Race for the Cure

This past Sunday, the girls and I participated in Race for the Cure.

We've been participating in Race for the Cure in Peoria, IL since Elisabeth was a baby. I believe her first race was when she was 2. In Peoria, the race is on Mother's Day weekend and we'd always go with Kyle and Jana. Last year was Julia's first race. But, here in Colorado Springs, their race is in September. So, I signed us up and woke up bright and early to get to the race on time.

We got to ride a big yellow bus from the parking lot to where the race was being held...

which was the Garden of the Gods. It was beautiful!!!! It's one of my favorite places in Colorado Springs and having the race there was just perfect.
There were over 8,000 participants this year.

The girls were fantastic. There was not a lot of whining and I made sure that I wasn't the one whining the most. (Gotta set an example, you know)
This was the first year that Elisabeth walked the entire 5K by herself. No Nina to get shoulder rides from. No wagon to hop a ride in. She'd ask to sit and rest for a couple of minutes every now and then and we'd stop, but otherwise, she was a real trooper. When I told her that I saw some kids her age running the 5K she looked at me like I'd lost my mind and said, "I am not doing that!". Maybe cross country is not a future sport for her.

Towards the last leg of the race, Julia wanted to walk.

Elisabeth asked lots of questions again this year. I re-explained breast cancer to her. We talked about how races like these help raise money for doctors and researchers to find ways to help people with breast cancer get better. We talked about how the women and men in the dark pink shirts were survivors and what that means. We'd talk about people who had "In Celebration Of" and "In Memory Of" tags on their backs, especially the little three year old boy who's tag said "In Celebration of Mommy". We talked about how my great-grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was in her late 70s and how she had to have surgery to remove one of her breasts but lived to be 94 in remission. She asked lots of good questions and gave me lots of hugs whenever someone walked by with an "In Memory of Mom" tag on their back.
It's a tradition I want to keep going. It's important. Because they're important.

Virtual Coffee

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It's Tuesday again! Time for a little virtual coffee. Today, I will be using this mug that Evan bought me while he was in training in Virginia (the state).

I have 3 mugs with my name on them. I'll have to show you the other two another time. :)

If we were really having coffee together...

I'd apologize that you had to park a bit aways from our house. They are working on our street and I didn't even know it until yesterday when I went to leave for the Y and there giant signs saying our road was blocked right in front of our house. Apparently, they are extending the curbs next to the side street near us to help slow traffic down. Elisabeth was all worried that they would block everything and she wouldn't be able to walk home or that we'd get stuck in our house and starve. I'm not kidding, she said starve. I told her that they couldn't lock us in our own home and they gave us room to get in and out to the street. She wasn't totally convinced.

I'd tell you how last night while I was making dinner, Evan and Julia went to pick Elisabeth up from Girl Scouts. In the middle of cooking, I get a phone call from Evan telling me to grab my camera and go look at the sunset. "Let dinner burn, this sunset is worth it."


He was so right. And I liked him a little more for knowing me so well.

I'd tell you how I'm loving this fall like weather and the small signs that the plants and trees are excited about fall too.

I'd tell you how relieved I am that Julia's been doing so well with the potty training. She's been telling us more each day when she actually needs to go. I've been more laid back this time around than I was with Elisabeth. Part of it is because Julia's the second child and I'm more laid back with lots of things concerning her and the other part is that she actually is wanting to use the toilet, something Elisabeth never really cared about.
We went to the park yesterday and I realized we hadn't made a park trip in weeks! That is so unlike us.

I would mention how Elisabeth, of course, knew someone at the park. That she's the most social child who is loved by almost every kid. The boy's name was Jarrel and he was yacking Elisabeth's ear off about football and his uncle and the new kid in class. Elisabeth was happily listening and twirling on the swing. Then the kid said, "Hey, is that your mom?"

"Yeah."

"She keeps taking pictures of you."

"Yeah, she does that a lot. She's always taking pictures."

