Life and Times of the Sharp Family

Today as we were driving home, we passed the fraternity houses at Albion College, like we always do.  Colby and I have sort of a running joke that whenever the temperature breaks 60 degrees, the fraternity members lose their shirts to do whatever it is they are doing. Throwing the football?  Shirtless. Playing beach volleyball?  Shirtless. Grilling?  Shirtless. And foolish. Sitting on a picnic table doing nothing?  Shirtless. Apparently at Albion it is too hot to do anything with a shirt on if it's not snowing.   I find it totally unnecessary. When we pulled up to the stop sign today, the brothers were out in full force.  There were easily 40 of them out playing volleyball or just hanging around. Dharia crinkled up her nose in disgust, looked at me from the backseat and said, "Mommy, why are they all naked?" I couldn't help but crack up at my daughter, who I can only imagine will be disgusted by half-naked fraternity guys for so long. ...

I like my dog. I have never been a huge dog person, and when Colby suggested getting a family puppy during the waning days of spring break, I have to admit that I was more than a little bit skeptical. Dogs shed.  They poop and it stinks.  They lick you and it's gross. When I saw this snow white, tiny, helpless puppy waiting to be rescued, however, none of that mattered. My kids named her Goose, and I fell in love. She does shed. She does poop.  A lot. She does lick me and I'm still not a huge fan. But, she also takes naps with me.  She curls up in my lap after a long day and lets me snuggle her.  She follows me around the house like I'm a rockstar.  She will play tug of war with me as long as I want. I  am so thankful for my new friend and member of our family. Thank God for Goose! Lord, thank you for our new puppy.  Thank you for the joy she has already brought to our family.  In your name I pray, Amen.

My dad took me out to Qdoba for lunch.  I think I could eat the vegetarian burrito every darn day.  Seriously.  The guacamole, the salsa verde, the black beans...mmmmmm....yep, I could definitely go there every day.  Maybe even twice. Not only was it amazingly delicious, but it was a blessing to be able to hang out with my dad and my kids, goofing around throughout the meal.  He has had a busy week, so I haven't been able to see him a whole lot lately.  We got to catch up a bit, which was really nice. I think this picture about sums it up: Thank God for Qdoba! Lord, thank you for a great lunch with my dad today.  Thank you for delicious vegan options that I wouldn't mind eating every day too.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I went out on the road with my bike for the first time of the season today. As I pedaled for two hours, I had plenty if time to reflect on all of the things I had forgotten about road biking during my winter hiatus, such as: Cars who don't get over! Giant, man-eating pot holes! Rotting road kill carcasses! Stupid, cold wind! White knuckle, panic-inducing railroad tracks! But with all of these things, I also remembered how good it feels to be free out on the open road with your heart pounding in your chest and your spirit soaring over each crest. Quicksilver has been relegated to her trainer since late last Fall, and though she is definitely overdue for a tune up, it was good to take her out to stretch her "legs". On this, my last day of being 30, I am thankful for the beautiful day and for the chance to go on a beautiful ride. Thank God I'm on the road again! Lord, thank you for the sunshine and balmy temperatures today. Thank you for the ability t...

After school today Colby and I headed to Comerica Park to watch the Tigers play the Braves. The Tigers destroyed the Braves 10-0. Tiger pitcher  Anibal Sanchez struck out 17 Braves setting a new franchise record. Lord, thanks for allowing us to spend some time this evening and witness a little bit of history. 

I just came upstairs to crawl into bed after an incredibly long and hard day. When I turned the corner to enter my room, this is what I saw. She is so sweet and I love that she hijacked our bed for a couple of hours while Colby and I were still downstairs. She's resourceful, that AJ. Thank God for my little bed borrower! Lord, thank you for my sweet daughter and the funny, adorable surprise she gave me tonight. In your name I pray, Amen.

This afternoon, My daughter drew a picture and asked me to hang out on the refrigerator. It was a portrait of her family. There we were, holding hands all in a row. She patiently named everyone in the picture. I thought that the small creature on my left was Goose, but when I pointed to it and asked who it was she looked at me exasperatedly and said, "It's a spider mom. And you're killing it because you really don't like spiders." Yep. Totally true. And totally awesome that my fierce hatred of spiders made it onto our sweet family picture. I am thankful for this lovely, funny memory that we made tonight. Thank god for our family portrait! Lord thank you go funny things that bring us joy. Thank you for my daughter, who brings laughter and sunshine to every day. In your name I pray, Amen.

