Last week of school...

As the last week of school began with 6 days worth of work to get through in 3 we were feeling ambitious yet quietly telling ourselves...perhaps we will need the holidays!

My overriding ambition was to attend the C2C forum at Brisbane School of Distance Education and meet the powers that be within the Department of Education. Those making the decisions (or following direction from the Minister), those writing the papers and those having to deliver the papers, that is the teachers and the parents of all 7 Schools of Distance Education.

Leaving my husband with the boys and our trusty contract musterers', I made my journey. It wasn't ideal timing, steers to muster and truck, weaners' to botulism and copper and feed out and of course we didn't get school finished, oh and food!

We are all busy and sometimes we can justify leaving that busy-ness behind and sometimes we can't. Lately I have not been my usual self, declining family party invitations, missing school clusters and not attending worthwhile fundraisers. However attending the forum, immersed around the writers and educators developing this curriculum was worth leaving all of my busy-ness at home for. I now understand why concepts are delivered the way they are and I respect the research and development that has gone into generating the C2C curriculum.

At the end of the day whether we are managing the curriculum in our home schoolrooms well or not, you have to tell yourself that it is only because you are trying to do the best possible job you can do. I am not a trained teacher and I don't profess to be so I have to be prepared to take a leap of faith in the system and trust that what is in the curriculum is backed up by the research and data collected from all of those who have gone before us to educate the adults of the future.

When we have a crappy day (as I did Wednesday) the frustration can be overwhelming, but that is my deal, that is my choice and it is up to me to seek help, take a break, let the kids out of the schoolroom, to do whatever it takes to get back on track.

Our first teacher always used to say "There are a thousand ways to skin a cat"... I believe it!

We left cold and wet Brisbane behind,

to come home to a

glorious, sunny CQ winters' day!

Rocky River Run

Never, ever, ever have I thought of myself as a runner,

never, ever, ever thought I would try something like this, but just over 12 months ago a good friend told me she was running, without style.

I hated running, I always got sore, particularly in my neck (a fracture 19 years ago to the day...followed by osteo-arthritis and hence chronic pain) I had written running off as a form of exercise for me. Being late to the party is also a trait of mine. I was already seeing a personal trainer once a week to improve my overall fitness but this was more cardio fitness for home.

Flat out being able to reach the fork in the road, 100m without blowing like a steam train, with a style not that dissimilar to Cliff Young (the gumboot shuffler who won the Sydney to Melbourne Ultra Marathon) and a cool app Couch to 5K...I set myself a goal, to run the 5km in Rocky River Run.

A gentle push from my personal trainer, I decided to give it a go.

Bike riding was part of it as well...you can clock up some miles on a bike..

A happy running partner,

And some joggers designed not to turn red like the colour of the road.

Late afternoon running was my preferred time too.

A year later the event rolled around...at last minute joined by this good friend (actually the deal was don't wait for me, run your own race)

Another good friend who agreed to keep up with this little might...when he was born he was busy, nothing has changed and this running business certainly suits his personality, he is so driven...god I am glad he picked me as his Mum, because he pushes me outside of my comfort zone...regularly.

It actually made it easier for me to train because we were in it together...

My Dad was selected to be water boy (as in hold the bag with the water bottles and jumpers and be waiting at the finish line).

As I headed down the last stretch, Dad high five'd me...so emotional, such a thrill and just a lot of fun! (Never ever thought I would call running fun either)

Drewe at last minute decided he could manage the 5km walk with another good friend (I need to find another noun helper!)

Inspired by www.iconiccowgirl.com and her blog about the question,

Why compete?

My answer is...it is not the destination but the journey. The competition pushed me to train, it pushed me to push him, he pushed me... as time poor individuals we found the time to train, its something that we worked together towards and we were both outside our comfort zone.

As for next year, goals are set:

Rohan's is to run the 10km...

Mine is to run the 5km faster...

"Never ever let anybody tell you, you can't do something"