Morning Conversations: Picture Day

 Carter in his dreaded "button shirt"

This morning's conversation ....

Carter:  "... but I don't want to wear a button shirt."  (ie, a shirt with buttons on it.)
Mommy:  "I know, but today is picture day and you need to wear a nicer shirt.  I promise, you won't have to wear a button shirt to school again unless it's concert day.  And you can take it off as soon as you get home."

C. puts on dreaded "button shirt" albeit reluctantly.  A couple minutes later, after also combing hair...

Mommy:  "Carter, see?  You look so handsome!"
C:  "Mommy, don't say that!"
M:  "Okay, you look yucky.  Is that better?"
C:  "Yes!"  :)

And to think that 2 days ago I spent the morning trying to convince Audrey that her outfit really was cute and that no one was going to notice the "dark circles" (?) under her eyes .... oh the differences between boys and girls....

"Going the Distance for Gabby" 5K

Yesterday I did something that I have kind of had in the back of my mind for a long time ... I ran a 5K!

(Full disclosure:  I mostly ran.  There were some big hills on this off-road course that kicked my butt so there was a little walking involved ... I really wish I could have run the whole time.  I think if it had been a flat course I could have, but who knows.  The important thing to me is that I trained, I ran as well as I could, and I crossed the finish line.)

This 39 year old posted an official time of .... wait for it .... 39:39.  That kinda cracked me up.

People keep asking me:  Are you going to keep running now?  Well, the whole running thing has been quite the experience.  Early on I said to my running buddy Kelly ... At what point will we actually run without thinking - when can I stop already???  Well, I feel like I did get to the point where I was running without thinking about the fact that my knees/calves/ankles/feet/heart/lungs/etc. were screaming in pain, and I was just running - kind of machine-like.  I was really happy that I got to that point, because it made distance running seem like less of an impossible dream.  I have no dreams of running marathons or even 10K races, but I think I would like to try another 5K sometime.  I would really like to run the whole thing, no walking.  We'll see what happens though.  Life often gets in the way of my best intentions with this kind of thing.

This race was different for me anyway.  When I first decided I would run this 5K, it was for my neighbor Gabby.  At the time she was battling cancer, and I thought - well, if she can deal with radiation and chemo and physical therapy and all the other yucky stuff that goes into having cancer, well, I can certainly figure out how to run 3.1 miles.  And then while I was training .... well, Gabby died.  I HAD to keep running.  Maybe that sounds weird, but I just felt like I needed to finish what I started.  While I ran I often thought about her and her family and would just pray.  It  became a little holy experience for me.  I found I really liked running alone, just me and my thoughts. 

I wish I could have run the whole entire race.  That was my goal.  But for a mom of 3, finding time to train is hard, and in the end, I did the best I could.  So I am really happy with myself.  In fact, I think I was kind of obnoxious at the finish line.  I hammed it up and paused for pictures and wanted to bust out some hip-hop moves at the finish line (but from that I refrained....)  All in all - it was really (if you can call pushing yourself to the point that you can hardly walk the next day) fun! 

Another special aspect of this race for me is that it happened where our church, Grace Valley Fellowship, meets.  Our church actually scrapped having a service and decided to have our church members be involved in helping out.  I was so proud and excited and honored to have a lot of my church friends there to be a part of it!  My pastor was even able to lead a short prayer service after the race, so people could be involved in praying for Gabby's family, our community, and for all of those who are touched by someone with cancer.

I already posted these on fb but for my own records, I am adding my photos here too!

 And they're off!

 Huffing and puffing my way to the finish line.

 CROSSING the finish line!

 With my neighbors Julie & Kelly

 With my friend Lyn

With Carter at the prayer service.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

2 Timothy 4:7

A verse that means a whole lot more to me now!

The difference between the 1st and 3rd kid

Today something funny (and a little disturbing) dawned on me.

When Audrey was little, we would drive around in the car listening to Veggie Tales and all kinds of preschool songs.  At that point I could still stomach listening to Wheels on the Bus and the ABC song ad nauseum.  And Audrey would be sitting behind me happily belting out her songs with hand motions and everything.  It made my heart smile.

Today we were driving around and I noticed something a bit different.  Chloe was behind me singing along with Carter and our neighbor Rebeeca  .... to Firework by Katy Perry; Baby, Baby by Justin Bieber; and Shake It Up by Selena Gomez.  UGH!!!!!!!  I don't even listen to these songs!  Where are they coming from????  And why is my TWO YEAR OLD singing them?  (and my FOUR year old too for that matter....I think I may need to blame the 8 year old...)

Guess I am going to have to break out the preschool stuff in the car again.  Itsy, Bitsy Spider, here I come.

Hope I don't have to pull over to puke!  After 3 kids, am I getting tired of these songs or what?  Maybe Firework isn't so bad after all ... well, okay, never mind. 

Wordless Wednesday: Apple Pickin' Fun 2011

 

 

Lunchtime conversations ...

"...Mommy, this chip looks like Oklahoma!"

Why, yes it does, Carter. :)

Quiet Time

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of the kids having quiet time.  Yes, partly because then I get quiet time ... which I need. 

But I am a big believer in the kids having quiet time because I truly believe they need space to think and create and just be alone with their own  thoughts .... and to learn to entertain themselves.  I also like the kids to be involved in group activities but in our culture, it is easy to be busy with activities... but difficult to find time to just "be."  So when the kids are no longer napping (but still home in the afternoons) I try to arrange for them to have "quiet time" in their rooms for a period of time in the afternoon.

This afternoon Carter asked for a bunch of puzzles and then later when he was done with them, he asked for his world landmark cards.  Later on I came into his room and this is what I found:

 He had taken all the world landmark cards and laid them out on the floor ... and was looking them up on the maps.  (This is something I did with him the other day, but I was impressed that he was trying it on his own!)

The cards have all different world landmarks (there are pictures on the other side of the cards).  I spent $1 on these at Target.  Oh, and $1 each on the place mats with the US & World  Maps.   I think that $3 = one of the best ways I have used our money in a LONG time. 

I can't tell you how much time we have spent playing with these cards. 

(I know, Carter is a little "unique" in that he finds these interesting...)

But I love that quiet time gives him time to just pursue his little interests. :)

By the way, this is why Carter prayed at church "Thank you, God, for the Taj Mahal..."