Cross Country!

CC and Little Man both decided to run cross-country for the school team this year. It's a club sport, so there are no tryouts, and it's a welcoming introduction to school athletics. The coach is a friend of mine with a very positive attitude, and I love the way she layers self-esteem and nutrition lessons on top of the running program.

This past weekend was their first meet. Little Man was raring to go, but CC did not have a great attitude about it. Fortunately, once we arrived at the course and she was surrounded by her friends, her outlook improved.

The boys ran first, and Little Man held his own. He was especially proud of the final stretch, where he used his last reserves of energy to pass quite a few other runners.

To our amusement, CC did a combination of running and walking. Afterwards she explained, "I walked up and down the big hill for safety." MJ and I laughed and told her that everyone else managed to run up and down the hill. But CC insisted, "I saw a lot of people almost fall!" So there you have it: safety first.

They both finished around the middle of their respective packs. But the most important thing was that they agreed it was more fun than they thought, and wasn't as hard as they feared. Great lessons!

Greenville, SC

We were supposed to go to the Smoky Mountains last weekend, but after all the devastation from Hurricane Helene, it wasn't an option. So we pivoted and planned a quick, last-minute trip to Greenville. The kids and I had been there before, but it was new to MJ.

We arrived exhausted and hungry after insane traffic caused our trip to take twice as long as it should have. We checked into the hotel and walked around the beautiful downtown area near the river. Most of the restaurants were booked, but we finally found a place that could seat us immediately. We sat down and realized that we'd picked an extremely nice steakhouse. We knew we were in trouble when they handed us massive leather-bound menus, and then presented us with raw steaks on a platter so we could choose individually. It ended up being the most expensive meal of our lives!

The next day dawned bright and beautiful, and we rented bikes to ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Hurricane damage was evident everywhere: trees down, dead underbrush three feet high, water lines on fences lining the trail, etc. But I was very impressed with how much work had obviously been done in just one week to clear the trail. We had a smooth ride all the way to Furman University. Unfortunately the campus was closed to the public -- likely because of the storm -- so we weren't able to walk or bike around like I'd hoped. 

But we still had a nice ride there and back. We even made a quick stop at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe, a cool indoor/outdoor market and grocery store. 

When we got home, we watched our beloved undefeated Army team. Once the game was well in hand, we headed out to Falls Park, spread a blanket, and relaxed for a few hours. The girls tumbled in the grass; Little Man hunted for cool rocks in the water; and all three of them enjoyed climbing on the rocks (until CC slipped and got a miniscule cut on her hand). It was a lovely afternoon.

We ended the day with some ice cream, then headed to bed. The next morning we drove home; thankfully there was no traffic, so we breezed home much more quickly than we'd arrived on Friday.

Circus Arts

After several years of working on their circus arts skills, the girls had the opportunity for professional pictures to be taken on the apparatus of their choice. I was thrilled to think of the beautiful images we'd get of the girls doing what they love! CC picked Silks, and Sweet Pea picked trapeze.

CC was in her element, picking out exactly what she'd wear and how she wanted me to do her hair, and applying her makeup very carefully. The pictures are gorgeous:

Sweet Pea had a last-minute case of nerves, saying she didn't want to go, and that she didn't like pictures of herself. But after a few pep talks and a little tough love, she decided to go. In typical Sweet Pea fashion, she wanted no makeup and just a simple ponytail. But her images are just as special to me.

Tennis

For the last year, I've been learning tennis. It's very humbling, but fun -- especially when it's with a bunch of friends! There are about 12 ladies who started attending a weekly beginners' clinic at our local club last fall, and we've become good friends. Even MJ and I have been playing together on the weekends, which is a really nice way to spend time together.

This fall I started playing competitively on the club's lowest-level team. My first match was yesterday, and I was partnered with a lovely older woman named Malu. She's extremely nice, and has been playing in this league for years, so she's knowledgeable and a great resource for me.

We lost our match, but it was close! We won the first set 6-0, and I thought we were in great shape to win the match in two sets. Unfortunately the other two ladies came back with a vengeance and won the second set 6-1. So we played a tiebreaker, and it was neck and neck! But unfortunately we lost the tiebreaker 6-4.

I used my brand-new racquet, a birthday gift from my parents and Jon & Susan. Thanks to all of them! It should last me for years, and it's so pretty with bright blue strings. I love it!

Happy Birthday, Amber!

Our favorite dog is EIGHT!

Happy birthday to our sweet Amber, who's the object of all our affections, and who rolls with the punches of this crazy family. She's always up for a car ride, or a walk, or (definitely) a treat!

We celebrated by giving her a bowl of whipped cream. But the kids all had to add something! Sweet Pea smeared the bowl with peanut butter; CC added a piece of tortilla on top, and Little Man threw on a slice of chicken. Amber loved her peanut-butter-tortilla-chicken sundae!

First Concert!

Last month, we surprised the kids by taking them to their first concert: Imagine Dragons!

They were beside themselves with excitement. They knew most of the words to the songs, and were up dancing and singing most of the time.

Lawn seats were definitely the way to go. We were further away from the stage, but the kids spread out their towels and had room to move around. MJ and I rented chairs, and were reasonably comfortable during the show. I can't imagine any of us would have handled being confined to tiny seats very well, especially in a long row. Although the lawn was crowded, we could easily get up to go to the bathroom, get snacks, etc. Little Man even got in a nap while we waited for the show to start:

Quote of the night goes to Sweet Pea, during the second song, who said, "He took off his shirt for "Bones" so we could see his bones." 

I will forever remember looking over and seeing Little Man rattling off every word to the songs he knew, dancing a bit and moving his hands like he was up on stage himself. He was completely in his element!

I'd heard horror stories about how bad traffic could be getting out of the venue, so we left a few songs before the end of the set. That made all the difference in the world! We sailed out of the parking lot with ease and were home 20 minutes later. It was a late night, but totally worth it.

Core memory: MADE.

Pool Parties

We wrapped up the kids' annual pool parties at Miss Alice's pool just in time for the cooler weather to arrive!

Due to her and our busy schedules this summer, we weren't able to start the pool parties until August, and Little Man went first. He invited his friends Brennan and Levi, and chose McDonald's for his lunch and ice cream bars for dessert. The five kids all played well together and were rambunctiously loud!

CC went next, and unfortunately stormy weather postponed it twice! But the third time was the charm: the weather was ideal and everyone had a great time with her friends Hayli and Patricia. She chose Chick Fil A for lunch and cinnamon twistie donuts for dessert.

Sweet Pea was last but not least -- squeaking in dangerously late in the season! But she and Charlie, Joni, and Noa had a blast despite the cold water. Sweet Pea also picked Chick Fil A for lunch, but Crumbl cookies for dessert.

I love these pool parties because it gives me and Alice time to relax and catch up. We lounge on the deck and chat while the kids splash (and constantly respond to "Watch this!" and "Who was better?!").

Even Amber got in on the fun: she came with us most of the time, and was equally curious about the activity, and nervous that she'd get wet. I was surprised at how close she'd get to the edge, coming right up to say hi to the kids.

Thank you so much, Miss Alice! It's such a beloved birthday gift every year to let the kids use your pool. (And Mr John, the "pool boy," who does so much work to get the yard and pool beautiful each time!)