Kids Marathon 2014

A couple of weeks ago the duo participated in a Kids Marathon. They qualified for the event by running 25.2 miles in their PE class at school (over the course of several weeks), and then they were qualified to complete the last mile during the marathon event.

They were super excited. Skip planned to run with them, and we even had William George in the jogging stroller to provide some moral support.  I was on standby to capture this beautiful moment for all of prosperity (read: not running), but George was actually not allowed to participate after all so he filled in as my PA. And by that I mean he kept imploring me to let him loose to run around.

The event was held on an absolutely beautiful Saturday morning, and there were hundreds of children participating. The duo and Skip got with their age group (rather, the duo's age group) and got in line for the wave start.

Skip provided some live, action shots from the marathon trail:

While waiting for the duo to take off, I found a perch on top of a statue to try to photograph them as they ran past. William George proceeded to ask if he could "get out" about 200 times per minute. Honestly, I couldn't blame him... why should I have all the fun climbing around on statues?

And... they were off!  Skip and the duo are in the very center of the below pic.

The duo are in the far, far right of the below (wearing white Hello Kitty hats).

After they went by, I scurried down from the statue, and George and I found a spot along the trail where we waited for them to make the final turn. Skip asked why I didn't call out to them. Two reasons: one, I knew it would be ear-splitting on the video and two, (and more compelling), I was so proud of them in that moment that I knew if I ever called out or yelled, I would not be able to stop. I don't know how those Olympic parents can maintain their composure because I would loose it completely.

(The duo are sporting pink pants.)


Kids Marathon 2014 from Cathi Lindsey on Vimeo.


As they were making their way toward the finish line, William George and I took off again to meet them there. Upon hearing their names announced as they finished, tears filled my eyes. They were tired and not as excited about photos. After all, they run a few miles each week so they weren't understanding the big deal over running one mile on a random Saturday.

They are lucky I didn't ask them to sing the National Anthem while I waved a flag.

Friday's Quote

You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room.

-Theodor Seuss Geisel

William George, Laundry Apprentice

The laundry thing William George enjoyed as a toddler? 

He still enjoys it as a preschooler.

My mom watched George for a few hours yesterday so that I could do some volunteer work. During that time, she found some clothes in the dryer and decided to fold them (she's a saint!). William George immediately dove in to help by removing clothes from the dryer, folding and putting them away. He added some fun to the project because instead of merely placing the neatly folded clothing onto the wearer's beds, he threw them onto the bed, where they sometimes struck the edge of the bed and fell to the floor. Almost always, the clothing came unfolded.  "He's so much help, isn't me?" mom asked. "I had to fold each piece of clothing at least 3 or 4 times," she added.

That may be true, but it would be impossible to find a more enthusiastic helper. 

Birthdays

This blog is replete with stories about how important birthdays are to the trio, and that is probably axiomatic for all children. Birthdays are huge. Therefore, when their PawPaw passed away in November, they, characteristically, were discussing his birthday in the days following. What would we do now? Our tradition was to have a birthday lunch either the weekend before/after the actual date, and we always called to sing "Happy Birthday". Fun fact: We always called twice. First, we had the live conversation, and then we called back a second time so that he could let the call go to voicemail, where he could record a second version of the song. Then he played the recorded version for his Sunday School class or whomever else he encountered that month.

As they grappled to understand the loss, they wanted to know how we would handle his birthday on February 11th. Complicating the issue is the fact that there is no final resting place, as my dad's only instructions were to toss his ashes up into the wind. Instead of trying to create some clever or new tradition, we went with the tried and true basics and set out to allow them the opportunity to remember, honor and celebrate. Simply... we sang and released three balloons in the wind.

I like to think he heard them.

PS: Today is my brother's birthday. Yea for more singing!

Catching Up On Some Much-Needed Vitamin D

Recently, we decided to run off a little energy on the deck after church one Sunday morning.  

We do love the sunshine.  

We also love when neighborhood dogs stop by for an impromptu visit.  This one-year-old doggy is the only perfect energy match William George has ever encountered. 

William George loves this little dog, and we had some teachable moments when instructing him how best to pet an animal.  

And, of course, we needed to show him how to scratch her neck and ears. After that, she was putty in our hands. 

