TGIF

Lately my parenting hasn't been amazing.

I've noticed it in the way the girls are talking to each other.

Episodes of explosive yelling.

Grabbing of toys.

I haven't been terribly patient with them this past week.

I haven't made the choice to try and be creative in diverting their attention from bad behavior.

And I've probably spoken to them more harshly than they deserve.

I've got excuses.

Maia's been waking up consistently in the pre-dawn hours.

3:30, 5:00.

She starts talking and singing, which in turn wakes Ruby up.

Then Ruby starts yelling/crying "Mommy! Cuddle!"

There's a lot going on with work and keeping the house going and all the other things that crowd into life.

But.

Most of the things that are a challenge aren't necessarily going to get easier.

As a parent, I'm constantly faced with the choice between doing what I want and serving my children.

Being married certainly requires selfless behavior.

But there's something about having a little person(s) who is dependent on you for EVERYTHING that really stretches my capacity for selflessness.

Thankfully kids are quick to grant forgiveness when asked.

In the midst of our exhaustion this week, there have been some really cool things going on.

Wichita State is currently hosting Samuel Ramey as a Distinguished Guest Artist in Residence.

Don't know who that is?

Don't feel bad, he's just a famous opera star.

And apparently our school can bring him in for the next 5 years, but adequate lighting is next to impossible...

Maia is learning to use scissors at school.

Practicing this new skill keeps her quietly occupied for at least 10 minutes.

Have I mentioned that I love preschool?

Little Ruby's personality has been busting out lately.

Here, she was blowing on her cereal.

"Oh man!"

I ran 10 miles on Sunday.

I didn't think I could do it, but I did.

I'm supposed to do 12 this weekend.

Even with that looming over my head, I'm glad it's Friday!

Have a fantastic weekend y'all.

Nine

Today Aleks and I are celebrating 9 years of marriage.
After almost a decade of sharing my bed with a Sternfeld-Dunn, I have come to the conclusion that sleeping by yourself is a luxury.
In fact, after moving to Wichita, we bought a king size bed.
We are getting some seriously good sleep now.

Nine years.

This would be a great place to insert excerpts of our vows.

But I can't remember what we said or where I've put them.

Somewhere, during the six moves we've made since being married, they've been misplaced.

And perhaps the 2 kids, 17 months apart, have contributed to my nonexistent long term memory.

I do remember that the past nine years have been exciting and filled with lots of laughter.

It seems that each year of our married life has been filled with monumental changes.

Graduate degrees, moves, jobs, kids.

There is no one with whom I'd rather share this life.

I may not remember my vows or what Aleks promised me, but I do know these things:

 My husband has been 

astoundingly supportive,

constantly encouraging,

quick to place me on a pedestal (especially in front of other people),

optimistically minded,

and a calming counterpoint to my frenzied tendencies.

Being married to Aleks has made me a better person.

In my opinion, it doesn't get much better than that.

I love you Aleksander.

And you know what?
If I have to share a bed with someone, I'm glad it's you.

Preschool Happenings

Maia came home today giggling and so very excited about school.

She was "Student of the Day"

And, as she kept reminding me, "the leader."

Maia also said something about pretending there was a fire and hiding behind a tree and being scared, but Mrs. Patrick didn't know she was nervous, and then Maia started laughing and said "that was so silly."

I'm finding that Maia has lots of preschool stories to tell and I end up putting pieces together, trying to see the big picture.

Last week, Maia told us that she had a "dramatic throat" at school. She was nervous because Akaine kept running away. She doesn't like the boys and that "they have to do what I say." 

I was quick to point out that being bossy isn't a good quality in a friend and instead she should politely ask friends if they would like to play with her.

We also reassured Maia that she doesn't have to play with the boys, but she does need to be polite and kind to them. 

Wednesday night as I was putting Maia to bed, she said "I'm nervous about school tomorrow." When I asked her why, she said it was because she couldn't run fast. On Thursdays she has gym and I immediately thought that maybe she was feeling insecure about having to run in class. I told her, "you don't have to run fast, you just run the best that you can." That seemed to soothe her and she rolled over, ready to sleep.

