Five on Friday- Highlights from my week

1- My 3rd grader passed the level 2 multiplication facts today! BIG DEAL and he literally did it mere moments before I got to his classroom today to volunteer. He got to show me his "award" posted on their classroom door. He was so proud! Me, too. This accomplishment took a lot of creativity. For example, did you know 7 x 7 is an NFL team??? The 49ers!

2- I had a colonoscopy on Tuesday. Woo Hoo! The best sleep I had all week, but the PREP work is noooo fun. All was fine. It was a repeat from 5 yrs ago so this is good news.

3- After the colonoscopy, Mr. Pink and I went to a movie before the kids got home from school. We saw Runner, Runner with Ben Affleck and Justn Timberlake. It was good.

4- I got mini#2 on a waiting list for our local basketball league because I missed the deadline for registration. We got a call and he is on a team....all for a mere $15 additional late fee. (I cannot keep up with these deadlines!!)

5-I started my Christmas shopping for the kids. As year round schoolers- this is a must because they are out the entire month of December although this year we go through Dec. 5 (because Thanksgiving is late this year).

Thursdays.....

Thursdays are my run day. Ever since they changed the group fitness schedule at the gym, there is absolutely nothing I want to take on Thursdays. So I run. Usually it's been at the gym on the DREADmill, but at least I can watch TV as the minutes tick away. I can adjust to go faster or slower as needed and all is great albeit boring. This crazy southern weather actually inspired me to take it outside this last month. That and I needed some hill training. But it has been more than that. I count animals/bugs/birds of interest as I run along. I've seen a crane, butterflies, caterpillars, worms, grasshoppers. Fun stuff! Ha!! Last week a deer literally jumped across the greenway path in front of me! He scared me and I scared him! I've yet to see Adam Levine, but who knows. Maybe one day. Ha! What do you do on Thursdays? 

Wordless Wednesday- Harry Potter style

Butterbeer for breakfast

Sniff, sniff. I felt so sorry for him. No Dragon roller coaster for you.

Since I've been gone...

I suppose I really should fill in some blanks since I took July, Aug and Sept off! So here goes:
1- The minis started 3rd and 7th grade on July 9th.
2- I turned cough, cough 43 in August. What the heck? Feels like I hit the big 4-0 yesterday! I got a road bike for my birthday. It's so pretty. I may, in the near future, attempt a mini triathlon. Did I really write that?
3- I dragged Mr. Pink and another couple to see John Mayer (and Phillip Phillips) in concert. 3rd time seeing John. I can call him that now. I had a blast and my friends did, too. But it might have been because they were laughing at me the entire time.
4- School tracked out for us on Sept. 10 after our first 9 weeks. We headed to sunny Orlando, FL for a Universal/Sea World/Wet and Wild trip. Mainly to bask in all of the Harry Potter World's glory! Mini#1 was in heaven. That kid, my reader, finished the first book in 2nd grade and has read all at least 4 times. I loved seeing him so happy, especially since he's a middle schooler now! We rode every special effects ride until I almost barfed and I screamed my head off on several occasions. Have you ever been on that Free Fall ride? WOW! Maybe this proves I really am 43.
5- As soon as we got home from FL I had a day to unpack, do laundry and repack before I took the kids to Charlotte to my parents' home to see my visiting brother, sis-in-law and 17 month old nephew. They're still living in Sweden (he helped arrange Obama's visit there right before he came home) and told us that their second baby is due in March! The kids had a great time with their cousin. I love it now when we Skype because you can tell he really recognizes us! He is precious.
6-Last weekend the kids/minis/not-so-minis and I ran in a local 5K (mini#2 ran in the mile fun run). I had to force mini#1 to practice with me last week and the week before while he was out of school. He walked half of the training. Then he finished 1:04 ahead of me in the race. That little devil!! Seriously, he is going to rock it in track next spring. He has no time for mommy's distance races (even though he has youth on his side and does well). He wants to do the mile and 800.
7- And this is a blog (and not FB) so I feel it's ok to boast about mini#1's grades. He got straight A's on his first report card. SO proud. Did it all on his own. Just don't ask me about 3rd grade. Between spelling words, projects, multiplication tables and general homework, I sincerely hope mini#2 makes it to middle school!
8-Soccer has started again. Mini#2's team is 4-0 with no goals scored against them yet. I love it! Four of these boys have played together since they were 4 and it's been so rewarding to see their growth and maturity in this sport.
9- Halloween decorations are up, costumes are ordered (more on this later) and I've already made pumpkins muffins and bought pumpkin waffle/pancake mix. Fall has arrived.
10-Go NC State! College football is the best, even if my Pack isn't.

