thirty-six

This weekend I turned

The plan was to run the Yiasou Greek Festival 5K at 7:30 am on Saturday (my birthday). We did the same thing for my 30th. The great thing about this race is it is completely flat, winding through beautiful neighborhoods with old homes. In your race packet, you also get 2 tickets to the Greek Festival in Charlotte in September. This is one of my favorite races! Now, it's a BIG race...so I don't try to compete for placement in my age group. The people that win run it under 20 minutes. My goal really was to finish strong, possibly under 25 minutes.

My friends Becky and Denise registered for it with me, and the plan was to meet our almost 9 month pregnant friend Abby at Tupelo Honey afterward for brunch. Well, to my delight, Sheila decided to spectate and join us for brunch! What a great birthday treat! I'm always shocked by how nervous I get before a race, especially one where I don't really feel the need to compete. Both Becky and I were very nervous this morning for some reason.

Here are a few "befores":

  

Race begins pretty much on time, and I step off to the side of the course so I'm not 1) in the way and can 2) pass people. For the entire first mile, I was passing people left and right. Mainly right because I was on the side of the road. It felt good. At 1 mile, my Nike watch showed a pace under 8:00 and I was feeling great! The 2nd mile wasn't quite as easy, my breathing started to quicken, but I was again under 8:00 at the mile marker. Now mile 3 was hard. I was breathing fiercly and loudly. At one point, this young guy and I were pretty neck-and-neck. I felt bad for how loud I was so I had to turn to him and apologize, which made me more winded. The last 0.5 mile people started passing me. I just couldn't quite keep the pace at the end. But I did finish strong, and under 25:00!!! My Nike watch said I ran 3.13 (which is slightly over a 5K). I attribute this to running the outside of the street instead of down the middle. It was also recorded on my watch that this was not only my fastest 5K, but fastest 1K and fastest mile:

My watch time for the actual 5K distance was 24:17! Woot woot! And here's our "after":

To give you some idea of how proud I am of myself...my very 1st 5K ever (long time ago) I ran in 35:17. So I have knocked 11 minutes off! I think that's pretty phenomenal. Becky, our gazelle friend, ran it under 22:00 I do believe. Maybe under 21:00. So we stayed for awards just in case. But like I said, all the winners were under 20:00. However, it's a good thing we stayed, they gave me a $20 Run For Your Life gift certificate because it was my birthday :)

Walked right into Tupelo Honey after the race, which was fantastic because I was anticipating a long wait. Another surprise, Pat and the boys joined us for brunch about halfway through. It was a mouth watering meal, as always. Here's our last pic before Abby's baby arrives (Finn told her to name him "Nagger Dollar Dobs").

The rest of the day was quiet. We had cake for lunch as a family of four at home, I opened some gifts, we all took a LONG nap, then headed to Brixx and Kilwins to end the day.

Today (Sunday), I ran 11 miles. It wasn't as fast as last weekend's 10 miles, but I'm 1 long practice run away from my next Half. Hope your weekend was great, as well!

Yours,

the zoo

'Twas the weekend before school started, and I was exhausted. You'd think that would mean I would want to lay low for the weekend. Rest. Relax. Be lazy. Well, that's probably what Pat was hoping I'd want to do. Instead I decided we needed to go on an adventure! Something we'd not done before with the kids, but something we could do with Kellan (9 months). Some friends suggested Tweetsie (too expensive), Dan Nicholas (Finn had been there before), State Parks @ local lakes (thought about it, but we go to the lake a lot), Lazy 5 Ranch (we've been there several times) and I think there were a few other suggestions.

All summer long Finn had been asking to go to the zoo. We just never found a day where Pat and I could both go. This was the perfect opportunity to do a zoo trip. In debating between the 2 zoos...the NC Zoo I feel is way too vast for our young family. Too big, too much walking. We needed something we could cover in 3-4 hours. So we went to Riverbanks in SC. It was a great opportunity for Pat to drive HIS minivan on a long trip.

Finn did very well on the trip down (2 hours). Pat's van has a built in DVD player, so he watched TMNT on the way down. We drover during Kellan's nap, so he slept the entire way. Finn had no idea where we were going. Within the previous few days, he had night potty-trained himself, and we wanted him to know how proud we were by taking him somewhere. We just told him it was a special trip. He thought we were going for ice cream (because ice cream is a special trip).

As we pulled in I video taped his reaction. He wasn't necessarily super excited at first. So, the reaction isn't worth posting on the blog. But, he seemed genuinely happy to be at the zoo, and wanted to see giraffes and lions.

I think it took an entire hour (I'm exaggerating) just to unload, get tickets, and go to the bathroom before venturing out to the different exhibits. I lathered Finn up with sunscreen while Pat took Kellan for a diaper change and Finn says, "Mommy, are we going swimming at the zoo?" I tell him no and he says, "Well I don't know why you're putting on sunscreen then."

