This Girl

This girl brings me so much joy. Part of it is her age. 

Though two can be challenging, it's also a wonder to watch her discover the world.

Part of it is simply her. Immersed in the world of little boys for over five years before she arrived, maybe that's why I notice the gender differences. While she can wrestle and holler with the boys, she also has this girly attitude that fascinates me. 

It's more than just stereotypical female characteristics. All three of my kids possess qualities that can be generally assigned to the opposite gender. 

Maybe it's because I'm aware of the challenges that this little girl is going to face because she's a female. It's been on my mind quite a bit this semester due to conversations I've had with female students and peers.

I was recently reminded of an article I read that recommended reminding our little girls that they are pretty when they are active - not just when they are dressed up. I had just put a dress on H. She looked down at herself and exclaimed, "I'm pretty." 

I said, "Yep. You sure are. You're also pretty when you run. Really fast."

She smiled as we talked about other moments when she's pretty.

She can now tell you when she's pretty: when she runs (she pumps her arms in place), when she laughs (including big laughs), and even when she's sad.

Maybe in a decade she'll remember this conversation when there's pressure to look a certain way.
Maybe it'll help us have more conversations about being female in this world.

I'm looking forward to conversations with this girl as she is navigating the world.

And maybe just maybe I'll get another runner out of the bunch.

Running Update 2:03:10

I ran my fifth half marathon this past Sunday in Tulsa. It was a good experience all around: the race itself and a road trip weekend with a friend. Stephanie and I drove up Saturday afternoon in time to go by the expo to pick up our race packets and jackets.

Here are the memorable things about the pre-race:

1. We stayed at a hotel that was part of the Route 66 Race so we would have a shuttle to the race. This was definitely worth the discounted price. After we checked in, we ate at the pasta buffet at the restaurant. It was a good idea: we didn't have to drive anywhere AND it was yummy!

2. Then we just hung out in our room watching SNL clips until it was an acceptable hour to go to bed. I don't think either of us slept great; I think we had pre-race jitters.

3. The hotel provided a box breakfast for all runners. It had a variety of food so we both got to eat something that worked for each of us.

4. I realized how cold it was on the shuttle. As I waited for the race to begin, my hands and feet went numb. A woman at the start line told me this year was much colder than the prior year. A man gave me one of those warming packets you hold in your hands. I used it the first few miles alternating it in my hands warming them up. Then I stuck it in my pocket. Good thing. At the finish, it was still warm and helped to warm my hands up again while I waited for Stephanie. 

During the Race...

1. It took about 3 miles until I could feel my feet again. This was the coldest temperature I had ran a considerable distance. At the end of the race, I was coughing a bit from the cold air, but it wasn't too bad. 

2. I realized about a kilometer in that my watch was set on kilometers. I had done a speed work out on my last run and forgot to change it back to miles. This actually might have been helpful for me. I paid attention enough to know I wasn't going too fast at the beginning watching my kilometer times. I would see mile markers and check my overall time, but I wasn't obsessed too much about the time. Mainly because I couldn't convert km pace times to mile pace times effectively in my head while I'm running a half marathon!

3. Around mile 6 I was feeling good. I could tell my training was paying off. I was handling the hills just fine. Six months ago, those hills would have really slowed me down. 

4. I had this ankle-calf cramp off and on the entire race. I think it was from the cold. At mile 10, I was tired. And so cold. And hurting. Not as bad as I was during my last half marathon, but still ready to be done. This was the point of the race that I start to have these thoughts:

What the crap was I thinking when I thought running hills in the cold was a good idea?

Why in the world did I think I'll ever want to run a full marathon? There's no way.

I think I'm slowing down too much. There's no way I'm going to make my two-hour goal.

I have discovered that part of running is the head game you have to play with yourself. I started reassuring myself that it was almost over and that I had this. Towards the end of the race, other runners are even more encouraging. I had a nice female runner yell out encouraging words as I passed her on the road. I was actually surprised when I crossed the finish line and saw my time.

 Though I was hoping for a two-hour time or less, I was happy with my PR. It was a rough course that morning: rolling hills and cold temperatures. I could tell my training had paid off. 

