Brown has. My old high school (& beyond) friend was back at our alma mater for an RH Singers reunion event and took a picture backstage in the theater at the T. S. Eliot quote I'd painted there my graduation year. I felt like I still had a foot back home, when I saw that it still hasn't been painted over.

-->  We are still in the "exploring" phase.