One Word Answers?

I have been tagged by Isabelle at In This Life. I must answer the questions with only one word. My husband is thinking, "One word?? She can't do it!" :) I shall try! And I am tagging (hopefully you haven't been tagged....) Momo, Christy, Runner Susan, Molly and Ali.

1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Relationship? cornerstone

3. Your hair? bobbed

4. Work? teacher

5. Your sister? in-law

6. Your favourite thing? family

7. Your dream last night? jumbled

8. Your favourite drink? latte

9. Your dream car? free (I liked that one, Isabelle!)

10. The room you're in? kitchen

11. Your shoes? none

12. Your fears? joblessness

13. What do you want to be in 10 years? healthy

14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? family

15. What are you not good at? cooking

16. Muffin? sweet

17. Wish list item? familytime

18. Where you grew up? michigan

19. The last thing you did? classwork

20. What are you wearing? shorts

21. What are you not wearing? shoes

22. Your pet? Weimaraner

23. Your computer? communication

24. Your life? busy

25. Your mood? Positive :)

26. Missing? family

27. What are you thinking about? coffee

28. Your car? essential

29. Your kitchen? redecorate

30. Your summer? patio

31. Your favourite colour? blue

32. Last time you laughed? morning

33. Last time you cried? week

34. School? vacation

35. Love? much

Running, Hot & Cold

Running: I've still been running, although I've mentioned that I had come down with a back pain. It seems to go away...after about 2-4 miles of running, and then it is still a nagging twinge. It couldn't be old age at just 32, right? :) Both my mom and dad have back issues: my dad can "pop out his back" just by putting his pants on, and my mom put hers out this week doing her hair! Mine hasn't "popped out" but I've always been successful at cracking it. Anyway, it kept me from running three days last week. I made it the ten miles last weekend in average 8:21 per mile. (My goal for the marathon is between 8 minutes and 8:30 per mile= about a 3 hour and 30 minute marathon.) I was elated. For going my farthest in two years, I was very happy with that time! This weekend is eleven miles and hopefully another time goal is met!
Hot: My dad called this week and said he had extra tickets to the NASCAR race in Michigan. Now, I know most people think NASCAR is boring, not fun to watch, etc, but I've really become interested in it in the last three years or so. It's something my dad has always been interested in and it's something we have in common. Once you get into the strategy of it, and watch the shorter track races it can really be interesting! Anyway, he, my mom, a coworker of my dad's and his wife had seats and then Dad had these two extras. Did I want to go to my first race? YES! :) My hubby and I met them at the track, after dropping the girls off at my grandparents'. We had wonderful seats; we could see the whole race and it wasn't too loud because we were higher up. It was extremely hot and sunny, however. If you've read my previous posts, you know I'm a sunscreen fanatic. I was very good about putting it on every hour! My hubby did, too, and was disappointed the next day that he had no tan. :) We were out in the sun from about 12:30 to 4:30...Our seats were on bleachers, metal bleachers, and you could feel the heat radiating off them, and shining down on you. But I had a great time! One of my favorite drivers started in 41 and ended 3, so it was good for him. My dad's least favorite always wins when my dad attends a race. I told him for Father's Day I'd try to break his streak: and it worked! :) His two least favorites didn't do so well. :)
Cold: I am sadly in love of a Starbucks drink. A big conglomerate, who puts the "little guy" out of business...But Starbucks employees are perfectly trained to be positive, cheerful and happy whenever I go in to get the "Grande, nonfat iced vanilla late". MMM. With the weather being hot and dry here, the hot coffees don't sound as good. So, the above drink has become my favorite. Bad for the wallet, for sure, and bad for the "little guy" coffee places, although there aren't any near my house... but a nice little treat for me if I just have it now and then.
In an hour or so, I am heading to a Vacation Bible School cohort's house so we can all put some of the decorations together and finish ironing out our plans for next week's evening Bible School. Then it's on to class number 3's second lesson! I finished class number two over the weekend and started number three yesterday.
The three companies vying for our patio have all brought plans and prices and we've chosen. I had the job of letting down the two we didn't choose and calling the third to let him know he'd be doing our patio. We're excited: it starts next week! :)
That's all for now, hope your summer is progressing nicely!

Not a Knitter

Ok, I have begun cleaning out my craft stuff. *If you've read my posts before, you will see that I like to "organize" and "reorganize". Now that summer's here, I'm ready to "purge" from the basement, craft cupboards and crawl spaces.* Anyway, I looked at all my knitting stuff, some cool stuff... but I have no patience (or skill for that matter) for knitting, for sewing of pretty much any kind. I also have lots of cross stitch items, sewing machine, and fabric pieces...but I have no patience for sitting and working on any of it. I thoroughly enjoy scrapbooking, from reading the books, looking at layouts, to magazines and wandering through the stores. That and photographing (which I'm learning more about). I guess I've been thinking about time limitations when I get a full time teaching job, with family, running and regular house chores... I don't have time for a bunch of crafts/hobbies. So, I need to limit, organize, clean out the items I don't totally love doing.

