Malfunction

I was going to post pictures of our trip to the zoo today, but the cord that connects our camera to the computer is not working. There are some very suspicious very tiny teeth marks that may have something to do with it.  Here is my number one suspect:

who me?

13.1

I did it!! I ran a half-marathon yesterday! And I loved it!! (I know - I sound crazy. You don't believe me. But it's true!) It was so fun, and I felt great! All that horrible, painful training paid off. When I first started training for this event, I really wasn't sure that my body would hold up under the strain of all that pounding. I praise God that He gave me the health to do it.

I got to start the race with my friend Kerri, who was the lead-off for a relay team.  She really helped me to set a good pace, and it made the first few miles go quickly.  She ran ahead to hand off to Meghan, who was running the second leg.  Meghan sped through her leg, then stayed behind to cheer for me. :)  Throughout the race there were almost always people cheering.  (Seriously, when else am I going to workout with crowds of people encouraging me the entire time?)  There were also musicians, characters, and lots of interesting peole to keep me entertained.  The time flew by! My goal was to average ten minute miles. I finished in two hours and six minutes, which is a 9:35 pace!  Meghan, Scott, and the kids were all waiting for me at the finish line.  (I've said it before, but I'm so thankful for Scott encouraging me and helping me train.  He's the best!)

The finish in Canal Park is what inspired me in the first place.  Seriously, you get to cross the finish line in a stadium of cheering people!!  It's the closest I'll ever get to the Olympics. :)

Lastly, if you're the kind of person who likes numbers:

for the half-marathoners I finished 1606 of 3239,

 595 of 1675 women,

 and 112 out of 311 in my division. 

 And a shout-out to my relay friends who finished 93 out of 751 teams in their division!

First Day of Fall

To celebrate the first day of fall, Micah and Carter and I made applesauce yesterday. We also painted pumpkins and put up some window decals.

I'm not telling which one is mine.

On Thursday, Micah had his first school field trip.  We went to a local apple orchard.  Poor Hannah and Jackson were stuck in the stroller for quite a while, but with goldfish and pacifiers we made it through.  :)

"Sunfower Sandy" taught about pollination.

checking out the conveyor belt

a prickly chestnut seed (I think)

They are 3-year-olds, so there were breaks for running. :)

If you're interested, here's the post from our visit to this orchard 3 years ago.

Hannah Report and Brimfest

Hannah had her one year well-visit on Tuesday. She is a whopping 18.5 pounds, which is in the tenth percentile. If you've ever seen her eat, you know she can pack it in with the best of them. But she is so active that she burns it all off! She's also just shy of 30 inches, which is in the 75th percentile.

On Saturday we went to "Brimfest"!  [I feel like I should insert a sarcastic comment about how lame Brimfield is, but there are too many choices.  I guess I'll just move on.]  We got Micah a pass so he could do as many rides as he wanted.  Oh, boy!  If I remember correctly, it went something like this: motorcycles, carousel, bouncy house, train, slide, obstacle course, obstacle course, obstacle course, swings, motorcycles.  We had to stop him because it was time for bed!

motorcycles

train

obstacle course

And here's the swings.  I was very surprised that he wanted to go on them.  I asked him multiple times if he was sure.  He insisted, and he liked it!

Yogurt Bar and Park

First, a disclaimer: today was an exception, not the rule.  Normally at snack time I just give them some goldfish and call it a day.  But today we had a yogurt bar!  The boys got to choose from mini chocolate chips, granola, strawberries, or banana.  Micah and Carter each had three servings, and each combination included chocolate chips. :)  [It was such a teeny amount of chocolate, I don't believe it detracted from the healthiness.] I've never seen Micah so excited about eating yogurt!

Then we woke up Hannah so we could go to the park.  We went to "the red park".  [Micah has ways of identifying the different parks we frequent.  Some, like today's, make sense.  Some, like "the blue park" where all the equipment is brown and green, are not quite as logical.]  "The red park" is the one that has the little town where the kids can ride their bikes.  I brought riding toys for the little ones, too, but they mostly just walked around.

Pinterest

Have you heard about Pinterest?  It's a relatively simple website, but I love it.  It's a way to visually organize all the cool things you find online and to peruse the things your friends are finding (i.e. recipes, crafts, storage ideas, etc.).  It's also a little bit addicting.  I've made quite a few recipes, including these muffins that were so rich and dense that they kind of tasted like doughnuts.  I can't tell you about all my craft projects, because some of you may be receiving them as Christmas gifts. :)  But one of my favorites was making a hat out of an old t-shirt.  Here's the example (from atsecondstreet.blogspot.com):










And here's how mine turned out:

I decided the first one was a little big, but it was so easy that I just made a second one!

 Since Carter and Jackson are with their grandparents today, I wanted to give Micah some individual quality time.  I suggested baking something this morning, and he was all for it.  We looked on Pinterest, and he chose these Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Treats.

Then after Hannah's nap we went to our favorite park. Now that Hannah can walk, the park is a lot more fun for her (and me).

Micah was hiding under this bridge.

climbing the rope ladder

I can do it, too!

Playgrounds are AWESOME!

Deja Vu

Micah and Carter in 2008

Jackson and Hannah in 2011

Carter - 3 years ago

Jackson - 3 days ago

Bike Ride

On Friday the kids and I went for a bike ride.  The big boys rode their bikes while I walked/jogged with the little ones to keep up.  We all had a great time.  The boys loved riding, occasionally stopping to check out nature or switch bikes.  I showed Carter and Micah our old apartment and told them how I used to push them on this path when they were babies.  :)

 

After their ride, we stopped to play at the park for a little while.  Carter spotted the bike rack and showed Micah how to park his bike.

The highlight of the park for them was the see-saw.  I probably said, "Be careful!" at least five times. :)

I did let the little ones out to play, too.  But when they are out and about I don't have time to take any pictures!

Big Boy!

Today was Micah's first day of preschool!  He was a rock star.  He went right into his room with no tears and came home raving about toys and play-doh and snack.  I have to give the school credit.  They had three "play-dates" over the summer where I stayed with him.  He got to play with the toys and become familiar with the setting, teachers, and kids.  I know it made a HUGE difference for him.

somehow the photo shoot became mug shots - if only I'd had him hold a sign!


In other big boy news, Micah got his first real bike!   He loves riding it; he's spent most of his free time riding it in the garage.