Another half

Yesterday I ran my fourth half marathon! It's still crazy to me but this time I felt really good running it which is a good thing because Sarah talked me into doing a full marathon! 

Bethany met me in Richmond. Third year running this so it's become one of my favorite fall traditions....although it was freezing this weekend and I was numb for the first few miles. 

Sarah ran her first full marathon! 26.2 miles!  

It's so fun to talk to Bethany the whole time and catch up. Halfway through Bethany handed me some energy chews. I like to eat mine all at once. Bethany took her time and ate a few every mile. Right after that I was feeling really good and was amazed at what great shape I was in compared to the last few times I've run it. And then we found out after the race that the chews had shots of caffeine in them! Ha! No wonder I felt so good.

Bethany and I are already signed up for the shamrock full marathon so it'll be an interesting winter training for it but I'm excited to train and cross that off my bucket list. And I'm hoping for a very mild winter to run.

Sarah has always ran the races first then talked me into them. First it was the 10k then the half marathon and now the full. I hope she doesn't try for anything longer! Ha! But she did amazing and is already encouraging Bethany and I on what helped her this time. 

What's that smell?

Sweet girl

Always asks me "what's dat smell?"

Sometimes I make it up if it's not obvious to me what she's smelling. 

We were in the store the other day and I was emptying the cart and holding her since she refused to sit in the cart or stand. (Not an easy task to empty a cart full and hold her) so I wasn't paying too much attention when she kept asking me what's dat smell while shoving her fingers in my face. I couldn't smell anything and said I don't know. She kept asking and shoving her fingers in my face and finally she got tired of me not answering and sniffed her fingers, licked them and proudly and loudly announced that it was pee!!!!!!! 

My big girl

This girl is growing up way too fast. 

She also has always tried to keep up with the boys too which also makes her act older.  her favorite song right now is Taylor swifts shake it off and she is constantly singing "shake it off" or saying "this sick beat ahhh" 

Babies shouldn't go up so fast! 

It's crazy that she's already older than Joel was when she was born. We are content with what we have and not planning on any more kids at the moment, but I'm not sure that longing for a baby will ever go away. 

Especially when we go visit best friends who have a newborn.  And then we are all in love and Brent tells me to stop sending him pictures like this! Ha! 

Reading

Colin and I have been reading Harry Potter the past few months. Brent was amazed one weekend when we both stayed up past midnight reading. It was then that I learned Brent has never stayed up late reading a fiction book. My brain can't imagine that at all. I have spent many many nights staying up late reading since I was little. Brent was used to the fact that I stayed up reading at night but the fact that Colin pleads to stay up every night reading is amazing to him. And even more amazing I think that Colin woke himself up at 5am to finish a chapter. 

He also found out Colin is reading another novel at school in between assignments. So basically Colin has his nose in a book all day long and I couldn't be more happy. 

He is on the last Harry potter book and I'm just waiting for him to finish so I can read it. It's my first time reading them and I'm glad it's with Colin. It's so fun talking to him about it.  We made a deal this weekend where he could stay up as late as he wanted but if he went to bed past midnight he had to take a nap the next day.  So he went to bed at 11:59 both nights! Ha! 

He woke up at 5:21 this morning to read so I'm hopeful I will be reading the final book soon.  

Leaves

We've been going on bike rides lately and Joel will stop and pick the perfect red or orange leaf. 

He refuses to take the training wheels off even though they aren't really touching - I have it so one is a few inches off the ground. But he will bike a few miles with me so the training wheels stay on. Whatever gives him confidence. He told me that when he turns 6 he will take then off 

She dressed herself and put the tutu my mom made her under her dress. (Mom she could use a few more of those!) 

It's really fun and also a little sad when we know the exact streets to go to for pretty trees since there aren't many that have turned colors or will turn colors this fall. But the fact that Norah is in a sleeveless dress in November is nice! 

He takes this job very seriously 

Homework

  Joel has had homework for the past 3 weeks. I was really nervous about this. I was worried he wouldnt want to do it and then no amount of bribing would be able to get him to do it. Thankfully he gets it all one monday and then returns it on friday. So we have a few days in there that we can let it slide if he doesnt want to do it

 But thankfully he has loved doing it.  I'm sure that will change at some point but he comes home mondays and just goes right to it. and usually will complete most of it in the first night. 

