Single Wheels

So as you all know Mr O and Peaches can unicycle quite well.  They have both made the team and have worked really hard to level up.  As I have said before, to make the team one has to ride the entire length of the gym unassisted.  It's a long long way.  These kids have my utmost admiration for getting up on a unicycle, and they are awesome for learning how to ride.  It takes a lot of effort and concentration.  It's just totally amazing to watch them get up and ride around on those one wheeled contraptions!

So right before Christmas one of the kids (I don't remember which one) asked if I was going to learn now that they were both on the team.  Wouldn't I get bored during practice with nothing to do?  So I said, sure, I'll give it a try.  So it began.  Last month, when we came back to school after Christmas break, I took the challenge.  Oh my word it is really hard!  I have fallen on my butt on several occations, bruised up both shins quite well, took a pedal to the calf muscle just last practice, but I'm getting better!

I started out looking a lot like this:

Can you hear the reverberating kerthunk?  LOL

But now, I can ride about 1/3 the length of the gym.  WooHoo!  I'm gonna make the team!  (eventually...) 

And something that just makes the experiance so much more fun, is that I've been helping a lot of these kids on the team learn how to ride, how to do different tricks, and just have been encouraging along the way.  So they, in turn, have been very encouraging to me.  Telling me I'm "doing great," and "just on more try," or "your doing better!" "Keep it up," and so many more.  It is a delight!  I love how something as simple as effert can bring out the best in us all.

And wow is that fun and a total rush and a complete workout!  My legs are sore, my stomach feels like I've done about 1000 sit-ups, and my arms... well, we won't go there.  Suffice it to say, I'm out of shape, but I'm swiftly getting back in shape. 

Wow... I haven't posted for forever...

So, I have a life.  Forgive me.

Mr O and Peaches have gone all out with school.  Both excelling in reading, science, and math, with language being something to suffer through.  Books are now toted everywhere.  If they have forgotten it on the way out the door to go grocery shopping, we have to wait.  I love it!  Homework is usually done without complaint and quickly.  I'm not too eager for that to change, though I know it will.

I spend 3 (sometimes 4) days each week volunteering at the school.  Mondays are in Peaches' room.  Wednesdays are Mr O's, and Thursdays are spent in Mrs B's kindergarten.  I grade papers, help students with assignments, give tests, help with reading, and in general be another adult on hand in very very busy rooms.  And there are the Popcorn Fridays that I help with, and Movie nights, and other things that I get called in to help with.  I love it!

I am so thankful for the teachers that we have.  Our kids love learning and love school.  And that is because of the teachers.

So, besides that, I'm just pluggin along doing the normal "mom" stuff: laundry, dishes, cleaning house, breakfast lunch and dinner, helping with homework, paying bills, etc etc.  You know, life. 

This past weekend was a weekend that I'd like to forget though.  I tell ya, Monday has nothing on what happened over the weekend.  To start it off, Mr O got sick.  Nothing to concerning, just low grade fever, general ickies.  He kept it together until after the unicycle show on Wed, then he slept for pretty much two days straight.  Not to be outdone, Peaches brought lice home.  I didn't notice until Sunday at about 6.  So Handsome made a quick run to the store for lice shampoo, and I began washing everything.  After 2 loads of laundry, the washer starts flashing an error message.  Oh great, one more thing.  Thankfully it was an easy fix (the filter needed cleaned), but that was at 10:30.  So, Handsome got the machine running again, Mr O is back in school, and Peaches has very very clean hair (we also spent nearly an hour combing through her hair for the eggs). 

And I'm still somewhere in the middle of about 15 loads of laundry.

A weekend like that would drive anyone to drink... Chocolate milk!  Of which I've had 4 glasses already today.  Hee hee!

Gotcha!!