17 Days!

It's been 17 days since my last update and while I have desperately wanted to blog, I have not had the time! So much to update, so I'm plunging right in.


1. Work - busier than ever! So many projects, so little time. But that's boring stuff, so I won't delve into it here.


2. School - well there are two updates under the "school" category. One for me and one for Kennedy. We'll start with the little princess first. SHE STARTED KINDERGARTEN! She loves her teacher, Mrs. Ward, and she's already talking about her new friends. She has light homework assignments each night and enthusiastically finishes them right when she gets home from school. At the moment, Chris is taking her and picking her up from school. We think kindergarten is too early to ride the bus... maybe when she asks to ride? She'll start being embarrassed by us soon enough.... I want us to take her to school as long as she'll let us. As for me, I had my first graduate school class last Monday night and it was very interesting! I have a lot to read, though. That scares me because I rarely have time to read a magazine, much less Shakespeare! But I will find the time, I'm sure.


3. Brady - Oh sweet boy. He is pointing to things when he wants them. He says, "BYE!" and waves. He can blow kisses and he can point to his nose when you ask him where his nose is. He is melting my heart every day. 4. My birthday! I turned 32... oh joy, oh bliss. Birthdays are not the same as an adult as when you're a kid. I did, however, have a great night out with my closest friends. I love it when we all get together...

5. Brady got his first haircut. He was SO well-behaved! Not scared at all... Brady and his daddy got haircuts at the same time. Precious!

6. After Kennedy's first week at school, she and I took a girls trip to Little Rock to see our sweet little Lauren! It was her 2nd birthday and we had a great time with my sister and her family. We cannot wait to go back!

So we're in full swing this fall with a new Elementary school for Kennedy, Brady in the one-year-old class, Kennedy in gymnastics, me in grad school, Chris starting to travel more, and I'm doing my best to keep afloat!

Kindergarten

Kennedy starts Kindergarten next week. Last night, we met her teacher at Legacy Elementary. What a NICE school! It just opened last year so Kennedy will be in the second group students entering there. I cannot believe she is starting "big kid" school. We proudly put our sign in the front flowerbed at home.

In the class, she calmly looked around, introduced herself to her teacher, soaked in all her surroundings. I don't think she knows what's really going on, but she will figure it out next week when we drop her off.

And that's another thing, when we drop her off (dressed in her uniform, carrying her monogrammed back pack and lunch bag) - I fully expect to cry like a baby. In all the madness last night of the parents, school supplies, Parent-Teacher Organization sign up, etc... I didn't cry. It's not that I'm sad... it's that she is growing up so fast! I blinked and she's 5 years old! She's so articulate, thoughtful, loving, creative... and the most precious little girl to ever enter my life. I am blessed beyond measure....

Setting a PR

It's amazing how running with someone can push you to places you didn't know you had in you. When I run with friends, I run harder and faster... which usually means I fall out at the end. Last night, I was very motivated to run. I usually walk out my front door and trek three miles in my neighborhood. But since our group (Susie, Ford, Eric, Chris and I) is about to start officially training for marathons and 1/2 marathons, we agreed to run together and motivate each other.

I drove to Eric's house last night and followed him on his neighborhood path. Maybe it was the different route; maybe it was because it was pitch black outside; maybe I was trying really hard to keep up even though that's impossible because he runs WAY faster than I do.... I'm not sure what the reason, but I ran my fastest 5K time ever! Eric swears it's exactly 3.1 miles.

I finished in 32:40. I know that's not a PR (personal record) to brag about... a lot of people run A LOT faster than that.

But here's how it compares to other races I've done:

Samaritan Spirit Run 2007 (first official 5K): 37:42

Uptown 5K 2007: 37:10

Mudbug Madness 2007: 35:10

Autumn Breeze 10K 2007: 1:06:26 (This was my first 10K; I was 7 weeks pregnant!)

Great Pumpkin Run 2008: 34:37 (Note: STILL shocked by this time. It was four months after I had Brady!)

Revel Run 2008: 34:29

Uptown 5K 2009: 35:05

These were the races with chip times. I don't remember the races that didn't offer chips. So I'm pretty proud of myself! Onto the next run.....

Ode to New Balance running shoes

Dear New Balance TS2 1200,

My, oh my, what a road we have traveled together - literally. I never thought I'd wear out a pair of running shoes, but here we are at the end of our journey together. I bought you in the spring of 2007 as my first official pair of running shoes. You definitely served me well. I started running with you in my Couch-to-5K training program, with the help of Coach Susie. Just a few months later, I was taking you all over town to run 5K races. You helped me finish my first 10K in the fall of 2007. You and I were both sidelined for a little while when I was pregnant with Brady, but after he was born - we reunited and started running again.

And now look at you! Faded and falling apart.... but you've definitely lived a good life and taken me places I never thought I'd go. You helped me finish TWO, yes that's right, two half marathons this year.

But before training for another 1/2 marathon, I felt it was time to retire you. You see, my knees and feet need a little more support than you have now in your elderly stage. Don't worry, I won't recycle you. I'll wear you around town and keep you nearby.

Wait... what's that in the background?

Ahhhhhhhhh yes - sweet relief! Fresh, new, supportive shoes! Now - onto the next race!

Birthday celebrations!

Kennedy not only had a family birthday party on her actual birthday last week, but she also had a fabulous birthday party with her friends at our house this weekend. The child was in HOG heaven. Presents galore, cake, balloons... you name it, she had it.

Nina and Papa came over for pizza and brownies - the perfect birthday meal for our little five year old. She was so happy that the attention was all on HER. Imagine that?? She opened her presents from her Memere, Pepere, Aunt Kelly, Cousin Kadence, Uncle Matt, and Uncle Vik. She loved the clothes. My child loves new clothes. She immediately wanted to put on the new pajamas and new panties she got.

"Hello? Aunt Tracy? Is that you? YES - I just love the Lite Brite you gave me! I just opened it! And thank you for the polar bear and DVD, too! I named my bear Pete and I just love him!"

Seriously, my sister rocks. I have a tendency to buy gifts that are semi-educational or art projects. She gets SO MANY toys as gifts so I truly love it when she gets things that make her use her noggin. The Lite Brite was such a great idea. HUGE success! AND the polar bear DVD, she watched that night. I asked her what she thought about it. "It was good, mommy. It was mostly learning." Hahaha! Kennedy was a little disappointed that we didn't whip out the cookie cake we ordered for her birthday party. I tried to explain to her that the cookie cake was for the party with all her friends... and that the cookie dough brownies were for the family birthday party. So many sweets over the next several days. Ugh...

On the day of her birthday PARTY for the girls, she was dressed and ready to go. Of course, mom had to match, too! We had a pottery painting pottery. Thanks so much to our friend Emily Welch, who came up with the idea, the kiln to fire the pottery, and the hook up on some wholesale products!

I was a little nervous about a group of five year olds painting and making a huge mess, but they actually did a great job. The hardest part was keeping them focused on painting and away from Roscoe. The poor pooch didn't realize that all the girls just wanted to pet him. It was as if he was the hired entertainment! Oh and Kennedy decided that her party was going to be for girls only.... except Brady and daddy, of course. She made a point to tell people who asked that the "only boys who are allowed are my daddy and little brother, Brady."

After cookie cake, ice cream and presents, the girls played with the new toys, pet Roscoe some more and then braved the bad weather to head home. Kennedy had a great time with her friends. We were especially lucky to have her friend Abby come all the way from Texas! Thanks Abby (and mom, Jennifer) for driving 3 hours for a birthday party. What great friends!