Recently, my fast friend Pam told me, "I run because it isn't easy. It's about getting out there and doing what you can with what you got."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I Love My TA

So I'm pretty sure I have the best TA. I've managed to hang on to her for the last couple of semesters. She's great with students and gets her work done quite efficiently. She even wrote a lab for my engineers about making ice cream and colligative properties. Her enthusiasm for chemistry is contagious.

But she set the bar higher last week when she wrote this on the board in lab:

That's right, folks. My TA made a new lab rule: No YOLO in the lab. You don't get to take risks in chemistry lab. (The other rules written on the board are basic lab rules especially when you're doing a titration and reading a buret.)

And thanks to our lab coordinator (who has a teenage daughter) and my TA, I learn a new word each week that I have to look up on Urban Dictionary. Today was "fleek" as in, "Your eyebrows are on fleek." 

And yes, we are super cool over in the chemistry labs.

My Running Journey Continues

I've been writing about my running journey over the last year and half (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3). I had done two half marathon races the few months before I left for Oxford; the second one was pretty rough. I was needing some consistent good running.

One of the things I loved about my time in Oxford was that I got to run almost daily. It was cool weather for running compared to Oklahoma July heat. There were other people in my group that ran, too. I usually ran with Myron and sometimes Patty or April joined us. It was helpful to have someone to run with most days: more accountability to get my butt out of bed early before breakfast and classes. My college was near the University Parks which had running paths, but I also ran through town or on a country path along the River Thames. The University Parks weren't always open that early so we would jump a wall to get into the park. Looking back, that probably wasn't the smartest. It would have been awful if I had twisted my ankle or something jumping down. I preferred running on the country trail. I always saw lots of rabbits hopping about the trail. I got to see crew teams practicing on the river. I had heard about how it's common for English people to take a quick swim. It's true: I saw some English runners stop and take a dip in the river (clothes and all).

The first couple weeks I averaged about 3-4 miles a day, probably getting over 20 miles a week. By the third week, we started upping the mileage and went on some longer runs. Myron and I got lost on our last long run (we are both directionally challenged), and our 9-mile run turned into about a 12-mile run: almost a half marathon. A group of us are hoping to do a half marathon next July when we are back in Oxford.

I came back from Oxford stronger and faster. Running consistently had paid off. Not only did I lose weight in July, but my diet was better too. I came back home with a better attitude about food; I had learned some things. I'm hypoglycemic, and have lived much of my life in fear of my sugar dropping. It's awful when my sugar levels drop so I tend to overeat at night, hoping to curve a sugar drop before bed. My room in Oxford didn't have a refrigerator so I only had a few snacks in my room. I learned that if I ate a good, healthy dinner, I was totally okay without having a snack before bed. Even if I was a little hungry, my sugar levels wouldn't drop. I learned to tell the difference when I really needed to eat and when I just wanted to eat. I ate a banana each morning before my run and did just fine. I didn't have a hypoglycemic attack the whole month of July and knew that I needed to continue that at home. I cook more often since being home to ensure I'm eating better. I'm mostly able to avoid needlessly snacking. I've lost more weight (I'm almost down to pre-Casen size!), but most importantly, I have the energy to run and haven't had any sugar problems. When people ask me how I've lost weight, it's just the boring answer: watch what I eat and exercise.

I started cross-training in August regularly. I ride the bike once or twice a week to give my knees and feet a break from high impact. I also started lifting, mainly because I enjoy it. I made a work out schedule to not only have set times I can work out (five times a week), but I also have specific work outs. Each week includes speed work, hills work out, and a long run. I usually have one day that I just run 4-5 miles at a decent pace but nothing fancy.

The consistency and hard work are paying off. I get a PR every few weeks.

My big accomplishment will be when I run a 7-minute mile.

I'm hoping to break 25 minutes for a 5K soon.

I can run faster longer now.

 I'm working to reach my time goal next weekend for the Tulsa half marathon (close to two hours). Every time I tell someone I'm running the half in Tulsa, I hear one of two things:
"That's a really hilly course."
and
"That'll be a cold one; it's always is."

So here's to hoping that I have good news to report in a week regardless of hills and cold!

Reading and Sleeping

The boys have this reading contest at school so they've been extra motivated to read extra. L Child read me "Are You My Mother?" Saturday and Sunday (it's a long one for a five-year-old learning to read so we split it up to two days).

