Homework Helper

Sometimes Braedyn likes to help Cooper do his homework and sometimes it is just easier if we have to be in the car going to our next activity. He had his spelling pretest, so I gave Braedyn the job of giving him the words.
I'll have to do that more often because I was listening to them andjust giggling to myself. Braedyn would say a word and come up with a random sentence to go along with that word. Well, sometimes Cooper would have a comment on the sentence he would choose....

Braedyn: "the word is street, we live on a street."
Cooper: "we do not live on a street, if we lived on a street we would be homeless."
Braedyn: "okay, we are driving on a street."

Braedyn: "next word, second, this is my second time at HES"
Cooper: "no it's not".
Braedyn: "okay, it's my second year at HES."

They were cracking me up....

Future NHL'r

He was so EXCITED!!!!!!!!
 

Charlie surprised Cooper by meeting me and picking him up in Hillsborough. He told them they were having a special night and just going out to dinner... His hockey season had just gotten done.
I wish I could have seen his face when they pulled into the parking lot at PNC arena and he asked are we going to the hockey game? Yes they were, but he didn't realize he would be sitting front row right behind the goalie! His eyes got big as he walked to their seats and I guess Charlie said he kept turning around and he said keep on going!
They had so much fun at the game and we had fun watching the game on TV and saw them quite frequently since they were sitting right behind the goalie (and Charlie wore a bright orange sweatshirt) HA -the only one in orange probably in the entire arena-always representing the Gators... They were playing the Buffalo Sabres.
Charlie was amazed as Cooper was naming off all the players even on the other team! 
He loved it!
Braedyn has gotten to have special dates with daddy a couple times to the Carolina Panthers games in Charlotte so this was Cooper's special night!
He's hooked and LOVES hockey!

Spring Break 2013

We decided to stay home over spring break this year because it is just nice NOT to have to get in the car and be somewhere and just relax together at home or go to the park or attend last minute events....
Here are a few pictures from break...
I took the boys to an afternoon of UNC baseball. They are ranked #1 so I am glad we were able to catch a game this year. First time Jordan as able to sit thru the entire game!
We went Ackland Art Museum on campus and had a scavenger hunt in the art museum which was fun.
We did a lot of bike riding/running. The older two had a three week break but Jordan just had one being the last week of the other two so that was nice. I had some time with just Braedyn and Cooper. Often after our trail rides/runs, I would treat them to ice cream afterwards. They love Sutton's milkshakes-which is a popular spot on Franklin Street across from preschool on UNC campus which is often frequented by football and basketball players from UNC. We have eaten by a few but none over break. The boys are always amazed as to how tall the basketball players are!

right behind home plate ~ great game they won!
It's nice going to afternoon games....no one is there....

out biking on the trail with Jake and Mommy -did 5 miles that day! They did not like the hills. Cooper politely said when we were finished. "can we please never do that trail again!"

Sutton's!

Littlest Rink Rat

And he joins his brother!!!!!!!
He started Hockey in February and loves it!

So cute and fun to watch!

Before and After

I don't usually have my mugshots up here but I thought I would share a before and after shot...Changed it up a bit! I love it...I have not had bangs since High School so it still is taking awhile to get used to. Also colored darker with some reds. Kudo to my girlfriend who has a salon in Chapel Hill.

 

Baseball 2013

They both are playing this year. But in different leagues.

Cooper is on the right hitting

Braedyn's new favorite position is catcher. He is good at it. I think it's because all of that playing goalie at home with his two hockey playing brothers. Someone had to be goalie.

And his favorite player Joe Mauer is also a catcher....

Easter 2013

 

Here are a few pictures at Easter time...The boys always color Easter eggs......We always did the Easter Egg Hunt at our church and this was the first year they all couldn't go. Just Jordan and I went as the other two had baseball practice. He had fun and loved getting all the candy. I think it was almost gone by the time we got home!

