We recently traveled to Oklahoma City for a swim meet and had a great experience staying in a SpringHill Suites by Marriott. The price point on this particular hotel is about $109, which is certainly reasonable. It’s even more reasonable when you factor in the  size the room, the breakfast, the amenities and the service.

SpringHill Suites, South MacArthur, Oklahoma City

There were four people in our party — my husband, my 10-year-old son and our 16-month-old daughter and me. The room was so large that we were able to put the portable crib (provided by the hotel at no extra charge) in the little cubby area by the sink, creating a perfect “out of the way” place for naptime and bedtime.

The living area provided enough room for the toddler to run around a little and for the rest of us to relax and watch TV.  I was able to work on my laptop, thanks to the free Wi-Fi, but the lobby also sported two updated computers with large screens and a nice printer.

Computer/printer in upper left corner

Our swim team also stayed at the hotel, and the complimentary breakfast was perfect for them. There were the usual eggs, waffles and pastries, but there was also a steaming pot of oatmeal with brown sugar, raisens and chopped walnut toppings, a vast array of fruit, yogurt and several healthy cold cereal choices. I was particularly fond of the multiple flavored Coffee Mate liquid creamer choices and the high-quality coffee that was available around the clock. And the employee who worked the breakfast was eager to help and kept everything fresh and refilled.

The desk staff was equally helpful and friendly, and Ryan was particularly courteous and efficient as he  helped us remedy a slight mix-up with our reservations. Then, the staff went above and beyond in the customer service department after we checked out. We left behind a bag FULL of dirty clothes and didn’t realize the clothes were missing until about four days after we returned home. We called the hotel and they had found the clothes in the room and were waiting for us to contact them. We received our stale, smelly laundry in the mail less than one week later. 

This stay — which was our first at a SpringHill Suites — definitely put this hotel on our radar for future travel.

It’s been a long time since I completed my college psychology requirement, but I remember a little bit and I’m pretty sure that I am currently the target of some “projection.”

According to this Wikipedia definition, psychological projection is a defense mechanism where a person’s personal attributes, unacceptable or unwanted thoughts, and/or emotions are ascribed onto another person or people.

Another definition says that projection is one of the defense mechanisms identified by Freud and still acknowledged today. According to Freud, projection is when someone is threatened by or afraid of their own impulses so they attribute these impulses to someone else.

Probably just about everyone has done this at some time or another. For example, I often accuse my husband of never being able to admit when he’s wrong when it comes to our arguments. Hmmm. I’m thinking someone else involved in our marital spats possesses a similar character defect?

Likewise, we’ve all had friends or acquaintances who complain about certain flaws in others, and as we listen to their complaints, we’re struck by the fact that the person complaining is guilty of the exact same behavior. I think projection is probably a fairly common – even normal — human defense mechanism.

Still, it feels odd to experience a textbook case of it, expecially when you’re the target of said projection. Do you ignore it or kindly, but firmly, call a spade a spade?  I’m not sure what my approach is going to be just yet.

I run almost everyday (I’m now officially failing on my New Year’s Smart Goals/Resolutions). But I typically only run between four and six miles. I’ve been doing some speed training, lowering my average from my lifelong 10-minute to about a 9-minute mile. That’s a good thing, I guess.

Still, I haven’t done any runs that take longer than an hour. Part of my problem is that I’m not training with anyone. For all of my other distance runs, I’ve had running pals. I trained for my first half marathon and my first marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program. I highly recommend this program for anyone who wants to do a longer event for the first time.

I’ve also trained for events with one of my best friends from high school and one of my former neighbors. We’d all complete our shorter weekday runs alone on our own time, but we’d meet on the weekends on the Katy Trail or another local park to do our longer training runs together.  We’d talk the whole way, so even the dreadful 20-mile training run was bearable for at least 2 1/2 to 3 hours. After that, no one is good enough company to keep your mind off your discomfort.

This time around, I’m on my own. My neighbor moved and my friend is busy with home remodeling projects.

My favorite way to keep keep myself entertained while running alone is to listen to books. I absolutely love audible.com, the digital version of books on tape. I used to carry a cumbersome cassette player, and then later, a CD player as I jogged for miles and miles. I’d rent books on tape, and later books on CD, from the library for free. But then I got a first-generation iPod Nano for Mother’s Day several years ago and a whole new world opened up. I’ve listened to all of Stephen King’s new books since then — Duma Key & Lisey’s Story & Stationary Bike — on my iPod while running.

My amazing church, Windsor Crossing, also uploads video and audio podcasts of its weekly services to iTunes, so when I miss church, I download the podcast and listen while I’m running.

Tomorrow I’m headed out for a 10-mile training run, and I’ve got about three hours left on my latest book from audible.com – “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers.  It’s a decent book, but not so engaging that it keeps my mind off the monotony of running 10 miles. I really wish Stephen King would’ve been kind enough to write something new for my current training regime. Anyone have a King-ish type book to suggest?

I received a letter in the mail today from my daughter’s middle school that really bothered me.  Here is the text of the body of the letter in italics and my thoughts on each section:

Our records indicate that your child has been absent 5 excused days this semester. 

Note the word “excused.” She missed three days for her participation in swim meets and two other days for family travel or  illness.  This is a kid who attends swim practice six to eight times per week, sometimes getting up for 5:30 a.m. practices before school and then returning to the pool for 5 p.m. practices after school. This is a kid who has time management skills that some college students haven’t achieved. This is the same kid who voluntarily stayed after school a few weeks ago to do an algebra review with her teacher because she was going to miss the in-class review due to an out-of-town swim meet.

Regular attendance is a significant factor in student acheivement and success at school. As you know, your child needs to be in the classroom to benefit from daily instruction. Research has continually shown the correlation between attendance, achievement and student learning. 

