Bet you never thought I'd be a runner!

The cotton row run was yesterday.  It has long been the challenge for all good runners to attempt the 10K, partly uphill run.  We(Robin and I)did the 5K.  I am not a seasoned runner, although I have "participated" in 2 other 5K runs BK(before kids).  I always like to give a detailed description of the sights, smells, sounds, etc. of the adventures in my life, so if you want the short version I came in 852, not last in my age group , at a time of 37min 41sec.  

Here goes the detailed description:  We arrived downtown around 7:50.  Race time was 9:00 and we were told to arrive 1 hour early for parking.  We had a nice warm up walk to the "action".  The 10K started at 7:00 and there were many that had finished and were hanging around the snack area.  What I thought was a nice size parking lot beside the Civic Center had been transformed into a socializing, recovery and snack area for "seasoned" runners.  We, both having 4 children even though none of them were with us, felt it necessary to go to the bathroom.  Both of us noticed a distinct "odor" as we made our way through the crowd and back from the bathroom.  I think I made a comment that "if anybody with their nasty, sweaty, 10K selves rubs up against me, I might scream".  I'm not normally a squeamish to sweat type person, but this was yucky!  We made our way to the finish area to watch the rest of the runners finish the big race.  We sat in the shade and discussed how out of shape everybody around us looked.  Yeah, we fit in!  A little before the race is to start, Robin suggests we go to the bathroom.  Did I mention we didn't have any kids with us?    So we line up on the starting line and wait for the announcer to tell us the history of the race, play taps and sing "God Bless America".  While I'm listening to all this I notice a petite, older pregnant lady.  Ok, so my first thought was "I hope I can beat her."  Robin sees her and says hello.  Come to find out, she is 42 and pregnant with her 12th child.  Yep, not a typo, 12th child.  Yep, I've got her beat.  That's one.  So the race starts and I've got to say we were getting passed left and right.  Mostly younger (20ish) people.  We wanted to pace ourselves so that we could cross the finish line at a nice trot.  I think we ran the first 1.2 miles and then we walked.  Of course, our husbands and kids got to see us WALK by.  You guys couldn't have planned that a little better?  Well I'm not sure I would call it walking.  It was easier for me to jog beside Robin than keep up walking.  It was a little toasty so we did run through a sprinkler in our white t-shirts.  We are such show offs!!  So we ran off and on until we turned the corner back onto Clinton.  As we are heading down the home stretch I notice on my watch, which I have totally messed up timing myself by this point, that we have been running a little under 39 minutes.  Uh oh, I've got to get to the finish in 1 minute PG(personal goal).  We see our families cheering us on and I'm thinking Ben is about to win our bet.  So I take off, possibly sprinting.  I don't think Robin and I discussed how we would approach the finish.  All I could see was the finish line and all I could hear was the gagging behind me.  I look back to see Robin and she has her hand over her mouth.   I'd like to say I slowed down, but the clock was ticking.  As it turns out my watch was really off and we finished a little under 38 minutes.  We had to stop at the finish and have the timer sensor removed from our shoes(kids with scissors).  Robin is hurdling kids with scissors to get to the side because her hand isn't holding it in anymore.  I snatch the scissors from the kid on the end and remove her sensor as she runs off to the bathroom.  Just a note, the sensors are a $30 souvenir.  Most important to turn them in.  Well we find our families and enjoy a little soda, grab 2 small pizzas, and  7 or so ice cream cups.  I love free food.  However, my girls couldn't eat any of it because being the mean, terrible mother I am, I signed them up for the fun run.  One mile of torture!!  The girls did great.  Hayden has been part of the running club at school and was able to run almost the whole thing.  However, Ally did not care if 2 year olds passed her or if people were cheering her on to run; now that I think about it, maybe she misunderstood.  Did she think we were part of a parade?  She seemed to like strolling past the people cheering us on.  She did finish big with a sprint to the end.  Then we got more pizza because my dear husband had too much to carry with the stroller and threw out the first pizza.  (He needs more practice!)  At this point I must say I am starting to fit in with the stinky folks.  So we load up and head to Nina's pool.  

I'm sure you're wondering how the pregnant lady did.  

She beat us . . . by 10 minutes.  She also did the 1 mile fun run with her kids.  I'm sure I beat her in that and since they don't record the times nobody will ever know!!!

Dance is over . . . or is it?

