October

October has not even begun yet and this is our calendar. 

• Swim lessons
• Gymnastics
• Football games
• Skate Night
• Addison's birthday
• Addison's party
• Addison's well child check
• Pumpkin patch
• 1/2 Marathon!!!
• Early release from school and days off
• Mark to Minnesota for a NE game!
• Fall Fun Fest
• Parent Teacher Conferences
• Halloween parties
• Trick or Treating
• Halloween Parade
• Oktoberfest

and other things not on the calender...trip to Deana Rose and an apple orchard.  I love fall.  It is my favorite time of the year. 

Liam's Baptism

Sunday morning we headed to St. Peter's Church for the baptism of Liam.  Mark is the God Father and was very honored to be asked.  We have been friends with Amy and Shannon since college, and actually officially met at their wedding almost 11 years ago!  Liam did perfect! 

I snapped this cute picture of the girls at the church. They were running around smiling and laughing, so it was easy to stop them and get a nice natural smile from both of them. 

After the baptism we headed back to Amy and Shannon's house for lunch and cake.  Lauren and Aiden had fun outside playing football and chasing each other around. 

Addison entertained herself on this tree stump.  She climbed on, jumped off, climbed on, jumped off, over and over and over again. 

I got her to stop for a second to try and snap a cute picture..here she is again with that crazy huge smile!  It was a great Sunday morning and a great time with friends. 

Taylor Swift Concert

So I took Lauren to her first concert Saturday night.  She loved it, and so did I.  Taylor Swift put on an amazing show and we had a ton of fun.  The concert was held at Arrowhead Stadium with over 50,000 fans.   Lauren was one very lucky girl to go to this concert, because her behavior this week was horrible.  I don't want to go into a lot of details, but she had to earn back the Taylor Swift concert in order to go.  She worked very hard Friday night and Saturday in order to go Saturday night. 

Mark and Addison headed to Paradise Park before Lauren and I left, so we had to set the timer on the camera and take pictures ourselves.  I love this picture. 

Lauren took this one.  I had to run to the basement to get the camera off the computer and Lauren asked if she could take a picture.  She said "whoa Mommy, your camera is heavy."  Yes, I let her hold my expensive camera and she snapped away and took some pictures. 

Then we headed outside so I could snap a few of her. 

This is her Diva pose...

Another good one that Lauren took! 

Self timer again!  Lauren had so much fun snapping pictures before we left.  She could not believe that the camera could take a picture on its own.  We headed to 54th Bar and Grill for dinner together.  We ordered a nacho supreme as an appetizer, then we split a turkey sandwich and fries.  It was plenty of food for the both of us. 

Then it was off to the concert.  Here is what happened in Lauren's words:

• It took us forever to get there, like an hour (traffic was bad!)
• We walked inside and I had to go potty really bad (poor thing she has an UTI I think.)
• She changed clothes like 7 times (it was 10)
• She made snow fall from sky and it was really cool (confetti)
• She came up from the ground on fire, it was not real fire, just pretend. 
• There were lots of fireworks and I was not even scared
• I saw Ms. Sam and Ms. Sammy Jo from school (Child Prodigy teachers)
• I got a light up wand (it was only $5, why not?)
• She looked at me (on the big screen)
• She was really small on stage
• I liked to look at her on the TV
• She walked through the crowd and the police had to protect her from the bad guys (who might attack her) 
• There was a wedding (the song...oops can't remember right now!)
• I got really cold and tired but I didn't want to leave
• I fell asleep in Mommy's lap

This picture was taken by some friends.  Lauren's teachers from Child Prodigy were at the concert as well.  Lauren was very excited to find them! 

Ms. Sam and Ms. Sammy Jo.  Such great girls.  Thanks for sharing the pictures. 

Those were some of the highlights from the concert.  It was an incredible memory and a great event to share with Lauren.  We stayed until after 10:30 and Taylor Swift had been singing for almost 2 hours.  It was cold, and Lauren was pretty tired.  We got out of there quickly and came home and went straight to bed.   

1/2 Marathon

Have I told you that I signed up for a 1/2 marathon?  Yep!  It is in 3 weeks.  It is something I have been thinking about since this summer when I trained for the Rock the Parkway 10K and Hospital Hill 10K.  Both of those runs were things I never thought I could accomplish.  After all, I started running about 14 months ago.  This was my first 5K (well in about 10 years at least.)  Before last summer I was never a runner.  I have always worked out and attempted to stay fit, but never a runner. 

When I was at the Rock the Parkway run and the Hospital Hill run I was a little jealous.  Jealous of the people wearing the bib that represented the color of running the 1/2 marathon.  I was in awe looking at some of the people with the 1/2 marathon bib and wondering how on earth they were going to run 13.1 miles.  If they can do it surely I can do it. 

Did you know Mark completed a 1/2 marathon this summer.  Yep.  He trained in 5 weeks (he was already running 6 miles pretty easily.)  I secretly think he did not want me to complete a 1/2 marathon before he did.  He is going to do another one in the Spring.  Rock the Parkway 1/2 marathon.

When he came across the finish line he said "don't sign up, don't do it.  It was very hard."  But after a while he came around, got some water in him and re hydrated himself and said he would do it again.

This has been my training schedule for the last 9 weeks.  I  have also used another schedule similar that will actually take me up to 12 miles before race day.  I have ran 3-4 times a week with my long runs on Saturday mornings.  I have been getting up at 5:45 to be out running by 6:00.  I love running first thing in the morning.  This is something very empowering and calming about running in the dark, watching the sun rise, and just looking ahead at the pavement in front of you.  I am slow.  Very slow.  But really, who cares?  I am running faster than those of you sitting on your couch (I saw that quote recently and thought it was perfect.  So what if I am running slow..I am running...10 miles last Saturday and 11 miles this Saturday.) 

