A Field Trip with My Girlio

Yesterday I went on a field trip with Kloe and her 2nd grade class. It turned into a very fun day.

First of all, we were transported everywhere on the city bus, which was a first for 'ma girl and 'maself (we are so NOT eco-friendly with our using CARS and such).

We went to the University, where our first stop was the indian center.  It was mildly entertaining and a kinda educational.  I think the lady giving the tour could have made it a lot more fun, because Native American history is exciting.

Next we went to the Health Sciences Center where we were able to look at all sorts of dead animals, like Griz and Polar bear skulls, lots of different kinds of bats, and hundreds of different kinds of animal pelts.

After that we went to the  Meloy Gallery art exhibit.  There was some very beautiful artwork there.  It is amazing to see portraits that capture the light and textures like they did; so beautiful and amazing.  I would love love love to go again.

We took some pictures (Not of the art though- against the rules, just ask the 2nd graders- VERY aggressive on enforcing rules.  I almost caused a riot suggesting I should take some pictures)... I'll have to try to get some in here!

Kids and Cats

Derrin: You know that with Persian cats, if they have one green eye and one blue eye, that it means they are deaf in the side of the blue eye? (Another random fact by Derrin.)

Kloe: Well, I KNOW Anikan isn't deaf.  I scream in his ear every night just to make sure.

Some Mommy Bragging Time

My baby girl is becoming a philosopher.  At least a couple times a day, she is talking in representative, illustrative, abstract and comparative language.  Makes me smile to watch her connecting her dots as she waves her arms around dramatically to make her point.  Sweet thing.  Very big picture thinking from an 8 year old perspective.  Some of her points are very much building on previous conversation she's had with us- if you didn't know she was starting at building block number three, you'd definitely be left scratching your head.  Since we were there for the first three blocks, it just makes us proud of her and her thinking ability.

I love this project of growing people.  We ended up with two very different kids, but I just like them both so much.  You always know that you will love your kids, but it is fun to see them growing into people I would just choose to hang out with; if I just met them, I would think these are great kids.  Makes me happy.

Winter Running/Walking

It was actually nice enough out today to go running/walking.  Still cold-ish (around 35 degrees), but the snow had melted off of the sidewalks and roads.  It was about the perfect temperature- I didn't get over-heated or have to start stripping off layers like I usually do.  Also, the water from the melted snow had a chance to absorb into the ground before it froze again, so there was no mud to splash through.

I did the whole 6.2 miles.  Probably ran about 2.5, and speed-walked the rest.  It took me exactly 90 minutes, which reflected the walking portion of it slowing me down.  In the 5Ks (3.1 miles) I have done, it has taken me about 29.5 minutes.  My goal for this run eventually would be a time of 60 minutes.  Not gonna happen right now though.

The stand-off between my treadmill and myself during these winter months has definitely caused me to lose some of my lung capacity out there.  It's a bit of a bummer.  I'm hoping for more days like this though; I bet by next week at this time (if I can keep getting out there), I should be at 80 minutes (40 minutes each way).  I think it is doable.

Dreamin

I had a dream about Mom the other night.  Derrick and I were at a movie theater, visiting before the movie (and we had snuck in two very cute and naughty ferrets under our coats... can't imagine what they represent...) when I looked up and saw Mom and Dad sitting a couple rows ahead of us.  In the way of dreams, it didn't even occur to me that she wouldn't (or couldn't, shouldn't?) be there. Derrick and I went up to sit by them, and I sat by Mom.  We didn't really talk very much, I just held her hand and snuggled into her while we watched the movie.  Good dream.

Dream Coach

I've been having the nigglings of guilt for the last week or so at my lame-ness at consistent blogging.  I am just not that great at consistency in ANY area of my life.  It is always a big part of any goal I make for myself to strive for consistency.  Unfortunately my lack of consistency (ironically) has also leaked over into my goal of consistency.

