New Adventures

This first full week of school has been tough. For everyone. Monday went fine; no issues.

Since then, though, Rory has cried almost every day, turning on the waterworks even before we have left the house, and sometimes starting right after he wakes up. Mrs. Claire and Ms. Lisa have let Rory keep Tiger with him all day this week to help him cope. I know he hasn’t cried the entire school day: Lisa has told me that he plays with trucks and Legos and even jokes around during lunch. (He also told her before lunch one day that he was ready to take his nap. Too funny.) However, when I ask him in the afternoons what he did at school, all he says is, “I cried.”

Riley had a major breakdown at drop-off on Wednesday morning, refusing to go inside the building. I chose to leave him on the front ramp in the capable hands of the school staff, and they handled the situation beautifully. He eventually went to class and ultimately had a good day. But I cried the whole drive home.

The level of anxiety I have experienced this week may be greater than theirs. All I can do is tell my boys that I’m sorry they don’t like it but they have to go to school. That I love them, and that I will be back for them in the afternoon. And then I have to leave them in the care of their wonderful teachers and trust that they will be okay. I know they will be.

But it’s so hard.

I want them to enjoy going to school. I want them to learn everything they can. I want them to bound into the car in the afternoons, bursting to tell me about their days and all they did. I realize that is very wishful thinking. For now I’ll just settle for them not crying.

They don’t have to like school. They can wish they were home playing with their Legos and their trucks instead. But they do have to try. They do have to do their best. That’s all Kenny and I will ask from them.

I hope and pray that things will get better as their school days continue. There’s always an adjustment period after summer; I know that. And this being Rory’s first experience with school, I figured he would take time to get used to it. I just hope it doesn’t last for too long.

At the same time the boys have been struggling with their new academic adventures, I have begun a new adventure of my own. I have officially started training for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon. (The race is 140 days away and counting!) So instead of sitting at home wondering if Riley and Rory are okay at school, I’ve been running and doing Jazzercise.

It’s actually been a decent distraction, even though it’s really hot outside right now during my runs. (Come on, cooler temps!) I’m following a 20-week program, with runs 3x a week, cross training (Jazzercise) 2x a week, and 2 rest days. My training is also interval based, meaning I run some and then I walk some. I started off easy: 10 reps of running 1 minute and then walking 2 minutes. I decided to run on the lakefront walking path right by the house, which has actually been nice. It’s breezy out there, and I have seen lots of other runners, walkers, and bikers.

If you asked me a year ago if I would ever train for a half marathon, I would have said that you were insane to even think that was a possibility. But here I am, working towards a goal I never thought I would set for myself.

The boys can survive school. I can survive training.

Let’s do this.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!