The Flying Piglet

Each spring there is a marathon put on here in our city called the Flying Pig. To promote physical health, the 2nd graders at our elementary school train by walking, running, or getting a mile's worth of physical activity a few times a week for the 6-8 weeks leading up to the marathon. On the day before the big race, the children and their families can go and complete the last mile of the race on the actual course. Participants get t-shirts, medals, and get to experience the race scene. It is really cool. As Rachael is in second grade this year, we had the chance to do work on this and do it as a family. It was really fun. The girls and I logged our mileage as we walked, ran and played together, while Chris logged his mileage as he ran from one hospital to the next. It was great because it was something we could do as a family and it promoted physical fitness. Hooray!

*I was telling Chris that they should call this little race 'The Flying Piglet', a name inspired by the name of the actual marathon. I thought I was pretty original, clever and a bit witty. Guess what words were on the medals that the girls received. You got it, 'The Flying Piglet'. Boy, whoever came up with that name was pretty original, clever and a bit witty. Don't ya think?

Chris and the girls before the race. Go team Runyan!

Kate and Daddy being a bit silly before the race.

Morgan and Rachael after the race with their medals. They were so proud, they wore their medals to church the next day. Not your typical neck attire to wear to church, but it was pretty cute anyway.

The Treasure Pot

Kate has discovered the wonderful joy of putting treasures into the toilet. This particular morning I heard Kate exploring under the bathroom sink, but didn't really think anything of it. We don't keep anything harmful under there, and I knew she was okay. A minute or so later when I went in to check on her, this is what I found:
Nice. Just two hours later on the same day, I went into the restroom to find this:
So, first some tampons, next some "pretty rocks" as they are called at our house. What will be next? Only time will tell... As I was making dinner later on that day, I caught Kate walking down the hallway on her way to the bathroom with my favorite measuring cups in her hands. Phew. That would just be too much. Even after some major sanitizing and a trip through the dishwasher, I am not sure if I could bake with my measuring cups knowing that they had been in the "Treasure Pot". Blech.

Spring Break

Chris was able to have time off during the girls' spring break again this year, which was so nice. We wanted to take a little trip somewhat close to home, so we rented a cabin for a few days in Indiana. For the first night, we left the girls with my parents and had our first overnight away since Kate was born. It was such a treat to have some time alone. Then we picked the girls up and had two great nights as a family. The weather was rainy, but we had a blast spending time in the hot tub, playing the wii, watching movies, playing games, and just enjoying one another's company away from all of our usual responsibilities. The last night that we were there, my parents joined us for a little barbecue and mallow roast. It was such a nice little vacation. Sigh.

The hot tub was great. All three of the girls loved it. Chris and I did too.

Morgan and Rachael playing the wii. We all did our fair share of wii playing this trip. The game of choice: Harry Potter Years 1-4. Chris and I may or may not have stayed up late each night playing this game so that we could earn coins, characters and spells 'for the girls'. The sacrifices we make for our children...

Kate in the Wiggles Zone. We brought along the portable DVD player for the drive, along with a few of Kate's favorite Wiggles videos. She loves the Wiggles. -We discovered the Wiggles when Morgan and Rachael were very young. They enjoyed them, but Kate truly loves them. She will sit mesmerized, dance along, and then sit some more. On this trip, Kate learned how to open the DVD player and turn on the Wiggles herself. She is 18 months old. Oh boy.

Roasting mallows. For some reason, this never gets old.

Grandpa, Rachael, Morgan and Daddy in the hot tub.