From tears of sadness to tears of joy, our little girl grew up this week.
After a long 1st day, Kate went to bed Wednesday telling Ryan that she was most looking forward to riding the bus on Thursday. And on Thursday morning she was true to her word. She ran up the bus stairs with a smile on her face and waved good-bye to her Daddy holding on to that big smile. I missed the early morning action but was able to get home in time to hear all about the big bus ride that included a ride next to our neighbor, Grace. I asked what they talked about and she said Grace didn't say much but they laughed at the 2 "punch buggy's" they saw next to them on the road.
As of tonight, her favorite part of the day is sitting in Ms. Pardon's classroom. She also thought it was super cool that her new friend, Caroline, had fruit snacks for snack too. She named a few of her other new friends and even asked her Daddy how you braid cornrolls. Wow...I wish I could bottle up our precious conversations each night.
Thank you everyone for checking in on us during this special time. I can't help but wonder what Jake's transition to kindergarten is going to be like. I can guarantee it is probably not going to be this traumatic.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
3rd time's the charm
She did it! We successfully started school today and it went as planned...tears and all!
Luckily she was a bit distracted by the bus coming a little earlier. Thinking we had about 10 minutes, she walked Jake in the stroller up to the top of the court. As she was coming back down the bus arrived, making her rush to the corner. This distraction helped keep her emotions in tact and for that I am thankful.
As she was boarding the bus; however, she looked back and the tears started flowing. She progressed to the 1st empty seat and looked out the window as if she would never see us again. I have thought of this image all day, sad that she was sad but proud that she did it! I really could not be more proud of our little girl.
In speaking with her tonight over the phone she sounded happy yet exhausted. I can only imagine the toll all the newness had on her today. New ride to school, new teacher, new friends, new routine, new everything. All this newness resulted in my good night phone call from bed at 7:35 p.m. That's my girl!
I am so excited about this new chapter. We have been preparing for today (and Monday and Tuesday) for months and she did it...all by herself! It will be fun to reflect upon today's events for many years to come. There will be so many 1st's in the future and this is a great step in the process of growing up.
For those of you curious, yes, I cried, like a baby! I did not cry in front of her but as I walked back inside and poured another cup of coffee, I lost it. They were tears of joy, pride, and relief. I am most proud of her for going through with it and I am proud of us for not allowing her to back out. We made the commitment early in our parenting that we would always push our kids to be independent and follow through on commitments and we did just that today.
I will post pictures of our morning later this weekend!
Luckily she was a bit distracted by the bus coming a little earlier. Thinking we had about 10 minutes, she walked Jake in the stroller up to the top of the court. As she was coming back down the bus arrived, making her rush to the corner. This distraction helped keep her emotions in tact and for that I am thankful.
As she was boarding the bus; however, she looked back and the tears started flowing. She progressed to the 1st empty seat and looked out the window as if she would never see us again. I have thought of this image all day, sad that she was sad but proud that she did it! I really could not be more proud of our little girl.
In speaking with her tonight over the phone she sounded happy yet exhausted. I can only imagine the toll all the newness had on her today. New ride to school, new teacher, new friends, new routine, new everything. All this newness resulted in my good night phone call from bed at 7:35 p.m. That's my girl!
I am so excited about this new chapter. We have been preparing for today (and Monday and Tuesday) for months and she did it...all by herself! It will be fun to reflect upon today's events for many years to come. There will be so many 1st's in the future and this is a great step in the process of growing up.
For those of you curious, yes, I cried, like a baby! I did not cry in front of her but as I walked back inside and poured another cup of coffee, I lost it. They were tears of joy, pride, and relief. I am most proud of her for going through with it and I am proud of us for not allowing her to back out. We made the commitment early in our parenting that we would always push our kids to be independent and follow through on commitments and we did just that today.
I will post pictures of our morning later this weekend!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
One tired little boy
This is the result of our last several weeks. Jake fell asleep on the way home from school on Monday and continued the nap a little longer on the couch. We woke him up to eat and he was back fast asleep by 6:45.
He looks a little like his daddy in this picture!
He looks a little like his daddy in this picture!
Twas the night before kindergarten
Twas the night before kindergarten...again...and yet again. Who knew the start of kindergarten would end up being so difficult.