When You Think They Aren't Paying Attention

They are...
Sunday on the way home from Church we were talking about my race from Saturday.
Part of my identity as a mom to my kids is that mom's a runner. They have all been a passenger in a that jogging stroller!
Cooper asked me if I was ever going to do a Marathon. I said, "yes, someday that is my goal."
Then he said with a very concerned response, "Mom, I NEVER want you to do the Boston Marathon, okay" and before I could answer him Braedyn said, "Cooper, that's all over with now". They got the bad guys. Then Cooper quickly said almost crying...but it could happen again and I don't want it to happen to you. I said don't worry I will never run that one and I will do it somewhere else. I told him bad people do bad things sometimes but that doesn't mean it happens very often. But then I think back and I said that very same thing in December.
It dawned on me then, wow I wonder what goes through their little minds when they see or hear such awful news in this world. I really haven't watched that much coverage except for the day it happened because we had just gotten home from school and I had turned on the TV and that was on - I shut it off because I wasn't really prepared to answer questions and they needed to do homework. They were done with their homework and then went to play so I turned it back on so I could find out what had happened. I didn't even think they were listening or paying attention but somewhere they were.
They came and asked questions later and so we discussed what had happened.
Then today while driving home from preschool Jordan told his friend, "I don't ever want my mom to run the Boston Marathon because there might be an explosion and then I wouldn't have a mom anymore". He is 3 years old!
This is the kind of things my young children have to be worried about...Kind of disturbing!
I can only shelter them from so many things and he is the youngest of three boys. The boys learn things at school too other than on TV. Unfortunately, he will see and hear things that he isn't going to quite understand. We would like to keep our children from these experiences but now it seems we have to start talking through hard things at an earlier age. They can get their hands on the remote or a newspaper article...
I am honest with them and talk to them about things that are real. They might surprise you and they know more then you think they do! Yes, it bothers me the things that they may see but we do not live in Oz nor do we live in a Fairytale. Our job as parents is to raise educated children not only academically and intellectually but as well rounded individuals~ who can take the good and the bad and hopefully make the bad stuff better....we show them the good within the bad. The heroes...
I liked the Mr. Rogers quote "When I was a boy and I would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping"
I have given them extra hugs and kisses this week and held them a little tighter. I have laid with them longer in bed. I have been more patient with them.
Kids are curious by nature! Just love them and let them know they can talk to you about anything. I hope they will always know that. I will always listen!
I thought this had some helpful information in it...an article I had found after googling how to talk to your children after tragic events...:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/20/living/talking-kids-scary-news

Why Do I Run...

I get that question a lot...
Well, after this week I did some thinking of a response to that question so I could come up with an answer other than, "because I love to run... and it just feels good!"
I run to escape reality for awhile. No one needs me to wipe their nose, their butt, get them a drink or get them food. There are no fights to break up or timeouts to be given. There are no piles of clothes or dirty dishes to look at and think about washing, dust and dirty floors can wait, along with other to do lists on the counter. No repeating myself or having to listen to whining or crying. It's a time just for mom! It's a time I am grateful just to carve out of my busy day and give myself time to think, organize my day or thoughts, clear my mind. I accomplish so much more after I go running! It is my therapy. When I can do it with my close friend, it is a connection we both share and we become each other's therapists! We can talk just about anything and I think we can solve world problems! That friendship has been such a blessing! We both celebrate our achievements together that we have worked hard for! 
Being one in nature! I like to feel the wind and sun on my face or the rain and sleet. I love being outdoors...on an early morning run hearing the roosters and the birds chirp is lovely. I miss the fresh fallen snow on a first snowfall in Minnesota. It was not icy or to cold to run on but beautiful as the snowflakes fell and I could feel like a child catching them in my mouth...
I run because it is peaceful and it is a way to shut out the world for awhile but "my" world was invaded by evil and that being a Runner's world! How dare they! I have been scared by dogs or crazy drivers when I am out running but never would I think of being attacked by terrorists! America has become a scary place these days! The best part of the news coverage was watching all the runners come together as a family and helping each other and helping the medical staff on the scene. There was one Dr. who ran the marathon and after completing the marathon turned to helped victims and then went to the hospital and performed surgery on those that were amputee victims. He had just ran a marathon! The running community is a family!
We all share a love and passion for running. I run for the pure joy of it and it started way back in 4th grade on those end of year days at track and field days. I found something that made me feel good, boosted my self confidence, self-esteem, and something that I actually was good at.

The other question my husband often asks is why do I race? I never have a good enough answer. My husband is not a runner and I don't think I will ever convince him into running. He finds enjoyment in other sports that he can play.
All I can say is go and do one! Everyone has a competitive spirit in them! It feels awesome to train and accomplish something that you set out to do. It is a fun atmosphere and it just makes you feel good! All those people on race day come from different backgrounds, different race, different religion, different parts of the country, and different views but that one single day they share one common thing...a passion for running.
That's what the people in Boston understood that day! The were all family!

What happened that day will not keep a us down,
we'll keep running from town to town
as we share a common ground
We are a family
we have solidarity
go for a run~it will provide some clarity!

