soaring eagle

can i even say how much i love these kids? they are so precious and wonderful.
we went away this weekend and i got 5 full days pure joy and pleasure.

pre race night

i guess you can call me the snapping turtle of the family for the past few days. i can't explain it and i can't wait to shake it, but i have been on a high irritation level all week. i feel so guilty looking back over the past week and thinking about how I have treated the kids and even jim at times. i have been impatient and quite self centered. i wish i could say it's because of the race tomorrow or because of work, but it's not enough of any of those things to make me blame it. i know the hormone tide is in, so maybe it has something to do with that, but it still doesn't excuse me for my mouth. i have been so short tempered mostly with the kids and they don't deserve that.
i read earlier that there are no headphones allowed on the course tomorrow and at first i went into a mini panic... oh no! what am i going to do if i can't drown out my own thoughts for 2 hours? Then after the initial shock wore off (ok, so it was a day) i have decided (and praying about it has helped) (kind of like God saying ok nik, now really, tell me again why this is such a bad thing? have you really been spending any quality time with me lately?) that the run with out the headphones is perfect. it is the best time for me to spend alone with the lord and reflect on the week i have had and give it all to him. again, even when i don't want to follow and i am stubborn and stray, God's perfect will is right there to gently lead me and correct me in the right direction.

Bah, bah, bah. (like a sheep... gone astray...)

now it's off to bed to sleep for a few hours before it's game time! update to come on the race experience.

Thoughtful Thursdays

So since I don't regularly post and I am oh so trying to get better at it, i thought if i made a theme to at least one or two of the days during the week it would encourage me to post more often. I think I will start with... Thoughtful Thursdays. This is actually perfect since my hubby is out on Thursdays and after the kids are in bed, I have a chance to siit down and be quiet within my own thoughts. Plus, unless I am SUPER tired from getting up at 5:30 to run, I can stay up late b/c i don't have to run in the morning. (whoo hoo... shhh)

So thoughts... to start, I read this e-mail from my mom today and it was really thought provoking. I wanted to sit at the computer and think about it for a while, but I needed to get back to work.
Maybe it's a little long, and maybe it's one of those cheezy e-mails people forward around, but maybe, it will make us pause for a moment and think, maybe...

Maybe ... we were supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.
Maybe ... When the door of happiness closes, another opens; but, often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't even see the new one which has been opened for us;
maybe ... it is true that we don't know what we have until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives.
Maybe .. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
Maybe ... the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can't go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures, and heartaches.
Maybe ...You should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of, and want to do.
Maybe ... There are moments in life when you miss someone -- a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child, your girlfriend/boyfriend -- so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real, so that once they are around you appreciate them more.
Maybe ...The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
Maybe .. You should always try to put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that something could hurt you, it probably will hurt the other person too.
Maybe ..You should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone.
Maybe ... Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but if it doesn't, be content that it grew in yours.
Maybe ... Happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives.
Maybe ... You shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive; don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one who makes your heart smile.
Maybe ... You should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy.
Maybe ... You should try to live your life to the fullest because when you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling, but when you die, you can be the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
Maybe ... you could send this message to those people who mean something to you, to those who have touched your life, to those who can and do make you smile when you really need it, to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down, and to all those whom you want to know that you appreciate them and their friendship.


OK, so, like I said... maybe, it's a little cheezy, and I totally don't agree with some of the things said, but I do agree with the concept, of maybe, we could take the time to care about people, to share the love of God and to give out the hope that we have been blessed with.

hello? It's me, again.

