The Monster Dash

ON YOUR MARK . . .

GET SET . . .

GO!!

 It was a cold, cold morning in Pearland, Texas when all 5 Wards set out with the sun barely out, dressed in winter hats, gloves, and coats ready to race.  The 3rd annual Monster Dash was this Saturday and even though I haven't run a 5k in over two years (actually the last time was the 1st Monster Dash), I wanted to run it with Elijah as he experienced his first 5k. 

Before our start time, the girls ran the 1K kids run.  You've never seen a prouder dad then Kenny when Lydia came in as the fastest girl in her group winning a Dracula monkey.  He's already planning her cross country career.  Lanie ran her heart out as well as she ran next to her little friend, Ella.  She wore her participatory medal the rest of the day and the next.

When it was turn for our race, we all lined up waiting till the last minute to take off our coats.  When the whistle blew, Kenny took off, the only one who was really racing for a reason.  Me and Elijah started slow.  Because I haven't run in a long time, I had planned on a little jogging, a little walking.  But Elijah kept me moving.  After a few minutes, he went ahead of me, looking back every few seconds like a worried parent.  I finally shoo'ed him ahead without me. And he did.  I watched his little blond head bob in and out of runners.  It really motivated me to run harder, even though every step hurt a little more.  I expected him to speed race and then walk, speed race and then walk, but he didn't.  Instead, slow and steady, he got farther and farther away from me.  I didn't see him again until the finish line.
 

Me and E - exhausted

 I am not a runner.  Let me repeat, I am not a runner.  I always thought I would be.  In fact, about 13 years ago, I started training for the Houston marathon.  I woke up at crazy hours, ran in the rain, made long runs on Saturdays, but finally realized it wasn't for me.  But even though running isn't my passion, I've had a few of those moments - those God moments where it literally feels like it's just me and God in the heavens and we're having a little chat over a good run.   That's what this past Saturday felt like.  It was cool, brisk, and non-sweaty thanks to the chill, and the sky was this gorgeous blue.  It was all God that got me and my burning legs,  and tired feet up the hill and to the finish line where our friends, the girls, Kenny (who finished 12 minutes earlier coming in 3rd with hardly an ache) and Elijah (who finished 2 minutes before me) were waiting to cheer all the runners on.   

While I would have preferred sleeping in, I can't complain that everyone in our family had exercised, had a free after-race breakfast, girls jumped in the jumpy, we jammed in the cold to some DJ music, Kenny and our friend Tomika both won door prizes (month-long gym memberships that neither will use), and we took lots of pictures all before 9am.  Not too shabby for a run-of-the-mill Saturday morning. 

Pumpkin Carving Truths

 
We kicked off our deliciously cold weekend with Pumpkin Carving.  We can't carve just one, always three. And every year they tend to be a little bit more difficult, and a little bit more time consuming than the last. But always memorable. After a few years as the Ward carver, I've learned a few truths about the pumpkin carving experience.  10 Truths actually, so I jotted them down. I am curious if any other parents can relate.

Truth #1:
Early in the October, have your child pour through pumpkin face ideas and draw 5-10 examples of their own - kills so much time. 

Truth #2:
When you finally get to that church pumpkin patch or country farm (not grocery store), teach your kids to choose pumpkins that will work best with their drawing. (See truth #1).  Makes the picking out so much more involved and worth the 50 pictures you take by the scarecrow, in the hay, by the tractor, in a pile of baby pumpkins. 

Truth #3:
Always have back-up carving tools.  Dull paring knives don't do the trick.

Truth #4:
Put on Halloween music while carving. Even if you're sick and tired of "Monster Mash" and "Thriller."  It will totally set the mood. 

Truth #5:
Teach your kids that pumpkin guts are cool, not icky. 

Truth #6:
Even if you don't get around to actually cooking them, pull out the pumpkin seeds.  It takes times but teaches the kids that the pumpkins offer more than just scary jack-o-lanterns. (oh, and pumpkin pie - but it's hard for a kid to see the guts and connect it as pie filling.)

