Little Torpedoes

Jayden's hair is getting a bit out of control.  He still doesn't want to cut it (I can pull it into small ponytails all over his head), which is fine, but he's been having some trouble at swimming.  His goggles are pulling his hair.  So I suggested a few options for him:
1) do nothing and continue to let your hair be pulled when pulling on and adjusting your goggles during swim class training.
2) let me cut your hair.
3) put on a swim cap, and while there is a little hair pulling in the beginning getting it on, you won't have to deal with it for the rest of the class training session.

Of course being Jayden, he doesn't like my ideas, so he opts for option #1 for a couple weeks.  Until I find the magic weapon.  I was going through a box of stuff and ran across a silver swim cap that my brother Jordan gave to me when I was training for my first triathlon like 10 years ago.  Why do I still have it?  Because I happen to have a gene that forbids me from throwing things away because you never know, maybe someday I'll need it again.  And truthfully when I started training for triathlons again I actually searched for that swim cap, knowing I had it somewhere, but couldn't figure out where I'd stashed it 8 years earlier and packed and moved it from WA to KS, so I eventually went out and bought another.  Now, that Jayden had Uncle Jordan's swim cap, all the sudden it was a good idea to try it out in the pool and see if it helped with the hair pulling situation.  And by chance I happened to buy a silver swim cap last summer, so I had two and that meant no fighting over who could wear the swim cap and what color would be worn once Willow found out that Jayden was sporting an accessory at swimming.  Praise Jesus for small and what might seem like nonsense, but really made my day so much easier, miracles!

I couldn't stop laughing when they had them on.  I was so glad my iPad was tucked into my purse, so I could snap these pictures.  They looked so awesome!  My little torpedoes!  And I don't know if it was the swim caps or what, but they were flying through the water today, even their swim teacher  coach said something about it.
Jayden's even taken to wearing my goggles in the pool.  He had some trouble with his and declared mine were actual triathlon goggles so that is what he needed to wear.

2/3 of a Tri Workout

So, one of the benefits of driving out to Washington this summer was my dad offered to give me his treadmill.  I. Was. Stoked!  We aren't members of any gyms or YMCAs here in the area, at least not at this point, so training in the winter is oftentimes dark, cold, and for the most part just doesn't happen so much.  Last winter, I pretty much searched for trial deals all over the place so I could get into gyms and use their treadmills and pools and stuff.  Not this winter!  All I have to do is head to the basement!  Well, at least for 2 out of the 3 sports.  Royal bought me a trainer for my bike last Christmas and now, thanks to my dad, I have a treadmill too!

Try to ignore the shelves of stuff in there, this is the unfinished part of our basement where everything is stuffed stored.   This kids and I built a mat out of their alphamat blocks for stretching and hopping and doing exercises on.  Both the kids have already run at least a mile themselves on the treadmill and played hopscotch on the mat.  I think we're going to have fun down here.  And while I feel quite strange putting on my running shoes or my bike shoes and going downstairs instead of outside with them on, I think I might be able to get over it since I won't have to run or ride in the dark!  Now, if I can only figure out a way to get an endless pool put down here, I'd be set for winter tri training!

What Willow Wears :: 17

I know it's been awhile since Willow has had an outfit that made me think, "I so need a picture of THAT!"  Maybe it's because I'm just used to the crazy outfits Willow puts together.  What I love the most is that she actually tries to match things up.  This morning she came out in just her pink striped shorts and asked where the pink tank top was that matched it.  It was in the laundry, so I went back in with her to help her find another one.  There was one that I picked out that would of worked quite well with her pink striped shorts, but she chose this top and said it was the best match, and it's hard to tell from the picture, but it's actually on backwards.  The kicker comes at nap time, when she often revisits her outfit choice of the day and more times than not changes her clothes before she gets into bed and then again once she gets out.  The girl obviously needs options and today, she wanted to make sure her legs didn't get cold while she slept.  Totally sure that isn't even a possibility because it's super hot outside and our A/C can't keep up anyway!  But legwarmers it is!

Hot Labor Day Weekend

Holy smokes, it is hot out.  100 on Saturday, 102 on Sunday, and it's suppose to be 106 today.  Yuck!  We have just hung around home this weekend, not doing too much, but the hot weather is perfect for sticking the hose down your suit to cool yourself off!

