The Goings On

Eek.  A whole week and no blog post.  I am really slipping.   I have thought about it, but there wasn't much to really say.

But - then I thought - I am Italian!  There is ALWAYS something to say, right?  So - how about a catch up post? 

Finley has been having some trouble with school.  She had a full blown meltdown last Thursday about not wanting to be there.  She told me it is too hard, and she can't see it, and everyone is doing better than she is, that she doesn't understand it, it moves too fast.....  on and on.  She just was so upset, and I felt so bad.

Most of what she says is not true.  Yes she has trouble seeing and yes it moves fast for her because it takes her awhile to process information.  But her teacher and I met this past Tuesday and she said she is doing just fine.  She didn't have over concerns about her - she is doing much better in reading with some support.  She is doing well in Math.  Will she ever be the top of her class?  No.  But she is holding her own.

She was also sick last week, so that didn't help.  This week has been much better.  She has gone to school willingly.  We have been talking more to her about ability, and we are going to put her back into counseling.  I feel that helped a lot last year with getting her to BELIEVE she can do it.  Because all the ability in the world isn't going to me anything if she doesn't have the will power.

We are working on having three fundraisers for our foundation in 2014.  The first one will be April 27th, 2014 in North Park, Allison Park, Pennsylvania.  This one will be a true running event - no picnic attached to it.  It is the weekend before the Pittsburgh Marathon, so we are hoping to draw some runners who just want to practice for the big marathon.  We are doing a 1 mile, 5 mile, 10 mile, and 15 mile runs.  We are anxious to see if we can pull this off, and then it will just be an annual thing for us.  I am excited to try a "Race only" event.

Our second event will be in Massachusetts on June 8th, 2014.  This is the same event we had in Massachusetts last year - just a different date.  We have to have it on a Sunday this year because of when soccer falls for the town kids.  Yes - I am working around soccer.  The reason for that is (even though none of my kids play) is that soccer is HUGE in this town, and over 600 kids play.  That takes away just about everyone I know.  And they will choose soccer-  as much as they love us - because it is around the last game of the season.

So I wasn't even about the fight that battle.  We are going to start the event at 1pm, and have a "desset and fruit bar" instead of lunch this time.  We will still have the bounce house, hair feathers, face painting, music, and all the fun.  This one will be a 5K run/walk and a 1 mile fun run on a trial, just like last year.

Our THIRD and FINAL event is our annual Connellsville race.  We are having that event on August 16th this year - a week earlier than normal. Last year we got a lot of feedback that being the weekend before school wasn't the greatest, so we are going a week earlier.  So we will see if that improves turnout or we just need to think about moving it out of August all together.  We will be offering a 5K, 10K for sure, but not sure about the 1 mile.  I would LOVE to do a 10 mile, but I don't know if we will get the runners.  The 10K was much more popular this past year than before, so we will see.  We are having this event first thing in the morning because of the heat.  WE are making it MUCH shorter this year - it will be over by 12:30 or so, so that will help as well.  We will still have lunch, bounce house, face painting, hair feathers, basket raffle, etc.  Going to be a fun time.

So we are keeping busy.  If you live near any of these areas, we hope you will come and join us.  We have a lot (a lot) of money to raise this next year, so we are going to be pushing as hard as we can.  It is going to be crazy, but fun!


As for everything else - we are just hanging in there.  Arlington and Cainan are doing well.  Having great years at school.  Cainan is loving Karate - he goes twice a week.  He is still in his reading and math program outside of school and that has given him such a great base for school.  Arlington just finished a basketball clinic and is about to start Rec. basketball for the winter.  She has also joined the yearbook club at school and the news club.

Busy, busy.  We are looking forward to the holidays and visiting with family.  Time is moving along fast!