Life on the Runn...

It was exam week last week, and that meant it was time to wrap up the first half of the 2019-2020 school year, my 13th year doing this whole eduction thing. I’ve always been the coolest type of nerd, the one who loves a new set of pens and notebooks [and still uses the subject-specific notebook and folder color scheme I was introduced to in 7th grade}, who maps out - in a as many colors as my newest set of pens allow - the plan for the next chapter of my next adventure.  And this year I’m really excited for the plans I have made...nope...am making...and for the opportunity to take a few risks and tackle a few new strategies and texts. I like words... ... a lot! It's almost Black History Month Doin' work on our PD Day :) A teacher nerd's work is never done, and neither is a toddler-mom's, so I made it a point to make sure to make for some fun this ‘halfway point in the school year’ weekend, and loads of fun it was. From Friday night’s West vs. Mukw...

One of my birthday gifts was tickets to see Tedeschi Trucks Band at the Chicago Theater; this is their fifth residency, our third time in attendance, and our ninth (?!!) time to see the amazingly soulful crew! We boarded a very crowded train Saturday and made our way to the Windy City. It was a lovely ride watching the snow-sprinkled trees and landscape of southeastern Wisconsin. Since we had to find seats in separate cars, Brian didn’t get to enjoy my wonderful storytelling - how he passed the time, then, is beyond me. I used the time to finish a book and get a jump on another (they’re piling up on my reading table). We arrived in Chicago early in the afternoon, so we had some time to enjoy lunch and drinks - bubble water - and one of us even got in a mid afternoon nap (I am not that person).  Then it was off to dinner before the show; this time we enjoyed some real drinks and some really great food. The city was certainly living up to its name - gosh, it was windy - so it was...

It’s true - there’s no place like home for the holidays! Despite our need to go-go-go, to explore and adventure [afar and often with insanely early wake-up calls], we created a most wonderful stay-cation this winter break. We squeezed in multiple Christmas celebrations. We read, had family play dates, and made time for extra gym visits. And we got in lots and lots of ‘chasing our tiny human all about’ time. We squared away the purchase of my new Mom Ride; we went on a Movie Date; we watched HQ master the alphabet and begin to work on her driving skills (Thanks, Nonno and Baba!), her culinary skills (Thanks, Grandma Sue, Papa, and Aunt Beck!) and her vet skills (Thanks, Unc!); we survived the newly-two-week-break absent of any injury - from gift assembly and rambunctious two-year-old life. We gave and received numerous hugs, thoughtful gifts, and lots of holiday love. It was a beautiful way to end the year and begin the next decade. Set to be built just for me 1/16/20 ...

I love this weekend, my birthday weekend.  It’s a family tradition to hunker down with family, to get our Christmas tree, to decorate it and the house, and to get in some R and R under a cozy blanket. It was especially special this year as my birthday weekend coincided with a very long work weekend!   Not only did I enjoy the traditional weekend fun, but I got in all sorts of yoga sessions with my favorite instructor, a few runs, time with both sides of the family, a coffee date with my cousin, and birthday spoils! We hosted Thanksgiving in our new home; we had lunch and play dates with Baba, Nonno, Unc and his dog; we went to the YMCA for a swim with Papa, Grandma Sue, and Aunt Bec; we got to watch our peanut continue to learn new things - like letters and songs - and were endlessly entertained by her. Like I said, it was the most wonderful weekend of the year!!

You don't have to love the theatre or love history to walk out of  Hamilton  loving both the theatre and history.  I've long wanted to check out Lin Manuel Miranda's  Hamilton, and our crew, Team NDR, made it happen.  In fact, we made a whole date out of our evening.    We started our good time with tapas and some really tasty wine at La Merenda and strolled into the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts from our very nearby parking spot (Thanks, Dad!). We laughed; we sighed (and nearly cried); we tapped our feet and sang along (Eliza, you're a true fem queen!!); we strolled out of the theatre well past our bedtimes and entirely in awe!  Team NDR! 

That’s how the saying goes, right? It does in my book. 🙂 After an awesome and inspiring Friday at the WCTE Convention, I scooped up HQ and my parents and joined Mom Sue at Mukwonago HS for the football game against West. It was a really good game, but that was the second most entertaining aspect of the evening. H was a huge fan of the Friday Night Lights vibe — so much cheering to do, school busses to point out, an ambulance to explore (thanks, Nonno), and so much music to dance to! Saturday was all things Runnells women. Mom Sue, Aunt Bec, HQ, and I met for breakfast and then took a breezy but oh-so-fun walk along Lake Michigan. Parking at McKinley Marina meant we had to   stop off for coffee. We had tons of fun exploring - there were levels to collect, surfers to watch, and plenty of bikes to yell, “Pedal, pedal. Yay!” to. Sunday, the moms gathered with H to enjoy some cyclocross and (what a nice surprise) experience Oakridge Farm - cows, donkeys, a bunny, and chic...

No cherry chapstick to speak of - sorry Katy Perry - but lots of good conversation and plenty of laughs - how many times in life do you get to say you know someone who had to rescue a stuffed (the once living now not sort of stuffed) lion from loosing a once valuable appendage? The most recent read for our Reading Between the Wines crew was Jenny Lawson’s Furiously Happy .  And I furiously  enjoyed it.  It took me a bit to really settle into the book, but I'm glad I committed.  In fact, I found much of what I read quite liberating.  While I didn't expect a story about Lawson's daily experiences with mental illness to resonate with me on any profound level (I thought it might be more of a how-to manual when it came to supporting my kiddos), it surely did.  It gave me some freedom as a mom and a partner to really lean into the mantra of one of my heroes - and Lawson's friend - Brene Brown, who encourages people to believe, truly, that everyone...