A Race in Review

I've never run a race.

Well, what I mean to say is: I had never run a race.

I'd trained for a number of races, but something always kept me from actually running. (One of the things we like to say around the circus is that the best way to get a baby is to have me train for a half-marathon. Three times I've trained... and three times I've bowed out at the last minute, after discovering I was pregnant!)

On Sunday, though, encouraged by Jim and some very good friends, I finally ran a race --the Wharf-to-Wharf 10K, which began in Santa Cruz and ended in Capitola.

My friend Katie and I had agreed to run the race together. We'd meant to train together, but that never really worked out. (That, of course, is what happens when two moms of three try to coordinate running schedules.) Though we never actually ran together, we e-mailed our distances and times, and we could tell we'd be a pretty good pair.

We runners -- me and Katie and our friends Jay and Andy -- met up early, early Sunday morning to carpool to the race. (Jim had meant to run, too, but his mono made that impossible. He and the rest of the circus -- along with Andy's wife, Kylee -- would drive down to the race together, a bit later in the morning.) Katie and I were nervous. Jay and Andy, old hands at the race thing, were not.

My nervousness just got worse as we stood around, waiting for the race to begin. (Although I did get to see Jim Starling, who was also running.) As Katie and I walked toward our pace group, I thought that the whole thing had been a terrible idea. Of course, once the race actually started, my nerves subsided. We walked along in the giant pack until it thinned out, and eventually we began to run. (The first mile took us twenty minutes -- it was a lot of walking!) And everything after that was great:

• The course is gorgeous. Definitely hillier than my training runs, but gorgeous, nonetheless. The views of the ocean were amazing. It really is a shame I don't get to do all my runs in a similar setting.
• I had no idea that there'd be so much jockeying for position. I zigged and zagged all over! I'm not a particularly aggressive person, but I had to work hard to find a good space to run.
• The runners were fun. At various points, we ran alongside Elvis, Batman and Robin, and a nine-year-old who totally kicked my butt.
• There were bands all along the way -- cover bands, groups of drummers, folks playing recorders, and even bagpipers. Seriously, bagpipers.
• I discovered (thanks to Katie) that I actually run hills faster than I run on the flat. I honestly hadn't realized that. All I know is that I want to get the hills done. Sorry, Katie.
• Something about it being a race made the six miles go much faster than they have before. We were done before I realized it!

The runners! Just for clarity, Indy did not run. He's big, people, but he's not that big! (Picture courtesy of Katie Chen.)

The real heroes of race-day, though, were Jim and Kylee. As they were driving the circus to the race, Madeline threw up. (We should've known that the girls were under the weather, as they'd had a terrible night's sleep the night before.) Though lesser folk would have turned back, they forged on. Kylee (who, by the way, is pregnant, which makes this all the more amazing), helped clean up our poor little girl as Jim kept barreling down the highway. Then they fought crowds to meet us on the beach. And they even seemed cheerful about it.

The circus, post-race. Check out Madeline's ensemble: that's Mama's t-shirt and her sister's sweatshirt. It figures that the day someone got sick was the day I failed to pack a change of clothing for my bigger girls.

We'd intended to spend the day on the beach with our friends, but circus knows when to cut its losses. We let the girls play in the sand for a bit and then we headed home. We didn't get the day on the beach, but it was a good day nonetheless. (We went home and watched a Disney movie, because that's what you do when you're sick. Or at least, that's what you do when you're sick at the circus.)

Oh, and it's not the last you've heard of the circus and races. We're already plotting our next one!

The Circus Ventures Out

After having spent a lot of time close to home, letting Daddy recuperate, we finally decided to venture out this week. We knew we couldn't handle a big excursion, since Daddy's getting better but still tires quickly. Fortunately for us, our town cooperates with twice-monthly "Thursday Night Live," very near our home! The city closes Mountain View's equivalent of Main Street to all vehicular traffic, and the street fills with pedestrians and music and vendors and fun.

This week featured a classic car showcase. Kathleen was impressed. She delighted in pointing out cars that looked like the ones in Disney's Cars.

