Pictures in April

My last picture with Phoebe.  She is the best.

Saying goodbye to Phoebe as a family.

Orelove kiddos photo!

Sam being Sam.

Audrey reading to Sam at the window.

Sleepy Sam.

My Blackhawks jersey that arrived just in time for next season.

I'm going back to Hadley!  I miss the classroom.

Handprints at Holmes.  This makes me happy.

Audrey came to work with me and got to be the APA:  Assistant Principal Assistant

Audrey exploring crayfish on her day as APA.

Taco Bell for lunch.  Oreloves Locos.

Looking like administrators.

Sam in the bath.

Drying off.  

Clouds on the Horizon

It is a quiet Easter Sunday.  We awake with coffee and the children playing quietly in the living room.  I finally pushed myself out the door on a run for a few miles, and it felt good, and reminded me that the half marathon in Normal, Illinois is getting closer and closer.  I will get up in the mornings and run at the gym and also hit my outside routes at night.  There is something about training that makes you really commit to the final run, and I need to remind myself why I am signing up for these runs.  The benefit is in the training, not the other way around.  Races are celebrations of successful training...and my lack of doing so has led me to mixed emotions about participating in a half marathon.  Fortunately, the runners high kicked in a little and I felt back at home when the sweat starts running down my face and my muscles breathe with each stride.

Tomorrow begins another work week, but it is another Monday that will be completed in the countdown until my time as assistant principal comes to an end.  I have made the decision to return to teaching for the next few years in hopes of spending more time with my family and following my true passion of working with children.  I have enjoyed my time as an administrator immensely, and I will not close the door on future administration opportunities, but now is the time I have to be a good dad and get really good at teaching and learning in the classroom.  This move back to the classroom will open doors in terms of giving more time to structure my personal life.  My priorities outside of teaching and my family will be returning to a regular exercise routine, pursuing a doctoral degree in the next couple years, and traveling a little more if possible.

It is exciting to think of these changes, and what they mean to my family and our future.  Time does not stand still, and I am reminded of this by some sad news yesterday.  We took our dog, Phoebe, to the vet yesterday, and it was revealed that she has a form of cancer and has only a few weeks to live.  This is very difficult to hear, and I am struggling with how to address this last bit of time our dog has with our family.  Phoebe has been with us since before our first child, and is nothing but the sweetest dog I have ever known.  She is also "my" first dog.  While my family has had other dogs since I was a child, Phoebe is the first dog that considers me the alpha.  We will enjoy the time we have left, and take all the memories with us as we move forward.

Part of life is loss, and part is growth...and yet another part is finding the moments where we are all just ARE and can BE.  Today is one of those days where I am trying very hard to just live in the moment and recognize that time is precious and running out.  So there are these clouds on the horizon.  There is sun behind them, and we will find calm weather, but storms of change and life will always be present and flow through our days.

-a

Oh the times....

Tonight I savored the first fir in fire pit out back.  I ended up watching my girls play for an hour on the play set while I held Sam and the fire crackled.  Between contemplating new jobs and our trip to Florida, there has been a lot to think about and look back on.

Today was just a perfect spring day.  The birds were chirping, and the sun just gives one energy to do all the things that need doing around the house.  The day has been spent with loads of laundry, dishes, and some yard work.  Audrey spent some time at a friend's house and later we even went to the park to fly a kite.  Violet climbed all over the back yard and they battled with play swords and shields for a bit.  It is fun to just watch them play sometimes.  Another chunk of my day was used to clean-out the toy room and get ready to set-up Sam's bedroom.  Violet may also get her own room, soon, too.  We are also considering sprucing-up the guest room for anyone who might want to visit!

It has been a week since we returned from the happiest place on earth, and I still feel like my mind is swimming and my body has yet to catch up on rest.  It is nice, though, to realize that we are close to summer.  Hopefully I will know my next job in the near future and will not have to continue to feel the stress of not knowing.

To avoid this decision that is out of my hands, I pass the time by keeping them busy.  I moved furniture all over today, making Violet's new bedroom and also rearranging Audrey's.  Next is the task of moving beds around the guest rooms and assembling Sam's crib, which has also belonged to both girls when they were little ones.  This afternoon, both girls enjoyed time in their new rooms arranging items and books and visiting each other.

I also managed to get out a few times today.  This morning began with taking Sam on a stroller walk of about 3 miles, then again later in the morning.  I took him out with the girls on another 3 mile walk as they biked.  Lastly, I managed to "sneak" out in the evening for a run on my own, which felt wonderful.  The dark run was exactly what I needed to clear my head, get some air, and allow my mind to wander and then focus on all of the items that lay in front of me.  The street lights moved my shadow as I ran from in front to behind me, then again and again.  It was almost hypnotic once I found my cadence and breathing.  I continue to be amazed at how good it feels to just put one foot in front of the other.

And now I lay here in bed, the night is calling and sleep is heavy on my eyes.  I hope that my family is dreaming good dreams.  Far away the Alaska Folk Festival is happening, and I can almost hear the guitars and violins serenading me.  Tonight we dream big, and know that tomorrow is another adventure.

-a