C wanted to get 15 more minutes in so he read on the hard floor. This would kill my knees:

And H? We read at night time usually. I have no pictures, but she was extra cute 

during her nap yesterday so she's in the post too. 

Surprise, surprise.

Yes, that's Elsa and Anna next to her.
She's holding onto the doll that Gram got her at her first Christmas.

Focus

Shortly after I returned from Oxford, I went on a morning run with Pam. We talked a lot about how studying abroad changes you. It was helpful to process and listen to Pam's own college experience when she studied in Europe one semester. I think the topic came up about what I loved most about my time in Oxford (I was asked that a lot upon my return home). While it's a long list, and I think my answers vary depending on the day, one of my answers is how I could focus on one thing at a time while I was there.

The program itself had clear objectives including equipping professors for S&R research and training them for interdisciplinary work. This objective was played out by the weekly structure.

Three days a week, we had lectures, Q&As, book discussions, and workshops broken up with coffee breaks and meals. Though I was mentally exhausted by the end of the day, there was something invigorating listening to topics and ideas that I'm mostly passionate about ("mostly" because 1) some days I was pretty tired, especially the first week when I had jet lag, or was sick during the third week, and 2) some topics did not catch my interest or was way over my head). Every once in awhile, I'd realize I was in the presence of a great scholar in science & religion. Such a treat.

I had coffee and a pastry probably twice a day during our lecture days.  I tell  friends that England was a magical place. I could eat pastries and never gain weight (thankyouwalkingeverywhereandrunning).

The other two weekdays were study days. I worked on my paper for my tutor or had a mentoring session (or two). These days were more relaxed which met that I usually enjoyed a walk to the library or the SCIO building and might get sidetracked by a museum or a church. I also usually grabbed a baguette sandwich and ate lunch walking somewhere. Lots of quiet reflection and silence which for this introvert was much appreciated after the very social lecture days.

Reading in the Bodelein. Without gum chewing. The librarian at the entrance made me spit out my gum. Across from the library "because there are no receptacles here...because you aren't supposed to have food or drink!"

Evenings and weekends were busy with discussing ideas and life with friends and scholars at a local pub, sight-seeing, and a couple evening lectures that were not part of my program.

Got to walk through the countryside to find this jewel. Pretty view. Good food. Great conversation. 

Whatever day it was, I could just focus on one thing at a time. Learn about the history of science? Done. Research in the library about aesthetics? Done. Listen to a Nobel Prize laureate discuss humanities and science? Done. Share my project and get feedback? Done. I didn't have to grade or answer my daily hundred emails from students and colleagues. I wasn't multi-tasking between preparing a lecture and finding childcare.

When I told Pam the gist of all this, I remember her telling me that it makes sense I loved my time in Oxford. I was the type of person that liked to focus in on one task at a time and get it done. Then move on to the next thing. It's true. One of my struggles in graduate school was having to take care of multiple big projects at the same time: research for my dissertation, writing my proposal, and teaching. I just wanted to focus on one thing at a time.

So the focus in Oxford was part of my experience. Having a month to just focus on my work (and myself) was pretty awesome. I highly recommend it if you ever get the opportunity.

Catching Up

I'm attempting to blog again. It's been awhile since my last entry; I was in Oxford the last time I wrote. Thanks to Facebook, family and friends followed my adventures via the pictures I posted. I had people during my time there asking me about all I was doing. Since I've been back, I've described it and given a couple of presentations for school. The month in Oxford was full and rich, and to be honest, a little overwhelming. Three months later, I feel like I'm still processing the knowledge I gained and the ideas I heard. My plan over the next several entries is to share some of my experiences in Oxford.

I have pictures of several doors from Oxford, but this one was my favorite. I passed it nearly every day.

This was one of my favorite views in England. It reminds me of Oklahoma: open and room to breathe.

I probably will also write about my running journey in future entries. I ran almost every day in July, logged a lot of miles, and it paid off. I'm faster and stronger, and I'm gearing up for another half marathon in November. My friend Pam is also convincing me to start training for a full marathon.

I ran on this path in Oxford quite a bit. I enjoyed all the tall trees. We don't have big trees in Oklahoma!

