Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Surviving Sick

We're in Day 5 of the Great Strep Outbreak of 2017. I was sick with sinus/allergy/cold for a week and I didn't sleep more than 3 hours any of those nights and when I finally started to feel better....BOOM! Jackson wakes up before 5 am on Friday literally shaking from fever.

It's Tuesday. He's not better. He's been to the doctor twice and we called again this morning because he has a cough so bad I'm afraid his ribs are going to crack. That's normal they say. Call us if it doesn't get better...

It hit Karson yesterday. We thought he was tired. We took him with us to doc just to be safe and yep, he has strep too. Both are on meds but both still have a fever and both are emotionally up and down and all over the place.

There's no doubt that this just sucks. Yes, they'll get better but right now, it just sucks.

This isn't a case when one of us can manage both kids because they both need so much help all the time right now. We're sneaking in work while they nap or just lie on the sofa  and I'm disinfecting everything in sight and cleaning when I can. I'm washing all the sheets and towels in scolding hot water. I've already bought new toothbrushes and I'll buy new pillows tomorrow (we need them anyway).

We're so tired that we alternated naps this morning and then alternated workouts.

I could have skipped the workout but I needed to release some frustration. I love my little family but this stint of illness is almost too much so I kicked my own behind to settle myself. I did a speed/cardio + core interval workout and finished with a mile of speed intervals. I'll probably pay for the hard work tomorrow but today, it was either run fast or cry in the shower.

We'll survive. Perhaps I'll go for a trail run tomorrow and hammer my way up the hill at Concord or maybe I'll go to yoga class so someone else can kick my behind. At this point, I'll do whatever it takes to survive the Great Strep Outbreak of 2017...

Friday, February 3, 2017

A Good Day at Work!

I posted on my Facebook page that my heart is happy and it is. I am always proud of our community but there are some days that are challenging and there are some times when I get bogged down in the "work" part that I forget about the fun stuff and the great support of the folks in our area.

For the month of January, I've been trying not to obnoxiously overwhelm everyone with requests to vote for KTC for a $5000 grant via the Moonshare Program. But, the requests have been there and I've been silently fretting that our sponsored posts and pleas wouldn't be enough to get the votes we needed to win. 

Yesterday, I found out that we were one of the top 12 groups meaning that at some point this year, we'll receive $5000 to use for our youth program.

I don't think it is a secret that KTC has struggled for a few years to build a youth program that reflects our organization and our mission and vision. We've tried a few things and they did okay but finding the best way to make a difference was very important. 

The idea for the Knoxville Youth Runs program was in development when I returned as the Interim ED. The program was launched in 2015 by volunteers and other than paying for the supplies, I didn't have a big hand in getting that site up and running.

Last spring after listening to our volunteer coaches describe the pilot program's success, we decided it was time to grow. I reached out to a friend at Great Schools Partnership to discuss how we could move into more schools. That meeting led to more meetings and we grew. Currently we are being emailed weekly with requests to grow more. Our volunteer program director has worked tirelessly to make sure that each site has what it needs and that we're doing a good job.

We don't charge for the program. These kids come from single parent homes or homes in which both parents work multiple jobs. These kids need the opportunity to participate without tryouts and cuts and to be given a chance to learn the basics of running and some basic life skills. Some of them don't even have shoes to run in. That hurts my heart and I'll personally buy shoes for these kiddos if need be.

I was involved in the launch of every program site last fall and I know that this is a good, solid program. I've seen some of these kids struggle to make one lap (200M for most of them) and I've seen them beam with joy when they can continuously run that same circle the next week.

Today is a good day at work. Today my heart is full knowing that I've got some funding to offset some of the cost of providing this program. And I owe this happiness to all of the people who took a few minutes every day to vote for KTC. I thank you and I know that our kids thank you!

If you'd like to donate directly to the program, please follow the link below. Every single dollar goes directly to providing program supplies, coach materials, t-shirts, medals, and incentive behaviors. 

A Weight Lifted

I started this blog when Jackson was a baby with the intent to write about everyday life with kiddos. There are tons of books out there on r...