We are definitely "green" to the reality of elementary school! Our reality was as follows:
purple kindergarten t-shirt - CHECK
packed Ariel lunch box - CHECK
loaded back pack - CHECK
braided hair - CHECK
brushed teeth - CHECK
a well rested and fed little girl - CHECK
1st day of school pictures (a lot of them) - CHECK
a 30 minute wait for the "it's probably just late because it is the 1st day of school" school bus - CHECK
verify on local TV station that school was actually in session - WHO NEEDS TO?
Yep, that was our reality and here are the pictures from this morning to prove it.
So, we are trying it again tonight. We went to bed tonight again talking about how it is normal to be nervous or scared about the 1st day of school. We talked about how every other kid in her class is probably feeling the exact same way. We talked about how Mr. Stites (the principal) is not mean and she won't end up in his office tomorrow. We talked through the process of getting on and off the bus tomorrow morning. We talked about smiling versus crying when she thinks about mommy and daddy. There is nothing greater than sharing a conversation with a 5 year old! She is definitely nervous but I am confident she will do just fine. I love the transitions in life.
So off to bed we are too. She woke up at 2:12 a.m. this morning to see if it was time to get up and I can only imagine tonight will be no different. The cutest part of today was the fact that she was dressed, fed, and ready with her back pack on by 7:30, leaving her an hour to ponder the thought of loading the school bus. Hopefully she won't be up quite so early in the morning. Let's also hope that they don't cancel school again.
I was able to adjust my schedule to stay in town tomorrow until she loads the bus. I will try and capture one of her getting on the bus and will post it as soon as I return from my work trip. Otherwise, here are the pictures from her "1st" day of school. Yes, we feel silly but will always remember her 1st day.
I hope everyone has as fulfilling of a week as were are here in Louisville :)
We are definitely "green" to the reality of elementary school! Our reality was as follows:
purple kindergarten t-shirt - CHECK
packed Ariel lunch box - CHECK
loaded back pack - CHECK
braided hair - CHECK
brushed teeth - CHECK
a well rested and fed little girl - CHECK
1st day of school pictures (a lot of them) - CHECK
a 30 minute wait for the "it's probably just late because it is the 1st day of school" school bus - CHECK
verify on local TV station that school was actually in session - WHO NEEDS TO?
Yep, that was our reality and here are the pictures from this morning to prove it.
So, we are trying it again tonight. We went to bed tonight again talking about how it is normal to be nervous or scared about the 1st day of school. We talked about how every other kid in her class is probably feeling the exact same way. We talked about how Mr. Stites (the principal) is not mean and she won't end up in his office tomorrow. We talked through the process of getting on and off the bus tomorrow morning. We talked about smiling versus crying when she thinks about mommy and daddy. There is nothing greater than sharing a conversation with a 5 year old! She is definitely nervous but I am confident she will do just fine. I love the transitions in life.
So off to bed we are too. She woke up at 2:12 a.m. this morning to see if it was time to get up and I can only imagine tonight will be no different. The cutest part of today was the fact that she was dressed, fed, and ready with her back pack on by 7:30, leaving her an hour to ponder the thought of loading the school bus. Hopefully she won't be up quite so early in the morning. Let's also hope that they don't cancel school again.
I was able to adjust my schedule to stay in town tomorrow until she loads the bus. I will try and capture one of her getting on the bus and will post it as soon as I return from my work trip. Otherwise, here are the pictures from her "1st" day of school. Yes, we feel silly but will always remember her 1st day.
I hope everyone has as fulfilling of a week as were are here in Louisville :)
Monday, August 15, 2011
Girl's Trip 2011
Each time I visit Chicago, I fall more and more in love with the city. There is something about running on Lake Shore Drive that refuels the body in a way that no other place has ever provided me. I had my 1st long run in the snow there over 10 years ago and this trip provided me my last long run before the triathlon. As I was running I was able to watch many swimmers swim along the coast of Lake Michigan. Who knows...maybe there will be a Chicago triathlon in my future.
Several months ago we decided Chicago would be the site of our summer girls getaway in hopes that we could visit our friend Breagel as he was scheduled to be home at his parents by the end of July. Unfortunately a handful of setbacks in his health delayed his return home so we were unable to help him get acquainted to his new living arrangements. Our tickets were already purchased and our room already booked...so we went for it anyway. I guess this just means we'll have to make another trip back to see you Breags!
We have laughed for weeks now on the adaptation of our girls weekends. Several years ago our weekends were anything but relaxing. Fast forward 11 years since the start of it all and our girls trips are now an actual relaxation! This trip included several firsts including exercise, sight seeing (beyond the local bar scene), and even a subway ride.
