Eye-Spy: Signs of Spring

Sunrise, the morning of daylight savings time.

Be on the lookout for signs of spring!  It goes quickly here!  The weatherman promises a 90 degree high today.  He was wrong!  It was only 88!  I am excited by the promise of a cold front rolling in on Monday with an expected high of 72.  

A lone azalea, my favorite spring flower, which hides
under the shade of live oaks.   I love the fuchsia ones. Southern Living describes it as the number one must have plant in the South.  

New leaves that will look like feathers as they grow.  I am not sure of the tree.  See what it houses below. Photo Credit: Jen K

A bird's nest. In fact, several dot the barren trees along this nature walkway.
No sign of the birds, just the nesting.

What signs do you see?  

Parenting: A Delicate Balance

This morning my daughter went to track tryouts and I am proud of her.  She told me this fall that she was going to do track in the spring and so we got the requisite physical.  When it came to me telling her this past weekend about track tryouts coming up, she said she didn't want to.  I really struggled with this.  She made a verbal commitment and I want her to follow-thru with what she said.  I wanted the decision to be hers, but I also felt that I needed to push her too.  I talked about it with my husband and he agreed with me.  Our kid has a life history of not wanting to try new things such as art camp now in year 4 and loves it.  She always surveyed the situation even as a toddler before jumping in.  I also want her to make decisions. There is a delicate balance.  I told her there was one way that I would be okay with her not trying out.  If track interfered with her ballet classes, I would be okay with not trying out . Of course, she could sabotage the tryouts in a myriad of ways, not try her hardest or "forget" to turn in her physical paperwork, but ultimately that was up to her.

Part of her reluctance was the fact that many of her friends who said they were going to try out weren't.  She discovered that just one friend was and she told me she was going because of her.  I actually don't care what motivated her to get there.  She got there.  She turned in the paperwork on Monday and seemed excited after school because her friend was trying out.  Paperwork turned in. New outfit secured and she survived her first tryout runs, the mile and the 100.  

 
I am happy for a number of reasons.  I know how important it is for kids to be connected to school.  I want my kid to experience perhaps trying out and not making the team or making them team and experiencing what it is like to be on a team.  I also know how important it is for girls to be active and track is the ideal sport.  It is about personal records as well as individual and team wins.  The other plus is that track and field events rely on a variety of strengths.  As a former track coach, we  could always find a place for all the kids who came out to track.  I don't know if that is the middle school track coach's philosophy.

She told this afternoon that she didn't like it while she was doing it, but she felt good afterwards.  Her friend isn't going back tomorrow, but she is.

Monday Moments

Part of participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge is commenting on others' post, a minimum of three each day.  I love this aspect of the challenge.  It provides inspiration for my writing and my instruction.  This year I am part of the welcome wagon which means I have set bloggers' sites that I visit and comment upon each day.  This format for this post was inspired by one of them and I forget whom.  My apologies in advance to whomever I've borrowed this format from!


Listening:  This morning I had the privilege of listening to one of my former college students defend her dissertation.  I loved listening to her passion and her ideas.  I loved how the listening made me think and ask questions.  As one of her committee members, I have loved watching her thinking evolve as she did her research.  It was a cerebral morning listening, growing, and evolving.

Loving:  I am loving this Florida spring weather.  Last year it became too hot too soon.  One year, we didn't have to turn the air on until June.  Last year, we almost never turned it off.  We have a had a blissful spring with sunny days and cool nights and low humidity.  I am loving that the air is still off.
Thinking: I am thinking about our destination digital for next year.  Wondering about "personalized learning" and personalizing learning.  Wondering about Genius Projects, integrating the tech most purposefully for learning and what attitude shifts it will require both teachers, students and parents to take.

Wanting:  There isn't much I am wanting for.  Perhaps a little spring cleaning, but I know that will happen next week.  I suppose I am really wanting my kid to pick up her messy messy room. I guess this is the turnabout my mom was always wishing upon me.

Needing:  I am needing this Achilles tendinitis to go away.  Not in a way that it morphs into something worse, but just a reduction in the pain.  Glad to  have a foam rolling session and a new stretch and new shoes and socks under the belt, but
 I am needing patience in this healing process.

Sunday Seven: An Hour Lost

7. Spring Forward!  I love daylight savings time!  At fall back, many relish the extra hour of sleep, but I mourn the loss of evening light.  I love the extra time in the evening to play and be outside. I remember going to bed when I was little and it was still light outside.  I hated that!  With extended daylight, I get to enjoy the world after work.  The dark-thirty doesn't matter to me in the am.  I always get up them regardless of the evening light.

6.  My colleagues, who despite the crazy, we are able to rise above and still laugh together.

5. My daughter had fun at her first middle school dance.  She danced and danced.  She looked so grownup and composed walking in, but came home red-faced and sweaty.  I always swear to people I married my husband because he dances.  We are glad to have spawned a child who does too!

4.  UCF Spring break!  Of course, I worked my day job, but it was nice to not have to go to work on Wednesday night.  I also ended up physically not being able to go to work that night. It was nice to nap through my 24 hour bug.  I woke up feeling amazing on Thursday.

3.  Orange Gatorade.  You can have your blues, reds, purples and ices, but there is nothing better than Orange Gatorade when I am sick.  I haven't had it in about 7 years.

2.  Four pairs of new workout socks.  I love them and I will be wearing my running shoes to work in the next few weeks due to testing.  I needed the socks.  I wear Balegas.  They are worth the cost, but my favorite locally owned running store, the Track Shack had a huge sale.  #Score

1.  My A1C was down.  After a slight rise for my last test, I was able to refocus and trend downward again. May this downward spiral continue!