I need to give some background information about our dancing this year.  I hate dance.  Ally hates dance and has reminded me before every Tuesday/Thursday class that "I signed her up and she didn't want to dance."  Hayden tolerates dance but was ready to quit after the recital.  I did not read any information at the studio about summer classes.  I did not listen to any announcements about competition next year(Hayden is in the class going to competition next year).  I was ready for the big finish.  I had already thought about the money we'd save, the time we'd have to do other things and the frustration we would avoid with not having to take twin toddlers to a dance studio with nothing to do for 2 hours while the girls cried and complained about having to go. 

I could feel the relief.

So here we are, recital time.  We made it a family activity(minus 2 boys - Thanks GG!!).  We got our costumes, makeup, hair-stuff, stage mom sheet, etc. ready to go and left the house in plenty of time to sit down for lunch.  Once at the Civic Center, Ben went to get seats with Ally and Hayden and I set up shop in the dressing room.  After starting 45 minutes late due to technical difficulties, her first dance was "Name Game"; a really fast tap dance.  She looked so comfortable on stage, smiling and performing with "ease".  I met her in the dressing room for a semi-quick change into ballet.  She came in the room and said "Mom, that was a BLAST!"  I start feeling that maybe she is giving up on dance for the wrong reasons, but quickly remind myself that I hate dance.  Her ballet dance is ok, but maybe too remedial.  She does a great job with it, but I think they could have done harder stuff.  But, hey , I hate dance and we are halfway done with Hayden.  She has a long wait until jazz, "Jailhouse Rock".  Once again she looks so comfortable up on stage.  I am really quite surprised.  She is such a timid, shy person that avoids anything new or scary.  It is really a joy to see her perform and seem to enjoy it so much.  She dances in the finale and when it is over we find our family.  Mom, Nanny, Jackie, Griffin and Erin leave to take Erin and Griffin home.  We plus Dad stick around trying to decide what we should do for dinner.  Because of the delay in the show we really don't have time to leave to eat somewhere, so we talk Dad into eating McDonalds.  Not an easy feat under normal circumstances.  Since I have been participating in the Biggest Loser at the gym I have researched what to eat at different fast food places.  I think I recall the Big N'Tasty being ok.  Ben leaves with Dad driving.  This part really isn't part of the "recital" but typical of a funny with us.  So since Dad is driving he gets to order at the drive thru.  Wanting to get things just right he verifies that I want the Big Nasty.  If this had been me in the car I would have said yes and let him order it.  Ben is too nice.  Not wanting him to make a big ol'fool of himself, points out the T in the name(Big N'Tasty).  Back at the recital, Ben tells me about the missing T and I get hysterical.  Dad is sitting about 6 chairs away and I ask him if he got the Big N'Tasty too and he shakes his head yes.  Poor old man.  Ben lets him know that he is not, in fact, eating a Big N'Tasty, but a double quarter pounder with cheese.  It's bad when you've ordered it and you still don't know what it is.  Hope it was good.  So the evening recital starts and I get to be a stage mom for Ally's first dance.  A couple weeks ago, I lost my tolerance for ignorant people and apparently it is still missing.  If you want to socialize backstage, sign up for that, don't be a stage mom.  So we get the rowdy girls back to the row of chairs or holding area.  Mom #2 sees some people she knows and starts gabbing.  I am in charge of the back of the line.  She is supposed to be in charge of the front. Hah.  The stage person comes out from backstage and looks at me.  "Are you the stage mom?"  My reply, "Yes, I'm one of them."  "Well, we are ready for you guys to come backstage"  Hmmm.  "Ok"  I move to the front of the line and start leading the girls in.  "Hey stage mom#2, you coming?"  I should have left her there.  The girls perform and Ally does great.  She smiles so big and with attitude that only Ally can pull off.  We leave the backstage area and return to the dressing rooms.  We only lost 1 girl.  Seriously.  I got Ally ready for her next dance and sat around in the dressing room waiting.  Stage Mom#2 was on again.  She told me she had it and for me to go enjoy the show.  I paused and then decided to go and watch the show.  If Ally doesn't end up on the stage for the dance, I thought, she's all mine.  Just a side note, this stage mom#2 lady has a son that pegged Caleb in the head with a coke bottle at dance.  It took him 3 tries before it got him.  It wouldn't take me that many tries with her.  Well Ally did make it on stage and did a great job with her tap dance too.  I had planned on leaving after her second dance, I figured Ben had seen enough!  Hayden had other plans.  She didn't get to see what the finale looked like  This was her chance.  So Hayden got to see the finale and Ally got to see that she wasn't in the finale like many of her dancing classmates.  (We usually have a least one kid crying about something most of the time).  Hayden was happy and Ally was so very sad.  On the way home, Ben and I discussed how good the girls performed and that maybe we needed to encourage them to dance again.  Hayden is going to dance this summer in preparation for her competition class she will take in the fall and Ally wants to take a break this summer, but dance in the fall so she can be in the finale. 