We shared a ton of laughs that I am sure will carry on for years to come. Before I left I was explaining to Kate why it is so important to have a group of girlfriends that you can always count of for a good laugh, the sharing of some good food and drinks, and of course, a soft shoulder to cry on when needed. Not all of us could attend this year but we made the most of it! I love all my girls and look so forward to the next get away. Here are some pictures courtesey of Jessica. Check out her blog to get even more:
http://ciaofromjessicac.blogspot.com/
Several months ago we decided Chicago would be the site of our summer girls getaway in hopes that we could visit our friend Breagel as he was scheduled to be home at his parents by the end of July. Unfortunately a handful of setbacks in his health delayed his return home so we were unable to help him get acquainted to his new living arrangements. Our tickets were already purchased and our room already booked...so we went for it anyway. I guess this just means we'll have to make another trip back to see you Breags!
We have laughed for weeks now on the adaptation of our girls weekends. Several years ago our weekends were anything but relaxing. Fast forward 11 years since the start of it all and our girls trips are now an actual relaxation! This trip included several firsts including exercise, sight seeing (beyond the local bar scene), and even a subway ride.
We shared a ton of laughs that I am sure will carry on for years to come. Before I left I was explaining to Kate why it is so important to have a group of girlfriends that you can always count of for a good laugh, the sharing of some good food and drinks, and of course, a soft shoulder to cry on when needed. Not all of us could attend this year but we made the most of it! I love all my girls and look so forward to the next get away. Here are some pictures courtesey of Jessica. Check out her blog to get even more:
http://ciaofromjessicac.blogspot.com/
Thank You Aunt Granny & Uncle Pal
A huge thank you goes out to Aunt Granny and Uncle Pal for our 3rd annual birthday adventure. This year we tackled Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN for the 1st time...and we will definitely be back. Everything I had heard about Holiday World turned out to be true. It is very clean and orderly for a large amusement park. It is also kid friendly, especially tailored for kids 10 and under.
We spent about 6 hours at the park and only completed a handful of the water slides. We are looking forward to hopefully going back before the end of the summer, only this time sans Jake. As I wrote earlier, he loves to slide. The only problem is that we can't quite swim yet, leaving him very frustrated that he could not hang with the big kids in the pool. We found one area that was about 2 feet deep that provided him great entertainment for an hour or so. Otherwise, we was constrained to the stroller, which isn't much fun for any of us.
By the end of the day we had 4 really tired kiddos. Little did we know that a mega storm had hit Louisville (1 hour away) while we were off having fun. This left most of Louisville without power until late yesterday, resulting in 29 schools without power as of last night. This provided us with our 1st reality of real school...our first "snow day". Yikes, we were not ready for that but were able to make some last minute arrangements to our schedules!
Thank you again to Janet and John. We LOVE the birthday adventures and look forward to our trip next summer!
We spent about 6 hours at the park and only completed a handful of the water slides. We are looking forward to hopefully going back before the end of the summer, only this time sans Jake. As I wrote earlier, he loves to slide. The only problem is that we can't quite swim yet, leaving him very frustrated that he could not hang with the big kids in the pool. We found one area that was about 2 feet deep that provided him great entertainment for an hour or so. Otherwise, we was constrained to the stroller, which isn't much fun for any of us.
By the end of the day we had 4 really tired kiddos. Little did we know that a mega storm had hit Louisville (1 hour away) while we were off having fun. This left most of Louisville without power until late yesterday, resulting in 29 schools without power as of last night. This provided us with our 1st reality of real school...our first "snow day". Yikes, we were not ready for that but were able to make some last minute arrangements to our schedules!
Thank you again to Janet and John. We LOVE the birthday adventures and look forward to our trip next summer!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
I did it...and even a little faster than expected
There are very few occasions that I would consider posting a full shot of me in a swimsuit; however, this is one of those occasions. It is with pride that I say that I competed in my first post-baby triathlon the 1st Sunday in August. And...I just happened to finish a little faster than expected.
My expectations going into the race were quite low; I just wanted to finish the race and if I could do it without being last it would be great and if I could finish in less than 4 hours, that would be even better. My competitive juices related to exercising are now completely internal. For 19 years I competed on a daily basis, both internally and externally. To say that I was exhausted from competing in 1998 when I finished my last season at UK is an understatement. It took me over a year to get back into anything athletic and over 10 to actually enjoy it again.
