Did I say that I was actually training for a 10K? To run in a race next year? I may be changing those plans to the eat lots of chips at strange hours of the night and bemoan the state of my not-sleek self! Why? Keep reading!
The next day after I went public on this desire to be a real runner, I played back-to-back soccer games where my knee made funny popping noises the whole time. Let's look beyond the fact that no out-of-shape woman my age should be running around for 3 hours straight unless she has trained for it (obviously I had not, notice out-of-shape comment above). It is even worse that I played a not-so-funny trick on myself before the game: I took a pain pill AND an anti-inflammatory pill. So, being oblivious to what was really happening to my knee, I ran blissfully on chasing that ball around all in the name of a fun way to exercise.
Not so fun? Going to church the next day and realizing that my knee is growing as the day goes on. And it hurts! Ouch!
The swelling didn't go down much in the next week, so I was off to have x-rays and then even an MRI to make sure I didn't tear anything. (As an aside, I quickly realized that I should have studied in the medical field because all of the equipment is so fascinating. By the time I was back in my room after my x-ray, I could see the inside of my knee on the computer screen! It wasn't quite as fascinating when the Dr. pointed out all of the arthritis behind my kneecap or the missing cartilage, or especially when he ordered me to come back for an expensive MRI.)
The MRI made me have a new appreciation for the many who have to undergo an MRI all too often due to various diseases or injuries. I prayed and prayed for those I knew of who do this all of the time. In fact, it was probably my most focused prayer time that I have had in a long while since you aren't allowed to move. I did find that you cannot escape all of the thoughts you are putting off when you are having a MRI - the thoughts were weighing me down and I had no choice but to deal with them and pray them away.
After all of the tests, I found out that the immediate knee problem was tendonitis. Yahoo! No surgery needed! The tendonitis will probably keep flaring up, especially since I am active, so I was off to physical therapy to learn how to deal with my muscles so the pain won't be back. (Again, why didn't I study a medical field - physical therapy - so intriguing!)
I have had quite a few comments since this happened of "When are you going to grow up?" or my personal favorite, "You can't hold on to your youth forever!" Am I trying to hold onto my youth? Maybe, on some levels, but mostly I am trying to stay fit to enjoy the age I am. Sports, for me, make tedious exercise fun. Just because I am 37, I don't want to quit the races with my kids or the walks with my Dad, even if I am limping.
I've just begun to experience my first aches, pains, and signs that my body is not healing as rapidly as it once did. I also love sports, so it is hard not to push myself too far, even when my body is giving me warning signs. Finding that happy medium is no easy task! I hope you can still maintain the level of activity that you want to!
Amen! I was playing flag football with Dakota's group at co-op the other day and I fell over him when we both went for the ball. Chiropractor appt today. You have to stay active! I'm glad you don't need surgery!
Chiro went well, I feel a bit better. It's really amazing how much one area of your body affects the rest. It doesn't help that I'm competitive, as I'm sure you are. I would love to play those sports, but with who? I tried tennis with the boys and I just chased what they hit back (if they hit it back). Who do you play soccer with?
I hope you feel better soon. I think I try to hold onto my youth a little too much. Now mind you it is not with the physical aspect of my body I'm not a physical person. I know it is respectful for young girls to say yes mam to me but it makes me feel so old. I went to Sonic to get me a Java Chiller the other day (a moment of weakness) and the girl being very polite said thank you mam as I sat alone in my mini van. I really wanted to cry thinking I no longer look like a young hip girl. I am a momma to four kids and I'm a mam. Youth is good and I hope you feel better and if you can run then I say more power to you friend.
Yes, I've read the books. Twice. We saw the movie today.
I'm torn about reviewing anything that is controversial these days. I hate to recommend something and have someone shocked that I approved it. Do you visit pluggedinonline? They have a good objective review.
1) I love sports! I do like watching most sports, but I mostly love playing them. I have played softball, soccer, basketball, tennis, track, flag football, volleyball, ping pong...I could keep going, but I'll spare us all. Right now, at the ripe old age of 37, I am on a women's volleyball team and on an adult soccer team. I mostly enjoy being on a team, working together with my teammates for a common goal, and just the physical activity.