Really? My daughter has been recognized all three years in middle school for having a 4.0 GPA at the end of the first semester — including this year. She takes all challenge courses and is in an advanced/compacted language arts course. The lowest GPA she has achieved for any given quarter is 3.75.  Her standardized test scores typically land her in 99th percentile in language arts and in the high 90′s in all the other subjects. She took the ACT last year as a 7th-grader and scored a 21 without having had any high school language, math or science courses.  I am not worried about her achievement or student learning — at least not at this point in her education.

We do realize that student illness and family emergencies may prevent a child from attending school. However, we want to make you aware of the number of school days that your child has missed.

My understanding of district policy is that the absences wouldn’t have been marked as “excused” if I hadn’t contacted the school about them. Therefore, of course I AM AWARE of the days she has missed. So why was the letter really sent?

Rockwood School District Policy states that any absence in excess of eight days in one semester will require further home/school communications. This is initiated through our district social worker. Our district social worker can provide a variety of resources and assistance as necessary.

Is the school REALLY threatening the intervention of a social worker for a straight-A student who has never had any discipline problems at school, who is recognized for her grades and other school achievements, and who certainly contributes in a positive way to the school’s averages on the standardized tests? And what are these resources and assistance that she might need? Perhaps they could be utilized by a student who needs them?

We appreciate your support as we work together for your child’s education. If you have any questions, please call the school office . .

cc. Student File

cc. Counselor

I love the cc info at the end! In other words: “This is going in YOUR FILE!”

I promptly fired off an email to the school’s administrators. The gist of that email was what I wrote above, plus this:

“We certainly value her education and place a high priority on school. But we also think learning to manage her time in such a way that she can maintain a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA and still spend 12 to 16 hours a week in the pool is a good life skill.”

I’m featured this week on DeservingDivas.com. It’s suggested by Deserving Divas that I share this link on my Facebook page, via email with family and friends, on Twitter, etc. I’m not really comfortable with that, but figured my blog was an appropriate forum.

Now, she uses the same phrase for her sister, brother, Daddy and me. She’s also started saying the word “go” with a question emphasis. If she drops something, she holds her hands out and says “Go?” She also says:

• “side” when she wants to go outside
• “Duicy” when she wants juice
• “Paba” for peanut butter (a favorite food)
• Cheese
• “Mo” for Elmo
• “Bop” for Baby Bop
• “Dude” to greet her brother in the morning
• No
• “Shym” for Gym
• Mine
• Toes
• Eye
• Nose
• “Beddie” for belly

One of the many joys of having this baby is getting to relive and reminisce these fun times with my older children. Hearing her say “mine” reminds me of my son’s first use of the word. He was completely MY baby until he was about 3-years-old and he was very possessive of his Mommy. My DH used to tease him by putting his arms around me and saying, “My wife.” So, my son responded by hugging my legs and saying “Mine ife.”

Similarly, the baby’s desire to go outside constantly reminds me of my teen’s toddler days. She often used what my husband refers to as “Jedi mind tricks.” She’d repeatedly ask us questions that she wanted us to ask her. “Want to go to the park? Want to go to the park? Want to go to the park?” Finally, we’d say, “Do you want to go to the park?” And she’d say, “Okay,” as if it was our idea and we were twisting her arm.

Just before falling asleep last  night, my husband and I were talking about what an adorable child this baby is, which led us to discussing favorite memories about the other two kids. I remembered bringing my oldest to our bed in the early morning hours to nurse, and then waking up several hours later with her sound asleep between us, her blond curls sticking to her head and her fat little fists tucked up under her chin. I remembered my husband carefully, excruciatingly slowly lifting my sleeping son from our bed and trying to transfer him to his own crib. The instant he felt the emptiness of his crib, he’d begin wailing and I’d eventually give in and bring him back to the curve of my body.

I’ve said it before and I’ll write it again — it’s all going way too fast. It went too fast the first two times, and even though we’re more careful to live in and relish the moments this time around, those moments seem to move at warp speed.

My baby is 17 months old, and I promised myself (and my husband and my teen) that I would begin weaning her when I returned from spring break in Florida.

My teen wants me to wean the baby because she finds the whole breastfeeding thing a little embarassing now that DB can walk. My husband wants me to wean her because “if not now, then when?” He keeps referring to some ridiculous story about a kid from Kentucky who was breastfeeding and smoking at the same time. Whatever! Then again . . . . well, I shouldn’t insult my husband’s Kentucky roots.

Only my 10-year-old son seems to understand why this is hard. It’s almost like he remembers how special that time was when he was a baby. I weaned him at 14 months and I know he doesn’t remember. I know it’s only his kind-heartedness and empathetic nature that makes him melancholoy about his baby sister being weaned. But it’s still nice to have someone on my team.

I tried to keep my promise. I cut out daytime feedings starting last Friday and was trying to nurse DB only in the morning and at bedtime. My plan was to do that for a week, then cut out the bedtime nursing and then the morning one. But yesterday, she had a bona fide “drop and flop” tantrum in the middle of the day. First, she gave the nursing sign. Then she fussed loudly. Then she cried and pointed to our green recliner where I usually nurse her. Then she combined all of the above, but added some screaming into the mix and real alligator tears. I offered her sippy cup. I offered to hold her while she drank from her sippy cup. When I tried to hold her, she just threw herself backward, trying to get into the “nursing position” in my arms. It was just too sad. I caved. Actually, I caved with my  husband’s encouragement. He said, “Nurse her if it will give her some relief.”

So, I’m back to square one. I’m not sure how I’m going to accomplish this. I’m not the La Leche type. I love nursing my babies, and I’m sorry that season in my life is about to be over for the last time, but I’m not militant about it and I know it’s time. I mean, I don’t want her smoking and nursing at the same time.