I’ve found a good routine!

Well, I’ve been to two classes at the gym, both of which I enjoy!  I’m excited about it!!!  I’ve taken a water aerobics class and a “low impact” yoga class.  The “low impact” is less of the vinyasa  and more about holding poses and stretching.  There’s still some strength training.  It’s good stuff!  Perhaps I’ll be able to convince the Woodsman to come with one time…

I met with a personal trainer, too.  So I have a weight routine.  My goal is to do weights and elliptical 3-4x per week, and a class about 2x per week. 

I’ll do my thing at the gym, and Swing goes into playcare.  After I spend an hour working out, I have another hour I can study before the playcare time limit is up.  It’s a swell plan.  Though today I didn’t get as much reading done as I’d have liked.   I can also take swing into the pool afterwards if the time is right. 

Dinner Table Woes

Am I the only parent out there who has a hard time instilling table manners in her kids?  Whoa.  It would seem that it doesn’t matter what the consequences are, it’s worth it to use potty talk, get up and down, not eat, play with food and/or brother, etc. 

I think I’m going to have to break out the Table Manners Bootcamp Again and go uber strict.  First minor offense is loss of meal AND means early bedtime.

Wheels

Otherwise, things are good.  The weather is crazy this year!  we have NO snow!  Generally we don’t see the lawn from late November through February, but we’ve hardly had any snow this year!  It’s been relatively warm.  The good news is that the boys get to play outside on their wheels! 

Cosmo got a skateboard for Christmas.  He loves it.  He practices tricks every chance he gets.

 

 

Swing loves his bike.  He’s really getting the hang of the pedals this year, too.  I’ll wager that he rides without the training wheels by the end of summer.  If you look closely at the second picture, you’ll see that the training wheels are on different levels, and the back wheel isn’t touching the ground.  He kept pedaling.  Was pretty darn cute!

Almond Allergy

I discovered last week that I’m very allergic to almonds.  My eyes got super swollen one day, and I figured it was either advil or almonds, and my suspicions were confirmed a few days later when my husband rubbed my shoulder after eating almonds.  I had a huge welt larger around than a baseball, and about a half inch “tall.”  My goodness was that uncomfortable. 

School is great! 

The Health Law class requires the most work, and the Health Management class is fascinating.  In both classes, I see so much room for process improvement integration in the industry, and I’m hoping my career can progress the way continue to envision it.  Regardless, I am really feeling a fit here… more than I did in Hi-Tech while I was working there.  I hope my actual experience is much the same. 

Political commentary

One thing I learned still has my mind reeling.  In my local area, a pretty average city, 80% of hospital revenue comes from Medicare (elderly and injured).  16% comes from Medicaid (low income) and 4% comes from private insurance.  I guess the 80% figure is easy enough to digest… though still staggering.  Of course more money is spent caring for older individuals.  But why do they collect FOUR TIMES as much revenue from low income people than “middle class?”  Is it because they don’t have to pay for it (or for very little?)  Is it because they don’t take care of themselves?  I’m sure some of it has to do with a lower standard of living, but that cannot possibly account for all of the discrepancy.

And people say we don’t care for those who aren’t insured.  THIS is what gets me.  The uninsured are still cared for. 

Don’t get me wrong, the entire “market” is a big, jumbled mess of regulation and bureaucracy, complicated further by the layer of insulation created by the insurance industry.  It needs a lot of help.  It needs an overhaul.  However… we ARE NOT leaving people suffering in the street.  People are falling through the cracks, and things don’t seem “fair,” but that’s the exception, not the rule.

At any rate, I’m looking forward to learning more!  I am excited that our society is on the precipice of change in this arena, but I hope we slow down and do it right, and for the right reasons, rather than rushing through something that will end up being worse than what we have because “people are suffering.”

I also can’t wait to blather on more about what I learn!

In Full Swing

So last night was my first night of class.  (If you regularly read my blatherings and you are good at math, you might be scratching your head.  My last post was written on Wednesday and not published until this Friday morning).

I think I’m going to like school.  I also think I’m the oldest in class at 36 decrepit years old.  I know I was the only student in there in slacks and a collared shirt.  While I don’t “fit in” cosmetically, I really enjoyed the contents of the class, and I’m sure I’ll have a few buddies in no time.

I got my Bachelor’s from an adult ed program, and I was one of the younger students in class, so being one of the older folks in the group will be a bit of an adjustment for me.  I had assumed that since I was attending a branch campus and the classes were in the afternoon that there’d be quite a few older / professionals there.  Well, we all know what happens when we ass-u-me!!!

This life as a full time student will sure be interesting!  Now I just need to procure my books! 

School Starts! … almost

Well, today is my first day of school.  Kind of.  Seems as if the professor was unable to make it, so I’ll have my first day in class tomorrow. 

I guess starting in the spring is unusual.  So I’ll have to take five semesters.  I’m a bit bummed, but perhaps it will make my entire workload a bit easier to bear? 