The Tar Heel 10 and 4 Miler Race

This past Saturday, April 20th was the 6th annual running of the Tar Heel Ten Miler and 4 Miler at UNC campus in Chapel Hill, which I have been a part of for the past 4 years. I ran the 10 mile last year and signed up for the 4 this year. I was still planning on running this event in the midst of events from Monday the 15th -it did not change my mind about racing but made my passion even stronger as I was wanting to do it for the people in Boston.
I woke up Saturday morning at 5 am and had my normal pre-race breakfast and routine. As I was getting ready to leave and all my kids were sleeping, I had this weird sense of worry and nervousness come over me for a brief second and I wondered should I go. What if I didn't come back... What if what happened in Boston could happen right here...before leaving, I laid next to my husband and told him, "race day brings a new sense of anxiousness to me". I went in and kissed my kids and my husband goodbye since at 6 am, they are still sleeping and I said, "I love you and I'll see you in a couple hours. I was only running the 4 mile this year because I had ran a half marathon early this year and didn't want to stress out about getting mileage in over the kid's three week spring break. I didn't feel like they needed to come for such a short race and we were going to have a busy day ahead of us with baseball activities. My thoughts again then turned to Boston pulling out of the driveway. There were thousands of people that morning that did their same normal routine on race day, but unlike me now, they were not thinking they might not come back home or be changed physically and emotionally.

The stories and pictures of the little 8 year old boy, Martin, had touched my heart and soul. His eyes were my sons eyes. I saw Braedyn in him. It was an icky feeling I got when I would see those pictures. I wanted to run Saturday for him and for all the others killed or injured. I dedicated this run to Martin. I pulled into the parking ramp a little later than I had planned since traffic was horrendous, but I shut off the car and bowed my head to pray. I paused for a moment and took this time to ask God to give me the strength, courage, and determination to run the race with confidence to reach my goals I had set forth to achieve. Give me "wings". I vowed that this race was for Martin. I had trained for the race, but I needed some help from above today because not only was I wanting to do it for me but for Martin.  I had set my goal pretty high and I don't usually do that...My goal was to run under 30 minutes and to win my age group. I did not think I would do this since the registration was now near 1,000 runners for the 4 mile run.

It was a rather chilly morning in Chapel Hill, since it had been hot and humid all week long. I was hoping for a cooler morning but it was a little bit cooler than what I had hoped for. It was about 50 degrees and the sun was not out yet. When I got to Keenan Stadium, I noticed something different. The 4 mile route posted was different than the previous year. I have never ran this route before. I have ran that area before but not this specific route. I don't know if that was good or bad. I knew we were starting out on a straight away heading downhill so I was happy about that. I ran to the start and got stretched and warmed up. In all the races I have done, I had never lined up on the starting line before because I always thought that was for the fast people and I never went out very fast and I didn't want to get in the way of the fast people. I usually didn't warm up til mile 3 or 4. Today I didn't have that time to warm up since I was only doing 4! Today I had a different feeling and confidence and I stood at the starting line at the front of the pack. Next to me was some seasoned runners, a few high school cross country runners and a few young boys. I thought what am I doing up here for a moment. Then one boy next to me reminded me again why I was there. I spoke with him briefly as he looked about my oldest son's age. He happened to be 10 and this was his first 4 mile race.
The race director gave the announcements and we took a moment of silence for those in Boston.

The horn blew and we were off. We were on our 4 mile run through the streets of Chapel Hill around UNC Campus. I started out pretty fast getting around people down the straight away and knew we were going to hit the downhill and I would let gravity work with me and save my energy. I ran with that little boy for awhile until he pulled ahead of me. Yes, he was fast! I decided not to wear my headphones and music today which I had always done. It was nice to hear the cheers from the spectators.  I didn't want any distractions with the headphones. I felt great throughout the whole race and it was the first time I raced without my IT brace and without any kind of pains in my knees. It felt good.  We looped through a neighborhood and some hilly portions and I got in a good stride then I reached Laurel Hill with another racer who was probably thinking the same thing as I was...hills suck and especially this monster! I always hit this hill thinking, who was the genius who came up with the bright idea of having this be at the end of the race! I was hoping all my running stairs at Keenan Football Stadium was going to help me get up this hill. Also, on one of my runs I had pushed the stroller up the hill with Jordan in it so that when race day came it was going to be easy without having to push 40 pounds.  I pumped my arms and felt like I was high stepping up the first incline and then finally reaching the portion which levels off a little bit to catch my breath. Then at the plateau this man was playing the Star Spangled Banner on a horn which looked like it was from the Ricola commercial. It was a lovely touch and it took my mind off the torture and back to why I was running again! Then up to the next incline. I was telling myself....come on we are almost to the top, you can do this, last year I was already on 7-8 miles before and today I am only on about mile 3 so this should be nothing....as I am huffing and puffing. I got to the top and turned the corner knowing I was in the home stretch now. We turned and ran past the law school, baseball stadium, football practice fields and I let that downhill work for me giving my legs a little reprieve because I had to pick it back up to get up the hill in the ramp to finish strong inside the football stadium. I turned that last corner to enter the ramp and decided to give it all I had. My body felt like it did when I used to run 400s in High School. You can't really feel your legs and when I finished someone asked,  "are you okay?" and it takes a little while to get a word out. I was thinking Heck, yes I am okay...there's hardly anyone finished yet... but all I could get out was a faint "yes". I knew I must have ran pretty well but still I wasn't quiet sure if I placed or anything. I had only seen one girl pass me that was around my age right at the last corner and maybe a couple others that I knew were well ahead of me. I started to proceed to get the finishing medal and up to the food/beverage area and realized it was only 8:00 am. I then realized how fast I had ran, faster than I had thought. I went to get a Gatorade and wait for my friends to finish and try to get my time from the kiosk that had the results. The printout had my time of 29:20 and gender rank was 6th. So assuming I came in as the 6th female, I figured I probably had done good for my age group. I hung out for a little while with my training partner and her husband, but it was cold and I needed to get home and the awards ceremony wasn't for another two hours. I watched for a little bit longer and decided to head home. I was very happy with my race and went home excited to share it with everyone....that my time was great and that I was the 6th female. I had never ran under 32 minutes in a training run! I got home and that's the first thing they asked me..."What place did you get mom?"
We went on with our busy day of baseball practice and a baseball game and had a party that evening to attend at a neighbors house. I hadn't even checked the results.
I got home and my friend had emailed me congratulating me on my race that I had won first place in my age group so I had to check out the results. My time was 29:20 and my pace was 7:20 and I almost got third overall! Then I wondered how people did on the Laurel Hill Challenge so I clicked on that link. I started to laugh and Charlie asked "what?"... I said, "I can't believe it, I got 6th place on the Laurel Hill Challenge too". That wasn't even on my radar. I just wanted to get up the dang thing without crawling! Here I ended up being the 6th fastest person up it in the 4 mile race.
I was really proud of myself and still a little shocked. I did work hard and a little prayer helped.
I also had the awesome help of good training partners including Amy and my boys! I can't do it without them...and yes Charlie your support too! I am lucky enough to be a stay home mom that has a joy of running and when I can~ I make it work into my schedule. This whole week had inspired me to push myself on that day and I am so glad I did. I proved to myself I could do it and by doing so, taught the boys a lesson. You can set your goals high and if you work hard you can even surprise by yourself by surpassing them. Moms need personal goals too. Heck if mom can do it ~WE can!