Truth #7:
When carving, use pencil first.  I don't care how good of an artist you are. It will save you time in the long run.

Truth #8:
Kids are quickly bored with pumpkin carving.  After the excitement of the gut-pulling, they will often leave you to do the work. 

Truth #9:
If you can, convince your kids just to paint the pumpkin.  There's some clean-up involved, but you're free to facilitate without being directly involved. (i.e. on the ground in a straddle position wielding a dull knife.)

Truth #10: If you live in south Texas, do not cut pumpkin until the weekend of Halloween.  Heat does pretty awful things to this gourd-like squash when cut into.  Beware of blackening and bugs. 

Finally, I don't care if your pumpkin is merely 3 triangles and a curved line - shine those pumpkins with great pomp.  Your kids will be so proud!. 

Lydia's Spider

Elijah's Spook

Lanie's kitty (already had an eye mishap)

 

Guess The Personality

Before the weekend of Halloween festivities really kicks off, I wanted to post so not to forget, some obvious comments we received at the kids' teacher conferences this week. 

They are out of order - so pop quiz for you. 

A.  (Your child) is Switzerland, always in the middle trying to make everyone happy.  I wish I had a class full of (child's name).

B.  (Your child) can be a social butterfly with friends, but is so very shy in class.  

(Child's name) doesn't like to sit down when writing, coloring or even when eating.

C.  (Your child) is so excited and involved in class.  Sometimes too excited.  Have to remind (child's name) to raise hands.  Very conscientious and works hard. 

Any Guesses? (scroll down a bit.)

Answer: C

Answer: A

 

Answer: B

She Who is Finally Named

          I introduced this white kitten in a post two 1/2 weeks ago and have yet to follow up on her name.  It took us SO long.  But, finally, after a few days calling her Sugar, and then a few days calling her Sassy, we finally agreed (at least mostly) on LUNA.  I'm a lover of "L's" - Lijah, Lydia, Lanie ( we don't pronounce the E's too much in kid 1 and 3) so for me, it fit perfectly and it doesn't hurt that she is as white as a moon when curled up in a ball.  Honoring Harry Potter with a Luna Lovegood reference isn't too bad either.  So Luna, it is. Or Luna Lou. Or Crazy Luna.
         
          Lanie still doesn't quite understand that Luna made the final cut.  Each day she notices a new characteristic in her, she comes up with a different name.  "Let's call her Growly?" And she has a good point. This kitten growls throughout her meal, wild animal-like.  We have this backstory that she was dumped in a field and made to fight Tigers and Bears for her food and that's why every single person who comes in contact with her bowl gets a good talkin' to. 

        There's such a stark difference watching our gentle, 15-year-old Boo Radley eat.  Actually, watching the two of them side-by-side is one of my favorite things to do these days.  (No comment on the excitement of my days.) It's a nice parallel. Young vs Old. White vs Gray.  Ornery vs Tired.  Long hair vs Short hair.  Skittish vs Confident.  
     
         I get so caught up in comparing them, that I can even start plugging myself into a category. 
Old (and older in 5 days).
Gray (would like to color even though Kenny says, "let it go.").
Tired (must make self sleep before midnight).
Long Hair (can't wait to cut it off).
Confident or Skittish?  Depends on the day.  Depends on the time.

   
 So there you have it.  I take a nice entry about my cats and turn it into one about me.  Must be a confident kind of day. 

 

Soccer Season

        For the past six weeks, every Saturday afternoon Kenny has taken Elijah to soccer practice for an hour.  Then, me and the girls tote our chairs and snacks across 4 fields to sit and watch Elijah play in his soccer game for another hour.  Well, I watch, cheer and take pictures and the girls either complain about the heat, beg for more snacks, or fight over who gets to use my phone to play games.  But they are good sisters and tell their big brother good job at the end of the game.

