The boys had quizzes in their books today. It works out so that every five days they have quizzes, except for the third week and then there’s a test. After that they move on to the next booklet. Three of the subjects they do on their on at their grade level: Math, Language Arts, and Reading. The other three subjects they do the same level together: Bible, Social Studies, and Science. I’ve been reading the SS, Science, and Math so far.

The big kids seem to be liking their school. Elianna has been kind of over school since sophomore year. The veterinarian route is too much school so she doesn’t want to do that. There are veterinary techs and veterinary assistants. I can’t remember the difference now but one is a shorter program and the other is longer. One of them you can do at the local community college and the other is only offered at certain schools.

I haven’t thought much of Ethan. We’ve texted briefly here and there. Today he let me know that he felt his running was getting worse again. He can’t catch a full breath when he runs anymore. Coach is stumped and I am too. In the summer he’d been doing so well, shaving off time and seeing and feeling improvements. He says he’s sleeping and eating well. Coach wonders if maybe the airways in his lungs are inflamed somehow.

Does he think he needs time off? Does he think he needs to quit? He’s not fatigued or he’d be more inclined to take some time off. He doesn’t want to quit, he still wants to run. I don’t know, maybe it’s your diaphragm, I said. I can’t think of anything else that would be causing the difference since going to school. Stress? Pressure? I sent him some YouTube videos of guys doing exercises. They get their physicals every summer.

Sigh. I’m not saying coach’s thought is wrong, and if I think he’d agree I’d say just come home and school’s no big deal and we’ll take you to the doctor to start ruling things out. I’m just trying to start with the least invasive and go from there. Is this different from the way you were feeling sometimes during the running last year? Yes this is different. Dad’s car broke down at the district office, so I went and picked him up from there.