Juggling and Jiggling

There are lots of terrible things about being divorced, but the very worst of all is that I don't get to be with my kids as much as I'd like. Since somebody has to pay the mortgage and feed this brood, I still have to work full-time while I'm studying for the Utah bar. Motivated by a healthy fear of failing, I'm taking a review class that goes every single night from 6pm until 9:30pm or 10pm. Which means I take my kids to school in the morning and then I don't see them (awake) until the next morning.

I hate this. I HATE THIS. Seriously. By Tuesday nights, I'm so lonely for them that I'm tempted to wake everyone up when I get home, just so I can talk to them, hug them, hear how the day went, tell them I love them without having to whisper it to their sleeping faces. My sainted parents are saving us. Again. Just in case somebody well-connected with The Big Decisionmaker In The Sky (I think you know who I mean, but let's be honest, I'm bordering on blasphemy already) is reading this, I would like to state once and for all, on the record, that my parents should go to Heaven. No questions asked. Just open those Pearly Gates and usher them to the mansion that is undoubtedly being prepared for them. My mom picks up everyone after school, entertains them all afternoon, takes care of homework, dinner, bathtime, bedtime, the whole nine yards. Then, as if she hadn't done enough already, she does their laundry. I wouldn't even let her help me with the laundry when I was in law school! Now, she just does it before I even have a chance.

Juggling the schedule we've got right now is a full-time job in and of itself. Really, I need a wife. However, since I'm not switching teams ever...my poor parents are just going to have to continue to pony up.

Anyhoo....I miss my kids. So I'm grateful for the upcoming holiday. While I should be studying, I won't be. I'm going to let everyone sleep in my bed (ahahahahaha!! I say "let" as though I have a choice in the matter! I'm hilarious!! And delusional!) and then we're sleeping in, eating whatever we feel like and hanging out all day. I think it's supposed to snow.....and depending on how many inches we get, we may just hunker down by the fire, watch movies and play the Wii all day long. Mmmm.....heaven....

RUNNING UPDATE:

I've been sticking to my training schedule and, the other day, ran further than I'd ever run in my life. I'm too self-conscious to say how far. Ok, no, I'm not. 5 miles. I know, I know, it's not even a 10K. But hey, if I had to run to Centerville...I totally could. Of course, I'd have to call you for a ride home, but eventually, I won't.

The gear that Guy at Salt Lake Running Company gave me is awesome -- I run outside in the pre-dawn hours and stay relatively warm. Well, most of me does. The other morning I was loping along (a hint as to how fast I am...not very) and I thought to myself, "Wow, I've only been running for about a week and already there's less jiggle back there. However, I soon realized that I'd been deceived. My nerve endings were just frozen. Sad. Disappointing. I thought I'd actually frozen my butt off, which would have been spectacular.