Kangatopia

Today I am re-aligning myself to my fitness goals. So, for the coming weeks I can promise lots of boring blow by blow accounts of such. Happy Reading!

Here’s a quick recap of things that have been happening in the last few weeks which I have neglected to blog either because I’ve needed to avoid making an inappropriate admission of my dysfunctional ability to properly maintain the variety of relationships in my life or I’ve been lazy.

I rode in the Richardson Wild Ride on May 19. Due to rainy, cool weather, this was probably the easiest rally I’ve ridden yet. We took the forty mile route and finished quickly with (for me) a higher than usual speed average of 14.6 miles per hour. I am generally very slow on rallies. Even better, the route was packed and the going was slow for the first 10 miles – that I still managed a 14.6 average was worth a hearty self pat. The great roads, ride across the Lake Lavon dam, route support, great rest stops and the free pizza, drinks and snacks at the finish line has made this my most favorite ride… ironic because when I rode this rally last year, I bonked in the last five miles and was barely able to limp home (literally, my dad lives a mile from the start/finish line.)

I started deconstruction work at my Dad’s swill heap of a home on Saturday. While the kids cleaned up the living room, I carefully sorted through the piles in the unused bedroom, which has been used for storage and trash dumping. I am freecycling what I can, and sending the rest to the local transfer station. I’ve been brutal, and will continue this trend until the house is cleared of clutter. I hate sending my children over there, and since neither my father nor his tenant will rectify the situation… Gosh, I sound so bitchy, but there it is. The environment in that house could only perpetuate negative personality traits in my children – sloth, probably, not the worst of them.

Bear finished third grade this past week. His teacher reported that he is reading at a sixth grade level and performed exceptionally well on the standardized tests. I am really proud of him. With encouragement, I am very hopeful that he will keep on a strong academic path throughout school. I began to see growing in him this year a pre-adolescent independence, marked by sarcasm, indolence, sensitivity and a perceptive sense of how he fits in to his social structure at school. This really worries me. He’s growing up, but am I giving him enough by way of values and opportunity to carry him through adolescence?

Monkey is gearing up for Kindergarten. Since her birthday falls right after the deadline, she is going to be the oldest child in her class. I’ve been assured that this will only serve her better. I was one of the younger kids, and I kind of liked that as I was growing up. I’ve been told that chances are, Monkey will be stronger both academically and socially, and will be more mature than her classmates.

I’ve been thinking about holding Winston back a year. Her birthday falls right before the deadline, and thus if she starts on time will be the youngest child in her class. She is so resistant to potty training that at this point I am not even sure if she will have it mastered before she is due to start school. She’s learned her abc’s, knows the basics of counting, and has been practicing writing. Academically, she might be ready in a year to start kindergarten, but socially she will probably need more time. Fortunately, she still has a year to show readiness.