We got there early (before the "real" people) and stopped in a Thai restaurant for dinner. We all love Thai food! We discovered that Madeline even loves the lemongrass soup we favor. She couldn't get enough of it! She and Kathleen also ate healthy portions of sticky rice and pad thai. We had a lovely, fairly leisurely dinner. (Or at least as leisurely as dinner can be with three littles.) John David cooperated by sleeping in the Beco for most of the meal, waking only to demand his own food.

The girls have been asking for flowers for the dinner table lately. (They were inspired by the flowers on the dinner table in David Gets in Trouble. Fortunately, they haven't picked up on the fact that David is belching on that page -- just that he says, "Excuse me.") So, after dinner we meandered down the street to flower-seller's. The girls were very serious about their floral purchases.

A mariachi band was playing outside a Mexican restaurant. As soon as she heard the trumpet, Madeline started dancing. She definitely has her own style.

There were a number of small musical groups playing along the street. But there was also a "featured" band, playing on a stage. People brought folding chairs and just camped out in the street, enjoying the free concert. Children gathered right in front of the stage, dancing. We were not about to be left out of that!

Daddy danced with his girls.

And danced some more.

And danced some more!

Indy got some Daddy-time, too. Aren't they handsome boys?

Watching Daddy dance with his girls in the crowd and snuggle with his boy in the fading daylight made Mama's heart and eyes brim. How blessed we are to be all together, to be here, to love one another so well...

In true circus fashion, we topped off the evening with -- what else? -- ice cream. Well, the girls called it ice cream. But it was actually gelato! That made Mama particularly happy and only the tiniest bit nostalgic for Italy. How could she miss Italy when she has this, here?

Full of gelato, we headed home and straight to bed! We're already anticipating the next "Thursday Night Live" in two weeks...

Because you can't always play in the pool

The weather has turned cooler this week, but recently we had some honest-to-goodness hot summer days. For the circus, those days are best spent in the backyard, splashing in the wading pool, painting with sidewalk chalk paint, drinking lemonade, and eating popsicles.

Admittedly, those are some good days.

But even with the most liberal application (and reapplication) of sunscreen and a conscientious use of sun hats, eventually a mom worries a bit about sun exposure. As the heat wave wore on, we began thinking about ways to entertain the girls without sending them out into the bright sunshine. Inspiration struck while cruising through the commissary. In the pasta aisle, to be precise.

We snatched up a box of rigatoni, some rubbing alcohol, and some food dye. With just a little bit of work, we had lots of this:

Some rummaging through the "art closet" produced leftover ribbon, construction paper, and painter's tape. (Of course, any tape will do.) A little fussing, and we had this:

And the next thing you know, we had an excellent opportunity to work on fine motor skills. Kathleen was excited; she'd done this before. We weren't sure that Madeline would be all that interested, but she was. And she did a great job.

I just love watching those chubby little hands at work.

Fine motor skills produce some fine jewelry. Okay, a lot of fine jewelry. (And fine is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.)

Kathleen very generously made necklaces for everyone in the family. Some family members may have been more excited about that than others, but everyone wore a necklace, nonetheless.

Poor, sick Daddy still wears a necklace. Kathleen wanted to give Indy a necklace, too, but we convinced her that necklaces aren't a good idea for little babies.

And that's how to keep the circus out of the pool. . . but only for a while!

A bit of catch-up: our mini-vacation

Last month, back before Daddy came down with mono, we packed up the circus and headed up to Clear Lake, California for a bit of a mini-vacation. We were there to celebrate -- along with the rest of Grandpa's family -- Mama's Aunt Maureen, who has been serving the Catholic church and her people as a nun for fifty years.

We gathered for a barbecue and pool party at the home of Mama's Aunt Sheila and her husband John-- and we got the perfect sunny day for it. Our hosts thought of everything. They even greeted the girls with sticker books, bubbles, and fish toys for the pool. We ate great food, let the girls splash in the pool (Kathleen tested out their diving board!), and visited with lots of family. This was a particularly nice treat for the circus; because we've lived so far away for so long, we've not gotten to see much of our extended family. We really enjoyed being able to catch up a bit.

We lounged on the porch (which was cooled by ceiling fans!) taking in the views and the company.