I’m so pleased and humbled with how things turned out.  I had a small panic that I wouldn’t be able to get TAA funding for this as one of the requirements is for training to be completed in two years.  But I squeaked in.  The woodsman did the math: I’m benefitting from an $83,000 gift.  Including the books, tuition, parking, unemployment that I’ll be able to collect while going to school.  WOW. 

I’m already a pretty excited about some of the class content.  Looks like there is some focus on quality systems and organizational excellence.  MEASUREABLES! 

We have a direction

It’s so nice to know what is going on with the family!  To know that the Woodsman will be home to help me with the boys and the housework while I go to school.  To know that I WILL be in school, and that we don’t have big money worries.

For example, right now, I’m at the library (you know, the library most towns have… the one with the green mermaid???  shhhh… I’d have gone to the REAL library, but I was dying for coffee).  The Woodsman is home with the boys.  In his mind, my education is the family’s highest priority.  It’s nice.  I know many women don’t get this kind of help and support from their men at home.  It’s nice.  Especially in a world where women don’t often get recognition or support in the workplace.  Even when I felt like dust that had been swept under the rug at work, I was able to come home to a much better environment. 

I really feel for the women out there that battle all of their lives.  Including the women who’s primary occupation is at HOME.  We shouldn’t have to vie for appreciation from those who purportedly love us the most.

Personal Trainer

I had a meeting with the personal trainer at the gym.  I now have even more direction!!!  YAY!  I have achilles tendonitis in one ankle, and a mild case of arthritis, and difficulty losing weight even on a strict diet and exercise program, so she came up with something to work around all that!  I’ll do weights 3-4 times per week, yoga twice per week, and the elliptical until my ankle bugs me.

I’m on a mission.  Life is still busy, but is much more manageable now than it had been.  AND there’s direction.

Now I just need to develop all of my measureables and targets.  You can only improve what you measure, you know!

Staying put!

So the Woodsman interviewed for the trooper position yesterday and it was a no-go.  I thought I’d be disappointed if he didn’t get the job.  But he’s really fine with it, so I am, too.  I feel peace about the whole thing, so I know it’s all good.

He decided that he didn’t really want to move the family way up there, anyway.  I think it was really hard on him when Swing wouldn’t hug or kiss him goodbye at the airport, and he realized what TWO YEARS of being apart would be like. 

So we both feel good about the outcome.  I’m glad he went and experienced it all.  And came to his own conclusion. 

School

Still not enrolled!  I think this is going to be a very super extra last minute deal.  Holy moly.  Being the middle man between the two entities has slowed things down, I think. Plus, I tested pretty late.  I had no idea this stuff would take so long!  WOW!  School starts in 5 days!  There are 2 business days between now and then.  Talk about cutting it close!

Swing swims!

Cosmo has loved the water since he took his first bath.  I fear he’ll mutate and grow gills.  For serious.  Swing, notsomuch.  He’s the yin to Swing’s yang. 

So we signed them both up for swimming lessons in the early fall.  Swing made some big improvements, but didn’t “pass.” He clings to me for dear life in the water.  He does like the idea of water, but does not trust himself to float or move on his own.

Enter the floaty suit!  (highly technical term).  Granted, I had to peel him off of my neck, but once he realized he was floating, he was SO proud!  We had lots of fun!  Out came the boy who says “I do it myself!”  He didn’t want me to help him move! 

So I’m excited to go back!

Cosmo LOVES the water!

Hmmm, perhaps torture early on turned Swing sour on the whole water thing??

Don’t get me wet!!!

We are members!!!

We joined the local community center / gym this weekend!  It’s been fun.  I can’t wait to try out classes!  I spent Saturday and Sunday in the pool with the boys.  Cosmo loves the water slide, and Swing likes clinging to me for dear life as we float in the “lazy river.”  It’s been nice.

I think I should be able to attend a class tomorrow.  There’s an arthritis water aerobics class tomorrow, I was thinking about checking that out.  I didn’t go today only because I was working on the item below:

More school drama 

Well, one can’t expect to make a major change in life and have the implementation go smoothly, right?  Well, I was told last Wednesday that because I’ll be starting in the spring instead of the fall, I’ll have to take 5 semesters, not 4 to finish the program.  This is due to the way the courses are rotated in the fall and spring semesters.

I was left worrying over the holiday weekend, but the TAA counselor (government funding guy) assured me that they will find a way to work through this.  So that’s a relief!

The Woodsman is in Anchorage!

He landed safely, retrieved the rental car, and made it to his home for a week!  He takes a fitness test and interviews tomorrow.  With his interview is an essay.  Please pray for him!  I want nothing more in life than for him to have not a job, but a CAREER that he loves.  I hope he does well and is able to get on as a wildlife trooper.

We’ll know tomorrow if he’ll be coming home (not accepted) or staying on for an additional week for more physical and psychological testing.

We have a sitter

Finding a sitter was no easy task.  There were quite a few qualified ladies that applied on care.com.  That was money well spent!  At any rate, we found a young gal who will come here and watch the boys for a few hours on a couple days per week. 

It will be nice to have more direction here in the next couple days.  To know exactly what is going on.  We’ve done a good job contingency planning, I think… now we just need to wait and see which one to implement!  I see the light at the end of the tunnel!  YAY!