School's in Again!!!

So, I'm not and never will be one of those moms who get all choked up thinking about their kid's first day of school. Kaylee started third grade last week, and Brianne went to her first day of kindergarten today. I wasn't sad about Kaylee starting kindergarten and I wasn't sad today when Brianne put on her huge backpack and headed off to kindergarten. What I get is excited. I know you are all thinking I mean I'm excited because they are gone and I get a quiet house. No, I mean I get excited for them. Excited for all the fun experiences I know they are going to have, and excited because they are excited. When you are a grown up there gets to be less and less things that you get truly excited about. Yes, of course you are excited for your children to be born, and excited to go on vacation, but even that gets less exciting the more trips you take. So it is fun to live a little vicariously through your children and remember how excited you were to start your first day of school.

And boy was Brianne excited! She asked me everyday for a week how many more days till kindergarten, and this morning she kept asking and asking if it was time to leave. Then she insisted on carrying her heavy backpack full of school supplies all the way to her school. I have to brag about my Brianne a little. She is such a little smarty pants. Her kindergarten teacher was surprised at how well she did during kindergarten testing last week. And she is such a good little reader it always amazes me how well she does, and how many words she knows when we practice reading every night. I'm sure she will do great in kindergarten!

Brianne next to her huge backback on her first day of kindergarten.

Kaylee on her first day of Third grade.

Provo Half Marathon

Well I finally did it! I ran in my first official race. I signed up for the half marathon last year, but I couldn't run in the official race because of a health concern. I ended up running it later that year, but somehow it is just not the same when you don't have the number pinned on your chest and the crowds to cheer you on. We had a really great run, the weather was perfect around 75 degrees and my adrenaline was pumping with the excitement of the big crowd. When I got done I called Shaun to tell him I was done, he jokingly asked me if I had won. Of course I didn't even come close to winning, but I felt like a winner! I finished 20 minutes faster than I did last year, and was able to maintain a 10 min mile pace. Slow if you are trying to win, but great for me.

You say, "oh great for her, but I could never run a half marathon." I bet you could! I love to run, but I haven't always been able to say that. Running to me used to be so boring and hard, but I started running with a couple of friends, and I found that running at a pace that you can still carry on a conversation was perfect for me. We started out slow at about 11 or 12 min miles and have worked up to 9 1/2 -10 min miles. I could run faster if I didn't talk while I was running, but what is the fun in that? Besides the runners high is no myth. There is nothing like the feeling you get after a long run.

Thanks to Nicole to being so faithful with running with me in the morning. I've never had a running partner who you can count on being there at 6:30 in the morning every time. And thanks to Audrey. We are a great pair for pushing each other to go a little faster. We are both competitive enough that if one is running a little faster, the other one always tries to keep up no matter how much we are hurting.

My running partners, Me on the left, Audrey, and Nicole. Great job girls!

P.S. Audrey, thanks for the ice cream cone, and yes, I did get sore!!!

Tips to convert yourself into a runner

I used to hate running I thought people who ran marathons and half marathons were crazy. I would occasionally get out and run a couple miles just for a change in my exercising routine but I never really enjoyed it. Now I can say I really love running and I even look forward to some of our longer runs. So what has made the difference?

1. Have a goal. Just running to be running seems pointless when you are tired or sore. But if you sign yourself up for a race you have more motivation to get out there and get it done. The best way to find out about races is to ask your running friends. Not into long races? Then sign up for a 10k or a 5k.

2. Have a running partner or two or three. The more the better then if one can't go with you, hopefully the other one can. Sign up for the same race, then you can be working towards the same goal.

3. Start slow. I love to be able to talk with my friends when I am running. If I run to fast I can't and then I hate it. Here is a good website for easy schedules for preparing for races, its a great site for beginners.www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html This is for half marathon but I think he has schedules for other races as well.

Neighborhood Fun

Some people in our neighborhood started a fun tradition last year and it was so fun that we decided to do it again this year. Classic Skating in Sandy offers a $10 season pass, then after that you just pay 1 dollar for each activity you decide to do. They have lots of fun things to choose from such as bounce houses, a jungle area, laser tag, skating and our favorite swimming and water slides! Most of the time we just come to swim and I feel so great knowing I only had to pay $4 dollars for my whole family to swim for the entire day! Almost every Tuesday this summer we would meet up with several of the neighbors and go swimming the kids had a blast and so did the moms.

Kaylee going down one of the four slides.

Brianne finally dared to go by herself down the slides the last two times we went. Once she dared to go by herself I didn't see her much for the rest of the time.

All my girls, getting a snack between sliding. Even Sydnie loved going down the water slides with me.

Kaylee and Brianne having lots of fun in the Jungle house.

More Neighborhood fun!

I don't do hair allot anymore. I stay too busy with my craft shows and dance. But every once and awhile I will have a neighborhood haircutting day. When all the neighborhood kids can come and get haircuts. My girls needed back to school haircuts so I decided to block out a morning and invite the girls in the neighborhood to come too.

I should have taken pictures of the cute girls in my neighborhood getting their haircut but I forgot. So here is a picture of the hair I cut off. I ended up cutting off some serious hair. Three girls including one of my own cut their hair from mid back to all the way above their shoulders. I hope I don't have some mad dads when they get home from work tonight.

ta da! Brianne finally decided to cut her hair off without any bribing. I think it turned out really cute, but I am going to have some serious hair to blow dry when I wash it. Her hair is about 4 times as thick as most of the girls in our neighborhood.

A view from the back.