Thanksgiving

I forgot to blog about Thanksgiving.   It was a great one, so it needs a little blog space.  It started with the BBC turkey trot. We were a tiny bit late so we had to walk/jog that first mile to catch up to all of our friends and my mom.  BBC provides free bagels to all of the participants and the run is free, so it's a win-win. 

After the run, I went home and took an epic nap.  I rarely use that word.  My niece woke me up at 12:12.  I know this because she was poking me and saying, Aunt Karen, it's 12:12. 

We headed out to my mom's house to watch football and celebrate.  The Bears were losing so I took another nap.  My brother told me that I was snoring. 

I got up to help my mom prepare some food, but mostly she did it all. The food was great and all the kids had a good time. 

Sydney even helped granny wash the dishes. 

It was one of the best Thanksgivings that I've had in a long time. 

Time for another top 10

1.  Harrison's surgery went well.  He said the shots really hurt.  He had to get 4.  They are going to do another biopsy.  I'm hoping for good results.  Now he has to let it heal.  No running for 2 more weeks. 

2.  We just spent 12 hours in the car driving back and forth to Charleston, West Virginia.  The boys played and won two hockey games.  Henry was the goalie and he did an amazing job.  I took one picture while I was there.

3.  Henry loves playing his viola.  He's had two concerts this year and they have both been fantastic.  

4.  Harrison made first team in XC! 

5.  I graduated from intensive outpatient therapy.  Intense is the key word here.  I learned a lot and I have a new outlook on life. 

6. We tried to clean the ducts.  Never try this.  Always, always, call an expert. We clogged up 3 furnace filters and the furnace stopped working for awhile.

7.  The Bloomington Bagel Turkey Trot is super fun. We are going to try and do it again next year.  Henry walked with us this year instead of running. His knee was bothering him. 

8.  I can't wait to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  I've usually watched it twice by now.  

9.  We booked our spring break vacation.  A lot of fun people are going with us. It's something to look forward to. 

10.  Hayden almost broke his toe kicking a ball across the room.  He's had 2 pretty serious asthma attacks in the past few months and now he's sick again. I need to take better care of that kid. 

IU part 2

See what I mean people?  Only about 100 days left of high school.  It's almost over.  I hope Harrison starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel soon.  

IU

We got some great news today.  Harrison got accepted into IU and also ISU.  ISU wants him to run for them.  I don't really care what he decides to do, I'm just so proud of that kid right now.  He has hated school since about 2nd grade and I've been a nervous wreck about whether he would go to college or not.  He seems pretty happy right now with life and I'm slowly crawling my way back to enjoying the little things.

My therapy group was cancelled today, so I went to the Iron Pit gym with my mom.  We sat in the sauna, walked on the treadmill, and I showed her how do some of the weights.  Little Piper is getting big and my mom is going to need to be able to keep up with her!  

more meds

I saw my doctor today after therapy.  I have been having nightmares, so he put me on more meds.  This PTSD thing kinda sucks.  I am now taking 4 different prescriptions every day.  My head is pounding from crying.  Group therapy is hard because I care a lot about all of the people in my group.  I also worry about them.  I think I was just born to worry.  I can't shut it off.

Harrison got to talk to Joe Smith

Tonight is Harrison's last cross country awards banquet.  These four years have flown by.  I can't believe his senior year is almost half way over.  

Pre surgery visit

I took Harrison to his pre surgery visit this morning.  They are only going to use a local anesthetic, so that was good news. He's not allowed to run for 6 weeks after the surgery. I'm pretty sure that's going to make him crazy. When the doctor finished talking, the nurse came back in and asked me to sign all the paperwork.  And then she said, "unless you are 18."  Harrison said, "I am 18."  So, she handed the paperwork to him and then after he signed it, she handed it to me and said, "ok, now you can sign it."  Harrison rolled his eyes.  He slept all the way home. I wanted to sleep too.

I missed Henry's veteran's day concert today and my group therapy.  I cried a ton tonight for the first time in a few weeks.  

Hiking

I went hiking with my mom and the boys yesterday.  My legs are so sore today. Going down stairs is the worst. I need to get out and walk more. 

I just wanted one decent picture. Not gonna happen. 

This week is going to be crazy busy. 2 Viola concerts, 3 hockey practices, XC Awards night, 2 hockey games.  I'm exhausted and the week hasn't even started. 

Harrison has his pre-surgery visit in the morning. I hope it goes quickly because I want to get back and go to therapy. I really need my group tomorrow.  It's been a long day.  

Used to be....

I used to think that I was a good teacher. It's funny how one person can walk in and make you feel like the worst teacher on the planet. All the good feelings, your self esteem, just gone, in an instant.  How does one get this back?  What can I do to prove this person wrong?  Take a class?  Win an award?  Perception is a scary thing. I've been told that evaluations are subjective. 

I stole this off the internet....   Common subjective criteria include personality, attitude, appearance, demeanor and social interaction. 

I have a lot to work on. I'm hoping therapy is helping.  I'm giving it my all. 

My dad showed up at Harrison's state XC meet. He was drunk.  My therapists have a big job.  Years and years of trauma, abuse, and bullshit. Someday it will stop. 

XC season

The season did not end like it was supposed to for Bloomington Norh.  They finished 6th.  They expected to finish in the top 5. Harrison didn't have a great run and his friend Phillip was carried to the sideline again. I think he broke his foot. I stood behind these two and watched them cry. I took off my coat and gave it to  Harrison and then I took off my hoodie and gave it to Phillip.

  I didn't say one word to either one of them.  It was freezing and I could hear the boys talking, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I'm so proud of them. I'm proud of their fight and the friendships that they have made.  I watched my son carry his teammate to the sideline and wait for the cart to come and pick him up. He just waited.  After the cart came, we walked back to the tent together.   Most of the team was there.  They were eating and some were celebrating.  Two of the North boys medaled. Griffin and Fergus had an amazing race.  I will miss watching these boys run.  

Halloween

I skipped Halloween for the first time in 17 years. I made sure the twins had friends to walk around with and their costumes still fit and then I went to a party.  It was a small group of friends and they were all tired because it was Friday and the end to a very long week. We chatted, drank, ate, and watched a movie. 

It started to snow at one point.  I ran outside to take pictures.  I'm not sad that I didn't walk around this year. I think Halloween is my favorite holiday, but there is more to it than walking door to door saying trick or treat. 

Henry organized all of his candy and bagged it up in little ziploc baggies.