School Days...

In High School I ran on the cross country team when my schedule allowed.  To clarify - I wasn't a die hard, but I was athletic enough to do well.  Since cross country season coincided with volleyball season I couldn't run in every meet.  I did run in just enough to qualify for Region, then run in Region and on to State (where the all grass course literally kicked by butt).  Anywho... at Regionals one year in Delta I had the race of my life.  It probably had a lot to do with my Grandpa being in the stands with my Mom, and me wanting to show him my stuff, but I ran my booty off and placed second in the Region.  That allowed me a lot of time to rest at the finish line and watch my teammates run the final stretches.  That is when I witnessed someone "hit the wall".  I'd never seen it before and it was really quite memorable.  She didn't know which way was up.  She couldn't get force her legs to move her in any which way.  It was literally as if she had run smack into a brick wall and was temporarily blind and immobile.  Oh man did I ever want to run out on the course and orient that poor gal and help her hobble across the finish line, which probably seemed like an eternity away for her.

Whelp- 

It's worth noting that the Friday before school started for us I "hit the summer wall".  

You guys.  I didn't know which way was up.  I couldn't get my point across to my gents.  We weren't communicating.  We were tired.  It was ugly and the finish line seemed ridiculously far away.

But the timing was almost perfect because school started that coming Tuesday and instead of tears from me - there would be smiles as I waved good bye to them from the front porch.  

As much as we loved our carefree summer full of adventures and days in the sun, we were all ready for a little bit of a change.

It's worth noting that it lasted a whole week and half.  Just yesterday Dax said to me, 

"So, where are we going next?  And when will you check us out of school?"  :)

It will be a year full of learning and a year full of hard work - mingled with adventure and days in the sun.  Because what goes around, comes around and soon enough our school year with a Kindergartner, a 1st Grader and a 2nd Grader will be out for the summer.  

(We gave their teachers dirt ball cookies on back to school night.  The boys each wrote a note to their teachers that said, "I promise I will do my best to not be a "dirt ball" this year in class")

Good Luck, Boys.  Work Hard and Be Happy & Don't be Dirt balls.