BAD Decision

So I'm human. I make mistakes. Quite a few actually. Today was no exception. It started out this morning by me telling the kids not to ride the bus home today because I would be picking them up via carpool. Mini#2 asked me what "via" meant. Mini#1 and 2 asked me "WHY?" I said nonchalantly, "It's a surprise." They both got excited, made a few good and off-the-wall guesses and off to school they went. This afternoon I sat in the car sweltering in the heat for an hour and 20 mins through 2 carpool lines and started to feel a twinge of guilt. Mini#2 thought we were going to go get pumpkins and carve them. Mini#1 thought we were going roller skating by the direction we were headed. It was only a mere moments before we reached our destination that mini#1 (7th grade) yelled, "MAYBE it's a BAD surprise and we're going to the doctor!" And he was right. FLU SHOTS! Mini#2 (3rd grade) cried, said he wasn't getting out of the car and expressed his extreme dislike of me all within 2-3 mins. Of course, due to allergies, he gets the raw deal of the actual shot and mini#1 just has to inhale the live virus (and believe me I am soooo thankful for that after his displays of downright embarrassing behavior over shots in the past). We survived and I kept explaining to them, "See. This way was better. You only had to worry about it for a few minutes and not all day if I had told you this morning." AND I didn't have to hear all the moaning and groaning non-stop as I have in the past. I call it creative parenting.

But I did feel a twinge of guilt, as I said, so I decided to treat them to ice cream. I had a coupon for a free milkshake at Chick-Fil A that expired tomorrow. This is the second bad decision I made. While the two boys ate their cones watching a video in the back seat (shots long forgotten), I inhaled the SMALL Mocha Cookies and Cream milkshake, but I left the whipped cream in the bottom of the cup. I've heard that Hollywood actors live on milkshakes when they are asked to gain weight for a role. I decided to take a look at the nutritional information for this milkshake I just inhaled. Ummmm. BAD decision 1) to look at this information after I drank it and 2) that I got this at all. It was anything but FREE. A small was 660 calories and 24g of fat. OMG. A Big Mac (for comparison purposes only) is 550 calories and 29g of fat. I now am kicking myself because I ran outside for 4 miles after pilates today in the high humidity for nothing! Well, ok, so not really for nothing, but you get what I'm saying.

Lesson learned: You can be a creative parent, but have an ice cream cone with them instead of a milkshake when you are easing your parental guilt!

Crazy 4th of July Parade

I'm back...

School started today. Weighted down with costly school supplies (a $16 binder???), my boys marched off to 3rd and 7th grades and no tears were shed by yours truly. I took the "summer" (our 5 week break) off from blogging. We crammed a lot into our break as usual. I dragged the kids to the gym with me some. They were in an awesome Christian Runner's Camp that is popular around here. Mini#2 went to soccer camp the next week. Mini#1 had his end of the year performances in music theater and hip hop. Can you say excessive practices going into that?? We went to the beach twice. We sprinkled in a little pool time between activites. Last week we were at Ocean Isle, NC with friends and had a great time cooking, playing games, going to the 4th of July parade, getting a little sun, morning runs with mini#1 and sleeping well at night. Yesterday we took the boat to the lake. Busy, busy. I'll be sharing photos of all of this NC fun. Oh, a family reunion in Mt. Airy (of Mayberry fame) was also a highlight for me. I hadn't been to one in years. It was so cool seeing my grandmother's youngest sister. Her mannerisms reminded me so much of my dear grandmother who would have been 100 last month. So, I'm a little scattered and all over the place, but I'm back! Hope your summers are going well!