 It seemed odd to me that I hadn't mentioned this weekly excursion so I thought it was time to give my readers (grandparents) some insight into these weekly games.

       It's been a bit of losing year for Elijah so maybe that's why I haven't written. He really likes to play, and he works so hard, never stopping.   But because of the way the league is set up, he is the oldest player (3 weeks shy of 9-years-old) and many of his teammates are newly turned 6-year-olds, basically his sister's age.  And that's a big difference.

     And while it's been our commendation that this experience help him learn to be a good leader, it has not been easy.  You see, (if I haven't already said it a million times), Elijah loves sports and competition the way that I love holiday candy, the way that Kenny loves Mountain Dew, the way the girls live to perform song & dance routines.  He gets frustrated with kids who don't take it seriously and tears in his eyes when the other team scores a goal or when our goalie misses a catch.

        Elijah takes losing very personally.  He's very hard on himself.  I sometimes wished he was the kid who preferred searching for ladybugs over playing offense and defense at the same time. But that's not the way he's wired.  Since he was little, he's had this streak.  His babysitter from birth to age 3 used to tell me that his task-driven personality would benefit him in the long run.  It's just getting over the hurdles now. 
      More than anything though, it's hard on Kenny who had to step in as an assistant coach when no other parent would.   The picture below was taken after a game. You can hardly see Elijah because Kenny has engulfed him in a hug to give him time to gain some composure, to wipe his red eyes.  As a bystander, I've watched both of them closely.  I can see from a distance when Elijah takes deep breaths and his face scrunches up, and in seconds I hear Kenny's coaching dad advice to let it go. 

 













     

     

 I wouldn't say it's been a super fun season, and I'm glad it's almost over, but it's been a learning year.  Learning more about how to help coach Elijah through losses and disappointments.  And those learning years are always good ones in retrospect. Right?  Some seasoned parent with an older competitive child, please tell me I'm right.  We're just feeling our way.  Feeling our way through with lots of prayer, lots of laughs, and lots of giant hugs.  

TTDBID

The first TTBID list.

Busy.  I'm just plain busy.  Everything that has ever had to be done is happening right now. I tried writing many times this week but it was never witty or clever enough, and I didn't take any great pictures.  That's what happens when I don't have time to reflect.  When the TTD list gets so long, I tend to long for the future. I hear myself saying, "When I get (fill in the blank) done, then I can relax.  When (fill in the blank) is over, then I can spend more time reading, spend more time walking, spend more time praying, spend some time checking off items from my TTDBID list."  Yes, I've had a Things To Do Before I Die list since I was in 8th grade and decided after watching Anne of Green Gables that I had to see Prince Edward Island, so that was my my #1.  I love having this list.  I love having a record of what I thought would be an important experience in 1988 and how I've taken some chances to check some off, and how I've taken some off of the list.  I really don't think I'll ever snow ski, and I'm alright with that.  If I ever have a chance to go to a mountain in the snow, I'll opt for cozy fires and reading.  Forget the adrenaline rush of downhill skiing and frozen fingers.  Call it old age, or maybe laziness.  But it's off the list. 

The TTDBID list has been good to me.  I have a newer, typed version hanging in my closet and it reminds me of two things.  First of all, I have so much more to experience.  Second, I've done so much already.  It's a nice balance.  When I start to feel over-scheduled, when I can hardly look at a calendar because 2012 is closing too quickly, when my kids shoes don't fit after only 2 months, I start to feel the pressure of time.  Funny thing though, I have the same 24 hours that I did when I first made that list as a bright-eyed-and-bushy-tail kid.  Granted those 24 hours are filled with umpteen responsibilities, instead of endless hours of boredom.  But, the time is still there, all 24 hours of it. I could bemoan lost chances, missed opportunities (and I do), but it's a much happier place for me to instead make plans for the day I ride that dolphin, or see the Northern Lights, or ride in that hot air balloon. 