I of course will also continue blogging about my kids.
C is still one of the happiest kids I know who likes to tell me random science facts that warm my heart.
"Did you know, Mama, that there's an asteroid belt in our solar system that if you tried to cross it in your space ship, you probably would get hit?"
L Child continues to make me laugh with his quick wit (most days anyway. Some days he just doesn't know when it's better NOT to say anything.) He's also cooler than I was at 5 and probably even at 17. His social skills are impressive, and he has this individual style that just draws people to him.
And Button? She loves Barney, to sing (she sings almost continually some days), and to dance (in that order).

Finally, I'm still a chemistry professor enjoying my job most days. It's a pchem semester. I thoroughly enjoy the thermodynamics section so I was excited about getting to that part last week. (We just finished quantum.) My students? They don't share my enthusiasm. Most of them are biochemistry majors who relate to this biochem author:

Maybe I'll manage to explain the beast this semester.

I Get It

There's a couple of Americans (that I know of, maybe there's more) that work for my Oxford program that have lived here in the UK several years. I saw why after my first full day here at Oxford. 

I had a full day of lectures and science & religion discussions. 

It's a nerd's dream.

I had a couple hours of break so a group of us walked down to a shopping area. It was a crowded, eclectic mix of old and new buildings. I loved it. I'm looking forward to exploring more.

This is the place where the Inklings met regularly. 

My hall is next to a beautiful park. I got to run this morning (I have a running buddy from the cohort!) and took another walk tonight. Big trees. Ponds. Lots of birds and squirrels. It's great.

View from the top of a bridge



My walk from the Porters Lodge to my building is full of flowers.

Okay I get it. I'm loving it here.

Getting to Oxford

It was hard to leave the kids and Josh at the airport, but my excitement carried me though. Plus, Face Time and free Wi-fi helped, too. I flew back in December, and there wasn't free wi-fi at my airports. This time I had free Wi-fi at every airport and on my bus to Oxford. I've been able to talk to the kids every day, even on the day I flew out while I was waiting in Charlotte.

 

My travel went pretty well. I got a bit sick on the long flight (I think it was a combo of something I ate, and my blood sugar dropped), but nothing a Coke-Cola and some sleep couldn't fix.

Up above the clouds on the way to Charlotte

This is my excited, but tired face. I'm about to get on the 7-hour flight to London. I also had accepted at this point to embrace the selfie. Hey, I gotta take some pictures of me on my adventures!

 This was my first flight with the awesome set-up. I watched two movies on the flight, listened to some music, and periodically checked our GPS position and stats. We are so spoiled now. I slept 30 minutes.

Pretty sure this curry dish was the main culprit of the sick-on-the-plane incident.

 The customs line was forever long. It moved steadily, but there were so many people! Lots of student groups. 

I waited awhile in the bus stop area (it's connected to the airport). I had a chai and people-watched. I noticed the diversity of the people working and waiting at the airport. I head lots of languages and accents. It made me smile when the bus driver called all the women, "Love."

I ran into an OC alum while I waiting to board the bus. I had changed into an OC t-shirt, and the student asked me if I worked at OC. 

On the bus to Oxford

I had some time to kill once I reached Oxford before I could check into my Hall. I had fish and chips in a square. I people-watched and read (aka drifted off periodically).

I took a taxi to the Hall and found my room. I got homesick unpacking, but I felt much better after I Face Timed again with the kids.

I managed to stay awake until 10 PM that first night. I felt pretty good today so I think that I'm about adjusted to the time change. Around 2 PM today I was struggling, but we had coffee at 3 so I survived.

I'm loving the view out my window. 

I'm in Oxford!

The Firstborn

This kid can be so happy. Here he was excited to jump off a pole in the heat with a full tummy of samples. (Notice his brother and sister are a bit tired by this point.)

And what really makes him happy currently? Beating the socks off me in Monopoly. 

Which is every time we play.

 Here he had hotels on all his properties. He drove me to mortgage all of my properties and lose all my cash.

His secret? He's responsible. He saves until he has a few thousand and buys one set of hotels. Then saves again until he buys another set.

Me? I get a few hundred, and I'm putting a house on that property, Baby.

Pretty sure Casen is going to be taking care of me when I'm old.