I'd tell you that tonight is book club night and I am beyond excited. I have been needing book club. It's like my medicine when I am bogged down with being a mommy. Tonight we're discussing "My Lobotomy" by Howard Tully and it was my pick. I'd read it over a year ago and was completely moved by the true story. There was a story about his book on NPR a few years ago that I recommended everyone listening to after they'd read it. I'm very excited to discuss it with everyone.

As you left, I'd apologize again about the mess of my street. I'd show you how something is eating my petunias and I think it's a giant moth that I see every morning hanging out on my house. I'd brag about my mums that are both gorgeous and doing great! (Well, the one's from Rachel's brother's greenhouse, not the ones from Wal-Mart. Those ones are kind of giving up on life.) I'd tell you that the next time I see you my house will be decorated for fall! You'll love it!

Just Like Mommy.

I bought this book for Elisabeth when she was around 2.

It's a super cute story about the little girl saying everything that she has like her Mommy.

I have a necklace.

I have earrings.

Just like Mommy.

Elisabeth loved it. There's one page that talks about having curls just like Mommy (which Elisabeth totally does).

Now I read it to Julia. It's one of the books we read while she's sitting on the toilet trying to tinkle. Julia loves it just as much as Elisabeth did.

The last page of the book reads:

I have a pocketbook.

I'm going to work.

Just like Mommy.

Yesterday when I was reading it to Julia, she kept pointing to the mommy and the little girl and saying, "No, they go home."

Every time I read it, she kept saying that they were going home.

And then it dawned on me.

I looked at Julia and said, "Julia, does your Mommy go to work?"

"No. You stay home." And then she smiled that gigantic silly smile where she shows all of her teeth and smiles so hard her eyes disappear into her squishy round cheeks.

This simple little board book story meant two totally different things to my girls.

You see, Elisabeth did go to work with me. When I bought this book, I was working at her daycare as a teacher in the room next to her. We lived in DeKalb and Evan was going to law school.

Here we are at The Growing Place when Elisabeth was almost four (with her bestest friend, Avery, who would turn four the day before Elisabeth).

Elisabeth at the age of 2 (and younger) was used to Mommy working. I'd been working since she was born. I graduated from college when she was only 6 months old. Then I worked full-time while Evan finished undergrad and then when he was in law school. She would wake up in the mornings and go with me to work every day. She would see me in the hallways and give me kisses before it was nap time (which she never napped for). Her teachers were my friends and would come over to our house to hang out sometimes.

I got to see her on the playground and knew all of her friends and their parents. When she was hurt, they'd just holler over the partitions that divided the classrooms (there were no real walls in the day care because they were all open classrooms) and I'd go make sure she was okay.
And when I got a new job at a private school, Elisabeth knew I was still a teacher, just at a different school.

But, Julia?

Well, I did teach for a little bit when she was an infant, but she doesn't remember. Evan stayed home with her for the first 6 months she was born and then when we were living with Keith and Jana in Pekin, my mom would watch her at Kyle's house with Ethan the days I substituted.

But, she doesn't remember any of that. All she knows is that Daddy goes to work, Elisabeth goes to school and Mommy stays home with Julia.
It's funny for me to think about how my girls have different views of me. Elisabeth still tells people that I'm a teacher but that I stay home now and take care of Julia. She remembers me teaching and going to my classroom on the weekends when I needed to get things done. She remembers meeting my students and my co-workers. She remembers me teaching.
Julia's going to remember being at home with me. Running errands together and visiting my friends for lunch. She's going to remember picking Elisabeth up from school and going to the Y all the time. She's going to remember that Mommy was only a mommy.

Same little board book.

Two different memories.

Two very different little girls who both see how they are just like mommy.

10 on 10

Today I am participating in 10 on 10. I actually kind of struggled with this. I wasn't feeling creative yesterday. And can you believe that I'd forget to take pictures? I know, I didn't know what was wrong with me either.

Our day...

Please go check out everyone else's day on 10 on 10!

Rotary.

