The Color Run

I truly enjoy running but I think this is the first run I've ever truly done for fun. And I did it with my sister Jamie so that upped the fun level right there! The Color Run is an untimed 5k where color is thrown at you as you make your way through the course. We jogged it but I would say the majority of the people walked. We knew the race was sold out but didn't anticipate that the starting times would be staggered and ended up waiting a long time before we crossed could begin. We had a great time though and at one point I was laughing so hard I started crying/couldn't breathe/sounded super crazy. 

Before the race Jamie pretended to cross the starting line, if only we knew then what a struggle it would be to get to the starting line at all!

Nice and clean! (We have "happy" tattoos!)

Nice and not clean!

Color everywhere!

Everywhere!

Our support team got some color on them too! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Jamie is going to think this isn't a great picture but I love it.

I'm clearly being attacked here, do you see this?!

Dinosaurs!!

We're no strangers to the zoo but when the kids found out the dinosaur exhibit was up they got extra excited. I remember last time we got home from seeing them (a couple years ago) I could not convince Owen they weren't real, this time he knew but was no less interested. We met some friends there, ate lunch and stayed a long time despite the chilly weather (we were a bit under-dressed...).

No danger here, this strong fence will keep the dinosaur out...

Baby dinosaurs!

A couple of the dinosaurs sprayed water. The only time Owen wasn't telling me he was cold was while we were eating lunch and while he was trying to get wet...

Find the dinosaur!

This T-Rex was set up for a photo op but it really just looks like he's stuck ...

After the dinosaurs! We did see real animals too, I just didn't get any pictures of them.

T-Ball Time!

Soccer is done and T-Ball has started! Owen's team is called the Raptors and they are a spirited bunch which makes it really fun to watch. Some might scoff but I also really enjoy the rules they play by right now where everyone hits once an inning and everyone gets on base and eventually advances to home. It doesn't at all dampen the team pride these kids feel when one of their teammates gets a good hit, fields a ball or manages to throw it to first.

Owen and his teammates.

Running to first.

Hanging out on 3rd.

Paige watching the game in style.

Let's Rewind...

Before the last day of school, Paige and I joined Owen in his classroom for an end of the year picnic. The weather forecast kept saying it was going to rain (I don't think it ever did though!) so we ended up doing all but one of the events inside. We had a great time playing games with Owen and his friends and Paige got to participate too. There were some relays, a puppet show performed by the students, an adult vs. kids dodge-ball game, and a yummy lunch among other things! It was really nice to be able to thank Owen's teacher in person for all the great things she did for him this year.

Get the cotton ball in the hoop without using your hands!

It was boys vs girls!

This is the boys counting up how many cotton balls they delivered before time was up. Boys were victorious!

We set off some mini "rockets" outside (a combination of water and alka-seltzer in film canisters)

Cup stacking. The boys were pretty confused...

Last Day of Kindergarten!

Owen had his last day of school on Thursday. He had been feeling a little excited/nervous all week (not that he knew that's what it was, he kept telling me he was going to throw up...he didn't...) but the morning of he seemed pretty calm and cool. We walked him to school and he shooed us away when I tried to take too many pictures. At the end of the day Owen, looking very serious, walked straight to me, buried his face in my stomach and started crying. I think he might have liked kindergarten. He was so sad and it was a bit heartbreaking but such a huge testament to the wonderful teacher and wonderful year he had. The slushies we had after helped soften the blow a bit too. And he was not at all sad yesterday morning when he didn't have to go to school!

Ready to walk to school!

Owen didn't' need his bookbag but Paige still insisted on bringing hers.

It was around the time of this picture where Owen started saying, "Go!"

Nothing for kids with older siblings in school to do but swing around trees.

Holding slushies and starting to feel a little better about this whole summer vacation thing.

The whole slushie crew.

It was also super hot so we also played in the sprinkler when we got home!

Sleeeeping

It probably seems like the kids nap a lot because I take a lot of pictures of them sleeping. The truth is that it doesn't happen often enough so I tend to document it when it does. Owen's last day of school is tomorrow and basically my plan for the summer is to wear them out so much that I have lots of pictures like this one:)

Baseball!

We happened to be 5 minutes away from our local minor league baseball stadium on Sunday so we decided to take in a game. Pat found a deal for a family 4-pack of tickets and it also happened to be Family Fun-day which was a nice coincidence and also the reason that we spent most of the game not actually watching the game. That's ok though, we had a great time even though they lost.Our tickets included some vouchers for the kids fun zone, free ice cream, free launch a balls (a game played after the baseball is over), and free horrible-for-you junk food (I went on and on that day about it but I won't here, you're welcome). On top of all that they had face painting (we missed it!), a kid's run (missed that too!), and the kids got to run the bases at the end of the game (made it!).

Group picture, Owen declined.

Face first down the inflatable slide

Paige chose the bounce house for her turn.

Who needs a spoon?

Finally watching some of the game.

Ha ha!

We wandered onto the lawn seats.

Running the bases. Paige skipped third base to avoid the mascot Skipper (who she kept calling Cooper)

This does not seem like the most comfortable sleeping position...

That's better!

Good Books

I remember reading a long time ago that kids like to read the same books over and over. This hasn't been true of Owen and Paige except for a couple books (ahem, Princess book...) but for awhile we were hanging onto these five books from the library because the kids never wanted to return them! I wanted to remember them so here they are!

Princess Hyacinth (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated): About a princess who floats and what happens when she decides to have an adventure outside. Everyone loved this book and it wasn't super "princessy." 

The Runaway Dinner: About what happens when a little boy's dinner runs away! I heard about this book and Princess Hyacinth from a blog I check every once in awhile that usually has pretty good recommendations. I'll admit it was fairly amusing but the kids took to this book more than I did.

Knuffle Bunny Free: There are actually a series of three Knuffle Bunny books and we love all of them (and really anything by Mo Willems). This one is about what happens when a little girl loses her bunny on the way to Holland.

The Little Little Girl with the Big Big Voice: A little girl is looking for an animal friend to play with but her big big voice keeps scaring them away. Paige especially loved this one and had memorized it by the time we had to return it.

Time for Kids: Presidents of the United States: This one was more for Owen, I think we read some of this one every night while we had it. They had a page or two on each president and interesting facts. Owen is really interested in the presidents and sometimes it's hard to find information on them that is age-appropriate but this one worked!

They're still doing this. It's still adorable.

Half Marathon Time!

It's that time of year again! I ran my 4th half-marathon early yesterday morning. The weather was great for most of it-nice breeze and a little cloudy and I set a PR with my time of 1:59:24! I did feel a little guilty about waking the kids up at 5am but they didn't seem to mind too much...until later when they were a bit grumpy...then it was me and Pat who minded:) We were actually all really tired (and some of us a little sore) by the time we ate lunch so we all sat on the couch and watched Mary Poppins. Pat was in heaven when Paige crawled into his lap and fell asleep.(Click here for past half-marathons)

5:30 am flash photography in the car.

Hanging out before the race in the Browns stadium

There's me on the left, about to cross the finish line!

Me and Erica!

Me and Sarah!

Me and Mom!

Family picture!

Bigger family picture!

Pat's favorite part of the day.