November Update

 We had a nice relaxing break and the two weeks since have just been slammed. North and I have both felt underwater at work so taking some time this Sunday evening as the granola is cooking, Rowan is doing science homework, and Talus is eating ramen from the corner store to regroup and update. Work has been full as the quarter ended and we had three-way conferences (10 minute conferences, back to back from 8-4:30 over Google Chat) and people are wrapping their minds around the next month and a half before winter break. Because we only see students 3 times in a 7 day cycle the classes are really spread apart and I need to do a fair bit of planning ahead in order to make sure I get the correct assessments done by the end of the semester. It's a different way of looking at assessments and aspects of it are interesting and I'm learning a lot but other pieces are antithetical to the way I want to teach. Learning from the teachers I work with because there is such an incredible array of experience here.

View from the clubhouse during dinner one night when we were too tired to cook...

Last weekend we had a football tournament Friday (North and Rowan) and Saturday (we all went to watch the boys and girls play but Talus and I came home early). This was followed by Halloween at the clubhouse and trick or treating from the boys and then North and I went to a Halloween party. 

Sunday there was more football for both boys...I love how much they are playing and watching them and their team grow. They have both become more physical players and though he doesn't love playing defense both of Rowan's coaches have put him in a defensive position. He is a strong voice on his team with no hesitation about yelling at his teammates to "mark" or "get back" or "press that". Talus is playing goalie for about a 3rd of each game and loves the position; he's hoping to take part in a goalie camp at the end of the school year and his coaches are very encouraging.  

They both played their last Everton league game for this season, Rowan has a couple more weeks of IGB football and then on to the next sport season (though they will continue to practice for Everton through the winter, with some "friendlies"), Both of them are planning on doing Track and Field (apparently running is a thing that runs in this family) and I have been roped into coaching Elementary Track and Field while North will coach U11 girl's football.

North and I have been having conversations about how we take care of ourselves when we get busy and overwhelmed. I am trying to have a regular strength training day on Wednesday (and hoping to add Monday in the next couple of weeks), we've done some early morning walks recently and ran the track this morning before Tal's game.  Both of us are feeling more out of shape than we have in a while and my neck issues have been back recently. Reminding each other to move our bodies and taking the time to connect. North is working on practicing some mindfulness more regularly again and with that took himelf on a jungle run yesterday morning. He found a pool to lay down in, maybe heard some gibbons, and only had a couple leeches attached to his ankles when he came out...