 I hate dance.

The Pink Panthers Strike Again!

Wow . . . what a game!  I believe I heard Great Nanny come out with a dirty word when the opposing coach was making one of his fifteen complaints.  That's how intense and Oh So Exciting tonight's CHAMPIONSHIP game was.  The score was tied 6-6 after the first inning.  In the top of the second, our first baseman caught a throw in the eye and needed some down time.  I really thought it was over.  But our girls hung in there and even though the Ladybugs got their six runs, our bats were hitting in the right direction.  

I believe it was in this inning that I heard the expletive.  Here's what happened:  

We had runners on first and second.  Our batter hit the ball just past the baseline which means the runners can advance ahead until the ball is returned to the pitcher's circle.  Our third base coach sent the front 2 runners home because their player was running around the field trying to figure out who to tag.  The other coach had a fit.  The ump . . . not sure how to describe him . . . sent the runners back.  Well too bad for you Ladybugs, our big guns, Brooke, knocked them all in with a Grand Slam anyway.   (Can you tell I might be a little competitive?).  

At the end of the third inning and with time expired it was 18-18.  So after a little pow-wow with the ump . . . still not sure I can give you an accurate idea of what he was like . . . the coaches, and a  member of the softball board, they decide to do a "sudden death" of sorts.  Ladybugs are up first.  They get a runner on second and 2 outs.  First batter gets on.   Second batter knocks them all in.  (I think this was the ball Ally went "smokin' " to the fence to get).  Third batter gets out at first.  We're up.  Big guns goes to second.  First batter gets to first.  Second batter gets to first.  Third batter, our fastest runner, gets on first and Big guns makes it home.  The score is 21-19.  Fourth batter makes it to first.  Score is 21-20.  Fifth batter makes it to first. Score is 21-21. Sixth batter, our slowest runner(not Ally), makes it to first.  Score 21-22.  Pink Panthers WIN!!!   The girls, coaches and, of course, parents go BANANAS.  They held a little ceremony for the Ladybugs to get their 2nd place trophies and for the Pink Panthers to get their 1st place trophies.  It was truly a joyful celebration for the girls.  No snow cone needed . . . not when your the CHAMPIONS!!!!!

Back to the ump . . . he might be described as lethargic or maybe comatose.  Perhaps a little senior for 6U t-ball.

We have tasted victory and we like it!!!

The Pink Panthers are on a winning streak!!  Ally's t-ball team beat the #1 team tonight in round 2 of the tournament.  If you recall, we didn't win a game all season (14 losses).  The girls were excited and played so hard tonight.  They held the Cheetahs to 1 run after 2 innings, while we were up 6.  At the top of the 3rd we were up 11 to 1.  Then our coach got a wild hair and shuffled our players around on the field.  Not good .. . they got their 6 runs.  We got 4 runs the next inning and held them to 4(with our returned players in their original positions - wild hair removed!).  The score was 15 to 11.  It was the last inning and we were up to bat.  If we got to 18, there would be no way for them to catch up (6 run limit).  It was 17 - 11, 1 out, Ally at third and the opposing coach moves a player to catcher position.  Typically it is more "useful" to have the players out in the field, but this was probably a smart move to try to stop the runner from scoring.  Unfortunately for the Cheetahs, Ally was still smokin' from Tuesday's game.  The ball is hit to the pitcher and she makes the throw home . . . Ally comes speeding home as if her sister is chasing her.  The ball flies over the catcher's glove as Ally victoriously stomps over home plate.  You couldn't take the smiles off the girls and their parents with sandpaper!  We were/are still in shock.  Of course no victory is complete without a snow cone.  Happy snow cone Ally, you did great!!  (Hayden gets one too for chasing Ally in the backyard and helping her run faster!)

Ally

Well, Ally had a big couple of days.  First, she graduated kindergarten yesterday.  She's officially a first grader now.  Mrs. Thomas was a great teacher for Ally, and Ally really excelled this year.  She has such an out-going personality that other kids and adults go out of their way to speak to her.  It's fun to watch a six year old work a crowd like a politician one minute and be oblivious to everyone the next.

Next, Ally's team won

 their first T-ball game tonight!!!!!  They waited until the first round of the single elimination tournament to put it together.  Ally scored a big run in the 3rd inning that kept the team in the game.  With two outs and five runs in (there is a six run per inning mercy rule) Ally was on third base.  When the ball was hit, she ran home "super-fast" and barely beat the tag at home plate.  It was so close that Ally got knocked down and bloodied her elbow.  They proceeded to pull out the win in the next inning.  We were so proud of Ally for her hustle.