Our first stop was the reptile house and the aquarium. I walked through as quickly as I could, trying NOT to look at the 3,382,950 snakes they had on display. But I wanted to watch Finn's reaction. Brave boy would go right up to the glass and look eye to eye at the nasty things. He was so full of wonder. He bounced from animal to animal. Most of his wonder came at the aquarium. There were so many different fish he had never seen in "real life". We got to see a few small sharks, lots of very colorful fish, stingrays, starfish, and jellyfish. Finn loved that you could get so close that it was like you could touch them. I think, by far, the aquarium was his favorite exhibit.

Our next stop was tortoises and elephants. No interest. Then small mammals. No interest. This was odd. Then meltdown ensued due to hunger. We got a snack and drink as quickly as we could while we figured out where to eat lunch. Crisis averted.

Giraffes were next. And finally, we are back to being enthralled! Finn had seen giraffes before at Lazy 5, but still enjoyed watching them as they interacted and ate grass or tree branches:

Onto the ostriches and zebras we went:

The "farm" was next. Cows, horses, chickens, and a small assortment of others. Finn learned how to milk a "cow". He got to pet a few animals. We even paid for a horse ride. Which...he waited in line 20 minutes for, then got out of line to go potty, and we weren't about to wait in line again. No horse ride. We did let him ride the train though:

^ Our little trooper ^

The big beasts were next. For the longest time, Finn has had a fear of bears. We have always explained that bears live in the zoo...not in our yard, and not under his bed. This was our opportunity to prove that to him. I was a little disappointed that they only had one type of bear, but it did the trick. He was pretty interested:

^ This bear was taking a mud bath - right by Finn's finger ^

^ This bear was eating tree limbs ^

Lions and tigers were right next door. Finn LOVES. I mean LOVES lions. There was a male and female lion and he was truly enthralled by them. The male lion kept bugging the female, she'd swat at him, and he'd roar at her. It was truly amazing to hear him roar in person.

^ He's right over Finn's left shoulder ^

The tiger was a party pooper, so no picture. It started to rain at this point so we took a break and rode the carousel a few times:

Finn probably would have stayed on the carousel all day if we had let him. Kellan got a little bit of time out of the stroller (don't judge - we didn't pack shoes for him - and yes he had a bath that night):

Gorillas/Monkeys were next - Finn wasn't interested really in the animals as much as the statues that he could climb up on:

As the rain picked up, Finn and I wandered into a bird sanctuary. You could buy nectar to feed the birds for a quarter - guess who didn't have a quarter? So we walked around and watched the birds land on the people holding the nectar. Finn goes right up to a bird on a branch and pokes its beak. I'm totally surprised it didn't nip his finger off.

He said at one point, "Mommy get that bird for me and put it on my shoulder." Yeah, not happening buddy. As both boys were starting to wind down, we headed back to where we the pre-lunch meltdown began. Saw the elephants, small mammals, and tortoises:

On our way to the exit to get some Dippin' Dots for the road - this is how he truly felt about his special day - love this!

He fell asleep as soon as his ice cream was done on the way home, and as soon as he woke up he wanted to know when we were going back to that place. I'm so glad I could be there to experience his first zoo trip. I know a lot of kids experience the zoo for the first time on a field trip and their parents don't always get to go. I cherish this day with my family! There's nothing quite like the wonder in a young child's eyes.

Yours,

stitch fix #6

Stitch Fix Box #6 was scheduled to arrive today, but lo and behold it arrived Friday. What a nice surprise! I immediately ripped the box open and was pretty excited about what it contained. I was almost certain I'd be keeping it all...but definitely needed to try them on. Sometimes you think an item is PERFECT...then you put it on and it's so not perfect. And other times you think an item isn't worth trying on at all, and magically it looks amazing on. I had to wait until after Kellan went to bed to do the whole try it on/take pictures/decide shebang.

If you're new to the Stitch Fix concept, click HERE. This will take you to their website with my referral link. You can try your first box, and as soon as you receive it I get a $25 credit :) I'd like to thank Sarah S. and Jennie G. who used my referral link from my LAST BLOG POST and therefore gave me $50 credit toward this fix!!! My LAST BLOG POST about Stitch Fix also goes into lots of details about how it works, if you're interested in reading. My note to my stylist for this fix was that the school year was beginning and I'd be needing some dressy items for work that would transition nicely from summer to fall.

Here's the first item I pulled out from the box. In the banner are my immediate thoughts:

I always need dressy white tops for work. They go with pretty much any bottom. Here it is on:

Totally love it. My husband was watching me as I was going through the box, trying things on, and taking pictures. He did want me to be sure I knew I should wear "one of those camo things underneath"...(cami). Thanks dear ;) Definitely keeping this one!