I have been home sick all day.  Not eating, just sleeping. After an exceptionally long nap (for which I was joined by my new napping buddy, Goose), I finally started to feel like I might be able to eat something.  Around 3 pm, I jumped in the van with Goose and took an adventure to Marshall, the home of our nearest Taco Bell. I want to pause for just a moment to ask if anyone else thinks it's weird that Albion doesn't have a Taco Bell.  Doesn't Albion seem like prime Taco Bell real estate?  I really think it would do well here.  I know I would frequent the Taco Bell Albion frequently, if there was one. So, I went through the Marshall Taco Bell drive through.  As a side note, Taco Bell is a vegan dream.  I got two bean burritos without cheese, some chips and guacamole, and cinnamon twists.   It felt so good to eat again.  Every bite was bliss. This was the only meal I have been able to eat in the past two days that hasn't made me feel ...

This afternoon, I started to feel very ill after school.  I (stupidly) ran almost 12 miles and had to stop several times because I felt so nauseous and dizzy that I thought I would vomit.  When I finally made it back to the school, it was a battle to walk to my classroom and back out to the van.   I had to fight to get home. When I shuffled through the door, my husband was eagerly waiting to take all of us to T-Ball practice. I wasn't exactly thrilled about going to a practice with the way that I was feeling.  Colby heard what was going on and took about 2 seconds before offering to take all of the kids and the puppy so that I could rest and recover. I took a hot shower and laid down in my bed.  When the kids got back, I wish I could say that I was feeling better, but I wasn't, really.  I was able to come downstairs and snuggle with them for a bit before bedtime, though. I am so thankful for my husband, who was kind enough to give me the night off t...

Even though the last couple of days have been beyond crazy, I still managed to give all three kids a bath tonight, which was no easy task.  But, it was long overdue and had been nagging at the back of my mind every time I wiped their face or changed their clothes.  So, even though it was a time-intensive process, I was happy to get those kids scrubbed down.  I love their fresh scent as they come out of the bathtub all warm and pink, their skin smooth and soft.  I brushed the girls' long hair out and tied them up in tight, neat piggy tails. As a bonus tonight, I even trimmed all three of their finger and toe nails -- another decidedly unpleasant task.  I swear their nails grow like weeds and they manage to get all manner of dirt and debris embedded within the tip. I look at my kids all curled up on the couch, a sleepy dog sprawled out on their laps, and I don't feel that nagging thought any more.  I see beautiful, happy, clean kids who look a little like...

I had the opportunity to attend the "Connected Educators" Un/Conference today.  This conference was full of exciting ideas and people doing amazing things in schools and classrooms all over Michigan. Let me just say that something had better be good for me to give up a Saturday. After the conference, my brain was whirring with thoughts and plans for my own classroom.  And, since Saturday is normally a day for me to rest (at least mentally), I found myself drifting off on the way home from the conference.  I was worried that I would have to pull off to the side of the road and take a cat nap. Through slapping my cheeks and singing to the radio, I finally made it home.  When I texted my dad to tell him I had arrived, he sent me a reply saying that he and the kids were still out in Leonidas with my grandparents and wouldn't be back for over an hour. I saw an opportunity for one of my most favorite things ever: a midday nap. Since having a puppy, I find myself ...

Even though it was Friday, I knew I needed to do my long run before leaving school for the weekend.  Since Colby is in San Antonio presenting for the International Reading Association, I am on solo parenting duty.  This, as I'm sure you can imagine, makes Ironman training even more difficult than normal.  I am relegated to training that I can do while someone watches the kids for me or at home. So, anyway, the long run. It was an hour and half run that needed to be done, and I was already asking people to watch the kids for various other reasons this weekend.  It was now or never.  Even so, it was cold and a fierce wind was howling outside my windows. I didn't wanna run. I eventually got over myself, bundled up and headed out into the blustery cold.  An hour and a half later, I returned to the parking lot -- freezing but happy.  I sucked it up and did what I needed to do. I felt proud and tough. Then, I walked over to my van and saw my big fa...

I tried out something new in my classes today.  My students were looking at me like they wanted to day during our second day of discussing and practicing drawing Lewis structures for covalent molecules.  In my third hour, I got an idea in my head and I decided to try it out. I asked my students to completely clear their desks of all materials except for their periodic tables.  Then, I gave each of them a dry erase marker (okay, to be perfectly honest, I actually chucked them across the room) and a piece of paper towel.  Instead of going through tedious example problems on a sheet of paper, or watching my do them on the board, I asked them to write their work on the surface of their desks with the dry erase markers. You should have seen their faces when I told them to write on the desks.  In an instant, I won them back over.  They were still practicing Lewis structures, but their whole demeanor changed.  They became engaged, active, happy learners v...

Breslin and Dharia had their first ever T-Ball practice today and they had a blast. They loved throwing the ball, running the bases, and taking a few swings. They have lots to learn, but it was great to see them have such a great time playing baseball. Lord, thank you for giving our kids an opportunity to participate in healthy activities. Thanks for giving them a great experience on their first night of T-Ball. In Your name I pray, Amen. 