Keep on Running!

Like my friend said on our Facebook picture that was taken before the race!

We will finish Boston Strong!

Why?

Monday, April 15th will now be remembered as another horrible day in American History...
The Boston Marathon bombings. This was such a horrible and senseless random act of violence on American soil once again. I watched in disbelief as this was unfolding on the TV. Not so long ago, I was glued to the TV in disbelief and sadness along with the rest of the country and my heart was in Newtown, CT and now my heart is with the people in Boston. I can't help but wonder what kind of world is it going to be when our children grow older...
When the pictures of the victims came out, it really hit home. I am a runner and although I may never run the Boston Marathon it overwhelmed me with a lot of different emotions. My husband and boys have been at races that I have ran as spectators cheering on their wife and mom. I have ran several races never really thinking about the security measures that are in place before I run. It is such a public event that is accessible for everyone. It is a love of a sport that I share with many people across the United States that have a passion for running and enjoy competing in events. Every time I take the starting line there will be just a little bit of nervousness, sadness and my mind will always remember Boston. We can't even be safe at a race.
The pictures of the little 8 year old boy, Martin Richard, truly broke my heart. I saw my son in his eyes. He was there to cheer on his father with his mom and sister who were also badly injured. They interviewed the first responder who had come upon him in the mess and debris. He held him and comforted him and little Martin asked, "why?". I was in tears as I listened to his interview and every time I would see his picture. I have told myself not to look at the coverage anymore because it just broke my heart and I get a sick feeling. He like the other spectators were there to celebrate their loved ones achievement on this special day and cheer them on proudly and so quickly their world was changed forever. No one would think that there were cowards lurking on the streets to take this special day and turn into a nightmare. We are also left to wonder, Why!!!
WHY Boston?
WHY are we left with this stain on such a historical race?
WHY are families left to grieve?
WHY are some left without a arm or leg?
WHY would a 19 year old have so much hate?
WHY would someone do this!!!
We may never have answers as to why and I don't think there is an answer that will EVER provide any closure. I understand why the FBI did not kill the other brother but he doesn't deserve to live. People are talking and suspect that he was also a victim of his radical extremist brother but he still made the decision to bring a backpack to the Boston Marathon and inflict terror across the world and kill and injure innocent people including children! He is responsible for the horrific act!
The first suspect that was killed should rot in hell and the other brother shall join him one day! I am Christian but I believe in no mercy or forgiveness for them!! Then as a Christian, I have to come to terms with my feelings of revenge on the these individuals that they should die.  I was hoping we were going to be two less crazy people left in the world. He should have been pumped full of holes for the many holes he has put into the victims lives.....
I will keep the people in Boston in my prayers and for those that this has affected. I can't even imagine what their new reality will be in the coming days.
We will remain Boston Strong and always wonder why..........