Guess Who's Back?

I know, 2 weeks between posts is just not acceptable, but maybe I'm back!  Every time I am in Washington for so long, especially in the summer, when I get back to Wichita I seriously struggle.  I get totally depressed, I have trouble finding a routine and schedule again.  I have trouble going to the grocery store, because I'm too depressed that I'm no longer grocery shopping with Kaylee.  I have trouble figuring out a time to workout.  Before I left for Washington I had my workouts totally scheduled and I was doing something at least 5 days a week, but after enjoying lovely summer temps in Washington, the idea of running or riding my bike in 95 degree heat just doesn't sound fun anymore.  I have trouble with the fact I no longer have very easily accessible help with my kids, no grandparents or aunts or uncles to pawn them off on for a couple hours or even over night.  I LOVED staying the night at my grandparents house growing up, and I'm so sad my kids don't have many of those memories.  So, I get depressed, I stop being able to sleep at night, I am not working out nearly enough, I eat way too much of the wrong foods, usually pack on a few pounds which just make me more depressed.  It's a vicious cycle.  But eventually I have to put on my big girl pants and get over it.  And I woke up today feeling like I might have seen my big girl pants in the corner, now I just have to put them on.  So, hopefully I'm rounding a corner.  If not, it may be another 2+ weeks before anything gets posted.  :)

So, with the start of school also began the start of swim lessons.  Willow started talking about swim lessons as soon as we got in the truck to drive back here from Washington, she was ready to get going!

The surprise of the session is that Jayden wanted to start swimming again!  He has decided that he wants to do a triathlon, and after some research I found that for his age group he would have to be able to swim 50-100 meters (a regular pool is 25 meters, an olympic pool is 50 meters, in case you were wondering).  So it is back in swimming lessons to help him get there.  He doesn't call them lessons, so much as, "I'm going to do my swim training now".   It's fun to see him in the pool again.

It's also really fun that because we are homeschooling, we are able to do swim lessons earlier in the day, so the pool is less crowded.  We've done lessons at like 4pm before and the pool is a mad house with all the toddlers and school aged children taking lessons, and then also with the swim teams practicing.  It's loud and crowded.  Right now, it just so happens that Jayden and Willow are the only 2 swimmers in their level at this time, (there are actually only 4 students in the swim school at this time, so the pool is so quiet!) so they are pretty much getting private lessons, and after talking with their swim teacher about what Jayden wants to do, she has him swimming longer distances that Willow some of the time.

1st Day of 1st Grade

Today was Jayden's first day of school!
Sometimes I really wish my kids would let me pick out their outfits, or that they cared about my opinion about their hair, but then, I guess, I wouldn't be getting such a "real" picture of who they are right at this moment.  Jayden won't let me cut his hair, and I can totally make a pony tail in the back!  :) Willow's pants are on backwards.  It's just the way it is!  :)

This year, we decided to try something different.  I just had a few issues with public school, from Jayden's teacher telling him he wasn't allowed to pray at school, to a girl who was constantly draped all over him all the time confessing her undying love for him - so much so that Jayden was a bit relieved when she got moved to a different center group than his, to his music teacher telling him he couldn't sing (who says that to a 5 year old?!?), and some other things that happened.  There were lots of great things that happened at school, and Jayden really did enjoy himself, but I guess I want a few more years to build him up, and instill in him our values and morals and beliefs, so that when he finally is thrust into the "real world", he knows better who he is.  And doing school at home will help put off the bombardment of the worlds values for a bit longer...

So, this year, we are homeschooling!  We are using Andover's online school eCademy, and it seems to have a good blend of homeschooling and brick and mortar schooling.  Jayden has a teacher that will be working with him and tracking his progress, and he will have the ability to actually go into a classroom a couple times a month, as well as online sessions with his teacher and other live classes he can log into from home.  The school, since it is still public and funded by the state, doesn't hardly cost us anything.  We paid $75 for registration and technology fees, and we get all the curriculum sent to our house, as well as any workbooks and manipulatives, a laptop computer, and a printer/copier/scanner.  Jayden is really excited to start school and I think even more excited he gets his own laptop.   And now Willow keeps asking when she gets to start kindergarten so she can get her own computer.