Oh, and Prince Edward Island - been there.  Checked it off the list in 2000.  Thank you to Kenny who forfeited a beachfront honeymoon to a Canadian province.

The Choir

If you are looking at this picture and see middle-aged men singing on a back patio then you see correctly.  Our friend Garret loves music, all kinds of music, and this is how he presented this last Saturday night concert to us. (mostly verbatim)

"It's a bunch of guys from California, had an alternative band in the 80's and 90's....They still tour, usually either in bars or churches..."

Then he goes on to tell us that a Bible Study group from a Methodist Church in Magnolia is hosting a house concert in some guy's rural back yard.  It's a pot-luck dinner with the band so we are supposed to bring a dish and our own beer or wine. 

Random right?  But how could we pass that up?  A band I've never heard of, pot-luck, and camping chairs.  I love a good adventure. And then I find out that the drummer wrote and composed the song "God of Wonders," a song we're always singing at church.  And I found out that they won a grammy in the Contemporary Christian category many years ago.   I felt quite hip in the world of Christian rock. 

I will admit that I was totally skeptical about the night, especially driving almost an hour to get there but I ended up really enjoying it.  I even got some bootleg footage of The Choir singing this song, "Beautiful, Scandalous Night."  It was really pretty. 

So I dedicate this post to The Choir and for proving you're never too old to do what you love.  And seeing that I'm right around the corner from 40 and am no where close to doing what I love or even know what that is -- it's quite a comfort.

Enjoy!

(poor video quality and very short but it'll give you an idea to their great harmony.)

Lil' Pioneers

     With all the excitement of grandparents visiting the past two weekends and a new kitten in our home, I didn't get to mention the girls' big night.  After a 4-hour cheer clinic last weekend with the high school, they performed a cheer and dance during half-time at the LSA football game.   While I was waiting with some other moms before the big show, we reminisced about the past few years that we've been in this same spot, ready to record the same thing.  What I remember most though is when Lydia was three-years-old and had her first Lil' Pioneer experience.  I was totally obnoxious about it.  Really, I was. I thought Lydia should practice, watch the video, know the words, and care about doing it correctly.  It must have been a left-over reaction to coaching those cheerleaders years ago.
     Luckily, that stage mom behavior didn't last.  I quickly learned that a 30 second routine by a 3, 4, 5 or 6-year-old does not make it in the "something to stress over" folder of life.   If they want to practice, great. If not, eh.  Now this lackadaisical attitude may not stretch into practicing math facts or piano lessons, but for now it does. 
     And when half-time finally came and the silly, excited, sparkly girls marched onto the field, I was there stress-free with camera in hand ready to capture their 30 seconds of fame. And as always, it was very cute, very quick, and very, very pink.  

Pumpkin Patch Trip Gone Impulsive

       When my parents came down this weekend, we visited the Hatley Pumpkin Patch (Thanks to Living Social) on our beautiful 60 degree Sunday.  The kids put on their orange and black and we headed out for our 45 minute drive in hopes of a new pumpkin patch experience.  Based on the Hatley website, we had a fairly traditional Farm trip in mind.

A bumpy tractor hayride . . .

A petting zoo  . . .

                

Halloweenish face painting . . . 

 Miniature horse rides . . .

 A scary (sort of) Haunted trail . . . 

A horse cart ride . . . 

A miniature horse obstacle course . . .

A chance to rope a steel steer . . . 

And of course there were lots of pumpkin patch pics . . . 

But the one thing we weren't planning on was this . . . 

Can't tell what that is?

It's the kids begging us to take this 4 month kitten home.










And you won't (or maybe you will) believe what we did.

Yes, we did it.  Totally impulsive.

Must have been that 60 degree weather.

Or the fact that Luna, Tricks, Princess, Kit Kat, Suzy Q, Snowball, or Annie (name undecided) is just so darn cute.

The Meeting of the cats.