Grandpa and his siblings.

As is typical, Mama's camera lay forgotten in the van, so we don't have many pictures to share from the party. (The ones we have here were actually taken by Auntie Caroline -- thanks!) This is truly unfortunate because there were such gorgeous views of the lake from our hosts' home in the hills.

Since Clear Lake is a few hours from our home, Nan and Grandpa very generously arranged for the circus to stay at a nearby hotel the night before and the night after the party. Cousin Emily and her family did the same, too! So, in some ways, the party just kept going! We all enjoyed hanging out by the hotel's pools.

Sweet cousin Emily and her parents checked out the wading pool.

Nan snuggled with Indy while Daddy and Grandpa chatted.

The girls, of course, really enjoyed themselves.

It never ceases to amaze me -- these children don't need to learn to relax. They're just born knowing. Kathleen demonstrates her natural ability.

Jumping into the "big" pool was a big favorite.

Does this girl love the water, or what?

Our first big -- well, mini, I suppose -- trip as a family of five was a big success! The children were remarkably well-behaved on the car trip, and even cooperated in sleeping reasonably well in the one hotel room. (We were always among the first at breakfast, though, when the restaurant opened at 8!) It went well enough that the circus even started plotting more mini-vacations.

But it's a good thing we went when we did, because all we've done since then is recuperate!

Not so itty-bitty Indy

Look at this baby boy. Not so little, is he?

He's awfully sweet, though. This is how he looks, mostly. Happy.

Here he is, having his very first bottle, ever. (I know! Can you believe he got that big without ever having had a bottle?)

A rookie and a pro.

He wasn't too excited about his first bottle, but by the second try he performed like a champ. Now Mama and Daddy can go on a date. Maybe. (If Mama can muster up the nerve to leave her little man.) And even if they don't manage to go on a date, hopefully Mama will be able to run (ever so slowly) in her first race next weekend!

And just for good measure, one more photo of our budding superhero.

Captain Adorable. We think that's pretty much perfect.

(Did Carter's see us coming, or what?)

The Summer of the Sicknesses

Apparently our family was absent the day that immunities were handed out. It's about the only way I can explain our near-constant sickness. We're reasonably health-conscious people -- we take our vitamins, we eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (and protein, too, for those of your remembering Mama's fleeting meat-free days in grad school), we drink plenty of water, we play and exercise in the fresh air, and we sleep as much as possible for a family with small children.

And yet, someone is almost always sick.

The girls both had fevers a couple of weeks ago. And then Kathleen had a strange stomach virus (the sort that only manifests itself at 2am and then lies dormant for a few days and then reappears) and then John David got his two month shots, so he was cranky, too.

For about two minutes, we were all well.

And now it's Daddy. He was feeling miserable for a few weeks and finally visited the doctor. Turns out, the poor guy has mono. We're not sure whether the girls had it, too, since (according the internet) the virus is generally milder in children. We think there's a chance the girls had it first, and then (through their generous use of our cups and such), passed it along to Daddy. We do know that Mama can't get it, since she came down with it in college. And we're grateful for that, because if she hadn't, who would run the circus? But for now, Daddy's spending a lot of time with the circus, lying on the couch, trying to read his schoolwork (but not quite mustering the energy), reacquainting himself with various mind-numbing daytime television shows, and regaining his strength.

It's not exactly the carefree, adventure-filled summer we were anticipating. Still, though, we're largely enjoying the slower pace of days at home, sharing our activities and discoveries with Daddy. (The girls have been most excited to get to share in the stash of popsicles and push-pops for Daddy's sore throat.) Daddy's had a front row seat for everyone's growing and learning -- he's witnessed Kathleen write her name for the first time (with considerable coaching), Madeline exercise her independence and determination ("Myshelf! Do it myshelf!"), and John David begin to smile and even laugh. Even if they're not the adventures we imagined, those are some pretty sweet summer memories.

But let's hope the fall is healthier!

Growing . . . a lot.

John David had his two month check-up yesterday. Our pediatrician confirmed what we already knew:

Indy's a big boy.

