what you say about dis?

Three

My sweet little girl is three. 

And so full of personality.   This little girl refers to herself as a tutu ballerina princess and if her boys call her their sister they quickly get reminded of her title.  She is usually in a tutu or sparkly shirt or dress.  Its rare to see her in jeans and she will quickly take them off.  Norah loves to twirl and the skirt with the biggest twirls the better.  One day we went shopping for new running shoes for me and she saw the teenage prom dresses out.... so she picked a few out for me and I tried them on for her.  I had to spin and twirl and ballet dance in the dressing room and I've never seen her happier.  She squealed and clapped and then called Ma-Ma-Maa later and asked for a tutu for mommy.  So I now have a tutu and Norah loves it. 

She loves her brothers fiercely and yet knows exactly how to push each of their buttons.  She has to hug Colin right off the bus, will run to him and if he doesn't hug her will by melt down into a crying fit in the ground. After a few times of the crying, Colin figured it out and now makes a point to give her a hug each day.  She tried to hug Joel off the bus but he and another little boy race off the bus and run to a mailbox a few houses down to try to beat the bus there.  Norah follows quickly behind them.  Her Joel bean (she's started calling him that which is really cute) is her buddy but they butt heads a lot.  He's pretty sweet and gives in a lot to her and she knows how to get what she wants from him... until he's had enough and then there is crying from both of them. 

She has always been my shadow but is finally going into her class at church without me and will run to get there.  She will also beg to stay a few minutes longer if I go get her before the boys.  But when we are home she has to be right next to me constantly. She also loves to be carried a lot and theres always the "get me mommy" which means pick me up. 

She can't be trusted with scented crayons! 

She is forever changing clothes and making sure her outfit is just right. 

 She's grown up a lot this year but still doesn't like candles....

Two seconds later she was behind the chair hiding until the candles were blown out. 

My sweet girl I hope you always see yourself as a beautiful tutu ballerina princess and always know how much we all love you. 

Running weekend

This weekend has been on the calendar since October when I signed up for the Shamrock Marathon.  I started training in December and each week have been crossing off another week of running. Brent and the kids would clean the house each weekend on my long runs. It was really nice to come into a clean house at the end and sit on the couch the rest of the day. I could not have done it without their support. 

 

The boys school did the final mile race again and Colin has been staying after school for the run club to practice.  He would run 4.5 miles each Tuesday and then an hour later go to basketball practice. 

I signed Norah up for the Leprechaun Dash (26.2 yards) and she wasn't so sure of all the crowds and especially the costume bear walking around. 

Ant Ant ran with Norah while Brent and Mary stood at the finish line and I took the boys to their starting point.  She cried the whole time.  But is very proud of her medal.

You can put tennis shoes on her but that doesn't mean she's going to run. (I'm sure she'd run the race where you get a Tifiny diamond necklace instead of a medal)

Colin finished second in his school.  He ran a 6.48 mile.  So fast.  So proud of him.  We weren't sure how Joel would do.  I told Colin to wait with Joel at the starting line but after they started he could just book it.  So Colin ran his heart out.  4,441 students plus all the teachers and parents running is overwhelming.  Joel doesn't like big crowds but he didn't want me to run with him so I took them to the starting line then went with Brent, Sarah and Mary to watch them cross the finish line.  So we saw Colin and then I was expecting to wait a while for Joel but less than two minutes later Joel came by.  He stopped and looked around when he heard us yelling (some friends from church who also go to our school were standing with us waiting for their daughter so there were a lot of people yelling his name)  He couldn't figure out who was yelling so he kept going.  And finished strong.  And I've never been prouder.  I had asked the principal a few weeks ago what happens if Joel freaks out and the PE teacher and other teachers were looking out for him but he finished well ahead of them.  Brent said it was his proudest moment of Joel.

He overcame his fear and did it and did it well! 

 

So proud of my little runners! 

 

Bethany and Kristopher came into town to watch me race.  It meant so much because they live in Maryland and drove all that way to watch me.  Bethany was going to run with me but got sick during training so deferred to next year.  Sarah stayed to watch me too. It was fun having my own cheering crowd and meant a lot that they were there for hours waiting to see me run by.  Mary and I were running Sunday morning she ran the half then I ran the full marathon. 

My cheering section.  They had to wait around for hours to see me at the halfway point and the finish line.  At one point I sent sarah a quick text at 20 miles that just said "20 dying" because at that point I knew I had gone out way too fast and wasn't sure I would make it to the end.

 But I made it.  And a lot faster than I thought I would. At one point I felt like I was running but not going anywhere. And every part of my body aches today.

Colin ran me in - literally. He had his hand on my back and everyone at the finish was yelling for him to run his momma in.  Colin wanted to stop and turn around but I told him if he stopped I would stop and he wasn't allowed to leave me!  He was embarrassed by all the people cheering for him so I held his hand.  And I cried when I crossed the finish line. All the weeks of training and all the work that went into it.  I was surprised how emotional I got.   I tried not to let Colin know so he didn't think he did something wrong by running with me but it was such a great moment. 

Sarah's always run a race then the following year she talks me into it.  First the 10k, then the half, now the full. I told her if she does an ultra or more she's on her own. 

Siblings

It's been years since Sarah, James, Mary and I have spent a whole day together. I think the last time was on our family vacation to massanutten almost 6 years ago. James has meetings all week so I drove up and met mom and dad and we picked up Sarah then met Mary and James in DC. 

I went back and forth about bringing the kids but the boys had just gotten back from their boys weekend and Colin actually threw up at school Friday in front of the whole cafeteria so they stayed home. And i love my kids and they would've loved seeing uncle opie but it was more relaxing and fun to have just the adults this trip. 

We walked around the monuments, ate and talked. 

Went into a few museums. 

It was so fun and also went way too fast. Next time we are hoping Angela and Isaiah can come too!

Hugs

It's just me and this sweet girl this weekend. Brent and the boys are off on their basketball boys weekend. 

Norah and I were playing in the fort she made.

Norah: I like Colin.

Norah: Colin gives me hugs. I like hugging Colin.

Me: do you like Joel?

Norah:

Norah:

Norah: Joel go to basketball game 

Hahaha! but she is missing both her boys and keeps asking today when her boys will be back so she can hug them both.

More snow

So last week wasn't normal. It started snowing Tuesday so schools were closed Wednesday. Then we got more snow Thursday. So maybe this week will be a full week of school? 

This girl is over the snow. 

Done. With. Snow.

One good thing with the snow sticking around is that I dont need to take ice baths after my long runs. I can just sit down in the snow instead! Brent laughed and took this picture but then he's never run for hours in 20 degree weather then come inside and taken an ice bath. Three more weeks until my race.