Next item I pulled out made me do a double-take. It is the exact same top as the white one, with a pattern. I thought that was really odd. But, since I loved the white one so much, I thought why not?

I tried this one on and Pat said he really liked it, even better than the white one, because it was very flattering. Here it is on:

I love the pattern on this, especially because it's not chevron (overused)...but similar and trendy. Keeping this one as well. I can wear it with jeans, nice slacks, and skirts.


Another top for the next item. This stylist totally got my obsession with white and navy. Again, so glad they refer back to my Pinterest page.

At first I thought it was kind of boring, until I turned it over. Cute little bow in the back. Will be great for fall. Here it is on:

Pat didn't have much to say about this one, but I don't own anything similar to it so I'm for sure keeping it. Plus it was the lowest priced item this fix. If it were super expensive, I might have sent it back...no actually I wouldn't. It's navy and white ;)

Now to the skirt (which I asked for). You can see my first thought in the banner. I was also thinking, I love black and white, but I don't like the pattern. And The band at the top will probably cut in to my stomach and give me a muffin top.

This is one of those items you have little hope for. I'm going to try it on because that's kind of one of the obligations when you get your fix. You gotta try the stuff on if nothing more than to provide sizing feedback to your stylist. I was very surprised! Here it is on (and the pictures are horrible because I was standing on my toes for you to see it and couldn't hold still enough to prevent camera shake):

I love the slight flare at the bottom. I also didn't have a muffin top *bonus* like I thought I would. I thought it was very flattering and could be worn both to work and out casually. A little more than I think it's worth, but I'm keeping it.

Finally is the dress. This is the 2nd dress I've gotten in a fix, and the first dress was not flattering. I love the look of this dress:

It's a color I don't already have. I really love the faux leather accents on the pockets, neckline, shoulders, and wrists. It appeared to be big enough not to be too clingy. I really don't want to post this picture because I don't think it's very flattering. But here it is on:

So first, you can see through it. I'm going to have to find something to wear under it to prevent the transparency. Secondly, it is clingy. I have this little bump of a tummy that I haven't been able to get rid of after Kellan's birth. This dress does not forgive that bump. I'm hoping however that eventually the bump will be gone. Or, I could just buy some Spanx. Or a really good full body slip.

If I were to return anything, it'd be the dress because it's the least flattering piece. BUT. If I return the dress, I lose the Buy Five Discount of 25%, and the fix would end up costing me $4 more than if I kept it all. So I'm keeping it all and praying for a belly miracle ;) 

The merchandise total was $282. The Buy 5 Discount was $70.50. I had a credit of $50 from my referrals. So I'm paying $161.50. That's an average of $32.30/piece. I thought that was a nice deal for a back to school box, eh?

If I've convinced you to give it a try, please kindly use my referral link by clicking HERE. Please and THANK YOU!!! Once you receive your fix, I'd love to see what you get. It's so great to get pieces you'd never pick out for yourself. It almost forces you to branch out with your style.

Yours,

5 on friday

<ONE>
Truly disappointed in all the anger toward our school system this week regarding receiving teacher placement letters "late". The teachers didn't come back until August 17, and the letters went out that day. From there, we can't control delivery. In my opinion, "late" would be receiving it on Monday the 24th. Where is patience and understanding? We are doing the best we can.

<TWO>
If I didn't rely on FaceBook so much for my photography, I'd take a long hiatus. Reading all the negativity wears me down (not just from my #1, but other things as well). Tell me something good...

<THREE>
I'm giving myself a re-do on my long run this Saturday. I'm going to try for 9 miles, and if I am feeling good, go for the 10 that my training schedule calls for. A friend sent me a link to some affirmations to repeat on my run when I start to feel tired or unable. The two I picked are, "Dig deep" and "I GET to run 10 miles today." I chose the latter to honor my mother, who no longer has the use of her legs. I will think of her as I run tomorrow.

<FOUR>
My Stitch Fix box is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Oh my heavens, am I excited. I love having something like that to look forward to at the end of a hectic week. Hopefully there'll be something cute for the first day of school on Monday!

<FIVE>
I bought a styling/curling wand this week. I love having the beachy-wavy look. Been getting lots of compliments. It takes just as long to straighten my hair as it does to "wand" it. I even bought a really cheap one. Love it!



Yours,

five on friday

<ONE>
Finn has an imaginary friend. He has been talking about "Jack" for several weeks, but for some reason I thought Jack was a boy from his preschool or VBS...maybe my friend Laura's son? Nope. He's imaginary. He sleeps under Finn's bed, sits between him and Kellan in the car. Takes baths in the shower. He's four years old. He sometimes does stuff to go to time out. He wants to go to Cherry Berry EVERY NIGHT.