Spring Into Saturday: Florida Spring-Fed River Floats

Many people enjoy "the lazy river."  The concrete lazy river found in many surrounding hotels and water parks in my community is a little tame and doesn't show off the Florida wild. Trust me I enjoy those water parks too, but in keeping with my thinking about summer plans this week, here are some of the best places to tube or in some cases "snorkel" the river. You can make it as lazy as you want. An investment in a snorkel and a mask will enhance your day even if you don't choose to swim the river.Most of the places are BYOT, but they have water toys for rent. If you have small children, an investment in a blow-up boat works as well even a life jacket. The waters aren't rough, moving at a rate of 1 mile per hour but sometimes kids can panic their first time in the water out in the open. I prefer floating on the week days in the summer.  The weekends can get crowded really fast.   My top three lazy rivers are the Rainbow River in Dunnelllon, the Weeki Wachi River in Weeki Wachee, and the Itchkneetucknee River.

1. The Rainbow River is accessible river in two places, KP Hole or the state park.  KP Hole is a Marion county park and is small and gets closed fast on a summer day since the size of the parking lot is what limits the visitors.  The benefit is that you can rent a paddle board, kayak or canoe.    You can bring your own tube, but what you are paying for is the tram fee to bring you back to the parking lot.  I prefer to tube from the other side of the river at the state park.  The parking lot is less crowded.  You will walk back to tube headquarters as the tram takes you north, but this park is more pristine.

2.  Weeki Wachee River  This trip could take two days depending on what you want to do.  Visit Weeki Wachee State Park or float the river. These water launch is crowded here.  You need large water toys such as kayaks, canoes or paddleboards to make this float happen. There are available for rent and if you have don't own any, it's best to let the professionals launch your boat and pick you up. It's complicated, but worth it. There is plenty of parking at the state park.You will question whether you will be able to get lost in the wonder.  If you are DIYing it, you have to park your car at the pull out at Rogers Park which means you need two vehicles.  The contrast between the end of your paddle and the start of your paddle is stunning.  Rogers Park is a man-made beach on the water. It is a hopping swimming party.  You will, however, have spent the day floating and snorkeling the river.  You watch the water transform from crystal to green. You can't swim in the waters that are in the boundaries of the state park, but once you are out of the boundaries, you can.  The water is between 1-4 throughout the paddle. You will be swathed in the tranquility and beauty of the environment.  I want to live on this river.  Another plus is that the ocean is not so far away.

3. Ichetucknee River-  The only tubing that is entirely in the state park. The water is pristine and you will be lost in nature for several hours. Although you can tube year-round, you don't have access to the entire park.  The north section is closed after Labor Day so that it can rejuvenate.  There is tram service, but unlike the Rainbow River, tubes are not for rent on-site. It is bring your own or rent on from one of the many sites that dot the roadside.  This river is the narrowest of the three. It is the most wild.  It is deep like the Rainbow river as well.

Food for Thought: Family Recipes

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Corned beef and cabbage will be what's on the menu for many people next Thursday as they celebrate their Irish heritage.  It is one of the few days of the year that I make it too. Some of my family favorites hearken from our Irish American heritage.  Others from our Rhode Island roots such as clam cakes, not to be confused with crab cakes, more like a clam fritter.  Spiedies from our New York Binghamton roots might be on the menu too. A family favorite, however, that I don't make often is my Slovenian grandmother's halukis, known in some cultures as golabki, golumpkies, holubtsi,or golubtsy depending on which eastern European culture you hail from. In English, we call them cabbage rolls.  


I often see them on a menu at restaurants, especially Jewish delis, but I would never order them out. They aren't the same.  My family's twist is that it's a version of cabbage rolls made with sauerkraut and no tomatoes or tomato sauce at all. It's the kind of meal like lasagna which tastes even better the next day. It is also a labor intensive recipe much like the Puerto Rican dish, sanchoco, that I will be learning how to make with my friend Lisa next Friday.  My family would make halukis once a year for my dad's birthday.  After his death, we rarely made it.  In fact, when I do make it now, I invite my friends' over.  These are the friend whom I have diligently research would like it, as they must be cabbage lovers.  I can count them on my hands and it isn't either of the two people I live with.  That night they get peanut butter and jelly.  I do foresee that the time is right soon to have friends' over for halukis to share.  
What are your family favorites that you like to eat or make when you are all together?

Summer Plans

Spring break is almost here which makes me turn mind toward summer and finalizing my plans.  This summer will be a little shorter. We will lose a week because we are starting a week earlier which will benefit us next year.  I will be working for a few more weeks because we are going 1:1 devices in all the high schools in our district.  I am making plans for camp for my daughter. She goes to art camp each year for two weeks.  She has ballet camp and ballet class as well.  We will have my favorite 3 day weekends which will allow us time to retreat to the local beaches and springs.  I am also working crafting a travel plan.

In summers' past, we have cruised, snorkeled, spelunked, scalloped, followed The Walking Dead movie set trail, hiked the AT, whitewater rafted, and tubed.  Summer is about being outdoors for us and creating memories.  This year we will take our customary camping trip in the woods of the Appalachian Mountains, which means I still need to make my camping reservations for Elkmont.  We traditionally met up with my mom and friends have joined us too.  Hiking Abrams Falls as well as afternoon soaks are on the menu.  The beauty is that there is no technology.  No matter the destination, it isn't a vacation if I don't cut off completely from technology.

What are your summer plans or traditions?