Running

Add one more thing to Erin's list of things.  She's started running with me.  Last spring (way last spring 2011) I got back into running again.  I ran a fun 5K in the spring and then the local Women's 4-Miler in September.  I've run that race several times and it's always an awesome experience.  A few times running last summer Erin would come along and poop out about half a mile in, but hey she was wanting to be with me, so I took her along.  When I went to pick up my race packet info for the 4-miler she came along.  She immediately begged to run it with me.  I explained that 4 miles is pretty far and she'd need to work up to it.

Fast forward to this Spring and Erin starts asking to run "the race" with me.  I was a little hesitant at first, seeing as she hasn't really done any running before.  Also, each year I've had personal goals for the race and if I'm going to run with her I'll have to give that part of the experience up.  But she persisted and I talked to a friend who helps with the training program for first time (and repeat) runners.  With her encouragement, I signed us up for both the training program and the race.  Having done the training program before, I knew that the best way to prepare for the race is to do the program and the group runs that go with it.  What it also meant was leaving our house at 6:20 every Saturday morning all summer.

So our running has become some awesome bonding time.  What I didn't know is that this girl is a natural runner.  Her pace is just about what I work all summer to achieve.  We are running with a group of women locally 2 evenings a week and then with a big group of women for the Saturday morning runs.  She just takes off.  I keep telling her, slow down, don't push.  No use that's her comfortable pace.  This morning she completed her longest run yet, 2 miles, with a pace under 10:30.  Did I mention it's hot as blazes and humid out there?  At 7:30 AM.

So that concern about not setting my own personal goals, not such a big deal.  This girl is going to keep me moving.  This morning I couldn't keep up with her.  By the end of the run the only reason we were together was because she had to stop and tie her shoe.

But she's having a blast.  While waking her up on Saturday mornings is a bit rough once we get going, she perks up.  We talk and laugh while we run through our hilly neighborhood (she's not a real fan of the hills).  She continues to ask when our next run is.  This morning she told me she wants to run every day.  Not sure we'll get to that point, but we'll enjoy the runs we are getting in.

One slight side effect.  Those early morning runs after a long night of storms can really take it out of you though.  One wiped out girl.

Cub Scout Graduation

The boy found his puppy

Showing off his rocket

Jeff's Cub Scout pack had their graduation this past weekend.  Both Erin and I were graciously invited to tag along.  It was a gorgeous Virginia Saturday and we held the event outside at a nearby farm.

Throughout the spring, the Cubs all built bottle rockets to shoot off as a part of the celebration.  Jeffrey first experienced bottle rockets at a big Cub Scout event this spring.  They are simply 2 liter soda bottles converted into rockets with fins etc, and then launched using air pressure.  Some of them can get pretty darned high.

Jeff's rocket had a cool nest type design at the top.  It wasn't necessarily intentional, that's just the way it worked out.  On the way out the door for the afternoon he grabbed his stuffed Angry Bird and said, "Hey look!  This will fit in the nest.  I can launch my bird!"  And launch him, he did.  Jeff's rocket was one of the higher, straighter rockets.  I'd say it reached maybe 80 feet high.  Jeff's only disappointment was that the bird never kept going up when the rocket started falling.

Ready, Set, Launch

Bird Away!

After the rocket launching, the boys played a water relay game while the adults built a bonfire and prepared the area for the "graduation ceremony".  We had a great dinner of burgers, dogs and watermelon then each of the dens put on a little skit.  The Tigers (now Wolfs) did a cute skit about a bear attack.  Then they all got their new neckerchiefs and handbooks passed down from the previous Wolfs.

Playing with a good buddy

 It's so great to see Jeff and his friends enjoying Cub Scouting so much.  He's at scout day camp this week.  So far he's learned to shoot and arrow and BB gun, to bait his own fishing hook and some woodworking.  He's also getting to swim and play team games.  He's just loving it.  

Special Time With Dad

A Hat

Jeff has always had a bit of a quirky sense of style.  When he was little he'd yell and scream when I took him to get his hair cut.  The stylist would spike it up a little to check for length and generally joke about "should we leave it like this?"  He'd start crying because he needed his hair to be "flat".  Only recently has he started letting me play with his hair.  Even last time he got it cut he asked for blue hair spray and spikes!!

So, Sunday afternoon Erin was futzing around in her room and hung up a little dream catcher she'd gotten for her birthday.  A few minutes later Jeff is asking me for markers, and I remind him that he knows where they are.  Next thing I know he's coloring in this piece of foam packing material that held the dream catcher.  Fast forward a few minutes, and he's wearing it on his head.  Sort of like a visor.  OK.  Cute.  Creative.

Well, he's had it on his head for 2 days.  He wore it to casting for Bye Bye Birdie, tried to wear it to basketball camp, wore it to the gym and home, and then at the Summer Reading Kick Off party last night.  Sadly while jumping in the jump house the hat tore (I'm amazed it took that long).  Yet he was not to be dissuaded.  We went into the library and asked for some tape.  Now he's wearing foam packing material that has been taped together.  This morning he also decided it needed to be recolored since the marker was wearing off.  Since it's raining this morning the marker is again washing off and starting to run down his face.  Yet the hat lives on.  Last night I even went in to kiss him goodnight when I went to bed and there he was, sound asleep with foam packing material perched on his head.

The amazing thing, is that no one has said to me "What's that Jeff's wearing on his head?"  Whether our friends have just come to know Jeff as a bit quirky (ok, not just Jeff, all of us) or are simply not quite sure what to say to the mom of a kid with foam packing material on his head I appreciate the fact that they are just letting him be him.

I just hope he takes it off by high school graduation.

Bad Blogger

I realize I've dropped off the Blogging wagon.  I want to get back on it.  I feel like Facebook has a lot to do with this.  I post all the little cute sayings, silly mishaps, dramatic life events there.  Do I really need to double dip?  Does anyone even really read the blog?  Who knows?  It seems that my most popular post (according to the Blogger stats) is the one from last summer about our Punch Buggy game.  I guess the search term "punch buggy" pulls up the picture I used in the blog.

Anyway we are diving head on into summer here.  Wednesday was the last day of school.  We have plans for the summer that include two scout camps, a basketball camp, possible soccer camps.  There will be trips to Grandmas' and we've already hit King's Dominion 3 times.  I'm hoping we'll have the chance to work in some relaxing afternoons on the back deck with nothing but the iPod, Kindle and books.

As for this spring.  Erin had a great birthday as she got to celebrate on stage with all her friends.  Her birthday was the opening night for The Sound of Music.  She got to do what she absolutely loves which is sing and dance and be silly on stage with her friends.  The rest of the weekend was spent celebrating with Grandmas and Grandpas.

So here we go.  Here are some pictures from this Spring.  I'll get an official Sound of Music post up in the next few days.

Opening Birthday Presents Bright and Early

The Long Awaited Twinkle Toes

Reading Cards on Her New Balance Ball

 

Loving on Noni

More Legos!!

Zoo with Grandpa Donuts

Goofing at School

Late Birthday Breakfast with a Candle

Crazy Hairs

Right there in the center row, you can barely see 2 little faces.  That's Jeff's first time on Bezerker!