2) I love to read, but I am only able to read in snatches during the day. Usually, I make up for that by reading too late at night and then being tired and cranky the next day.
3) I always wanted 4 kids, but only have 3. Sometimes, I still dream of that 4th child I've never met.
4) Growing up, I wanted to be a farmer's wife. What a blessing for every farmer in the world that I did not marry him! I am kind of scared of most animals bigger than a goat (goes back to a goat butting me when I was 4). I enjoy my garden, but on my terms - I don't like to drop all of our plans for the day because the tomatoes are coming in and need to be canned. A sad farmer's wife I would be!
5) I am starting to train to run in a 10K or maybe even a half-marathon. Kind of another of those things to do while I still am physically able.
6) I have traveled all over Europe, but barely in the U.S.. (We lived in Germany for nearly 4 years when we were newlyweds and we said when we came back to the States, we would keep traveling, but then we had kids and little money - somehow, that slowed us down).
7) I don't like dessert much. Candy, yes! Chips, yum! Pies, cookies, and cakes - yuck!
8) I love Sudoku puzzles especially when I can make them work out quickly. For a second, I feel like a genius, till I go on to the next puzzle.
Whew, more about me than most of you want to know or will read! If you did read this far, keep Kelsey Harris and her family in your prayers for tomorrow! :-)
I don't know Kelsey, but I'll pray and God will know who I'm speaking of even if I don't. I laughed when I read #4, especially the part about the blessing! When we lived in KY and Jeff gardened, the beans never failed to be ready for picking during the week of our Fall Gospel Meeting! Between tending to 2 kids, snapping and canning loads of jars-full, cleaning up the mess and having company over every night after the meeting, I was exhausted! But I loved having the jars nicely lined up in our pie safe and they tasted so much better than the store-bought ones!
I am loving getting to know you better! At camp you seemed to be that elusive, pretty, older teenager that I could never be. I'm so glad we met again! We are the same for #1 and #2. And similar on 3,5,and 7.
You know how at the end of a trip you are longing to be in the comforts of your own home? Well, I wasn't longing for home at all. I missed my husband terribly and would have been completely happy to never come home if he could have traveled with us. I did not miss the busyness of our life that was waiting for us. I did not miss hearing about the economic crisis or the Presidential crisis. I did not miss going to our local Walmart and seeing the teenage girls in practically no clothing. So many things I did not miss that I cannot get my mind around them all in my still-sleep-deprived state.
The homeschool campout in Indiana was great! There is no other time that I feel so accepted, so edified, so much more the "me" I should be all of the time. My two oldest kids rarely had even the time to check in with me, they were so busy playing with new and old friends. My youngest daughter kept me hopping between keeping an eye on her and attempting to have heart-to-heart talks with new and old friends. Oh, and those conversations! I have stored many of them up in my heart for those days that I just need to talk to another adult, someone who knows where I am and where I am going because she has been there too.
The Bible studies, led by two dear ladies, were probably my favorite moments of the whole week. How could they know what I needed to hear right now? I marvel at that and remember that God knows. I took good notes and will be studying them and feel honored that I was able to sit at their feet even for a moment.
Another highlight: the singings. I am not familiar with most of the songs we sang, but they were absolutely beautiful.
I am longing for heaven more than ever and, if God wills it, looking forward to the campout next year! :-)
I miss going to HS camp. You have completely highlighted the best parts! I have always described it as a little TASTE of heaven - a whole week with Christians, and with nothing to turn your head from... no words to cringe over... and there is nothing like the experience!
Stephanie, thank you for your very kind words on my blog. Friday dinner turned out to be three things plus salad: Spaghetti Bake, Fiesta Bake, and egg stratas. There were many compliments from others on the results. There was much stress for me during the cooking and baking -- will there be enough? Are these seasoned properly? You know, a made-up casserole for my little family that turns out to be mediocre is one thing, but for 300-400 people it is altogether different! I was very relieved things turned out alright.
The week was so great for me -- glad you felt the same.
I am so happy y'all had a great week there! I admire you a lot for taking three small kids and traveling that far! Maybe next year, we can slip away with you! I think that would be so neat! I am glad you got a shot in the arm, and I hope it sustains you for a good long while! Did you get to hear Jean and Gerald's song?