Tonight we had tacos for dinner with our dear friends April and Brian. We had a delightful time enjoying each other's company. And the tacos were delicious too. :) Thank god for tacos! Lord thank you for the good dinner and good company we had tonight. In your name I pray, Amen.

Some days are great: there are rainbows and puppies and laughter and sunshine. And then there are days like today. It was a day where no glass of wine would have been big enough. But somewhere in the serenity between my children's bedtime and my own, I managed to pour myself a generous glass of reisling. And somehow, in those precious, peaceful moments, the stress and ridiculousness that was today just dissipated. I am truly thankful for the short respite I had this evening to out my feet up, have a drink, and relax. God knew that I needed a mommy time out. Thank God for my big ol' glass of wine! Lord thank you for some time to relax and recover to tonight. In your name I pray, Amen.

We finally had some spring sunshine today, and we decided to spend it at Ketchum Park in Marshall. The kids had a blast running, screaming, and playing. Lord, thank you for giving us an opportunity to play together outside as a family. In Your name I pray, Amen. 

After Breslin and Dharia's first (and very cold) soccer game, we happened to hear about an event at Albion College's Held Equestrian Facility called "Giddy Up!"  Apparently, they were opening the barn up to the community and offering fun activities for kids.  When the girls heard about it, they bubbled with excitement, so after lunch, I bundled them up for the second time this chilly Saturday and herded them into the van.  Breslin decided he wanted to go to.  Off we went. As we entered the barns, we were greeted by Highland, a giant dappled gray horse who tolerated my kids stroking him and squealing with glee.  Then, we embarked upon a scavenger hunt, where my kids wrote down the names of various types of horses they found in the barn.  We found a Bay, a Chestnut, the dappled gray, a black, and a white. After our scavenger hunt, we turned the corner where equestrian team members taught my kids how to brush a horse named "Capote".  They used a curry...

Breslin and Dharia had their first soccer practice this afternoon.  When they got home, Dharia was complaining that her feet hurt and I realized that her shoes were getting pretty tight.  Her Minnie Mouse Adidas sneakers weren't going to cut it for her first big game.  Oh yeah, did I mention that the first game is tomorrow? So, after practice it was apparent that one of us was going to need to purchase some cleats for our dear budding soccer players.  Ones that would not hurt their feet. As the night wore on, our options became limited in terms of what stores would still be open.  At 8:30, these options had dwindled to just one: Meijer. Breslin and I set out armed with a kick butt playlist and a positive attitude.   We jammed all the way  to Meijer, singing and laughing.  When we arrived, we quickly found cleats that worked, much to my amazement.  They are tiny little Diadoras!  Ahhhhh so cute! But, despite our efficiency, we dec...

Today AJ got a book about a family of blue jays in the mail. The illustrations in the book were photographs, but for some reason AJ thought it was a book about a chicken and a turtle. She went on to passionately read me a story about a turtle and a chicken. It was darn cute. Lord, thank you for my wonderful little girl and her wild imagination. In Your name I pray, Amen. 

When I was in 4th grade, I started doing gymnastics at the Great Lake Gymnastics Club (or GLG) in Lansing, Michigan.  GLG was the predecessor to the infamous Twistars Gymnastics.  In fact the head coaches at Twistars were the head coaches at GLG back in the day. To say that GLG was hard core would be a vast understatement. With military-like precision, we drilled and conditioned in the warehouse-sized gym for 5 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week.  We learned at a young age the meaning of discipline. Each and every practice, we rotated through all four of the events, plus a rotation solely devoted to conditioning.  It was the one we dreaded the most: 45 minutes full of strengthening exercises and other instruments of torture you couldn't even imagine.  I vividly remember hanging from a high bar with a weight belt strapped around my waist and my coach pulling down on my feet desperately struggling to complete a set of chin-ups.  And that wasn't even the wo...

Tonight I got to snuggle with Breslin on the couch a little bit.  We had been playing outside for a good part of the evening, and we were getting some quality time in before bed. I asked him about various parts of his day, and for some reason, he was describing how his "centers"  work at school.  Apparently, he is on the "Red Team", which he loves because it is his favorite color.  When I inquired as to who his teammates were, he specifically named Seth, who I remembered from his birthday party.  I asked him who else was on the Red Team and he told me: "Ummmmm....there are others, but Seth is my very favorite.  Seth is my very best favorite friend." I was so excited (and a little surprised) to hear that Breslin has such a good friend at school, that I gave him a little squeeze.  He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Well, actually Seth is just 2nd place, mom." I craned my head up from where I was snuggling him to look at him and asked,...

