Hayley has been burning through her Awana book. The little gal is incredibly motivated by plastic rubies and emeralds! Last night she recited ALL the books of the New Testament along with several verses. Here's a practice run!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Fall Activities
We've been in school for over 2 months now, and I'm still in denial that Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the corner. Luckily, we had a blast of chilly air last weekend to open my eyes and remind me that the holidays are approaching... as is my next marathon. Truth be told, I've been in a tizzy about some recent knee pain I've been having and the impact it's going to have on my next running adventure on Nov. 5th. Those who've marathon trained know that the taper is a rough experience in itself. Combined with worries of a knee injury and I've been left wallowing in self pity and fruitless efforts to keep myself from anxiety eating everything in sight! I really have no idea what is going on with my knee, but I suspect it's a result of a 20 mile run out on Siesta Key where the roads are very sloped and likely lead to some tendon strain. (Ah, the pitfalls of training in paradise.) While I don't think it's anything serious, it is enough pain to completely effect my running gait and give me heartburn about whether this marathon will be feasible. Right now, I'm sticking with it will be feasible (slow, but feasible).
The kids have been busy with school activies. Todd had a visit to his school pumpkin patch, complete with storytime with the Pumpkin Fairy. You can tell he was doubting the feats of the pumpkin in this story.
He was happy to pickout his very own pumpkin.
But the smile turned to a frown when he thought his buddy Alex had taken his pumpkin. He let Alex know that pumpkin said "T-O-D-D!!"
We had a visit from another one of our slow, prehistoric looking turtle friends.
I'm terribly afraid he was sent as an omen for my upcoming marathon.
Todd has been playing football at the YMCA. And his buddy from school, Bamboo, came to stay with us for a weekend.
We continued our annual, family tradition of the Creaky Bones race. This year Todd got to race!
But not before a quick warm up and some stretching.
This was Hayley's third year to participate in the race. But, the race has grown tremendously since our first year. The picture below is the start of Hayley's race which was for 5 and 6 year olds. The poor kids, like Hayley, who were lined up at the back didn't stand a chance. And, the lack of organization proved to be a major obstacle for Hayley as many of the kids did not follow instructions and were twice the size of Hayley which resulted in Hayley getting knocked down at the turnaround point. She got a minor scrape on her knee and was SO upset about the whole thing. When she calmed down, she let me know that she was most upset that she didn't finish the race... and she didn't think she "earned" her medal. She then told me that she was trying to run the race the way "God wanted her to." She was trying to follow the rules and turnaround at the right spot AND be considerate of the other children racing. I could not be more proud.
More to come as gear up for Halloween festivities!
The kids have been busy with school activies. Todd had a visit to his school pumpkin patch, complete with storytime with the Pumpkin Fairy. You can tell he was doubting the feats of the pumpkin in this story.
He was happy to pickout his very own pumpkin.
But the smile turned to a frown when he thought his buddy Alex had taken his pumpkin. He let Alex know that pumpkin said "T-O-D-D!!"
We had a visit from another one of our slow, prehistoric looking turtle friends.
I'm terribly afraid he was sent as an omen for my upcoming marathon.
Todd has been playing football at the YMCA. And his buddy from school, Bamboo, came to stay with us for a weekend.
We continued our annual, family tradition of the Creaky Bones race. This year Todd got to race!
But not before a quick warm up and some stretching.
This was Hayley's third year to participate in the race. But, the race has grown tremendously since our first year. The picture below is the start of Hayley's race which was for 5 and 6 year olds. The poor kids, like Hayley, who were lined up at the back didn't stand a chance. And, the lack of organization proved to be a major obstacle for Hayley as many of the kids did not follow instructions and were twice the size of Hayley which resulted in Hayley getting knocked down at the turnaround point. She got a minor scrape on her knee and was SO upset about the whole thing. When she calmed down, she let me know that she was most upset that she didn't finish the race... and she didn't think she "earned" her medal. She then told me that she was trying to run the race the way "God wanted her to." She was trying to follow the rules and turnaround at the right spot AND be considerate of the other children racing. I could not be more proud.
More to come as gear up for Halloween festivities!
Monday, September 05, 2011
Phone call from a friend
Hayley got a phone call from her B.F.F. from Pre-k. It definitely isn't out of sight out of mind for these two. They miss each other immensely. This was the first time she's talked on the phone to a playmate. While super cute, it was a little bit of a scary look into future teenage years!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Todd's Turn
After waiting for two long weeks, Todd finally got his turn in the spotlight. It was FINALLY his turn to go to school. And he couldn't be more excited, because this year? This year, he is a BIG kid! So long to the baby two year old class because big kids are 3 year old PANDAS!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ditching the Training Wheels
We're attempting to teach Hayley to ride a bike sans training wheels.
We've got a LOT of balance and confidence building work to do.
