Friday Saturday Sunday

Friday:

Everyone is well enough again, so Friday starter with  a make up day for preschool. Fly me to the moon!

I pulled some "standing toys" from storage and this cutie bug loves them. 

Sloane loves baby dolls. She giggles with delight and kisses them and pats them and says, "awwwww" before biting their arms or feet. 

I went to bed, exhausted, at 9:30. I'm an up until midnight girl. Going to bed means less tired the next day, but I also wake up to things like this: 

So it's still kind of depressing! I think I'd rather be sleepy than wake up to grossness. Before you think it, the children and Aaron do help...this is from one meal. Big family = nonstop dishwashing. I loathe doing dishes, but not as much as I loathe getting behind and watching them spread across the countertop and accumulate on every surface on the kitchen. An empty sink is my thing. 

Reese attended Madi Z's 11th birthday party. It was a cupcake decorating party, and she brought home 6 adorable cupcakes to share with very happy siblings. It was a pleasure to catch up with sweet Michelle. 

Saturday: 

I signed up for the Bentonville Half Marathon. Not totally sure what I was thinking, other than, "that will get me running again!" I should be running 3-4 times during the week, plus long runs on Saturday. That isn't happening. And it is ok. I go after bedtime one night a week, and I go earrrrrrrly on Saturday mornings--which are my favorite, except the early part.  

Even going to bed early does not make me a morning person. 

The training group meets in the Downtown Activity Center for a workshop  on all things running (fuel, pace, stretching, aid station etiquette, hills, gear, breathing, etc) then sets out in a huge group of all speeds/abilities on a course marked by volunteers for the long run as the sun rises. I ran 6 miles in 16 degrees on Saturday. It was so cold I had icicles in my eyelashes and the water in my fuel belt was slushy ice when I finished. It was not easy, but I did it and I loved it. I ran 5 miles last night with Kasey, and I think that the first time maybe since Soren was born that I put in 10 miles within the same week, let alone 3 days! Felt great. Pics courtesy of a fellow trainee on the fb group. I'm sitting on the floor, 7th in from the top left, in a Green Bay packers beanie. 

Being with a group is really fun. It is inspiring to hear everyone's stories, encourage one another, and being in a pack gives a "race day" feeling that just makes me move a little faster, so my pace is picking up, too. This Saturday marked the halfway point, and it's literally all up hill from here. February and March will be intense, but worth it on race day! Even though I have done this and much more, before, It was two kids ago. I'm in a different body and have different time commitments in my life. It's been so long since I was a "runner" that the added distance reached each week feels like a brand new victory. It's thrilling. 

Corbin lost his 2nd tooth! I will miss his baby smile. He received a quarter, a dime, and a nickel from the tooth fairy and was quite pleased. He thinks it is cool to have "a bloody hole" in his gums. 

Corbin helped me harvest some fresh spinach and kale for a smoothie on Saturday. 

Aaron took the big kids to see star wars a second time. Soren was supposed to nap, but batted his eyes at me and asked me to please make him some "spreckled" eggs. It was too cute to resist, so spreckled eggs, he had, and then I practiced making an omelette for myself. Are you an omelette master? Teach me your skills! Aaron loves them and I'm trying to learn how to make them, but usually over cook the eggs. I need help. At least It tasted good. 

We had a sitter for a long awaited date night on Saturday and went to...a baptism! We are romantic like that. ;) It really was beautiful and I'm so happy we could attend and support the Hiligrass family as well as enjoy the Spirit's presence there.  We had gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and some incredible Gouda, green onion, and bacon loaded sweet potato fries at Hammontrees after. And Aaron was stalked by a Teredactyl hanging from the ceiling while we dined ;). 

Sunday: 

Sundays are long. I told (bribed) the children that if they could make it through two hours after church without arguing, we would make homemade personal pizzas. They made it (barely! Haha) and pizzas were devoured. 

Here is Pizza Reese, pre baking. In the past, I've always used cornmeal to dust the counter surface and paddle for easy sliding into the stone. Parchment paper is the way to go! No mess, no fuss, and no deformed pizzas.

After dinner, Aaron and I destroyed the kids at hi ho cherry-o. No mercy. 

I worked on pinning down some details for our upcoming relief society retreat. 

Then went to bed early for the third night in a row--who am I???

Weekends, you are so good to us. Stay here a little longer, next time.