He's been growing a lot, and yesterday he tipped the scales at 15 pounds, 15 ounces. Not surprisingly, he's in the 98th percentile for weight! The official length measurement was 24.4 inches. (They convert it from centimeters, which accounts for the somewhat strange numbers.) We think there's a decent chance he's longer than that, though -- he wasn't particularly cooperative when the nurse tried to stretch him out!

We are truly grateful for such a healthy little boy, who's growing in size and strength. John David is already demonstrating his nascent super-powers during tummy-time. Of course, he's got a sister to show him how things work, and that helps a bit!

Madeline relishes her opportunity to "teach" her baby brother.

(Kathleen hadn't woken yet, or she'd have been right there, too!)

John David doesn't hesitate to make his voice heard when he needs something -- he can certainly holler when wants to be fed or held or moved (sometimes the scenery gets a bit boring, I suppose). But he's also "talking" to us more, cooing and gurgling and even giggling. Every member of the family relishes his sweet smiles. We're so blessed to be able to watch him grow!

A Literary Allusion

We're running errands, the three children and Mama strapped into the van and careening around town. We've returned an ill-fitting Land's End order to Sears, we've dropped the books in the drop box at the library, and we're patiently listening to Kathleen lecture about how children should not be left alone in cars. (This because Mama stepped out of the idling car to be able to reach the library drop box out the passenger window. Explaining that Mama could touch the car for the entire 20 seconds she wasn't sitting it did not suffice. The children were alone in a car, according to Kathleen. Let's hope she never has occasion to talk to, you know, Children and Family Services.) We should be headed home, because everyone's tired and cranky, but we're going to Costco instead, since we're out of fruit and milk and other staples at home.

Kathleen pauses in her diatribe just as we cruise onto the on-ramp for the highway. As the van takes the curve, the girls cry out in delighted unison, "WHEE!"

Mama chuckles, and the girls continue whee-ing until we're on the straight, flat highway.

"Are we going home?" Kathleen asks.

"No, darling, we're not. We've talked about this. We're going to Costco." Mama sighs, imagining a battle about the day's last errand. But when she looks in the mirror, Kathleen catches her eye and flashes a grin.

"But, Mama, if we were going home," she offers, "we could go "whee, whee, whee -- all the way home!"

Gratitude

Today, of all days, we are grateful

to God and to our soldiers

(and their families)

for

life

liberty

and the pursuit of happiness...

(How could we be anything but grateful for that?)

Happy 4th of July, dear friends!

Madeline and Her Mama

We've always thought our girls look like Jim. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that when Kathleen was born, she looked a lot like Jim. (So much so that Nan had a hard time cooing at her -- "How am I supposed to baby talk to a mini-Jim?" Nan would say.) And when Madeline was born, we thought she looked a lot like Kathleen -- just with dark hair. By the time our girls were walking, talking people, we didn't spend much time thinking of them as anything but themselves.

But you can imagine our surprise when we stumbled across this photo of Mama, circa 1970-something, at Nan's a few weeks ago. "Wow!" we said, "Mama looks so much like Maddie Beth!

And then we compared it to a couple photos of Madeline, circa-2009.

They're not the perfect photos for comparison. We're still plotting how to get the one that will show the similarities in features and expression we already see. Still, though, we thought it was worth sharing.

A friend came to stay recently and when he walked and saw Madeline he exclaimed, "Oh, Kristen! She's you."

You know, we just figured that out.

A Summer Misadventure Or, Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

It had to happen, right?

As Daddy pointed out, she has the genes for it.

When Daddy was a little boy, he made off with one of his sisters' razors and shaved off his eyebrow.

When Mama was a little girl, she trimmed her own bangs. She distinctly remembers standing in front of the bedroom mirror after church, dressed in her Sunday slip, concentrating very hard to make her bangs straight. (This memory does not account for the fact that pictures of the self-supplied haircut feature bangs cut up to the hairline -- in a triangle, no less.)

On Monday Kathleen joined the ranks of the countless little boys and girls who have -- to their parents' horror -- cut their own hair.

Daddy went to get Kathleen from her nap and recovered this:

He showed it to Mama before bringing Kathleen downstairs. Apparently the tiny nail scissors had been left somewhere Kathleen could reach. Mama cried, even before she saw her little girl with what Daddy termed a half-mullet.