I'm back again to probably publish a few posts on the same day and then make the resolution on not waiting so very long until the next post comes along.
Life has just been extremely busy and the days seem to roll into one another.
Running has been going ok. I was chopping up the runs and mixing up my days for a few weeks when jim was gone and I was recovering from my slight ankle injury from jumping off a chair in heels. (yah, I know, DUH!)
But I look back (like I knew I would) on the last post where I was worried about the 9 mile run and laugh. I just completed a 12 on Saturday! That was a great feeling, they all are... AFTER I am done. Mostly about what I just accomplished. Thinking that I didn't think I could and having to talk myself through the run and coaching myself many steps of the way. Every run is making me stronger and knowing the stamina and the distance I can go when under pressure and by my own determination is elating. I am blown away each week I go a further distance and feel so proud for what I am doing.
I know I need to get fundraising though, and asking for $$ has never been my strong point.
I was overwhelmed (yes, me) at the realization that the kids from VBS raised over $600! It's exciting to know that they we in the game with me and really rallied to the cause.
Now that all the parties are over for the month, I am going to sit back for a few days here and brew upon my plan for August and Sept. I have 2 months left to raise a heck of a lot and I am determined to find a way. Heck, I ran 12 miles the other day... I can do anything :0)

Block Party

Fireworks

We had such a great 4th of July weeked.
Rea and I did our toes...
We went to see the fireworks at the country club
They were beautiful and the kids really enjoyed the show!

It was a great night to kick off the weekend.

run run here i come

so i am already obsessing about running 9 miles this weekend. 9 miles! that's the 2nd longest i have ever had to run! i know i did they soldier field 10 mile, but i prepared for that race and i really psyched myself up for it. i think because it was a big race, i was able to justify running the 10 and it didn't see so bad or painful. hmmm, i tried tricking myself into this week-end's run being of similar fashion, but so far it hasn't worked. something about just running 9 miles because it is on the schedule doesn't seem right.
honestly, i can't even look further down where it starts moving up to 12, 15, or even scarier, 20 miles! 26.2, one time, seems ok, but when you have to anticipate the miles leading up to being able to accomplish that... it's a different story.
so, i take a deep breath, hydrate, and find myself a darn good playlist this week.

slug run

yesteray's run was only a 5 mile. it was a cut back week since the two previous weeks it was a 6 and 7 mile run. so, assuming that a 5 is nothing now (since I am some super star runner now) I stayed up late on Friday, slept in on Sat and got up for a late run. I let Jimmy ride his bike next me andwished the whole time i could have ridden the bike!
Well, 5 miles hasn't felt that long in a long time. It was hot, I wore a cotton shirt so I was soaked and sticky and my legs were heavy. After about 3.5 I got into a grove, but i learned my lesson about preparing myself for the next run, no matter what the distance.

The greatest glory of living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall. Nelson Mandela (1918 - )

What if...

...you had to drink this?

Your Impact through the Chicago Marathon
The NeedOver 1 billion people (1 billion!) lack access to clean water and sanitation. When clean water is scarce, all aspects of life are impacted:
Health--Contaminated water and poor sanitation are a factor in 88% of all disease in the developing world.
Food production--Without water, crops and livestock die and healthy meals cannot be prepared.
Economics--Poor health from unclean water causes a community's productivity to suffer and family incomes to dwindle.
Education--Childen spend hours fetching water each day instead of attending school.

World Vision's Response
Because clean water is foundational to all aspects of development, it is often the first work that World Vision does in a community. World Vision works with communities to:
Construct wells for clean water
Provide water-storage containers
Install water-piping systems for irrigation
Protect natural springs
Purify water contaminated by bacteria
Construct latrines for proper sanitationMore than 10 million people have gained access to clean water and sanitation as a result of World Vision's water projects.

How You are Helping by Running
The main project that Team World Vision athletes are supporting this year is in Zambia. In Zambia, the life expectancy is 40 years old, and only 40% of the population has access to a clean water source. With the help of your fundraising efforts, World Vision will be able to work with the communities in Musele and Mbala to:
Provide access to clean water by constructing 100 wells
Train men and women to take ownership in maintaining the wells
Provide improved sanitation by building 1,500 latrines
Partner with Zambia's Ministry of Health to increase awareness of water and sanitation safety in schools and communitiesYou are helping make a huge impact in Zambia for children and communities who lack one of life's most basic resources. Thank you!