Unfortunately, one of Hayley's instructors still seems to have too much little boy in him!
I'm not sure leading by example is going to help too much in this situation!
We've got a LOT of balance and confidence building work to do.
Unfortunately, one of Hayley's instructors still seems to have too much little boy in him!
I'm not sure leading by example is going to help too much in this situation!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
And so it begins
Today was a big day. A day filled with excitement, anticipation, new beginnings, and anxiety (mine, not hers).
We've chosen to embark on a unique, new experience. Hayley will be attending a community school this year. A Christian based school that partners with the family and the community, to offer students the best of the traditional school world and the homeschool world.
And while I was a stressed mess, rushing to prepare for what the coming weeks will bring while wading through my emotions and trying to accept that in what has been the blink of an eye, my baby has grown into a beautiful little girl; Hayley was nothing but overjoyed at the prospect of meeting new friends, learning new things, and spending time with a new teacher. I have yet to find anything that intimidates my little lady... well, aside from bugs and bands-aids.
And Todd had plenty of emotions to wade through as well. As we walked through the parking lot back to the car after dropping Hayley off, I looked down to see Todd's bottom lip sticking out and a tear rolling down his cheek. I picked him up, put him on my shoulder, and he let the tears flow freely... saying "I gonna miss Hay-yee."
We've chosen to embark on a unique, new experience. Hayley will be attending a community school this year. A Christian based school that partners with the family and the community, to offer students the best of the traditional school world and the homeschool world.
And while I was a stressed mess, rushing to prepare for what the coming weeks will bring while wading through my emotions and trying to accept that in what has been the blink of an eye, my baby has grown into a beautiful little girl; Hayley was nothing but overjoyed at the prospect of meeting new friends, learning new things, and spending time with a new teacher. I have yet to find anything that intimidates my little lady... well, aside from bugs and bands-aids.
And Todd had plenty of emotions to wade through as well. As we walked through the parking lot back to the car after dropping Hayley off, I looked down to see Todd's bottom lip sticking out and a tear rolling down his cheek. I picked him up, put him on my shoulder, and he let the tears flow freely... saying "I gonna miss Hay-yee."
Monday, August 08, 2011
More sun, sand and surf
Gidget has nothing on this surfer chick!
And then there is my Mr. OCD who truly believes it is his duty to get every last bit of sand on the beach, back in the water. It's a good thing he brought TWO buckets for this task! Aside from the occasional dip in the ocean to cool off, Todd worked diligently on his task for 2 hours. Good thing we go back every Sunday. He still has LOTS to do!
And then there is my Mr. OCD who truly believes it is his duty to get every last bit of sand on the beach, back in the water. It's a good thing he brought TWO buckets for this task! Aside from the occasional dip in the ocean to cool off, Todd worked diligently on his task for 2 hours. Good thing we go back every Sunday. He still has LOTS to do!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
ESSC - Week 2
Another Sunday, another afternoon spent on Anna Maria Island at Eternal Summer Surf Camp! Yes, life is rough when you're a beach bum in Florida! The waves weren't really happening today, so the kids got to work on paddling and balancing on the boards. And Todd even got to try out some surfing.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The Roberts Rough It
We just returned from a week long trip to the Mountains of Blue Ridge, GA. It was a nine hour car ride to get there and who would've thought a car DVD player would be such a godsend! A spacious minivan and movies to keep them entertained for hour after endless hour... these kids (and Chloe) have it so good!
It felt SO good to get away. We've never taken a road trip like this with the kids, and we haven't really taken a trip that wasn't to Colorado since I can remember. Blue Ridge was definitely quaint, although something about heat, humidity and holy heck the bugs, that just didn't quite feel like the mountains this Colorado girl knows. (Although my Wednesday morning run did more than teach me respect for the MOUNTAINS of Blue Ridge.)
We spent our first day recovering from the drive. We brunched at the cute little L&L Beanery that was profiled in Southern Living magazine, explored the shops on Main Street where we traded Todd for "Todd Boone,"
hiked to a waterfall,
relaxed in the hammock...
...and watched the kids play on the playground at our cabin.
On Tuesday, we rode the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.
The train begins in Blue Ridge and is a 26 mile, hour long ride to the town of McCaysville, GA which borders Tennessee. The kids enjoyed the ride, especially Todd who is enthralled with all forms of transportation.
The views along the way were gorgeous and made me think of the movie "A River Runs Through It." On the other hand, Brian was reminded of "Deliverance." I guess it's all about perspective.
The kids got to see a little of Tennessee...
... and Hayley got to meet an American Indian while Big Chicken Todd ran the opposite direction!
On Wednesday, we ventured to Helen, GA where we tubed the Chattahoochee. Never knew there were so many rocks in the ol Hooch!! Brian and I both wore ourselves out dragging our tethered bundle of three tubes over rocks for 6 miles. The river was packed with summer campers and even Hayley was happy to finally see our river exit point! We had a picnic lunch near the river...