<TWO>
Teachers out there...have you started having "first day" dreams/nightmares? As a principal, my dreams/nightmares are about the first day staff come back. Last night's dream was that all the staff shirts shrunk 2 sizes and everyone was mad at me for thinking they should lose weight.

<THREE>
Tomorrow is my 9 mile run. All I keep telling myself is, you ran 8 last Saturday...you can do 9 tomorrow. Be intentional.

<FOUR>
I appreciate all the texts inquiring why I'm becoming a mini-van mom. I'm not. Pat is becoming a mini-van dad (we're trading in his Focus). We had to buy a bigger vehicle so our new sitter, whom I love, can transport Finn to preschool. She has a 3 year old as well, so we need a car that can hold 3 car seats.

<FIVE>
I'm still behind on the photo challenge, and I forgot to take Kellan's 9 month picture yesterday. Trying not to be hard on myself...this week has been too busy! Next week will only be worse.

Fondly,

be intentional everyday

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I go through the motions. My life is routine. I do THIS at THIS TIME because that's what I do. I don't want to put out my schedule for all to see. But I'm sure everyone has a little bit of this in them - habit. I get in the habits. Not that they're bad habits, it's just that I create routines and stick to them and rarely deviate from them because it's easy. Life is nice when it's easy. Yes?

Because I work in the school system, my years go from August to July. Not January to December. I have a lot of personal and work goals this year. I'll leave work at work, because this is a personal blog. Personally, I want to finally lose these last 7 lbs. I also want to run a half marathon under 2 hours. And ya know what, if I lose those last 7 lbs, I just might run that half under 2 hours. Having a love/hate relationship with food is my battle. I know what good choices are, but the battle between making a good choice and enjoying chocolate cake is a serious battle. I have the working out down. That is not a battle. I set my alarm for 4:45 to go for a run and reason that I can either get up then or at 5:00 to get in the shower. Either way, Kellan will be up by 5:30 so it's not like I can sleep in. Now, on my runs, I have to focus on being intentional. If my goal is to pick up the pace, I can't dawdle in that first 1/4 mile. I have to take off at an intentional speed, which is difficult when you just woke up 5 minutes prior.

This month I will be intentional with my food choices and in my runs.

More than just setting long term personal and work goals, I want my days to be filled with intention. I don't mean waking up and deciding this is what I will do today. I mean going into every task with the a desired outcome, and being intentional making that outcome happen. I will be present in each task I'm asked to do. In the morning with the brief moments of time I spend with my children and husband, I want to stop running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I want to pack lunch and get ready with intent, kiss and hug them and tell them I love them...with intent. Not out of habit.

When I get home from work, I want to be fully present with my children. I will put down my phone or iPad and actually play with them. Talk with them. Tickle them. Read them books. Get to know them. Enjoy the bedtime ritual.

After the boys go down, my habit it to go straight to my computer (where I am right now) and edit pictures. I will still edit pictures, as it is part of my job. But I want to be intentional in the evenings with my husband. Be present with him. Spend time with him every night where we talk about our days. We used to ask each other each day, "What made you laugh today?" I don't know why we stopped that. But we're going to start again.

This YEAR I will be more intentional in my relationships with my boys - all 3 of them.

Breaking habits is hard, but I think the people you break them for are important. This is something I'll be working on at work as well. Our students and teachers are important. I need to work more for them than for myself.

Yours,

5 on friday

(ON SUNDAY)

I actually DID type this and have it ready to go on Friday, but here it is Sunday.

<ONE>
I totally fell off the photo challenge wagon this week. And so I feel a tad like a failure. I will finish it, just not on the daily timeline. The day "color" stumped me.

<TWO>
Last Sunday, Pat and I had a date night in Durham. We went to see a Bulls game, and had a nice quiet meal out. It was fantastic. What we loved most was the hotel where we stayed. It was called 21C and is an old bank building that has been converted into a museum, which is now also a hotel. Each room is like its own museum. Art, furniture, lighting. It was amazing. I felt like I was in a high class modern hotel in Manhattan. And the state rate was under $100. I highly recommend it if you're staying in Durham. Somebody at this hotel has a great job. Moving pink penguins into different locations several times a day to startle the tenants. Sometimes they'd appear in the elevator. Sometimes outside your door...in the middle of a museum display room, watching over you at the ATM. It was kind of humorous. I mean, for real, someone is being paid to do this.

<THREE>
It is August. That makes me happy.

<FOUR>
I am deep into half marathon training and I am exhausted. 4:45 comes early and it is HOT even that early. I'm envious of people who get to run at 6:30 am when it is light outside. Running in the dark is very eerie.

<FIVE>
We have hired a new sitter, one I am excited about. Thanks to everyone who rallied around us to try to get us taken care of in a pinch!

Yours,