While living in Nashville I came upon a wonderful group of workout buddies, whom I still keep in touch with. They changed my life in a way that they opened my eyes to other activity beyond gymnastics. They showed me that running could be fun and not just punishment. They also introduced me to cycling and triathlons, which have come to be my favorite sports of all. Despite loving the sports, two kiddos and several job advancements have left me strapped for time. I have spent the last 5 years feeling that running for 30 minutes here or lifting weights for an hour there was all I could possibly accomplish in a day.
Knowing that Jake was going to be our last child, I felt liberated this past year to really work at getting back in shape. Yes, I ran several 1/2 marathons in between the 2 kids but I never really felt myself. I know I will never really have a supermodel body but I am commited to workout as much as I possibly can and I am thankful that I have a husband who supports me while I run out for an hour or two each weekend morning to workout. Personally I know that I am a better wife, mom, employee, boss, etc when I work out; therefore, it is what I love to do.
Several months ago I took on the challenge from my friend Gus to compete in an Olympic distance triathlon in Indianapolis. I accepted the challenge for several reasons:
1. I fell in love with the training 10+ years ago as I remember finally feeling a sense of accomplishment, post-gymnastics.
2. The length of both sprint and Olympic triathlons are perfect. As soon as you get tired from one type of exercise, it is time to switch to the next, yet since the race is over 3 hours, you still get the feeling of complete exhaustion.
3. I tell Kate each day that she needs to face her fears head on and turn her nervous energy into something good. I figured it was time to take my own advice and face my fear of swimming in dark water. Yes, I swam in open water in my previous triathlons but generally swam the side stroke the entire way so I wouldn't have to stick my face in the water. That is only something you can do in your 20's and are still somewhat athletic.
4. Gus promised that the canal in downtown Indianapolis was only 4 feet deep so I could stop and stand in the water if needed. He also promised that the water was clean!
So over the past 4 months I trained as much as a working mom can train. I tried to take advantage of my nights on the road to run and swam and cycled for an hour a day on the weekends. Of course I didn't train as much as I would have liked to feel ready, but I trained as much as I could have possibly trained. The result - I finished it in 3 hours and 32 minutes.
For anyone ever wanting to try a triathlon, I highly recommend the Indy Tri. It is flat and really well run. The water in the canal is as clean as Gus promised and is generally shallow. I successfully swam with only stopping once at the beginning to wipe out my goggles so I can't confirm that it is in fact only 4 feet, but Gus is a pretty honest man so I believe him.
Thank you Gus for the motivation! I am definitely hooked and look forward to the challenge again next summer. This time Ryan will be joining me. Thank you also to Ericka for hosting us and cooking such delicious pre-race food! We look forward to seeing you all again soon!
My expectations going into the race were quite low; I just wanted to finish the race and if I could do it without being last it would be great and if I could finish in less than 4 hours, that would be even better. My competitive juices related to exercising are now completely internal. For 19 years I competed on a daily basis, both internally and externally. To say that I was exhausted from competing in 1998 when I finished my last season at UK is an understatement. It took me over a year to get back into anything athletic and over 10 to actually enjoy it again.
While living in Nashville I came upon a wonderful group of workout buddies, whom I still keep in touch with. They changed my life in a way that they opened my eyes to other activity beyond gymnastics. They showed me that running could be fun and not just punishment. They also introduced me to cycling and triathlons, which have come to be my favorite sports of all. Despite loving the sports, two kiddos and several job advancements have left me strapped for time. I have spent the last 5 years feeling that running for 30 minutes here or lifting weights for an hour there was all I could possibly accomplish in a day.
Knowing that Jake was going to be our last child, I felt liberated this past year to really work at getting back in shape. Yes, I ran several 1/2 marathons in between the 2 kids but I never really felt myself. I know I will never really have a supermodel body but I am commited to workout as much as I possibly can and I am thankful that I have a husband who supports me while I run out for an hour or two each weekend morning to workout. Personally I know that I am a better wife, mom, employee, boss, etc when I work out; therefore, it is what I love to do.
Several months ago I took on the challenge from my friend Gus to compete in an Olympic distance triathlon in Indianapolis. I accepted the challenge for several reasons:
1. I fell in love with the training 10+ years ago as I remember finally feeling a sense of accomplishment, post-gymnastics.
2. The length of both sprint and Olympic triathlons are perfect. As soon as you get tired from one type of exercise, it is time to switch to the next, yet since the race is over 3 hours, you still get the feeling of complete exhaustion.