When she saw it, she cried a little more.

Eventually, she pulled herself together and everyone hit SuperCuts, where a kind stylist tried to repair the damage.

Mama did not cry at SuperCuts. It was close, but she survived.

It's just hair. It'll grow back. And the new, slightly scraggly haircut is cute in its own way.

Maybe that'll be our last summer misadventure. Probably not. But we can hope!

Hats Do Not Make Good Props

You'd think I'd learn, but I don't. I tried to snap some photos of the girls while they ate lunch at the zoo, but I was stymied by their very cute, but utterly uncooperative hats.

There are cute little girls under there, somewhere, I promise!

Summer Adventures

We've been thoroughly enjoying summer -- warm weather, sunshine, watermelon, barbecuing, water play, popsicles, peaches and strawberries, sunscreen and floppy hats. At least once a week, we've been rounding up the circus and heading out for adventures big and small. Here's a review of just a few of those.

An Adventurous Morning

A few days after exams had ended, we decided we were ready for a bit of an adventure. We knew we weren't up for something big, but we definitely needed to get out of the house. The Palo Alto Junior Museum offered us the perfect opportunity. The little museum is nearby (oh, so close!) and just the right size... with some exhibits to test out and some animals to admire.

The girls raced off to see the animals. They loved the peacock, and talked about their friend Anna! (It's amazing what little minds remember...) They peered at the bats and the lizards and the rabbits and especially the turtles, swimming underneath a cute little bridge.

By the time the girls had seen all the animals and tested out the exhibits, the museum was considerably more crowded than it had been when we arrived. We decided to escape the crowds and round out our morning with a special lunch. Chinese was the perfect choice for all concerned. Indy dozed in the sling, the girls ate their weight in steamed rice (and discovered a new love for sweet and sour pork), and Mama and Daddy delighted in the freedom from both cooking and cleaning.

A highlight: Kathleen's fortune cookie reported that she'd soon receive a promotion for her hard work. We found it amusing, considering that someone else in our family had, in fact, been selected for promotion that week... just not one of our girls!

An Evening Walk

The city recently completed construction on a pedestrian overpass less than a mile from our home. The "bridge" was a topic of discussion each and every time we drove past the construction site, the girls fascinated by the progress. When we finally saw cyclists and runners whizzing over the bridge, we promised the girls they could walk on it themselves. We made good on our promise with a late-afternoon/early-evening walk/wagon ride.

Daddy did the bulk of the work.

But Mama toted someone, too -- Baby Indy! His cheek looks a little smushed, but he seemed to enjoy the walk, anyway.

On the way back, we let the girls walk on the bridge, rather than just ride in the wagon. By that time, though, we were squarely in "commute time," so the trail was getting some heavy use. We were a bit concerned that one of the speeding bicyclists might collide with our girls, so we asked the girls to keep one hand on the fence as they walked. It kept them safe and they discovered the fun of chain link fence noises, too!

Circus, meet the Zoo

Because the girls had been so excited about the tiny zoo at the Palo Alto Junior Museum, we decided that a trip to a "real" zoo was in order.

The circus descended upon the Oakland Zoo one fine, sunny weekday morning. The girls were just as excited as we thought they'd be. Kathleen liked running from exhibit to exhibit, finding the animals "by herself." Madeline took to greeting all the animals as we arrived at each habitat, "Hi, zebras! Hi, giraffes!" and then bidding them farewell as we moved on, "Bye-bye, zebras! Bye-bye, giraffes!" John David just hung out in his Beco carrier like the sweetheart he is, alternately snoozing and gnawing on his little hand.

Kathleen races off towards the next animals, losing her hat in the process...

Daddy and Madeline enjoyed the zebras.

It's a pity we couldn't have enlisted the help of one of those camels to lug our lunch and diaper bag and children. The rarely-used double stroller wasn't the best choice for the zoo -- it was hard to maneuver. (I guess that's why we generally go with the jogger!)

The girls loved exploring the lily pads and rabbit holes in the children's zoo.

And we make our own fun, wherever we go!

More summer adventures (and misadventures) to come...