Work Hard, Have Faith, Play Hard

This was the weekend before October break we had just finished a great hike and were HANGRY. That is a crystal light right there in my drink...yes I am off soda again..I had a little slip this week but I am rededicated. I have noticed when I am stressed or tired I want a diet coke. MMMM Diet Coke. I need to reach for water instead. I could easily beat myself up and think how lame I am for drinking soda OR I could remember that life is a marathon and my best is good enough. I can try again because I am not sprinting to the end of my life. I am jogging and learning along the way.

Boy am I learning.

Wednesday is a marathon day for me.

I think sometimes it is easy for us to be critical of each other. We think we do things better or more efficient. The truth is we can't compare our lives to each other or the way we do things to another person. We have different tasks asked of us, we do different jobs. All of us. I am sure my life looks very easy to some people. While someone may look at my day on Wednesday and say, I have no idea how you do it. The truth is I am not perfect, I am learning a lot about being a better person, Mother, daughter, friend and teacher every day. EVERY SINGLE DAY. I can't stop and count the things I didn't do. I HAVE to stop and think of all the things I DID do. I can't beat myself up or compare the way I mother to someone with a totally different set of circumstances than I have. I have to run my marathon the best I know how. I have to run it with the grace of God. I have to, or I would never make it. I have to live my life, evaluate and improve where improvements need to be made. That is it.

• Wake up 5:45 AM Shower
• 6:00 AM get dressed, wake kids up
• make protein shakes/get breakfast for kiddos.  
• 6:15- hair, make-up
• 6:45- Make sure kids have brushed their teeth, dressed, shoes, agendas signed, do Ellie's hair pack up for the car.
• gather lunches
• get in car, family prayer, drive kids to their Dad's house
• 7:00 drop off kids
• 7:15 get to school
• check emails
• write morning work on the board
• last minute touches on lesson plans
• tidy desk
• make copies
• talk to co-workers
• check mail box in the front office
• pick up class
• kids make lunch choices
• I take attendance
• get everyone situated
• organize lunch money to be sent to lunch lady
• answer any parent notes
• 8:05- Pledge of allegiance 
• grade morning work
• 8:15- Math lesson I am teaching or roaming the room and answering questions this whole time
• 9:15- Specials class goes to PE or Music etc. I maybe run to Joanne's for a last minute item I need for a lesson that day, or work on lesson plans, weekly spelling email or class blog, etc. IF I don't have a meeting scheduled during that time. 
• 10:00-class returns, Math until 10:20
• 10:20-Spelling repeat teaching and answering questions for every subject
• 10:50- Reading lesson Break for YOGA or jumping jacks
• 11:40- get ready for lunch
• walk class to lunch make sure everyone has their lunches or lunch card
• rush around to wash my hands, grab my lunch, use the restroom, make a parent phone call, or respond to an email...oh and try to eat lunch
• 12:15- pick up class silent reading time for 10 minutes..while I take afternoon attendance. I have sat down for maybe 15 minutes total today so far. (Prep for Science or History)
• Sometimes a migraine starts to set in right about here. 
• I read aloud to the class for 10 minutes
• Teach Grammar lesson or Writing Lesson
• 1:30 begin Science or History
• 1:45-recess I have duty about twice a week so I am on the playground with the students
• 2:00- Continue History or Science
• 2:30 Fill out agendas, hand out homework, tidy room, play a fun math game
• 3:00 bell rings
• 3:05 rush to parent pick up-duty
• 3:20 back to the class room, change date for the next morning and hand out morning work on each students desk or write it on the board
• Check emails for any important information about the next day, or answer parent questions
• 3:45 go to pick up my own children 
• rush to the store to get groceries, or run errands
• Drop Aydan at scouts at 5:00
• 5:15-5:45 sit with Ellie at the table to help her with her homework, read together while snuggling
• 5:45 Ellies Piano teacher arrives to giver her a lesson
• leave to pick Aydan up from scouts
• home at 6:15 Aydan begins piano lesson
• I leave for a 2 mile or so jog because at this point in the day my shoulders feel like they are touching my earlobes they are so tight and I have a lot of work to do still
• Home at 6:45
• Get Aydan started on homework or quiz him on spelling
• start dinner
• Ellie sets the table 
• 7:30 we eat dinner
• clean up, tidy, sweep, kids shower for next day and jammies
• 8:00 make lunches and do dishes
• 8:15 all of us upstairs on my bed for scriptures and family prayer
• 8:30 kids brush teeth
• I tuck each one in bed
• load a load of laundry, take one out to fold
• check emails, facebook, 
• 9:00 shower, teeth brushed..face cream IF I remember
• read scriptures, personal prayer sometimes cry out of exhaustion 
• Lay in bed and wonder if I am doing enough for my children..worry....have a talk with Heavenly Father peace and slip into sleep
• 5:45 the alarm rings and I think is it already Thursday? It is. Here we go again. 

And THAT'S if everything runs smoothly. I don't have a helper, I don't have a husband to say, "Be kind to your Mother..... or each other" if my children are arguing. I can't say honey I am tired tonight, I'd love to shave my legs for once this year or read a book or I 'd LOVE to take a bath...could you put the children to bed? I manage this on my own and the fact is many of my days look just like this. Many of the single parents I know...their days look JUST like this. Many of these single parents I know it wasn't their choice to be in this situation. The truth is it is the marathon we each run every day and we run it nose to the grindstone, eye on the prize, faith in the Lord that HE will help us get there, present for our children, taking them to activities, holding a respectable full time job because THEY need to know that when life is hard you put on your running shoes and you RUN. You don't roll over and say..its too hard. I can't. I want to move to a remote country thousands of miles away because I can't handle my life. You don't ignore the homework your kids need help with, or scouts or piano practice. YOU PUT ON YOUR SHOES AND YOU GO TO WORK. 

and then when you get a break

YOU PLAY!!! Rocky Point with the GAGGLE

We walked or ran this beach every morning 3,4 or 5 miles of it...dreamy

We pretended it didn't look like people had DIED on the beach chairs...we covered those puppies up with our towels and laid there reading, snoozing, and relaxing with our head phones in 

We LAUGHED and we ate yummy food

We had FUN

We shared taco plates and got sunburned

We enjoyed fresh fish for 10 dollars or less..ON THE OCEAN...we giggled at the mariachi band

We discussed life and read conference talks. We rode the banana boat got whiplash, thrown off, and laughed our heads off

I came home and I began my work loaded week all over again...with extra laundry from the trip. By Thursday I was tired. I had parent teacher conferences with the teachers of my own children, I learned that there needed to be some changes in the way I did things. I realized I needed to modify and adjust. I knew Heavenly Father would help me but I felt stress and worry. A song came over my stereo system in my car it said Have Faith, Have Hope, live like his son, help others on their way and I knew I had help. I knew everything would be okay. I knew that even for my children life is a marathon, not sprint all I learned in those parent teacher conferences the good, the bad, the ugly was just information to help me, help them. It was time for us to get to work. 

XOXO- The Sunny D Have Faith, Have Hope, Live like his son, Help others on their way