Although I had 5 1/2 years notice, I still was not prepared for Megan's first day of kindergarten.  Boo hoo!  Our school district started on the 23rd instead of the 22nd like everyone else, so she had to wait one more day.  That was very stressful for her.  The night before school started, we read a note from Megan's teacher.  In the note, she gave Megan some special "magic sleep confetti".  She put it under her pillow.  Megan declared that it worked and helped her sleep "so good" that night.  (Subsequently, she still sleeps with it under her pillow and even brought it to my room last night.) 

We were up bright and early for the first day of school.  Megan was SO excited, and it was sweet to watch Connor be so excited for her as well.  We took pictures out front, but she really rushed me so we wouldn't "be late on the first day". 



She was excited to see her friends before class.  I think it helped comfort her. 



Think she was excited?  Here's proof. 



As most of you know, it was my first day back to teaching as well.  The fact that I didn't want mascara running down my face helped keep me from seriously boo-hooing when we dropped her off.  Megan walked very timidly and anxiously down the hallway.  I've never seen her so shy in her whole life.  She walked into the classroom, took her seat, and chose a marker.  Very hesitantly.  The only reason why she smiled is because I got her attention, not because she already was smiling. 



This is a more accurate snapshot of her mood. 



I couldn't linger.  I had to get out of there.  I talked to a few of my friends, but I didn't hang around for the "Boo-hoo Breakfast".  I scurried off to my school to get there before the freshman passed through the doors.  I had a fabulous first day.  I love my campus, my co-workers, and my students.  This is where I belong.

When I picked Megan up after school, she informed me, "Mom, did you know school is exhausting???"  Yes, that I DO know, thankyouverymuch.  By the end of the week, she was completely exhausted and said she just wanted to sleep.  Good idea.  We're resting this weekend. 

I just can't get enough of this cute, happy, FUNNY boy.  Connor's first day of school.  He was very excited to get back to his friends, his wonderful teachers, and Bun-Bun his class bunny rabbit.  He be-bopped into class like he'd never left, and had a fun first day back.

On a side note, Connor has earned the "potty trained" seal of approval.  We started the last week of July, and with the exception of a few days, it was pretty smooth sailing.  At first he got a treat when he'd go.  He learned very quickly to think big.  Popsicles were the first choice, but I couldn't keep them stocked long enough.  We've caught him, at home and at school, standing in front of the toilet peeing - all on his own.  It's been a few days since he had a potty accident.  Thank goodness!

For the first time in months, it rained at our house!  It was such an exciting day.  Since it was just raining and not lightning, we dropped everything and ran outside to play in the rain.  They had a blast.  We were out there for hours. 

They jumped in puddles, collected treasures, rode bikes, drew on the driveway with chalk, danced in the front yard, etc.  





While we were out there, the mail lady brought Megan a special piece of mail.  It was a letter from her school telling her who her teacher will be for Kindergarten. 







We are very excited about her new teacher, and we've heard wonderful things about her.  Megan continues to "practice" how to act at Kindergarten (so she says).  What an adventure this will be!

I usually just post stuff about the kids on this blog, but for this post, I am going to just ignore my rules for a little bit by posting about myself.  Yes, I am.


Last year, we ran El Scorcho in Fort Worth.  I stopped at 12.54 miles last year.  I just couldn't go any further.  My body and mind wouldn't let me.  So I did not finish, and I regretted it for the rest of the year.  This year, I was DETERMINED to finish the race whether it hurt like h*ll or not.  The race is very unique.  It's at midnight, July 16th, it's a 25K/50K, and it's so stinkin' hot.  We registered for the 25K, which turns out to be 15.5342798 miles.  That day, I rested, ate, drank lots of fluids, and paced around the house.  I had intended to eat dinner before we left, but I sorta forgot.  Mistake #1.  When we got there at 11 p.m. it was 96 degrees.   

I decided to run with music this race.  Normally, I like to take the time to think while I run - my therapy - but I decided that it probably wasn't a good idea to be alone with my thoughts for 3+ hours.  That borderlines dangerous.   Thank goodness for Pandora.

My first eight miles went great.  I was so caught up in the excitement that nothing bothered me.  Until...long about mile nine I wondered what in the world I was thinking.  My goal quickly changed from finishing the race to beating last year's distance.  Then long about mile 11, I decided that was a pretty lofty goal.  My hips, back, lungs, head, knees, arms, eyelids, butt, and everything else in between hurt.  At the beginning of the race, we'd decided that Jeremy would come help me finish the last 3 mile lap when we was finished, but for several logistical reasons, that didn't happen.  PLAN B.  All of a sudden, I was alone - alone - to finish this race, and it was up to me to get myself through the finish line.  As a side note, I rarely do anything by myself.  I regularly rely on others to help me through difficult times - be it with kids, work, play, and running.  However, no one else was there.  Just little ole TIRED, warn out, hurting, me.   And dadgum it, I was going to finish this race!

I was struggling through mile 13 when a lady slowed down in front of me and started running with me.  She (Kristen) was also struggling, so we decided to help each other out.  That, by far, was the best 2+ miles of my running experience.  Now I was the one helping her, while she helped me, and even though we thought that there was a chance we'd quit, we didn't.  We crossed the finish line together, and yes, I finished OVER a half marathon.

While crossing the finish line was wonderful, I was in so much pain that I couldn't even enjoy it for a while.  My feet hurt so terribly bad.  Turns out, I had a seriously bruised toe and a ginormous blister - which apparently happens when you grab the wrong socks - the ones with seams - before you walk out the door.  Mistake #2.  I was shaking all over, had some sort of like restless leg thing going on where I couldn't sit still because it hurt if I did, was starving, and just felt plain weird.  My wonderful neighbor Marla took our picture after the race, and that smile is big for a reason.  I have never felt more proud of myself in my life. 