More about how World Vision works
> How World Vision works: Interactive Map>

Video about the need for water and how World Vision helps

hot and sticky buns

today i felt like i was swimming during my run. there was over 50% humidity and the fog hadn't lifted when I went out this morn. it was an eerie, but strangely peaceful run. it was mysterious and calming at the same time. with each step i could feel the effort that my body had to exert to keep going, but breathing in the think air was so entrancing. it was a motivator today for me to run though the thick air and think of the poor little babies across an ocean who endure so much more every day. i wanted to stop for water, but i choose not to (knowing I was doing a short run, 3m and I would have access to it with in a half house) I wanted to make myself remember, and not forget.
after receiving the week 3 e-mail, i can't stop thinking about the "what if... you had to drink this?" I can't get the little boy's eyes out of my head. so innocent, yet so broken over something he can't control and knows of nothing different.
I am reminded of it when I feed my kids, when I fill my glass in the middle of the night, when I see people spending $ .75 to buy a bottle of water at work.
something like water, that would NEVER cross our minds as an option to not have or a problem to find is something so many people don't have, or drink dirty or need to stay alive.
i will pray for the people who need water, i will think of the people who need water and i will run for the people who need water. they deserve it as much as you and I.

lou, lou, skip to my lou

i love this girl. she is so crazy and silly and she wears a pen moustache! and this boy. he is a poser! look at those eyes and killer smile.
here we are the 3 stooges... hey... where is the 4th?
he was off eating frosting off of someone's graduation cake!

sweet!

The New School

we went on a tour of the new school. i honestly can say while i am not happy about having to move from our comfy, cozy school home, i am happy with the school. don't get me wrong, i don't like the location. the neighborhood is crowed and parking will be a problem. the distance and direction isn't something i am a fan of either, but the building it self is nice.

at first it was intimidating. it's huge and very sterile. it doesn't say "i'm a warm and friendly place for your child to be nurtured and welcomes." in fact, i was thinking it was more like "becareful little one, we'll try to keep you safe by having you walk through a metal detector every day." or "get used to it kid, it's better than county"

i know that probaby sounds awful, but i didn't have much to go on.

The gym is huge. The whole school can comfortably fit.

The music room can also fit the whole school and there are acoustical ceilings.

The primary grades have bathrooms in the classrooms, the other classrooms are a good size and will be fitted with smart boards. The 2 schools will be kept separate and run on different operating schedules.

And we have a mother goose. Since the roof is "green" a momma goose has decided to take up residence and raise her babies. How sweet!

It's definately not what we signed up for, but change can be good and there is no sense in going into something with a closed mind unless I want to get closed results.

Here we come Albany Park. Make way for Edison!

The Mouse and the Medal

Jimmy stared in his 4th grade play this May, The Mouse and the Medal.

It was written by a girl in his class and he was picked to be DJ, a mouse who lives in a library and befriends a girl who falls asleep and ends up being locked in the library overnight.

Jimmy is a natural actor. He is so at ease with being a performer.

He knew his stuff and made us laugh and smile.

Great Job Jimmy!

say it isn't so

i thought i could keep up with being a blogger, but as it turns out, I am not so good at it.
I haven't posted in a month. it's been since mothers day and it's not that I don't have anything to say. So what is it? The over whelming tiredness and exhaustion I experience? The thinking, preparing, making and cleaning up of meals that seems to happen frequently? the never ending pile of laundry that never seems to get done? the clean clothes the dryer continues to spit out that don't seem to get folded or put away? the early morning runs and the late nights getting ready for the next day? the kids and activities and quality time and baths and books and laughs and life? there are not enough hours in a day so when something has to give. this is one of the first to go. i wish i was better, but since i am trying to let go of the whole perfectionism thing, i will make this one of the items i think is a step closer to letting it go and allow myself to be at peace with the fact i am a bad blogger.
so enjoy the faces and the one sentence memories. i know i will and smile all the way :o)

Mother's Day Love

Once again, I was loved on Mother's Day.

What a day to spend at the Cubbies Game!

Rain, cold, wind and peanuts to crack.

But the family, blankets, winter jackets in May and another WIN on the board,

made the day perfectly wonderful!

Baseball Days

Come on, throw me a bone, ball, I mean a ball here...

P-A-Y-T-O-N, Payton is his name.