Finally, I am getting my van worked on after our car sandwich in June! I am thrilled that the auto shop could fit us in before we drive to Indiana in a few weeks. I am not a nervous driver, but knowing that there could be structural damage within, well, I cringe if someone is following us too close.
It's cool here - like fall should be. Hope you can get out and enjoy it! We are off to a soccer game against the best team in the league! At least the weather will be good and the game will be fun even if the score isn't so nice! :-)
Glad to hear that they are FINALLY fixing it! It is about time, I would say! Don't you love the cool? It seems the mosquitoes are worse here, for some reason. I heard they are just thick down in the hurricane-impacted cities!
Many like to criticize homeschooling saying that homeschooled children are not able to interact with others normally, that they just aren’t going to be ready to face the “real world.”
We just returned from a homeschool event at a local park and let me tell you about the socialization and the preparation for “real life.” The kids talked, laughed, and played with other children and adults of all ages. They were kind to the other young children who were not with our group. Overall, the group was impressive in their caring, their obedience, their “unworldly” socializing.
But, let me tell you what else happened.
The girls at this particular event were doing a project together, so the boys were left to play nearby by themselves. (Moms were watching, but needed to help with the project.) As is usual with this homeschool group, and I suspect most groups homeschooled or not, the boys organized into a pack. This pack was made up of old friends ranging in age from about 8 to 13. On the outside of the pack, two boys roamed. They tried to be a part of the group from time to time only to be called a loser while the other boys laughed. As bad as these two boys wanted to be a part of the group, the pack was just as intent on not letting them in.
In case you are wondering, this isn’t the first time this has happened to these two boys. It happened only a few weeks before at another gathering of this group. They were purposely excluded from the games and not one of the pack stood up and said this is wrong.
Unfortunately, I think some homeschoolers are socializing some of their kids just fine so they can function in the real world. These kids know how to laugh at the weak, lift up the strong, stand up for the popular ones, not speak up for those who aren’t given a voice, exclude others, hurt others, and move on uncaring. As for those two boys, and countless others who happen to be the ones left out on any given day, they will either become stronger for this treatment and go on to treat others just as they learned on the playground. Or, Lord willing, they will grow stronger, take all this “real life” lesson has to offer, and look for those people on the fringes who are hurting. Hopefully, these two boys will make every effort to include everyone because they now know what it is like to be left out. I pray that those boys will choose the right path when they are the older kids especially since my child is one of those boys being left out.
A great Mom lesson too! I hope I have learned to look for those standing on the edges hoping someone will acknowledge them if only with a genuine smile and a "hello."
Lest you think that all homeschoolers are so unkind, our usual experiences are extremely positive and most homeschoolers are quite good at including any and all others. We will really put this to the test in less than 2 weeks at the hscampout! Yahoo - we can't wait!
Oh, Stephanie...this is so sad. I would be inclined to tell my child to go befriend one of those boys...I guess I'm a micromanager about everything :|, but this would really bother me...And, I if heard the name calling, boy would I call somebody out...This really upsets me.
I am sorry this happened. But you are right. Homeschooling is not some golden ticket that ensures perfect children who automatically treat others the way they want to be treated. Homeschooling doesn't create Godly children. Only parents who take the time to parent their children in a Godly way creates Godly children.
It makes my heart glad to know that you see the difference and are using this situation to parent your child according to God's rules for how to treat others.
These situations just break my heart. You are right, though. It seems to happen in every conceivable social situation. Sadly, I have even seen this type of behavior at churches. You would think that would be the one place that kind of thing would not happen. Almost every week, as the kids play after church, I observe one child or teen being left out of the interactions going on. I am sure that some do not even realize it is happening. Some realize and just do not have the heart to care. I am sorry that all parents do not recognize this behavior as negative and try to instruct their children to be more friendly and inclusive. But again, I suspect they do not, because they are this way toward their adult friends. How many times do we see one quieter sister or brother standing alone at church services, while the same groups of people who huddled together last service do it again. We have to model the type of behavior we want our kids to emulate. Otherwise, they look at mom and dad and think this "pack" mentality is where it is all at!