I finished El Scorcho.  Not first, not last, but I finished it.  Right after the race, I said "NEVER AGAIN" to over a 10K.  However, in the car on the way home, we discussed the upcoming half marathons and such in the fall/winter.  I'll be back out on that pursuit again.  But never, ever will it ever feel as good as it did when I crossed the finish line at El Scorcho Cinco. 

We waited and waited for the big cantaloupe to be ready and FINALLY it was ready to pick. Megan is so proud of it!

If missing, Megan can be found in any comfy spot, usually with a Junie B. Jones book. So far, she's read 8 Junie B's, 3 Ivy and Bean's, 17 of her 19 required reading books for school, and anything else she can get her hands on these days - including one of my parenting books. She likes to read our Runner's World magazine, cereal boxes, and text messages (so if you don't want her to read it out loud to whomever is in the room, don't send it via text message).





"Mom! You tak-a my picher too? I say cheese!"

Megan got her own section of the flowerbed and of the garden this year. She chose to plant cantaloupe in the garden. She picked the seeds, picked her section, sorta tilled it, and planted the seeds. All of them. In one little section, with 4 rows. What first looked like it might be a controlled cantaloupe area has turned into mass hysteria of cantaloupe. At last count, she has at least 35 cantaloupes out there, some are smaller than others, but they range in size from the size of her fist to the size of her head. She picked her first one the other day. It was bigger than a softball, but not by much. She was so proud! And she said it tastes delicious. She's since picked a few more and given them away to "special people". I think we'll have cantaloupe taking over the house over the next week.



(Thanks to my friend Rosemary for editing my picture to make it viewable.)

Had this random conversation with Connor one morning right after he woke up.

Connor: I'na go outside to do sumpthin.

Me: Do what?

Connor: Help. Help outside. I need my rainboots.

Me: Is it raining?

Connor: No, to keep da spiders off'a my toes.

Out he went. I peeked outside to find him with the garden tools, digging in the flowerbed.

Connor: Hey, mom. Just pullin' da weeds for you. I helpin'.

We had a whirlwind of a 4th of July weekend. We went to Uncle Doug and Aunt Debbie's house for 4th of July night. They live next to a really cool lake, so it was perfect for lots of fun.

Connor got out of the car, hit the backyard, and said, "I gunna catch me sum ga-tuhs." Um, apparently our family watches a little too much Swamp People? Anyway, when ga-tuh hunting was not an option, he got focused on fishing. He walked around begging anyone to go down to the edge of the water to fish with him.



Baiting the hook


The moving frog bait freaked him out a little bit.


At last...fishing!


Uncle Kyle had quite the fishing crowd.


Megan decided to stamp her face with a marker about 3 minutes after we arrived. It was very festive. But she loved it. She and Mandy fished, too.


Uncle Kyle wasn't the only one with a following of kids...Gran had one, too.


Dinner. YUM!


Then, there were the fireworks.


It became a quest to find things to blow up...






We couldn't wait until dark. The firework team.




I enjoyed playing with my camera settings for fireworks/night.

You know you're welcome anytime for a visit when the phone conversation with your Grandpa goes like this:

Me: Hey, what are you doing next week?

Grandpa: Come on down!

Therefore, we packed up the Tahoe (and yes, I mean crammed the Tahoe full of kid paraphernalia) and headed straight to Brownsville, TX. Not your typical vacation destination, but when the best 2 great-grandparents are residents of Brownsville, you go there with a smile on your face. We spent a week down there and had a blast.

We did the normal exciting things such as riding around the park in the golf cart, feeding the fish/ducks, games at Mr. Gatti's Pizza, and staying up late watching "not-normally-allowed" TV shows. We also did some other cool things.

Grandpa rode with us to Brownsville. The kids kept him entertained - and busy - in the backseat. He was SUCH a BIG help. (I missed him on the ride home!) If you were wondering about the humidity there, here's a glimpse. I took my camera outside and couldn't get it to clear up. So I just took a hazy shot of the crew sitting on the bench, enjoying "Grandpa time".



Liesl, the wiener dog, tolerates the kids very well. Even when they invade her space.



This is my favorite thing to do at Granna's house. She gets every woman's magazine known to man. So while I'm at her house, she lets me go through them for recipes, articles, suggestions, coupons, etc. I bet I looked at 50 magazines over the week.



Connor learning how to do lacing cards with Granna.



We went swimming at least once every day. When we first got there, Connor was still clinging to my neck. Megan was timid, yet would venture out in the water with her arm/body floaty thing. By the time we left - the first day - both kids were on their own in the pool. Shocked me.



Connor "whimmin'"



All I saw of Megan most of the swimming time



We escaped the heat and humidity one afternoon. Brownsville has a great children's museum. My kids had a blast there! For hours. The three adults got a workout chasing them from station to station.

"I watchin' Nemo!" He sat under the "pier", in the treasure box, several times.



Can you tell by the contents of his basket what he asks for at least 20 times a day?



He wanted to go "tipping tractors" like Mater and McQueen.



You might notice that I don't have as many pictures of Megan as I do of Connor. There's a reason for that. Megan was a blur, racing around between exhibits. Once she found out she had the freedom to roam the whole building, she did just that. And she just wasn't too interested in being around adults. Until she and Double G built a tent.







Connor practicing brushing teeth.



We packed up and got ready to leave on Sunday. But I got as far as the gas station down the road, called Double G, and turned around. Just one more day.