 There was one day at the end of September where he refused to get on the bus.  I had to carry him to the bus, sit him down in a seat and ask Colin to sit next to him.  And the bus driver had a 5th grade girl on the other side and left him screaming his head off.  I felt horrible and cried when the bus drove away but knew it would get worse if I drove him to school.  I was a little worried he would just bolt out the door at another stop but he came home and said he stopped crying before he got to school.  Because he didnt want to be sent home.  How ironic! but totally Joel.  Since then we've had no problem and he actually cries now that he has to come home.  Something clicked inside him and he now loves school.  He loves learning and is starting to sound out words himself. He comes home and makes up his own worksheets to complete. 

I also hear all about kindergarten.  There is one girl who likes to kiss all the boys and has picked one to be her boyfriend. Thankfully not Joel.  He doesnt tell us much about what he's learned academically but we know everything his friends tell him or do in class.  It was fun going to the trunk or treat because I kept seeing all these kids yelling "hi Joel" and waving to him.  It seems he is pretty popular in his class and according to Joel is also the fastest kid in his class.  This has been good for him because he has always competed with Colin and now he's in his own element and doing really well. 

Costumes

The boys had a trunk or treat at their school friday night.  We already had the Steve Minecraft head so that was easy to talk Joel into wearing that but figuring out what to do for Colin was harder.  He had all these intricate plans but finally I talked him into being and Enderman from Minecraft.  He wasn't thrilled at first but after figuring it out was happy with it.  All these kids were amazed and he got so many compliments that he started really loving his costume when we were there.  Which amazed me since its really just a black box over his head. But you can't buy it in the stores so that made it unique I guess.  He was happy so thats all that matters to me.  Although it was hilarious watching him do the cake walk. He couldnt  really see down so a few times when they said get on a number I'd have to lead him to one.  haha  but he did win once.  Norah was a butterfly.  Or a "princess budderfly" according to her. 

 

weekend in the mountains

 Ever since Brent and I went hiking in August, the kids have been asking to go. Well maybe just Colin. Joel isn't much of a hiker and Norah just doesnt want to be left out so she'll ask to go anywhere.  So we started looking at the calendar and this is the only weekend we could go. At first we were going to go camping too but every place was booked.  Apparently this was the peak weekend for the fall colors and it didn't disappoint.

We hiked Dark Hollow Falls again. We seem to do this every 3 years.  The last time was when I was pregnant with Norah.  Its just a great hike with kids since there isn't a chance they can fall off the mountain.  Although they did get right to the top of the waterfall with Brent and made me nervous when Colin was standing right at the top of the waterfall on slippery rocks.

 This guy surprised me by not complaining at all during the hike. He loved it and walked the whole way.

 Norah wasn't sure at first but it didn't take her long to get down and walk too. She walked all but maybe 15 minutes of a 2.5 hour hike. 

 Mary and Lenny came with us.  It was so fun to spend the weekend with Mary.  We stayed at Robbie's family's vacation house called "the getaway" and the views from the house were amazing.  Such a pretty piece of land.  Mary showed us where they want to build a house with beautiful views of the mountains.

 I'm not sure if Colin was attempting to push Joel in but surprisingly not one child got their feet wet the whole hike.

 

 It was so pretty.  Its probably been since we lived in west virginia that we've seen such a pretty fall. 

 So fun to spend time with Mary. 

 

 Mary and her baby.  Thanks for having us this weekend.  All morning Norah has been on her play phone "calling" mary and asking to talk to mary's doggie.  The boys loved exploring Robbie's land and Colin especially loved the tennis courts. 

 On our way home we stopped at Carters Mountain to pick apples.  I love these pictures of Joel!  

 So sad to see all those apples on the ground that were rotting away.

 

I think its pretty  much guaranteed by now that if theres a "pick your own" we will go and pick!  The kids each picked a bag then brent and I shared a bag and ended up with 60 lbs of apples.  So lots of baking this week!