Gotta Run. Catch you later, aligator!

Baseball Season is here. Spring is coming. Maybe we will get a few days like these before it's 90 degrees! We can't get enough of the park and baseball. Between both boys games we are there a lot. Now I need to find a way to eat better on the run

my boy is back

i had to be patient. they say pick your battles wisely.

eventually, i (hoped) he would decide to cut his hair.

WooHoo! That day is here and my boy is back.

It's so nice to see Jimmy's smiling face and beautiful eyes.

You be the judge.

Your Kidding Me Right?

Where is that darned fan?
I will find you, oh yes I will.
I will find you and when I do, you will be removed from the house. Or destroyed.
Don't test me. I am looking for you and if you don't want to give yourself up, be very cautious.
I am patient. I will wait. And when I find you, DESTRUCTION.

(unless I really snap and stop at the barber first)

Payton's Best Game

OK so it was his first game, but 3 for 3 and 3 picks off first for good ol' number 3 is something special.
Mr MVP woke up to a cold and dreary day for a game. It poured the night before so we weren't even sure we would get the game in.
After another bout with Reagan about dance class, we headed over to park in our winter jackets to celebrate SPRING's 40 degree weather swing. Watching the game through the blistering winds find their way through the holes in our jackets and blankets was an experience I wasn't too thrilled to participate in, but the hot chocolate and craisins kept the energy high enough to scream for the MVP of the game. GO PAYTER TOT!

Scary Lesson to be learned

today I realized that just when you think your kids are growing up and learning how to survive, they are not. They are still little kids and impulses are in greater control than their logic.
J goes to a sports group at the park around the corner and for the past few lessons big J walks him there and 45 min later allows him to walk home. Tonight at dinner, J was talking about the "walk" home and mentioned a car was going down the one way block the wrong way.
You know how the kids chatter and sometimes you only half listening?
Well, I half heard that J "told" the man he was going the wrong way and the car stopped and J walked over to the car to tell him it was a one way street...
YOU WHAT!!!???? I screeched! You talked to a stranger? YOU WENT NEAR A CAR? YOU SPOKE TO A STRANGER AND WENT NEAR A CAR?????????
I began to shake inside and the pit of my stomach moved up into my throat as I thought of all the scary horror stories... (I actually can't go on thinking of the worst...)
I think by my inability to hide my terror at the thought of what he did, it scared the pants off of him when he logically, not impulsively thought about what he did.
We haven't let this child play out in front of our house without supervision and now that we have started to give him some freedom and look what happens...
I know, I know, nothing happened. Thank God. I have been thanking and praising God for his protection and love and grace tonight. But I feel terrible that my baby didn't use his head and make a safe decision.
So what if the guy in the car wasn't looking to talk to a child, one day someone might be looking to talk to a child and mine is the one talking and walking up to cars.
It's not like we haven't talked and preached and shown and talked more about the dangers of strangers. Right now it appears we need to talk about it more. and then one more time. and each time they leave the house or my site they should be reminded of the fact they need to be aware of the world they live in.
so what do we do? next sports day, do I allow J to walk by himself again? Do I continue to shelter him from the world? I know he has to learn and I have to put my trust in the Lord and not in myself. But it's so hard...
What would you do?
I need to pray for guidance and strength.

oh what a tangled web we weave

It started off as fun and games. but fun and games witha fan and long hair doesn't always end up the way it should.
we started off crying. not crying that we didn't listen to our mommy, but crying that our hair was tangled up in the fan. the fan we were told would get caught in our hair if we kept looking down on it while it was on.
huh, who know? oh yeah, mom did.

so the cry,

turned into mommy singing songs to distract the young and bold and very independent rea-rea.

and finally, the newly freed, laughing and now experienced hair in a fan rea-rea, laughing all the way. (is that a nursery rhyme? it should be)

and no, in case you are wondering, mom's don't always know best.

appearantly little bold and independent girls think they know best and within a day, Rea was back in the kitchen having moming remove her hair from the fan.

(wait, doesn't that mean I was right?

what's that Rea, you said no?)