The Bright Side

I had the kind of day at school today that makes me fantasize about looking for job postings for a forest ranger...a deep woods type of job where I don't see people--especially children--for weeks at a time.  It was the kind of day that makes me want to go home and climb under the covers and stay there until Friday at 3:45.  It was the kind of day that sends me home feeling completely incompetent because there's this one kid who I just can't figure out the key to get her behavior in check.  It was the kind of day that makes me feel like an utter failure.

I could go on obsessing about it, but I'm already close to tears.  Instead, I'm going to focus on some things that make me smile.

Why I hate my brother

1. This picture was taken at a mud volleyball tournament.  I'd been standing with J (far left) and my nephew B (second from left) when my brother (far right) came rushing out of nowhere and shoved me backwards into the mud.  Jeff dove for him and missed.  I love the immediacy of this picture, me still in the process of falling backwards, the little boys giggling, and the way joy can just barely see my brother laughing like a maniac as he ran away.  Incidentally, this picture is one of the most viewed in my Flickr photostream.

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2.  My relentless Facebook posting about my running may be annoying, but it's apparently also inspiring.  I ran into a casual friend at Target a while back, and she told me that I had inspired her to start running more.  My cousin's wife sent me a message asking for suggestions on what to do to start training for a 5K.  Pretty cool. :)

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To whom it may concern: I love you

3. One of my students colored me a Valentine's Day picture yesterday and wanted to put my name on it.  I was working with another student, so I gave him my name tag so he could copy my name.  The heart, in particular, touches me, along with the sweet innocence.  I <3 this kid!

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4.  I was walking in to work today, and another of my friends told me that her husband asked this morning, "Well, how far did Kate run today?"...because she's always mentioning it to him.  That made me laugh.

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My valentine

5. This picture was taken on a float trip a few years ago.  I love it. Happy memories of a fun trip.

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6.  One of my goals for 2011 was to join a running club.  So far, this non-joiner has joined two: Team Revolution (women's biking) and Team Godzilla (local tri club).  Hopefully I'll get to do my first Team Rev ride this weekend, since my first attempt was snowed out.  I was hoping to do my first Team Godzilla run as a club member tonight, but it turns out N. has a basketball game.

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We won...we really won!

7. This weekend, up in Chicago, my son's club volleyball team won a match against the number one ranked U17 team in the nation.  You know those victories where the players are jumping up and down and ripping off their shirts a la Brandy Chastain?  It was that kind of win.  Huge.  So huge that the fact that we got beat by a lesser (though still very good) team in the next round didn't put a dent in our excitement.  My throat still hurt the next day from cheering so loud. :)

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8.  One sad note: I've had to mark off the first item from my 2011 race schedule. Tracks n Treads (off road duathlon) is the same day as a big orientation day at Eastern Illinois University, so I'm demonstrating my good priorities and taking my son to that.  I'm disappointed, but there's always next year.  And since I won't be there, there's now an opening for last-place finisher...

Now, momentarily back to my original subject...it's been a while since I had a 2-3 year old.  What worked best for you in quelling tantrums? I'm at my wits end.  Suggestions are welcome!