times tables...

Lizzy and Emily are working on their times tables in 3rd grade. Every day, their teacher, Mrs. T. gives them a sheet with 100 problems on it. It includes the 0's through the 9's, all mixed up...or "all the facts" as they say. At the beginning of the year, Mrs. T. challenges them to beat her on all the facts. Her best time is 1:26. I did 1:30 the other day and felt like I was flying. I couldn't believe I hadn't beat her. I was writing the answer to one while solving the next one in my head. Not fast enough. If the kids are able to beat her, she gives them a fresh crisp 5 dollar bill. 5 dollars! The girls have been obsessed. They bring home blank times table sheets every day. They practice all the time. It's all the talk around here. Elizabeth especially. She wants to beat her teacher. So, so badly. Her best time to date is 2:00. Emily is a little faster. She is fast at everything...school, moving, talking. She's just fast. She doesn't care quite as much as Lizzy though.

Yesterday, when I picked them up from school, Lizzy immediately told me to guess who had beat Mrs. T. I thought of Emily right away. I kept looking in my rearview mirror at her face, just sure it was her, but she kept denying it. I was wrong...it was LIZZY! She was beaming. And giggling. And my eyes were watering. She showed me the money. None of us could believe it. She did it in 1:13. Faster than me! We went through the whole scene, time and time again...until she went to bed. How she was shaking the whole time she was writing. How Mrs. T.'s eyes bugged out when Lizzy raised her hand to show she was finished. How Lizzy couldn't believe it when she heard the time. How her heart was "beeping so fast" when she went to the front of the room to get her 5. Her hands were shaking. She was teary she was so excited. I am so VERY proud of her. So happy that it was Lizzy who did it first...before Alex OR Emily. It was Lizzy. She needs to finish 1st once in awhile. So she knows how great she is. So she knows that practice pays off. So she can feel that adrenaline rush. So she can be proud.

WAY TO GO LIZZY!

whew...

I think everyone, even Boston Rob, is going to be pretty hard pressed to beat this guy. I just don't see it happeneing. Survivor was SO good this week. SO DARN good. I am clammy all through tribal council wondering how Russell will dig himself out...then he does it. Every single time. Love ya Rob, but seriously? You don't hold a candle to this guy. You'll never outsmart him. Glad this was so good, because Idol is not doing it for me. At all.

my mind...

...is miles away today. All the way in Delaware.

Molly and I saw a seagull in the parking lot at Robert's

and my mind left. My heart too. I can't wait to be there...

soaking in the sounds and smells.

pete...

Guess what I got to play today.

Don't eat Pete.

With peach baby puffs and milk chocolate chips...

and 30 Pete's.

a first for everything...

If you're a friend from the ward, you've surely already read Melissa's post about our 5k. I need to share my thoughts about it too. We did it! I am really proud of the two of us. I'm proud of myself. I accomplished something I had worked for, and that feels incredibly satisfying. We did it in 31:38 too, which is (was) a record for me...until I did it in 30:50 yesterday on the treadmill. Woohoo!

Before I got pregnant with Margaret, I was running/jogging 3 miles a day. I felt great about it. I felt healthy...ALMOST athletic again. I stopped when I got pregnant. Nausea and fear of miscarriage were my excuses. I did NOTHING for the next year and 1/2...with the exception of walking the kids to school for 2 months in the fall. I gained weight over the holidays, knowing that as soon as the new year rolled around, I was going to change my life. I would excercise and I would lose weight. I was seriously determined. Dave has lost 40 pounds on Nutri System, as well as several dear friends. I started with that. Not the meals, just following their weekend regimen. Coupled with going to the rec center 6 days a week, it was working!

At first, I was doing the treadmill for 30 minutes. I would walk for 5 minutes, then run for 5. Walk. Run. I felt so great about it. I really did. It was hard, but rewarding. Now, 2 months later, I can run for an hour. In part because of Melissa. I love her. She is determined. She looks beautiful. And she pushes me. I desperately want to keep up with her. She makes me feel like I can do it. The first time we ran 5 miles together (with a few tiny pit stops) I was floored. I couldn't believe I had done it. I wanted to do it again. BUT...I hurt my knee. I was so sad. It hurt really bad. I just couldn't run on it. Ends up it was bursitis. I kept on doing the elliptical machine so I could stay in the groove. 2 weeks and some arthritis gel later, the pain was totally gone. I was so happy. Here's the deal. I wasn't hating running...and that was huge for me. I wasn't loving it, but I wasn't hating it, so I HAD to keep going. I'm still not loving it. Not like melissa, but I'm getting there. I love seeing improvement in myself. I call Dave the second I get to the car to tell him what I've accomplished.

Here we are just minutes after the race. We look so happy. I WAS so happy. I felt euphoric for hours...until the exhaustion set in. :) I got really tired at about 2.5 miles. I'm not going to lie. I wanted to tell Melissa I had to stop for a minute. I knew I'd hate myself though, so I pressed on...pretty slowly. I'm thinking that by our next race, I won't have to push on. I'll just run. Faster than before. Beating my record every time. Even if only by a few seconds. Wish me luck!

my dear alex...

Happy birthday sweet boy. How are you 11 already? I can still remember my tiny, soft baby boy like it was yesterday. Our first baby. We were completely in love with you. Smitten. We still are. We are so blessed that you are ours. Here are eleven things I love most about you:

1. Your laugh. You are so funny. When you are really laughing, like belly-laugh laughing, it makes me happy. It makes others happy too. It is contagious. You can't control yourself!

2. Your passion. If you love something, you REALLY love it. You obsess about it. Like Age of Empires, Harry Potter, knights, indians, Percy Jackson, your favorite scripture stories. You will draw them, talk about them, write stories about them, dream about them.

3. You still love me to scratch your back. Just last night you asked me to. You aren't grossed out by your mom yet. Maybe you never will be.

4. You are a friend to so many. You don't even realize that there are "cool" and "not-so-cool" people yet. If you like someone, and they make you happy, they are your friend. It doesn't matter what they wear, what they play at recess, how smart they are.

5. You are an artist. In so many ways. Not just your drawing...but singing, writing, looking at the world. I remember as a tiny little boy, you were always making car sounds, spaceship sounds, trains, explosions, animals. I think that is art. You will be famous someday.

6. You stand up for what is right. It brings me so much joy when you tell me of experiences at school where you have stood up for someone who was too afraid to stand up for themselves. Poeple like you and they watch you. They will see the choices you make and want to follow. You are a leader. Lead your friends the right way.

7. You are very sensitive. If you are sad, you don't hide it. The same with angry, bored, afraid, worried. This sensitivity will help you comfort others in your life. It will help you love deeper and stronger.

8. You work hard. You don't give up. I still remember you trying to learn how to dive. It was so difficult. It wouldn't work out quite right, but you would hop right out of the pool and try again. I think that is why you are such a great artist. If something doesn't look exactly right, you don't set down your pencil and quit. You erase and start again.

9. You are a good example to your 4 little sisters. They love you, Alex. They watch you all the time. Always remember that.

10. I love your face. Your tiny, little nose. Your thick, fluffy hair. Your glasses. Your little ears. Your soft skin.

11. You are cool.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANDSOME!

adore...

They still adore this baby.

All the time.

Every day.

Alex does too...but only for a few minutes. :)