Hayden

Today was Hayden's award ceremony and she did awesome.  She has had several disappointments this year with ACE, Monkey Mail, her grades, etc.  so winning the Good Citizenship Award(selected by her teacher) was a big deal for her.  She also was awarded a certificate for earning over 100 AR points.  That's a lot of reading!  She thrives on praise and encouragement so maybe this will help her feel a little more self confidence.  It also shows me that although she didn't stay on the A Honor Roll(she did make the A/B) that she has character strengths that far outweigh grades and that she shows these at school around her peers. This was a big Mommy lesson too!!  I praise the Lord that He brought these strengths out in her and that they were noticed.  

After the awards the class had ice cream and went outside in the rain for water balloons.  They

 had a great time.  It was good to see her play so freely with personalities that have made her struggle this year.  I, on the other hand, felt a strong urge to take several water balloons and knock some Moms to the ground with them!!  Don't worry  . . . I didn't show out.  Ally's awards/graduation is Monday.  I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about on Tuesday!

Sweet, sweet girls!

With school finals just last weekend, work picking up and Ben having to ask "When is Mother's Day", I really wasn't expecting too much.  My sweet girls surprised me!  They created a "spa" for me.  They ran bath water complete with sprinkle stuff to make it smell nice.  They helped me into my robe and directed me upstairs.  They had made signs to the "spa" area.  Once on the pillows, they massaged my arms, shoulders and legs.  Hayden gave me a really nice hand massage and Ally painted my toes.  She did a really good job without getting too much "out" of the lines, however, the floor and her hands are another story!  After my toes dried, they escorted me back downstairs to my bed and tucked me in.  Then they turned it to my favorite channel (24-Disney) and we snuggled for a little while.  It was so sweet how they planned everything and didn't argue the whole time.  It was a really nice time for just us girls.

We made it through the weekend!

After our exciting Friday morning, we tried to avoid other public playgrounds and stay somewhat calm.  In other words, I strapped the boys in their stroller and went to the mall!!!  They were safe and sound.  I can't say the same for Ben's Belk Card!!  The girls and I went to see High School Musical, The Ice Tour on Saturday.  

 High School Musical purse  $20

 High School Musical Teddy Bear $22

 Snacks for everybody but me  $34

 Tickets on the front row  $114

 Seeing the girls sing all the words to the songs with gigantic smiles  PRICELESS

We had a great time and I think Nina had as much excitement with the boys.  "I've fallen and I can't get up!!"  Our dinner Saturday night at Ding How II(even though there isn't a I anymore) was just as fun.  Pop Pop and Ally fought for table space and we got to hear "Knock Knock", "Who's There", "Smell Mop", "Smell Mop Who" too many times to mention.  If you can't figure it out, leave me a message and I'll personally email you to explain.  The car tried to end our fun weekend . . . it wouldn't start Sunday morning.   A little aggravating to get 4 kids bathed and dressed and in the car by 9:00 only to have the car poop out on us.  We took some deep breaths, undressed and went outside to play and picnic.  Daddy came back in time for some bike riding, battery replacement and pizza buffet.  So here we are on Monday and back to our not so normal routine.  I think I like it this way!!

 

Body Art

Well one of my greatest fears of having boys has finally happened.  We had to get stitches.  Not really what I had intended for today, but when I saw our pediatrician at Chick-Fil-A I just had a feeling we were in for something.  We should have left when he did!! The boys were playing in the playground having a good time.  Caleb went running toward the slide and hit his head on the edge of it.  When I picked him up all I could see was blood.  I grabbed him and asked a young girl(who I believe had a divine appointment to be there even if she was skipping school) to help me get Joshua.  She carried him to the car and fastened him in while I got Caleb under control and in his seat.  At the pediatrician's office the nurse broke the news to me that stitches were probably coming.  Dr. Cartwright wanted to know if the cow got us.  I really appreciate how calming he and his nurse were for me.  We are at home now, not because Caleb is upset or acting "hurt" but because Mommy needs a safe place to be in for a while.  I praise God that he watched over me in every step I took this morning and placed the right people in my path to help me.  I would not have made it through this without Him.  Especially with Ben out of town!!!  I'm also glad I had a host of people I could call to help, but especially my sister, Robin, who I did call.  I'm sorry you didn't have a chance to dry your hair or put makeup on . . . we won't go to Chick-Fil-A this early anymore!  Well I'm sure this is just one of many trips to the Doctor for "body art" but I need a little time before the next one!