Today marks my first official day of Ironman training. I knew that this coinciding with the first day back to school from spring break made for a precarious situation.  I doubted very much that I would feel like working out hard and long after the emotional drain of this day. During the day, I dreaded working out.  I was exhausted.  I had a headache.  I missed my kids.  I missed my puppy. After school, I had to scoot out quickly so that I could get Goose checked out by the veterinarian.  So, my after school workout time slot got cut, and I was seriously wondering how in the world I was going to fit my training in--or if I even wanted to. I did some serious thinking and decided that I needed to stop looking for all the ways training was hard and think about all the ways that training was wonderful.  It wasn't especially easy today, but I'm glad that I did it and I feel good about pushing through anyway. There is a saying I love: "A journey o...

The last day of winter, summer, and spring break are always hard. Transitioning from a lot of family time to very little family time is never fun. Today was one of those days. Thankfully, we got to spend the day together as a family. Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to spend the evening together as a family. Thanks for letting each Sharp have a relaxing day. Please help us transition tomorrow morning. In Your name I pray, Amen. 

This has been one of those days that makes your head spin and leaves you writing in capital letters and using way too many exclamation points late at night on your blog: 1) AJ TURNED THREE!   My sweet little baby with the wig on told me this morning that "Now I'm biiiiiig, momma."  It's true.  I am so thankful to be her mom. 2) DHARIA AND BRESLIN GOT SAVED! They sat down in the living room today and each asked Jesus into their hearts.  It was one of the best moments of my life. 3) OTHER AWESOME THINGS HAPPENED THAT ARE NOT AS BIG OF A DEAL BUT STILL COOL, INCLUDING: a. AJ got her first ever bike!  So much fun! b. We got a puppy!  We rescued a little 8.5 week old lab/dalmatian puppy this afternoon and the kids named her "Goose". c. I made more vegan cupcakes! d. We babysat our niece Harper! e. We visited the Chelsea Tree House! f. We ate Taco Bell! So, yeah.  This day...the blessings were so bountiful that I literally didn't know whe...

Well, I guess it's time I made it blog official: I am adopting a vegan lifestyle. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, be warned.  When I describe it to you I will sound more than a little crazy. Vegan has many different definitions, but most often refers to a person who consumes no animal products.  Generally speaking, this rules out eating all meat, eggs, and dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.) and a few other obscure things that are animal-derived. I made this decision nearly three weeks ago, after thinking about the pros and cons long and hard.  I won't bore you with them now, although I'm sure you can come up with many of the cons yourself.  Someday when I have more time and energy, I may spend some more time going over why I chose to go vegan, but today is not that day. So far, being vegan has been an incredible journey and amazingly easier than I ever imagined it would be. I have seriously loved every day and have not felt deprived or starving ...

Today, Colby and I were spontaneous and decided to stay one more day in Charlevoix to get in a final day of snowboarding and some quality time together. And by Colby and I being spontaneous, I mean I begged and pleaded with Colby to stay another day. So, stay we did.  And we got in an entire extra day of carving up the slopes of Nub's Nob.  We laughed and goofed around, held hands on the chair lift, and talked for hours.  I feel like I've talked with my husband more in the past three days than I had in the past three months before this trip. We quickly made our way over to the front of the mountain where most of Nub's black diamonds are.  With the fresh snow and warm sun, we knew the perfect conditions wouldn't last long. One of our favorite runs of the day was "Scarface", which we went down several times, each time looking at each other at the end before the lift and saying "That was amazing!" or something to that effect.  The hill is steep ...

This morning, we stopped by a little grocery store called The Grain Train in Petoskey on our way to Nub's Nob.  We were hoping to score some good coffee.  We did get some excellent coffee, but we did not expect to be wowed by the coolness of this quaint little co-op.  All of the food was local and healthy.  It was environmentally conscious and had a great hippie-Earth vibe.  You could press your own peanut butter, for Pete's sake!  It was a ton of fun for Colby and I to walk the aisles together, sipping our fair trade coffee with organic creamer while exploring a whole new world of grocery shopping. Thank God for The Grain Train! Lord, thank you for an opportunity to do some fun and different with my husband today.  Thank you for the chance to buy healthy food from local sources.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Grammar nerd alert: This is NOT my video and YES there are significant grammar errors contained within.  It is meant for listening/lyrics/illustration purposes only. This song came on today while I was packing up to go up to Charlevoix with Colby for a couple of days.  It just so happened that it was playing as my girls wandered in, with their princess dresses and sparkly tiaras on.  I lifted them each up and spun them around.  We held hands and danced in a circle.  The giggled in delight as I looked into their eyes and sang, "'Cause you're amazing, just the way you are!" And you know what?  I think that when they smile, even if the whole world doesn't stop and stare for a while, I sure do. Thank God he gave me these amazing girls! Lord, my daughters are amazing.  Thank you for a chance to tell them today.  In your name I pray, Amen.