...before a quick walk through the town of Helen.
On the way home, we did out best to avoid a stop at this place:
Because if the name wasn't bad enough, they include a picture?? Seriously, who in their right mind is going to stop in for a quick snack at this place!
Our days were filled with outdoor fun and adventures...
... and our evenings were filled with campfire building,
marshmallow roasting,
and smores eating.
An overall good time that made the kids go from this:
to this:
in seconds!
While the kids had a blast in Georgia, they were beyond thrilled to return to their own beds. Hayley is doing her best to wiggle smores out of me and has inventoried all the remaining marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers. And I've told her that while we have all the smores ingredients, we're missing that essential campfire. I can see the wheels turning in her head and fully expect her to present me with a campfire alternative in the next day or so.
Hayley played in a golf tournament Saturday morning with one of her good buddies. Nine holes of golf with 2 five year olds playing best ball made my early morning 10 mile run in heavy heat and humidity feel like a walk in the park! But, Hayley had a good time and Todd thinks he also played in a tournament, so it was totally worth my second sweatfest of the day. Coach Mike here has the patience of a saint!
Sunday afternoon we headed to the beach so Hayley could participate in the Eternal Summer Surf Camp! She had a GREAT time and did her best to hang ten, well, at least as much ten as you can hang on the little waves at Anna Maria Island. The surf camp was a great experience and Hayley surprised us and was actually able to get up on the board and ride a wave on her second attempt. We plan to attend throughout the summer, so will be sure to post some pictures from our forthcoming adventures.
Below is a video clip from one of our hikes in the Aska Adventure area.
It felt SO good to get away. We've never taken a road trip like this with the kids, and we haven't really taken a trip that wasn't to Colorado since I can remember. Blue Ridge was definitely quaint, although something about heat, humidity and holy heck the bugs, that just didn't quite feel like the mountains this Colorado girl knows. (Although my Wednesday morning run did more than teach me respect for the MOUNTAINS of Blue Ridge.)
We spent our first day recovering from the drive. We brunched at the cute little L&L Beanery that was profiled in Southern Living magazine, explored the shops on Main Street where we traded Todd for "Todd Boone,"
hiked to a waterfall,
relaxed in the hammock...
...and watched the kids play on the playground at our cabin.
On Tuesday, we rode the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.
The train begins in Blue Ridge and is a 26 mile, hour long ride to the town of McCaysville, GA which borders Tennessee. The kids enjoyed the ride, especially Todd who is enthralled with all forms of transportation.
The views along the way were gorgeous and made me think of the movie "A River Runs Through It." On the other hand, Brian was reminded of "Deliverance." I guess it's all about perspective.
The kids got to see a little of Tennessee...
... and Hayley got to meet an American Indian while Big Chicken Todd ran the opposite direction!
On Wednesday, we ventured to Helen, GA where we tubed the Chattahoochee. Never knew there were so many rocks in the ol Hooch!! Brian and I both wore ourselves out dragging our tethered bundle of three tubes over rocks for 6 miles. The river was packed with summer campers and even Hayley was happy to finally see our river exit point! We had a picnic lunch near the river...
...before a quick walk through the town of Helen.
On the way home, we did out best to avoid a stop at this place:
Because if the name wasn't bad enough, they include a picture?? Seriously, who in their right mind is going to stop in for a quick snack at this place!Our days were filled with outdoor fun and adventures...
... and our evenings were filled with campfire building,
marshmallow roasting,
and smores eating.
An overall good time that made the kids go from this:
to this:
in seconds!
While the kids had a blast in Georgia, they were beyond thrilled to return to their own beds. Hayley is doing her best to wiggle smores out of me and has inventoried all the remaining marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers. And I've told her that while we have all the smores ingredients, we're missing that essential campfire. I can see the wheels turning in her head and fully expect her to present me with a campfire alternative in the next day or so.
Hayley played in a golf tournament Saturday morning with one of her good buddies. Nine holes of golf with 2 five year olds playing best ball made my early morning 10 mile run in heavy heat and humidity feel like a walk in the park! But, Hayley had a good time and Todd thinks he also played in a tournament, so it was totally worth my second sweatfest of the day. Coach Mike here has the patience of a saint!
Sunday afternoon we headed to the beach so Hayley could participate in the Eternal Summer Surf Camp! She had a GREAT time and did her best to hang ten, well, at least as much ten as you can hang on the little waves at Anna Maria Island. The surf camp was a great experience and Hayley surprised us and was actually able to get up on the board and ride a wave on her second attempt. We plan to attend throughout the summer, so will be sure to post some pictures from our forthcoming adventures.
Below is a video clip from one of our hikes in the Aska Adventure area.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