When I picked Maia up from school the next day, I made sure to check in with Mrs. Patrick. I wanted to be sure that Maia wasn't bossing the other kids around and that she was listening and being obedient.

Well, I finally got the whole story.

A little boy, in Maia's class, had just turned 3 and, as they found out, is not quite ready for preschool.

Mrs. Patrick words were "he's a runner." 

On the Tuesday of that week, she had been helping a little girl in the bathroom, when all of a sudden she heard the other kids yelling, "Akaine, Akaine, come back!" Apparently Akaine had decided to make a break for it was was running away from the classroom down the hall. 

All week Maia had been feeling worried about him, and I guess, worried that she couldn't run fast enough to stop him.

I couldn't stop laughing as Mrs. Patrick was telling me this story. Looking back, I hope she wasn't offended that I wasn't more concerned. 

Preschool teachers are amazing people.

Lately Maia has been asking us "why do you love me?" She loves to hear all the different reasons we give. It's a good reminder for me, to give these little girls daily verbal, detailed, affirmations of what makes them special. Although, I think Ruby would rather have hugs and kisses.

The Sternfeld-Dunn household continues to give preschool an A+!

Ruby turns 2!

Today my littlest little turned 2.

Sweet Ruby Ann.

She had a tough act to follow.

But, she's held her own.

Always doing things in her own time and doing them well almost immediately.

She's my introverted thinker.

Likely to spend time on her own, playing, reading books, coloring, doing puzzles.

She likes to cautiously observe new situations and takes time to warm up to new people.

But she can be so brave and fearless (as long as she's in the safety of mommy's arms; "hold you mommy")

She's quite the little dancer.

She eats anything we put in front of her.

And is so polite.

"More please"

She's an endless well that needs to be filled with hugs and kisses.

She gives the best hugs.

And easily shares a belly laugh.

Oh, how she loves her sister.

She challenges Maia in so many wonderful ways.

Happy birthday to my right handed, curly haired girl.

As you continue to grow, don't get discouraged if people underestimate you, because you're petite and quiet.

I know your inner strength, and smarts, and persistence.

You've got big things ahead of you.

And while you surprise us all with the amazing accomplishments bound to come your way, please don't ever get too old for mommy hugs, my little cuddle bug.

I love you more than you know.

Training

I've started week 5 of my 10 week training schedule.

To run a half marathon.

I'm proud to say I haven't missed a workout.

The ironic thing is, I'm not sure that I'm actually going to run a half marathon when I originally planned, but hey, training is the most important part, right?

It's probably good that I'm putting off the actual race.

While I'm running the miles and doing the tempo runs and all that, it's been taking place at the gym. And from what I've heard from other people and read in magazines, is that the treadmill is a lot easier than the reality of pavement.

The thing is, it's still really hot here. Today it's supposed to get to 102 degrees and this morning the humidity was 82%.

Tuesday morning is a preschool day for Maia and it was either take Ruby for a 3 mile run in the stroller (something I vowed never to do again) or wait and do it tonight at 8:00.

I opted for an AM run.

And I was sopping wet by the time I got home.

For one thing, it was like running in a cloud, but with the sun out. I could actually feel the moisture in the air when I inhaled.

And the other thing is that the tires in the stroller were a bit flat and I couldn't find our pump, so I ended up pushing a stroller with low tire pressure.

I think when it gets cooler and if I can find the pump, I might venture out again with Ruby. She really is a pleasant running partner.

She's quite content to sit quietly, eating her cereal and pointing out the various sights.

While I'm complaining about the heat, I know a guy who's training for the Chicago marathon and he did his long run yesterday in the early evening, when it was 106. 

So, clearly he's either crazy or made of tougher stuff than I am.

It's nice to have a goal and a specified training schedule. As with everything in life, it's so much easier to follow through when there is a plan.

This week is crazy. I'm putting together a concert of new music by Kansas composers, and most of my nights this week are filled with rehearsals or doing administrative things. I'm also preparing a thank you dessert evening for the composers and performers the night before.

If I can get my runs in this week it'll be a miracle, but I'm determined.

As I look out the window right now, I can see the sky getting dark, maybe we'll have a break in the weather?