Today Jayden and I had an orientation.  He met with his teachers and did some assessments and met other kids and played games, while I sat through more training on how to use the system and another session on teaching kids, which I'm pretty sure was just suppose to help encourage us that we can do this and to not freak out.  :)   So, Monday starts this new adventure, I guess we'll see how it goes.  I really hope I don't screw up 1st grade too much!

The Wandering Goose :: vol 15 :: Goodland KOA

Chapter 1 : Driving Royal Style
So, way back when were in Kelso, I made a tentative plan for stops on our drive back to Kansas.  Royal sat in front of the TV and I couldn't hardly get any input out of him.  So, I made the plan and for our stop today, the stop before our last section of road to cover before we made it home, I had 2 options.  One was in Strasburg, CO, a little over 400 miles, the other was Limon, CO, around 470 miles.  Limon I wasn't too keen on stopping in, you know, since it doesn't hold very fond memories, since the last time we were there it was because our fuel pump had died and we were trapped there.  The drive to Limon would take about 6.5 hours, which for us meant more like 8 hours.  A full day of driving.  Well, that just wasn't gonna cut it for Royal.  He started talking crazy and saying things like, "Why stop tonight?  Let's just keep driving until we get home"  I calculated what it would take on the GPS and it said we wouldn't get home until 11pm, which for us, with food and bathroom breaks and gas breaks, because none of the 3 ever seem to happen at the same time, we'd be home closer to 1 or 2am.  I said, "No. Freaking. Way."  Royal just chuckled to himself and said, "I think we can do it."  So, he kind of compromised and said, "Let's just get to Goodland, KS, eat some dinner, and then decide from there."  Goodland in my opinion was too far to go.  It was almost 600 miles, 8.5hrs, which in Goose-time translates to like 10 hours.  Oi. Vei.  Too. Freaking. Long. In. The. Car.  But we pressed on and passed from Wyoming into Colorado.

And we cruise around Denver and past Strasburg and then past Limon.  I almost cried.  I really wanted to be done driving, but the kid's were doing okay in the back seat watching some new movies we picked up earlier in the day, and Royal really wanted to keep going.  So, I took a pole.  I asked the kids what they wanted to do.  "Do you guys want to stop for dinner and then keep driving and get home, so we have no driving to do tomorrow?  Or, do you guys want to stop for dinner, and sleep in the trailer, and then get up in the morning and drive some more"  Both kids opted for camping for the night.  Hallelujia!  I swear I didn't influence them in anyway, but I wasted no time calling an RV park and securing us a place to park for the night!   Unfortunately, with about 80 miles left before Goodland, our A/C decides it's totally going to die.  Not like before, where half the truck is hot and half is cold, I know how to fix that now.  This is all the vents are blowing air, but it's not cooled air, it's just air.  I almost scream.  Oh wait, I do.  I'm not ashamed to admit, once I had confirmed that yes indeed, the air was not going to get any cooler, I yelled, "I HATE YOU, TRUCK!!!!!"  To which, Royal gasps and pats the truck's dashboard and says, "She doesn't mean it.  Don't listen to her."  The rest of the drive was pretty miserable, but the temperatures were starting to get into the low 80's and the sun was behind us, so I tried my best not to complain, but it was pretty darn uncomfortably warm in there.

And then we drive into Kansas.

And I glance at our thermometer.  It's 86 now.  I swear it was just 81!  It's like we crossed the border and the temperature automatically went up 5 degrees to say, "Welcome back, suckers!"  So, I do what anybody would do.  I stick my hand out and give Kansas the finger. 
But, nevertheless, we make it to Goodland around 7pm.  An 11 hour day with almost 600 miles covered.  Brutal.  I told Royal he is not making our travel plans from here any more!

Chapter 2 : The Campground
The KOA here is really pretty nice.  The sites are pretty big and there is a huge playground and a swimming pool and a 3 acre park where I can take Sam to run.  I have no pictures of it because it was dark by the time I got dinner made and picked up and kid's in bed and well, that's just the way it goes sometimes.  :)

So, we shall be home tomorrow. with only a 4-5 hour drive to do.   I'm sure I'll be glad I was in the car for 11 hours today, when we get home around lunch time, right????