Baby's growing up now

Tonight I am contemplating the last of my children as he grows up. Papa mushroom and I went to an open house at the preschool up the road. It's Montessori of course - would we seriously consider anything else? And thus begins my youngest child's journey away from babyhood. He'll be in preschool. He turns 3 in about a month. He's basically potty-trained (if you ignore the fact that he runs around half naked as a reminder to him to go to the bathroom). He speaks in very full, complete, sometimes overwhelming sentences. So I like to think that if he is ready, then so am I.

But he's my baby. This puts me in a whole different category of motherhood. I'm so used to being mommy to a child in diapers - soon I will be mom to four school aged boys. Don't even get me started on how the oldest starts middle school next year (actually this year, but because of the way the schools are arranged he still goes to the same building as his younger brothers). In three years I'll have a high school kid on my hands. Phew. Identity crisis coming up.

In other news, I have my official promise sent back to the National Stroke Association - and I've received my invitation from the NYRR (New York Road Runners) for my slot. I am hopeful that I will find the time to set up my fundraising page tomorrow. I have new ideas, so stay tuned.  This blog will be my sounding board for my ideas as I have them, But tonight it is too late, and I am too tired. Sleep is dragging down my eyelids as I type...zzz

I Get By With a Little Help...

Well, I wanted to run today. On my training calender it's a crosstraining day. But I hate crosstraining. I wanted the clarity of the long road. But there were children to be fed, and papa mushroon was home late after a school function - so instead I did some rather half-hearted crunches, leg lifts, pushups, bridges and stretching while the children watched 'Rio'. Tomorrow I have been roped into leading an early meeting - and I've never been much of a morning runner anyway.  I'm thinking of playing hooky for my lunch break and getting in some miles in the middle of the day. This could be my new Thursday plan. (insert evil laugh) Having relinquished my 'real nurse' status for a data abstracting desk job does have some perks. The nine-to-five life isn't so bad after all, when it's flexible enough to fit in a long afternoon run. After years of wondering why anyone would give up the glamorous life of an ICU nurse I finally have my answer. It's for the perks of a flexible day schedule.

I did get some mildly bad news today. My stroke fundraising within the hospital will have to be word of mouth. I cannot publish anything in the hospital newsletter, or have an event or anything. They can't stop me from asking my friends, but I can't put up any advertisements or flyers. I'll just have to work a little harder to reach out in other areas.

On the positive side, a great friend of the family has offered me a place to stay in NYC - and she lives   right by the finish line at Central Park... sweet deal. Another great friend offered to come be my roadie.  I really love my friends.

Today I've been listening to The Civil Wars newest release all day.  It's left me feeling somewhat emotionally drained, in a cathartic way.  I do hope these two amazing artists can reconcile and make more beautiful, raw, emotionally-charged music together. Here's a link to the iTunes album:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-civil-wars/id656406080

Back in the saddle

It's been quite a while since I wrote here.  Life has changed, as it does. I have a new job, my husband has a new job and a new degree, my baby isn't so much a baby anymore, and my oldest will be starting middle school in a week or two. We live in Colorado these days - I'm convinced it's the most beautiful place on earth. But, I haven't been many places.

A lot is the same though. I'm still a nurse. I still run, knit, and love to write. And it is because of a fortuitous  intersection of my career and one of my hobbies (running) that I have swung back into the 'saddle' of blogging.

I work with the stroke program in my hospital. My title is stroke nurse. It's a lovely, nebulous sort of job for which I do a variety of tasks to make sure that people who have strokes get the best treatment available. Two weekends ago I had the immense privilege of volunteering at a Stroke Survivor & Caregivers Retreat. It was amazing, and refreshing for me and the survivors and caregivers equally, I think.

Last week I learned of an opportunity through the National Stroke Association, a great organization, to run in the New York City ING Marathon as part of their fundraising team. I'm not very fast, so I'm not confident I could ever qualify by time - though I am motivated to work on that... but that's a different story. The point is, I applied more or less on a whim, and got a spot to run the Marathon in NYC this year.  It's amazing. I'm ecstatic.

And that's what has me blogging again. I'm training for real for another marathon - no copouts allowed. And I want to get faster while I'm at it. Not to mention I'm on the hook for raising at least $3,000 for the Stroke Association while I'm at it. But that's great because I've really come to realize what a worthy cause stroke prevention, research, and education is. Those inspiring people that I met two weeks ago that live with the effects of stroke deserve everything I can give.

So for at least a while this blog will be the journal of my marathon and fundraising success. Because only success is an option.

Oh! Before I go to sleep, I want to give a shout to @jennamurphymusic with a big congrats for her new (and first) full-length album. She's an artist I discovered on Twitter, and I like what I've heard very much. So check her out! http://blog.jennamurphyofficial.com/post/58162639862/everyone-i-am-so-happy-today-i-have-just