I know I have mentioned on multiple occasions that my sister and I practically grew up in wood finishing shops. I remember knowing the different types of sandpapers when I was in elementary school. We drew faces on paint stir sticks and used them as dolls. We climbed on the wooden horses built to hold panels. A large dolly was our fort and we defended it with wads of used up masking tape. We created racetracks through the dirt with large shop brooms. We dangled from the metal bars on top of the forklift. We knew not to lean too far into a 55 gallon drum. We modeled the outfits we made out of clean rags. We exercised our imaginations every single day, eking out a child’s playground in a dusty, smelly, loud shop.

My parents still own the large fort dolly. I see it every time I go to the shop and it makes me smile, though it is a beast to move when it is fully loaded!

I left the kids with my mom today, and my sister and I spent the day at the shop. I admit that I am still timid there, fearful that I will make a mistake that will cause someone else time and money to fix. I ask a bazillion questions and beg people to look over my shoulder to make sure I am doing things right. I know with practice I will get the hang of it, it will just take time.

The kids spent their day very productively. When I got home, Big E sat on my lap and read me two books! He has never done that before and I congratulated him on a job well done. C has been reading through some chapter books and Baby E couldn’t wait to show me his worksheets where he drew straight lines. We also went for a walk in our neighborhood and the kids built with their legos.

After I got them to bed, I headed down to the treadmill. I hit my 3.1 miles (5k) this evening, a goal I had set for myself when I started last week. I did it in 32:47. I was so giddy I that I actually did it!! I haven’t been adding any inclines to my run, but by this time next week I hope to be doing that!