We have a rotary phone. It really works, we just don't have a land line to plug it into. So, the girls play with it. But, they have to be careful because we do plan on eventually making it our phone. And, if they drop it on their toe, it does hurts quite a bit. Julia carries it around with her when she uses it because that's all she knows. We've never had a stationary phone...ever. She's only known cell phones. Weird to think about...

Yesterday, while reading Pioneer Woman's site, she talked about blogging and gave 10 important things she's learned about blogging. I loved it and thought that a lot of her reasoning is what I try to accomplish with my own blog. And then I read the one about needing to exercise more because blogging is a sedentary activity and I was all offended that Pioneer Woman was calling me fat and I cried a little and then pouted some and then ate 100 snickers bars while staring at the computer and then had an a-ha! moment. So, I'm going to go to the Y again today because she's right.

I didn't really eat 100 snickers bars. That'd be a bit much. I don't even have snickers bars in my house. I do have baklava though. Mmmm...
My bestest friend, Melissa, is coming to visit us!! She hasn't made it out here yet since we've moved here and I am most excited. Melissa and I have been friends since the nursery at our home town church. My aunt and her mom were friends in high school. Another of my aunts used to date her uncle. Our grandparents used to play cards and were in Sunday school class together. We used to dream of my sister marrying her brother so we'd truly be related.

We go way back.

After undergrad, Melissa took a job that traveled 100% for her job. I used to have to call her to remind myself what state she was in. She's kind of a travel bug at heart, so the job was perfect for her. When she was living in California, she had a free plane ticket that she could use on someone to come visit her. So, i hopped a plane and spent 4 days in California. I got to go to the beach and touch the Pacific ocean for the first time in my life; walk the Hollywood Stars of Fame and see Frank Sinatra's star; go to an LA Dodgers game and eat a Dodger dog; ride in LA traffic and vow that it was terrible and mind numbing. I loved it!

Now, she's settled in Chicago with her fabulous fiance Scott and I'm the one traveling. My how the tables have turned. She's going to be here for Elisabeth's birthday!! Elisabeth is going to be soooo excited. She loves Melissa.
It's Thursday. That means Thursday dinner at Rachel's. I love Thursday dinners.
Yesterday, my sister-in-law Kyle called me to tell me that my mom was over at her house holding Owen. She knew I'd be jealous. Then, when I was talking to my mom later that day, she told me she got to hold Owen and told Owen she'd have to tell his Aunt Virginia she was holding him because I'd be jealous.

They all hate me. But, little do they know that the next time I see that baby, I'm not going to give him back. He's staying with me out here. So, ha ha!
Have I told you what I'm going to be for Halloween?! I haven't?!?!?! Well, let me remedy that...

I'm going to be Miss Havisham from Great Expectations!!!!!!!!! I need to find an old wedding dress to stain with tea. And a veil. And gloves. Don't you fret, I'll definitely post pictures. Especially because Rachel has an annual Halloween party and Melissa will be in town for it and Evan already knows his costume too. So excited!!!!

Tomorrow I'm participating in Ten on Ten. It takes place on the 10th of every month. You take a picture every hour for 10 hours of your day. I was intrigued by this idea, especially since I carry my camera with me constantly. It should be fun! I'll also have it so you can see what other people did for their Ten on Ten. So, come check it out. I promise to not just have pictures of bugs. Or clouds. But...I will probably have a couple at least. :)

Last Chance for Summer Fun!

It's starting to cool down around here. Highs in the mid 70s. Lows at night in the 40s.

Elisabeth is excited about fall coming. It means apple picking and pumpkins; wearing sweaters and football games; jumping in leaf piles and warm apple cider; decorating for Halloween and her 8th birthday in November.

But, she's soaking in as much of the last hot days. She's still begging for ice whenever the ice cream truck drives by. (We usually compromise by say, getting one at McDonald's or a push-up from our own freezer.)

She also ran through our sprinkler (which was on still trying to hydrate our grass). Last summer she refused to go through the sprinkler claiming to be scared of it. On this particular night, she informed me she is no longer scared. Her good friend Mabel showed her there's nothing to be scared of. I am very thankful for Mabel.