3. I tell Kate each day that she needs to face her fears head on and turn her nervous energy into something good. I figured it was time to take my own advice and face my fear of swimming in dark water. Yes, I swam in open water in my previous triathlons but generally swam the side stroke the entire way so I wouldn't have to stick my face in the water. That is only something you can do in your 20's and are still somewhat athletic.
4. Gus promised that the canal in downtown Indianapolis was only 4 feet deep so I could stop and stand in the water if needed. He also promised that the water was clean!
So over the past 4 months I trained as much as a working mom can train. I tried to take advantage of my nights on the road to run and swam and cycled for an hour a day on the weekends. Of course I didn't train as much as I would have liked to feel ready, but I trained as much as I could have possibly trained. The result - I finished it in 3 hours and 32 minutes.
For anyone ever wanting to try a triathlon, I highly recommend the Indy Tri. It is flat and really well run. The water in the canal is as clean as Gus promised and is generally shallow. I successfully swam with only stopping once at the beginning to wipe out my goggles so I can't confirm that it is in fact only 4 feet, but Gus is a pretty honest man so I believe him.
Thank you Gus for the motivation! I am definitely hooked and look forward to the challenge again next summer. This time Ryan will be joining me. Thank you also to Ericka for hosting us and cooking such delicious pre-race food! We look forward to seeing you all again soon!
Random sites of summer
Here are some random sites from the first few weeks of August! These pictures are from our sweet friend Lucy's 3rd birthday party!
Jake loves nothing more than sliding down any slide no matter the shape or height. This was proven yesterday when he tried 50+ times to slide down one of the many water slides at Holiday World. He could have cared less that he couldn't swim in the pool of water at the bottom of each slide.
After many, many attempts, I finally captured a picture of Kate and Jake together for the blog header! Don't mind the widespread heat rash on Jake...it is part of summer :) A 1 year old and a 5 year old don't seem to ever sit down at the same time!
Jake loves nothing more than sliding down any slide no matter the shape or height. This was proven yesterday when he tried 50+ times to slide down one of the many water slides at Holiday World. He could have cared less that he couldn't swim in the pool of water at the bottom of each slide.
After many, many attempts, I finally captured a picture of Kate and Jake together for the blog header! Don't mind the widespread heat rash on Jake...it is part of summer :) A 1 year old and a 5 year old don't seem to ever sit down at the same time!
It's like they never skipped a beat
Some friendships are just meant to be. That is the way I feel about my dearest friend Sarah. As I blogged last year, we are the 2nd generation of friends; our mom's friendship started long before we ever entered the world. Fast forward 30 years and 4 kids, our 2 girls act like the best of friends despite seeing each other only twice a year.
Everyone who knows me knows how closely I hold The Bates Family to my heart. They have supported me through every trial and tribulation and have helped me celebrate every milestone, despite how big or small. Knowing how much they mean to me, you can only image how warm it makes me feel to see our kids play together each summer and winter like they live across the street. Within 5 minutes, Kate and Anna Cate were out of site exceptfor an occassional request to help with the latest change of outfit or for a much needed snack. They played hard and giggled even harder.
This year was even more special as Jake and Molly were able to get in on some of the playing and swimming action. I can only image what next summer will be like with 4 wild ones running around. Thankfully both of our mom's are there, happy to help. Between the outfit changes, meals, and occasional tear or two, Sarah, Molly, my mom and myself were able to catch up on all the happenings of life and of course...enjoy a bourbon or two.
Everyone who knows me knows how closely I hold The Bates Family to my heart. They have supported me through every trial and tribulation and have helped me celebrate every milestone, despite how big or small. Knowing how much they mean to me, you can only image how warm it makes me feel to see our kids play together each summer and winter like they live across the street. Within 5 minutes, Kate and Anna Cate were out of site exceptfor an occassional request to help with the latest change of outfit or for a much needed snack. They played hard and giggled even harder.
This year was even more special as Jake and Molly were able to get in on some of the playing and swimming action. I can only image what next summer will be like with 4 wild ones running around. Thankfully both of our mom's are there, happy to help. Between the outfit changes, meals, and occasional tear or two, Sarah, Molly, my mom and myself were able to catch up on all the happenings of life and of course...enjoy a bourbon or two.
Please check out Sarah's blog at the link below for even more pictures:
We are also very thankful for all of Ryan's help with the grilling and the extra attention he paid the girls in the pool. The screams of joy were likely heard around the entire neighborhood! I hope the video at the end comes through!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)