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I had a lot of things I wanted to get done today. Wednesdays are Rachel's late start days and she doesn't have to be at school until 9:30ish. This means I have less time than I do on other days and today, my list seemed extra long.
My primary job right now (outside of family and home) is to get healthy. I am trying to exercise six days a week. I alternate running/walking and bicycling. One of these days, I may add in some aerobic classes, but I'm holding off on those!
Exercising is almost a full time job for me! I thought I was in decent shape before cancer, but I can tell that not only did I gain weight with the chemotherapy treatments, but I also lost a lot of muscle mass.
Today was a cycling day. I went to a nearby trail and traversed along at a steady pace. This trail has several bridges going over major roads/highways and let me tell you . . . it's hard work cycling up those ramps! I feel like a slug and I had to walk up 1/4 of one of the last ramps. I just couldn't handle any more. I really need to learn some tips on cycling and how to work the gears on my decade old 18-gear bike.
At any rate, I came on home, showered and finished packing some boxes for the post office. I then headed out the door to meet a friend for lunch. That was definitely one of the best parts of my day . . . renewing a relationship and sharing life.
After lunch, I went to the post office in a Hallmark store to mail my four packages. Ran into an old friend there and caught up with her life a bit.
Following that stop, I headed to a gas station where the price had dropped ten cents during the day. That was a pleasant surprise! Cash only, but I had stopped at an ATM next to the Hallmark store and was prepared.
I then went to the brushless car wash that is famous for its many coupons. We've owned our minivan for almost three months now and I've been washing it myself when it needed it. However, the windows were really starting to bug me as I never can get them streak free.
As I stood at this car wash, I was flooded with memories of going there when we lived here before. Rachel and Michael LOVED going to the car wash and would ask to go as part of entertainment plans. They loved watching the employees vacuum the carpets and they loved watching the car enter the "water hall" for the washing. They would get so excited to see our car. To be splashed by the mist was a great highlight for them.
This car wash offers popcorn and lemonade . . . just right on a hot day. There is a penny pony ride and the kids loved riding on it together. They would laugh and laugh and laugh . . . and ask to ride it again and again.
Going to the car wash was a big deal for them. It seems like only yesterday that I had these two toddlers in hand, taking them on adventures of discovery and enjoyment. I was a bit sad that I didn't have them with me today and I promised myself that the next time I got the car washed, I would take them as well so that they could share in the memories.
It's little things in life that are worth celebrating. Whatever we do now is the foundation for memories later. When we left the United States seven years ago for a new life in China, I never imagined that I would get nostalgic over something as simple as a car wash. It makes me wonder what things are we doing now that will develop into fond memories later?
I got everything done on my list. While I had a few intense moments with Michael later in dealing with some of his homework issues, through God's grace (and through praying!), I was able to nip my frustration in the bud and not lose my temper like I did last week. (Wednesdays are our roughest homework days.) I stayed calm and had a good chat with Michael to get him on track to transitioning to homework. We ended the evening with our reading together from a novel rather than from a school book. More memories.
Good night, all.
My primary job right now (outside of family and home) is to get healthy. I am trying to exercise six days a week. I alternate running/walking and bicycling. One of these days, I may add in some aerobic classes, but I'm holding off on those!
Exercising is almost a full time job for me! I thought I was in decent shape before cancer, but I can tell that not only did I gain weight with the chemotherapy treatments, but I also lost a lot of muscle mass.
Today was a cycling day. I went to a nearby trail and traversed along at a steady pace. This trail has several bridges going over major roads/highways and let me tell you . . . it's hard work cycling up those ramps! I feel like a slug and I had to walk up 1/4 of one of the last ramps. I just couldn't handle any more. I really need to learn some tips on cycling and how to work the gears on my decade old 18-gear bike.
At any rate, I came on home, showered and finished packing some boxes for the post office. I then headed out the door to meet a friend for lunch. That was definitely one of the best parts of my day . . . renewing a relationship and sharing life.
After lunch, I went to the post office in a Hallmark store to mail my four packages. Ran into an old friend there and caught up with her life a bit.
Following that stop, I headed to a gas station where the price had dropped ten cents during the day. That was a pleasant surprise! Cash only, but I had stopped at an ATM next to the Hallmark store and was prepared.
I then went to the brushless car wash that is famous for its many coupons. We've owned our minivan for almost three months now and I've been washing it myself when it needed it. However, the windows were really starting to bug me as I never can get them streak free.
As I stood at this car wash, I was flooded with memories of going there when we lived here before. Rachel and Michael LOVED going to the car wash and would ask to go as part of entertainment plans. They loved watching the employees vacuum the carpets and they loved watching the car enter the "water hall" for the washing. They would get so excited to see our car. To be splashed by the mist was a great highlight for them.
This car wash offers popcorn and lemonade . . . just right on a hot day. There is a penny pony ride and the kids loved riding on it together. They would laugh and laugh and laugh . . . and ask to ride it again and again.
Going to the car wash was a big deal for them. It seems like only yesterday that I had these two toddlers in hand, taking them on adventures of discovery and enjoyment. I was a bit sad that I didn't have them with me today and I promised myself that the next time I got the car washed, I would take them as well so that they could share in the memories.
It's little things in life that are worth celebrating. Whatever we do now is the foundation for memories later. When we left the United States seven years ago for a new life in China, I never imagined that I would get nostalgic over something as simple as a car wash. It makes me wonder what things are we doing now that will develop into fond memories later?
I got everything done on my list. While I had a few intense moments with Michael later in dealing with some of his homework issues, through God's grace (and through praying!), I was able to nip my frustration in the bud and not lose my temper like I did last week. (Wednesdays are our roughest homework days.) I stayed calm and had a good chat with Michael to get him on track to transitioning to homework. We ended the evening with our reading together from a novel rather than from a school book. More memories.
Good night, all.
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