Enumerated Update

Happy Monday! Here is what's happening:

1) Cup of Jo: Nora Ephron once shared that she indulged in thrice weekly blow-outs. After years of success and living modestly, delegating the styling of her hair must have seemed incredibly indulgent. I had never liked her more than when I read that story.

Since we have three educations to fund and nary a Drybar in sight, I am going to need the DIY version. If you are in a similar situation, consider Joanna Goddard's tips for a professional blow-out.

2) Additionally: Goddard also had some good scarf-tying pointers for freshening up our late-winter scarf looks.  My favorite is the french twist. What's yours?

3) Home Office: I'm perpetually looking for home office solutions. As mentioned previously, I have a computer armoire in the playroom, a desk in our bedroom and a desk in Skip's office. The desk in our room is primarily used, but it still doesn't feel exactly right (although I love it; I really do; it's just not exaaaactly in the right spot*). Design Sponge's post about home offices lends some out-of-the-box thinking for home office spaces.

Also, I am excited about their office space re-do, but a little shocked that they didn't already have the place designed to the hilt.  Anyrate... I am excited to see the finished product.

4) ALT Channel: How I love all things ALT related! If I were design-oriented or even crafty, I would seriously start a savings fund to attend their conferences. Over the last couple of years, however, I attended several web conferences on various blogging and design topics, and, at $15.00 per class, the talks were a total steal. I always knew the rates would increase, but I was still saddened to see the latest photography class I wanted to grab was....$160.  Yikes! I always expected the increase to be in the $25-$50 range... not an increase of $145.  

5) DFW: The footnote-within-a footnote (below) is clear homage to David Foster Wallace. I still miss his writing.

And that's it for us. Have a wonderful week.


*The right spot would be Skip's office**, but, remember, my entries to his "bunker" are usually met with him saying, "Don't even sit down." That continues to be my favorite way of describing his work ethic.
**Except not really because I need my computer on the main level.  So really there is no solution, and that's why I am always looking for answers.

Breaking Our Cabin Fever

We plan to enjoy some warmer weather this weekend, and hope you have time for some fresh air as well.  

Happy Friday!

William George's Milestones: Visiting the dentist

William George has been very excited about going to the dentist for the past six months -- since the duo's last cleaning when we promised him he would be included next time. The trip to the dentist has been looming large, and he literally talked about seeing the dentist every time he brushed his teeth.

"Dr. G's gon' count my teeth?" he would excitedly ask.  

At the beginning of February, William George and I picked up the duo and headed for the dentist. George was very excited, and his support system cheered him on.  

Lauren loves the dentist, and she was especially proud to reveal her new smile. When a new-to-us dentist was heading into her room to evaluate and picked up on her age, the hygienist assured him, "No, she's like THE BEST seven-year-old EVER." 

Sometimes Grace gets nervous at the dentist, but when we reminded her that we needed her to be a leader and demonstrate for George that the process is easy-peasy, she was a trooper.  

Once the duo completed their exam (GREAT exam!), William George and Snoopy climbed into the exam chair. George especially liked wearing sunglasses.  

And he tolerated all of the dental implements like a total pro.  

He even had the full, standing x-rays performed, but they were a little blurry. He is 2, after all. Overall, he was fantastic, and he was very charming throughout the entire appointment. His excitement was infectious, and he was a big hit with all of the hygienist staff. 

Lake Guntersville and Eagle Awareness

Back in the fall, we spent a Saturday at Lake Guntersville. We enjoyed our favorites... the playground, looking for deer, looking at the lake and having a nice lunch.

While enjoying our lunch, we noticed that the balconies were set up for two weddings, one on each flower (scheduled for an hour apart).  We explored briefly, but left so that the chairs could remain in perfectly aligned rows.

A highlight of the day was when Grace pointed out an American Eagle.  Sure enough, she spotted a large eagle in flight, and that sent her birdwatching hobby into overdrive. She made sure bird books and an bird whistle were on her Santa list, and she has been scouring her books for bird facts.

Recently, Grammie and the duo spent a weekend at the lodge to enjoy their Eagle Awareness program. They got to see a large eagle's nest and see lots of eagles in flight and in the nest.  She also has many birds to enumerate in her birdwatching log.

February is an active month for eagles, and the state park is continuing its program throughout February. The program is free so be sure to check it out.