Hello all! I know it has been a bit since I wrote, but school is back in full swing. I am taking 18 hours this semester and one of the 6 classes is a Masters level class. Yes I know I am insane! I am back to not working again. DH is ready for me to get out of school and understands that me working=MUCH longer before that happens. SO he is sucking it up and paying for everything!
My training is going great. I am starting to see the effects of weight lifting, cycling class, swimming and walking. I have muscles! Granted they are still under a layer of blubber but they are starting to show! (And I know the blubber is on its way out.) I am shooting for the YMCA Athens Sprint Tri in March. It shouldn't be a problem as long as I keep up what I have been doing.
DH and I have also signed up for the State Fair 5K in September. I am not sure that I will be able to run the whole thing, but hey you gotta start somewhere. I think DH is in it just for the t-shirt! hehehe
And now for the BIG news of the weekend! I HAVE A ROAD BIKE! Woohoo! Brand new too! Specialized WSD Dolce (WSD=Women's Specific Design for all you non-bike ppl out there) She is SWWWEEEET! Silver and Black with a touch of pink :) I will probably be adding aero bars eventually, but right now I am just getting used to the feel of those skinny little wheels. I mean after riding a mountain bike with big ol' gripping tires that can run over almost anything...these tires are the equivalent of going from skates to rollerblades. Slightly easier to balance though! lol
Anyway, I hope to be able to keep you all up to date and add a few of my rants in here and there over the semester. I just want to let you know that if I don't post for a while...well it is because my head is stuck in a book, or my feet are poundin the street, or I'm in a pool, or on a bike, or I am just so tired from all of that, that I am PASSED OUT! lol
Later days!
Emerald
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Coddling our kids
Okay...I don't have kids, but I did have a childhood that I survived...and as a well-balanced adult, I would like to think. What is this about? Well you see it is like this...I usually joke about how we survived childhood. We had metal everything from car seats to swingsets. We played catch with anything...including rocks. Our playgrounds were covered in whatever material was the cheapest for whoever built the darn thing.
These days, everything is child-proofed, plastic, soft, round-cornered, padded...in short protected. Now FIRST let me say I am not advocating not protecting our kids. I think most of this stuff is great! They prevent some stupid things from happening, but only some. Kids will find a way to get stuck, hurt, bonked in the head or break something...it is a fact of life! No matter how safe we adults make it for them. And when you think about it, it is pretty amazing we do survive childhood, no matter how safe or unsafe our environment.
Now for my REAL RANT! I just read a story on CNN about "Should we let our kids feel stung?" (http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/08/08/parenting.protecting.ap/index.html there is the link for ya) For you guys that don't feel like cutting and pasting and read yet more words, here is a summary for you. It is talking about kids being rejected by their peers and if we as adults should or should not allow this to happen. (i.e. inviting the whole class to a b-day party or giving trophies to everyone who participates instead of just the winning team)
DUMB, STUPID, OVER-PROTECTIVE!!!!!!! OF course, kids need to understand rejection and losing. WHY the H*LL should I give the losing t-ball team a trophy?!?!?!??!?!?!?! We are so concerned about raising balanced, happy kids that we are creating basketcases! Think about it...all my childhood I am told that I am the best no matter what I do, I get a ribbon or trophy for anything and everything. Sure I have great self-esteem....UNTIL I leave home and move into the REAL world. Here my boss doesn't care about my self-esteem...if I am on the losing "team" I get fired. And I just can't understand why!
Now I am not saying be mean to the kids but teach them how to accept life. Let them feel rejection, let them know that sometimes we lose, sometimes you have to rely on others to help you gain your goals and unfortunately sometimes the team will still fail. You know...let them learn the lessons that team sports are supposed teach.
And as to the birthday party issue, if you don't to invite everyone in the class MAIL THE FRIGGIN' INVITES! Don't send your kid with them to school! DUH! And there is NO WAY you should have to invite the entire class, unless of course you want to and can afford the expense! Every kid deserves a b-day party, but they are expensive and even more so when you have to invite 30+ kids.
These days, everything is child-proofed, plastic, soft, round-cornered, padded...in short protected. Now FIRST let me say I am not advocating not protecting our kids. I think most of this stuff is great! They prevent some stupid things from happening, but only some. Kids will find a way to get stuck, hurt, bonked in the head or break something...it is a fact of life! No matter how safe we adults make it for them. And when you think about it, it is pretty amazing we do survive childhood, no matter how safe or unsafe our environment.
Now for my REAL RANT! I just read a story on CNN about "Should we let our kids feel stung?" (http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/08/08/parenting.protecting.ap/index.html there is the link for ya) For you guys that don't feel like cutting and pasting and read yet more words, here is a summary for you. It is talking about kids being rejected by their peers and if we as adults should or should not allow this to happen. (i.e. inviting the whole class to a b-day party or giving trophies to everyone who participates instead of just the winning team)
DUMB, STUPID, OVER-PROTECTIVE!!!!!!! OF course, kids need to understand rejection and losing. WHY the H*LL should I give the losing t-ball team a trophy?!?!?!??!?!?!?! We are so concerned about raising balanced, happy kids that we are creating basketcases! Think about it...all my childhood I am told that I am the best no matter what I do, I get a ribbon or trophy for anything and everything. Sure I have great self-esteem....UNTIL I leave home and move into the REAL world. Here my boss doesn't care about my self-esteem...if I am on the losing "team" I get fired. And I just can't understand why!
Now I am not saying be mean to the kids but teach them how to accept life. Let them feel rejection, let them know that sometimes we lose, sometimes you have to rely on others to help you gain your goals and unfortunately sometimes the team will still fail. You know...let them learn the lessons that team sports are supposed teach.
And as to the birthday party issue, if you don't to invite everyone in the class MAIL THE FRIGGIN' INVITES! Don't send your kid with them to school! DUH! And there is NO WAY you should have to invite the entire class, unless of course you want to and can afford the expense! Every kid deserves a b-day party, but they are expensive and even more so when you have to invite 30+ kids.
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