Busy Busy

Wow. Lots going on lately, for sure. The fam has taken a couple short trips this summer (a rarity for us), which has been great. The downside to that is all our day-to-day business gets compressed into less time, making for hectic days.

Mrs. M. is already getting into back to school mode, evidenced by stacks of books and lesson planning materials scattered about the house. She's taking on a new grade level next year (Kindergarten) and has really been working hard to learn as much as she can and ensure a great year for her students. She is an amazing teacher and I can only hope that once I finish my Master's and (hopefully) get a job that I'll be half the teacher she is.

The kids are all loony around our house these days. I think they sense summer's rapidly approaching end and are somehow trying to cram all the fun in they can. It's fun to watch and a good lesson in "carpe diem-ing." We are lucky to have two clever and hilarious girls, but all that fun, clever, activity is far more entertaining than my workload from school, so I have been continually behind!

Which leads to me. I've been back in school for a month already, and Summer Quarter is killin' me. I have been the least organized I have been since high school and have been cramming all my work into the last possible day each week (actually not very common for me these days). I am staring down the barrel of a REALLY busy academic year full of internship/practicum, Action Research project, roughly 180,000 papers (I'm estimating, but probably close...), capped by student teaching and a job search. I have to find time to be a husband and dad in the midst of all this, so time management will be key, as will physical and emotional stamina.

That's where this whole running thing comes in. Running gives me the physical stamina by way of conditioning (I'm beginning to think this is part of why 85% of all the running blogs I read are written by teachers). It also benefits emotional stamina by giving me that time to myself for clearing my head and not concentrating on all the other things going on. Honestly, this is the single biggest benefit of barefoot running for me. When I bfr I can't just "zone out" like I used to just plodding along. I really have to stay in the moment and aware. This forces all the other business to fade into the background for a little and lets me reset myself. It's something I haven't really had with any regularity in a long time and I have begun to crave that time on the road (but miss the trails and woods).

So, here's to a great school year for all the teachers, students, and families out there. Make it the best you can, and make sure to make time for something you love just for you!

Laters.