One of my greatest wishes for myself is that of a life coach.  My life coach would be one tough dude.  Man would I hate him- which is why he would need to be a paid employee because that way the choice of following his orders would still be mine.  He would be barking at me from 6:30 in the morning to get UP to write and read and do anything else that requires quiet time.   Then he would run beside me, rain or shine or snow, and he'd be making me run so much harder than I do by myself.  He would keep tighter tabs of my bank account, and really make me sit down and logically figure out where my dollars should be going.  He would sit down with me and make me figure out menus for my family and then find the best ingredients for the best prices.  He would make me work on my assertiveness by making me stand up to HIM, because after standing up to scary HIM everyone else would look like kittens.  He would make me sit down and make a business plan for myself and then make me actually follow through with every intimidating idea.  He would be tapping his toe impatiently, making me hurry up to be on time for any appointments I make and not letting me back out of anything, even if I am feeling wimpy because we are living through the-winter-that-never-ends.  He wouldn't care if I was struggling; he'd be HEARTLESS and just make me do what needs to get done.

Okay, whatever... not gonna be getting a life coach any time soon.  Spring will soon be here, and I will once again just feel like  doing most of the stuff I wish someone would make me do.  I still won't be perfectly consistent, but it'll be enough to keep the momentum needed to make me happy... well in some of the above mentioned areas anyway.  I am thinking I really do need help in some of the areas... maybe a class in self-assertiveness?  *sigh*  Something to think about anyways. 

Draconian

draconian or draconic- adj.
 1. of or relating to Draco, 7th-century Athenian statesman and lawmaker, or his code of laws, which prescribed death for almost every offence
2. harsh: draconian legislation

 

I Just Can't Get Rid of Rush Limbaugh

I can not stand Rush Limbaugh.  There, I said it.  Many years ago, pre-children or any awareness of anything political at all, I used to work at a clinic in the insurance department.  It was the most boring job I have ever had in my LIFE.  Every day was pure drudgery, misery and a wishing away of the hours until I could finally leave that mold infested building and go home.  Since the bulk of my day involved mindless data entry, I found that listening to books on tape helped the time go faster.  Somehow, the diabolical woman who I called my boss found out about my survival strategy, and made a new rule that we were only allowed to listen to the radio, as books on tape might be too distracting (and sanity saving; she liked us weak/crazy- easier to control that way) for employees to indulge in.  That was when I discovered public radio.  I started listening to talk shows around that time, mainly Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura (she is a whole other blog topic). 

I could care less about anything political in the world. While having a few sincere folks who try hard (but ineffectually) to make things better, for the most part human governments are purely wicked.  Listening to Rush Limbaugh didn't make me feel better or worse about Republicans or Liberal folks.  Rush Limbaugh just made me hate Rush Limbaugh the man.  Could anybody be more of a racist, nationalistic (in the flavor of everyone who doesn't believe the same as me and live in my country SUCKS), in love with his own voice, woman hating, know-it-all???  It didn't take long for me to vow never to listening to him voluntarily again.  I started listening to music radio to get through the work day and never looked back.

The only reason that I bring this up today is that we have surround sound in our house.  I really enjoy listening to Pandora from my blackberry- I just plug my blackberry into the music jack thingy, and my music is in every room.  The only problem is that in the master bathroom (where I listen to it the most when I get ready in the morning), I somehow get a phantom AM station that seems to ONLY ever have Rush Limbaugh on it.  Whenever Pandora pauses between songs or has a brain fart where is stops all together, there is his ratty hate mongering voice, rambling on.  I wonder how much of his words are seeping through my music and burrowing into my mind like misogynistic brain mites.  Seems that if that were happening it would be making me a more angry-ish person, and also chipping away at any sort of intelligence I may have.  I guess why I am writing this is as an explanation if I were to totally lose it any time soon.  You could blame it on life struggles, or this winter that seems like it will never end, but now you know: It was Rush Limbaugh's fault.

Rush Limbaugh- Only Swimsuit Models Have the Right To Promote Healthy Living