My neighbors just completed a 1/2 marathon last weekend.  She is 21 and the Dad is 50.  They both had amazing times.  My other neighbor is also running in the 1/2 marathon that I am running in.  Again, his time will be amazing.

So as I continue my training I am excited and ready for the run.  I usually get this way about now.  I am tired of training and just ready to run the race!  I am looking forward to the sense of accomplishment in completing something I never thought was possible, and pushing my self harder and farther than I ever thought possible.

I love the challenge and can't wait for the end result.  Wish me luck! 

  

Wordless Wendesday

Plaza 10K

It was raining Sunday morning.  Again.  Just like Saturday.  But, Mark had signed up for the Plaza 10K a few weeks back and I knew he really wanted us there to cheer him on.  Besides, the girls love the rain...it is me that would prefer to stay at home in my warm bed!  They woke up early, Lauren at 6:15 and Addison at 6:20.  That made it really easy to get out of the house and down to the Plaza to cheer on Mark. 

We parked in my favorite parking garage on the Plaza.  There are always open spots and it is just a few blocks from the finish line on the Plaza races.  We were able to wait in the Commerce Bank entry way for Mark around the 2 mile mark. 

Lauren had fun singing and dancing and waiting on Mark.  He saw us at the 2 mile mark, gave hugs and kisses to the girls, handed me his keys and continued to run! 

We headed to Starbucks for a few minutes to warm up, got coffee and milk and use the bathroom before heading to the finish line to cheer Mark on at the end.  I don't know what I was thinking trying to push Addison in a stroller, hold an umbrella, help Lauren with an umbrella and hold a hot coffee all at once!  And then try and hold the girls milk when they decided they were done!  It was a little crazy there for a while trying to get to the finish line with my hands full of kids, umbrellas and coffee...but we made it! And, the coffee tasted so good. 

Addison is looking for Daddy.  Refusing to keep her hood up, in the pouring down rain.  Don't you love 3 year olds? 

Singing and dancing in the rain...again.  See what I mean?  The girls love the rain. 

Puddles...and no rain boots :(  Not a good combination after about an hour...this lead to a very cold grouchy girl who wanted her wet clothes off.  But, she had fun jumping in the puddles. 

Mark and Shannon did awesome.  They were such troopers running the whole 6.2 miles in the rain.  Mark finished better than his previous 10K time, and that was his goal.  He also beat Shannon..which never happens! 

Addison was pretty tired on the way home and was singing to herself with her eyes closed (she was singing the anniversary song that Mark taught her.  "Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Daddy loves you, Daddy loves you."  It was so sweet.  Soon she was asleep and stayed that way for 45 minutes.  It was 10:00 in the morning and that was the only nap she took! 

A closer look at that sweet face :) 

A Very Wet Weekend

Don't let this adorable face fool you!  OMG she is so cute right now, and a ball of fire all wrapped into one.  Her 3rd birthday is fast approaching and I can't wait.  She seems to love some of the new fall clothes that I have bought for her and it is always to fun to see her in the new clothes (and Lauren too!) 

Saturday morning after swim lessons Addison and I headed to Ms. Pat's carnival.  It was raining and gloomy outside but we still went.  Where is Lauren you ask?  Not here.  We did not let her go to the carnival.  Her behavior lately has been HORRIBLE.  Not listening, has to be told several times to do something, sassy, talking back, etc....This too I am sure will pass, but Mark and I had to do something to get her attention.  I think it worked, she was a little better on Sunday.  But, she still has a long way to go. 

When we arrived to the carnival it was raining pretty hard.  We were not able to do any bounce houses because those were just soaked.  We played some games, watched the clowns, rode the train, got some cotton candy, got a tattoo, and rode the pony.  We also spent a lot of time at the petting zoo looking at this....

Addison loved watching this bunny.  We stood there for several minutes watching this bunny and talking to the bunny.  Addison and I had a great time even though we got pretty wet.  It was nice to get some one and one time with her, which I seem to rarely get. 

Almost Wordless Wednesday

This is how I get 4 meals cooked on a Sunday afternoon in about one hour. 

I put Addison to work putting olive oil on the sweet potatoes that need to go in the oven....

and I let Lauren paint in the kitchen.  And where is Mark?  On the couch, watching football...for the next 5 months...with the laptop near by watching his fantasy team...A perfect Sunday! 

Back to Schol BBQ

Last week was the Underwood back to school BBQ.  Lauren was so excited to go and have us meet some of her friends.  When the sheet was sent home for the BBQ Lauren asked "can we go, can we go, can we go?"  How could we say no to that?  Of course, we were already planning on attending.  I figured it was a great way to meet some of Lauren's friends and see her interact with them. 

This is Gabriella.  Lauren saw her almost immediately when we arrived and those two took off running.  It was hard for me to stop them to even snap this picture! 

Both of the girls had fun on the  playground.  Addison will be there as a Kindergartner before we know it! 

We went inside the school to go to the library and check out the book fair.  I remember as I kid I used to LOVE the book fair.  Lauren seemed to love it too.  Both girls got new books that they have enjoyed reading all week. 

So far Mark and I are very pleased with Underwood and Lauren's teacher.   Lauren comes home every night with a new song she learned at school.  Fun songs...like letter sounds songs....listen to a car it goes rrrrrrr.....very cute to watch her dance around and listen to her sing as she learns. 

Monday she is sent home with homework to complete over the course of the week.  Simple stuff that only takes about 10 minutes a night.  Fun at this point.  Tonight I asked Lauren if she wanted to play for a few minutes after dinner and then do her homework.  She said sure.  Just a few minutes later she asked me "Mom, can we go ahead and do my homework?"  Well of course...again...I hope this excitement for homework keeps up.