Monday Musings

It is has been a while! I love this space because it has recorded our family growth over the years but also my personal development as well.  I'm teaching every day and dream of having a couple of days off each week--I wonder if a job share option would work in a high school semester situation looking forward. We will see. One day a time!

Here are some things that have happened over the past month or so:

1. My niece got married! It was a beautiful wedding and just what I would dream of for my own kids. I'm so happy for them both as they are such a wonderful couple together. Nya was able to be a flower girl which was special for her and I'm grateful she was invited to be part of it. My niece, Delaney, was a flower girl in our wedding 15 years ago! Nya Bear was fighting a respiratory virus on the day (and since) so it was not ideal and she didn't get to dance but she did really well.

2. Nature time. I thought that walking my 13,000 steps a day was enough for my mental health but it's not. I need time in nature. My mood is not fabulous these days with the weather and not ever having a day at home (I work every school day) and seeminly never ending sicknesses. This sounds depressing but life is good, just hard sometimes.

PS I discovered purple shampoo which makes highlighted hair less yellow. I realize 99% of people knew this already but it has been great. The end.

3. Teaching Math 8! This has nothing to do with the photo below but I don't have any photos of me teaching Pythagorean Relationships ;) It has been a learning curve but now one month into this semester I feel like I have my groove. This is my first time teaching Math since 2005. My degree is Biology and my last experience with math was Calculus 100 and 101 which I barely survived. I love my grade 8's and I do like how math is taught--check homework, give lesson with practice questions, work on questions. There is just a lot of help needed so it does get tiring. I sort of want to teach it again so all the work I invested putting it together is well used! Gary is teaching PE, Foods, and Photography right now. He is coaching Kai's grade 8 basketball team and they are undefeated and playing in the finals on Wednesday.

4. Kai's concussion. Kai had a foot injury in the fall that lasted weeks and then a major virus that took him out for a week this winter. Three weeks ago he had a major collision with a student and the gym floor and got a concussion (the side of his head hit the floor and student landed on his head). He was able to return to school fully in one week but hasn't played a game since. We're hoping he will be 100% headache free after practice tomorrow to play in the final basketball game on Wednesday. SMH pediatric ER was amazing with him. You can see how big he is in the pediatric wing ;) 

5. One of my goals for the upcoming decade included booking an Alaskan cruise for our family! Well, I just did. It's not until August of 2021 which seems so far away but it's nice to save money by booking early. This time we will have to adjoining rooms rather than one teeny tiny room like our Caribbean one. The cruise was our kids favourite trip ever (alongside Mexico, they just like food) so I'm hoping they love it even though it's not a beachy one! Gary and I drove to Alaska for three weeks and this allows us to return with our kids without the long hours in the van. Also, Gary and I have not done the panhandle so this will be new to us! Our goal is to pay off our mortgage before the summer (eek!!!) and then we can use the money we make to save up for tuition, small house renos, and our vacations.

6. My health. In September I had a lot abdominal pain and months later, after a gastroscope and abdominal ultrasound, they found it was linked to an enlarged liver. More tests were given to find the cause of it. In that time I tested positive for another autoimmune (which can be the cause of it) so I am meeting with a rheumotologist April 1st. Another test indicated my ferritin was 11 which is iron deficient. I shouldn't be deficient as I eat healthy and don't menstruate but that is also linked to the autoimmune (likely Sjogrens). So, I've been taking iron and vitamin C and am up to a "whopping" 26. Still iron deficient but not far from the 30's which is where I normally sit. I feel frustrated that I am not as healthy and fit as I once was. The 40's have not been easy on this body of mine. I'm really hoping to stay healthy enough to get in better shape. My abdominal pain has subsided since January.  

I hope you are doing well! This is not a Thankful Thursday post because I'm never home on Thursdays to write one so I'll just call it "Monday Musings". Boom. Oh, just googled it and I didn't come up with it. Shocker. Have a great week!

Love,
Louise