Summer Vacation

Well, the 2006-2007 schoolyear ended yesterday at 3:30pm. We headed from there to piano lessons, which continue through July, only taking August off, then went to the library. The library has a very nice summer reading program with prizes and activities throughout the summer. My girls love to sign up, and more importantly, they love to read. The oldest got three books and is done with 1 and a 1/2 today...so far. The youngest got four and is done with 1 and a 1/2 so far. I got two but am working on these college classes... After the library trip, the girls read for an hour and then we met the hubby for dinner. He had worked late and we wanted to celebrate the end of another wonderful year. The girls both finished with exceptional grades, including the oldest being honored at a school ceremony for a 4.0, so we headed to a local sporting goods store and got them rollerblades. We don't normally get "good grades" gifts, but after an excellent school year and onto summer, we thought it would be fun...and exercise for them.
I have not yet ran today and contemplated not: I have a pain in my back. I don't have this issue normally, but it's making me run awkwardly and uncomfortably. I need to get five miles in today, though. I am looking forward to tackling the ten on Saturday; the double digit mileage is looming large in front of me. Hopefully I don't psych myself out!
Not sure if I mentioned that we're having patio estimates done these last two weeks, had plans presented to us this week and hope to make a decision this Friday. Hopefully... :)
So far, plants in the garden are looking great. Although, the adjustments I made earlier this season, to reduce beetle infestation, have made things look awkward. I am used to full and bright plants, but the first seasons of perennials don't end up that way. They look thin and sparse, even with feeding and watering. It is early summer, so hopefully they will come around. Then in the fall or next spring I can rearrange some things.
That's all for today, onto more class homework. I am almost done with class two!

*note, I didn't get any homework done this afternoon! Some friends called and asked if we'd go to a waterpark. Not like slides and rafting, but a playground, with a waterpad nearby. The waterpad shot out water, filled buckets on poles which then dumped down, and a tunnel with water spraying. The kids loved it and we were there for hours! When they were tired of one park they went onto the other (the playground without water or the pad with water)! We applied and reapplied the sunscreen and they still had lots of fun! :) Hope your summer's going as "sunnily". :)

Accessories

I am not a fashion diva in any sense of the word. I buy shoes when my current pairs literally are falling apart. Then the new ones are worn down, as well. Except for running shoes. Those I'm good about getting new ones when I reached the "good for your feet" level, at 300-500 miles. I am also not great about accessories to go with outfits or getting new clothes...either I don't do anything special, or I wear the nice ones until their seams fall out or they get holes worn in them. Except running. I have two hats with dri-fit so that they wick the moisture away from your head, and protect from the dreaded sun. :) I also have a few cute outfits, but my hubby got those for me. They are color coordinated and have no holes. :) Today, I splurged... my old ironman watch finally called it quits after years of service, and it's not just a dead battery. It is old, and past its prime. So, I went today after my nine mile run (8:24 per minute average pace-woo hoo), glass of milk, and shower, feeling inspired. :) I got this little beauty:
First, let me say that I got a discount from being in the marathoner in training program, I didn't pay full price! :) Next, I think my husband will tease me if I wear it all the time, but it does match my running shoes and fit so comfortably! :) Anyway, it will be nice to keep time on those long runs and when I don't take the ipod. I looked for some race ready shorts, but they didn't have any. Race ready means there is a little pocket sewn onto the inside of the waist band so you can take gu, or something like it with you, without having to wear a pouch or belt. During my first marathon, I didn't eat anything and that was not smart. This year I'm introducing some things into my training sessions to get used to them before the marathon. I am not a big fan of the synthetic gu's because of their textures...well I wasn't on 2005...I got a few of them just to try, but I also got some energy beans which are like jelly beans and some other chews which are like gummy bears. My next long run is on Saturday: 10 miles, so I will take one and try it!
Other news: The kids are sooo excited about summer vacation: Monday's the last day of school! The husband is at a local conference this weekend for his work. I am working on my classes online (um, except when I was running, going to the running store and blogging...) The weather is beautiful and the girls are washing my car-for fun! :) Hope your weekend goes great!

The Wonder Box

I was subbing in first grade this week and came across something that sounds like so much fun... and will initiate so much learning! They have a small box, like a recipe box, one that holds index cards. On the teacher's desk there are index cards. When they wonder something or at wonderbox time, they write a question on the front of the card. Then later, when they have time, or at wonderbox time, they look in books in the classroom or go to the library, find the answer and write it on the back. Then they've found their answer, and at sharing time, share this fact with the class! It can be anything: I wonder why the sky is blue, I wonder why the sun is so bright, I wonder why there is salt in the ocean, or I wonder how big a bird eating spider gets. The catch is that they also have to note the book from which the answer came and its page number, so we see the fact.
I thought it would be fun to have a wonderbox for each of the girls this summer. They can wonder, and we can (on one of our almost daily trips to the library) seek out the answer! :)

Running

Well, I'm back into running again, and addicted. I'm back to that "I hate to miss today's run" feeling. I love it. I started outside training again (after the beginning training on the treadmill for twenty to thirty minute runs, in February through April). I started on April 24th "officially" training for the marathon in the fall. I signed up for a local "marathon in training" program and ran with them yesterday: 8 miles and big hill. Ran in 8:35/mile pace. Felt good! Learned that 1/2 hour after running long runs you should take in protein like chocolate milk. The chocolate makes it taste better. Anyway, I tried it; I was skeptical about milk after a run, but it wasn't bad! Then today I ran the third leg of a relay. A friend who is new to running (this was her first race) was running the first leg, a mile, and then one of her other friends was running the second leg, three miles. I was to do 5. I did it at an 8:01 pace and was thrilled considering I ran 8 yesterday! :) More milk after today and tomorrow is this week's "rest day" with no run. I still felt really good until an afternoon nap today. Then I felt so lethargic...like I needed another nap! :)
I've been subbing a lot lately, three days a week is the regular, now, but that will end in the next two weeks when school is out. Then, I have a few things planned for the summer with the girls: riding bikes on the bike path, our usual library outings, impromptu camping trips, zoo trips, and we're getting a pool pass for the first time this year.
I'm also working on details for the "second annual wine party" as well. We are currently getting patio estimates and are hoping to have the party as soon as the patio is complete!
Well, that is the latest from here. Hope your June is starting well!