New Shoes

There is really something so exhilarating about new shoes. Quite honestly...this only applies if they are shoes in which you will be enjoying life-outside. Translation: strappy, stiletto, trendy, sexy, dangerous shoes-you do not win my vote, you do not make my life happy, you only make me miserable and sad. Asics, Merrill, Keen, Teva and the like...yes, you are in...I choose you.

When I was little I heard a fairy tale about kids who needed new shoes and fell asleep and some elves worked feverishly through the night to make them new shoes that they happily discovered at their bedside in the morning. I will not lie, I prayed and "wished on stars" for new shoes quite often as a kid. I often begged to wear new shoes home from the store, right Mom? And we both agree that in our next life, you will let me. Just kidding Mom, I KNOW they were for school.

Anyway. My dad was in town tonight for a visit and he (and mom) are responsible for the purchase of these new Asics...my, uh...Valentine's Shoes. They are pretty much the exact shoe I bought last...loved them so much...going back for round 2. They are different however, in that they are the shoes with which I will train and complete a Half-Marathon in May. I have done many 5k races...never anything longer. I am excited for the challenge. I have 12 weeks to train-plan on running/walking 150 miles between now and May. Did 8.24 miles this past Saturday. Sunday my body reminded me 8 miles was a new distance for me. Will be back for more tomorrow... with my long walks/runs planned for Saturdays with whomever I can trick into 2+ hours of fun.

I love new shoes. These Asics and I are going places. To you little elves- sleep on; Mom and Dad have got you covered tonight.

New Friends

You know the feeling you get when you start to make friends with someone new? Someone you think is just fun...someone you know you will laugh with and talk to and someone who will make your life better, even if just for a few minutes at a time at school or work? I love that feeling. It feels like 3rd grade. Being the new kid and meeting tall, sassy Danielle and realizing she could make me laugh HARD. I'm grateful for this feeling. Even more grateful for years down the road when the excitement has long since transformed to a calm, steady and peaceful assurance; and you recognize that some of these friends...have become your friends for life.

Animal Catastrophe

I love my job. More specifically, I love that my job involves working with children. And working with children involves hearing some pretty amazing things.

For instance...here are few snippets of recent sessions:
6 yr old girl: Oh, something very bad happened. Mrs. Smith, my teacher, her pare..t died. (Little girl says word that sounds like a cross between parent and parrot).
Me: Her parrot or her parent?
6 yr old girl: Her pare..t. (Exactly as she said it the first time, offering no help to me).
Me: A person or an animal?
6 yr old girl: An animal.
Me: Got it...keep going...
6 yr old girl: Well, my teacher, her parrot was trying to lay an egg but it got stuck and they put a warm blanket on it but couldn't find a vet and so it died. But my teacher will always be in my heart.
Me: (thinking, wait, did your teacher or the bird die and your teacher will or the bird will be in your heart, huh?) "She will? How come?"
6 yr old girl: cuz she tells me I'm smart and I know I'm smart 'cuz I can spell pretty much every word except immigration. That one I can't.
Me: You are very smart, your teacher is right.


Then today, with a 10 yr old girl who told me about all her animals who have perished and others who are still living. She didn't allow for me to talk...so I'm just providing my thoughts...
10: "I call my cat diabetic because she's so skinny."
My thought: "Do you mean anorexic?"
10: But Diabetic is girlfriend of my black cat, i know, black cat bad luck... but they are boyfriend and girlfriend. But the black cat is spayed so that won't really work out for them...and on Valentine's day she'll be so mad. But at least they can be friends.
My thought: no thoughts...just laughing

continuing...
10: and another time I accidentally almost killed my fish when I was playing and I crashed the fish tank and the water all spilled out and I saw my fish and scooped her up and ran to put her in a bottle. And she was shaken up but she lived.
Me: How did you crash the water tank?
10: Oh, I was juggling.
My thought: Of course, and why wouldn't you have been? Kind of like the time I almost missed the deadline to turn in a grad school application due to riding a unicycle in my house. (True story).

Bottom line. I love kids. I'll take 'em sad...I'll take 'em happy...I love their crazy stories and pretty much everything about them...