Pumpkin Patch

Ethan and I got to go to the pumpkin patch yesterday with our little discovery class. He was so freaking adorable. He keeps talking about wanting to go back to the "punkins patch."

"Dis one for mommy"

"Dis one for Etan"

All Shook Up

Yesterday I ran what was supposed to be an easy, short, slow run. It ended up being a discouraging, short and slow walk. My knee started hurting at the beginning of the second mile so I ended up walking the rest of the way. Not really a good sign. Urrgghhh.

Enough about that though!! A few weeks ago the boys and I went to a sock-hop put on by Rian's school. It was super fun! They danced their little legs off and we were having too much fun to take pictures of it. But at least we got a few...

Couple of cute daddy-o's

BIG NEWS!

No, it's not that. Sorry.

I am going back to school!!

And this time I'm pretty sure I know what I want to do. It only took 7+ years to figure it out. (Oh, and if you count the three years of different schools and different plans before that we're looking at 10 years. Nice)

I have decided to go into nursing.

I had applied and been accepted to the local community college in August and I just got an email stating that I have been ACCEPTED TO OSU!!! I am enrolled in a degree partnership program where I can go to both schools and my credits will carry over. That way I can take all my general classes at the (way cheaper) community college and then take the more important ones at OSU. Then I'll apply to nursing schools.

It'll be crazy I'm sure. It's a bit frightening and I'm not sure how everything will all work out but I'm really, really excited!!

The countdown begins

These babies and I are going to be running a marathon in less than a week!

I went and got new running shoes a week ago and I LOVE them. I took a chance and switched from my trusty, beloved Asics to Brooks. So far so good. I have about 20 miles on these and I am loving the fit. I LOVE my Asics and actually planned on getting the newer model of what I have but tried these on and fell in love. Aren't they CUTE?!?

I ran last Saturday and my knee started hurting around mile 4 so that was a little discouraging. I am mostly resting this week and plan on doing a couple short, easy runs so hopefully that will take care of it. Hopefully!

Some randomness...

Ethan and I have been going to a parent/child "discovery" class at the community college that a friend teaches. The class is in a preschool classroom at the college so the kids have free range to all the learning toys and great stuff in there. This class is basically a time where the kids (ranging from 2 to 5) can play together, work on simple craft projects, listen to a story, have snack and sing songs during circle time. It is sort of an introduction to preschool. It's cute. Ethan LOVES it.

Listening to the story (Ethan is in the brown shirt and jeans)

Ethan's friend Lucy is in the class with him.

I adore this little girl. She is just too freaking cute.

SOO HAPPY!

I know, he doesn't exactly look happy but trust me, he is.

This is his favorite picture face lately.

Not sure why.

I love this boy.

LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Before I forget...

This week:

- Rian is a foot taller than Ethan.

- Rian learned how to tie his shoes!

(Again. I'm feeling like I should defend him. He learned how to tie his shoes two years ago but has forgotten because his silly, silly mom kept buying him shoes with velcro.)

A few Ethan stories...

We were playing at the playground after school and Ethan was on one of the swings. A boy who looked about the same age wanted a turn so Ethan got off and stood to the side of the swing. After a few minutes of sizing the other boy up, Ethan cocked his head to the side and asked, "You a dinosaur?"

We hit the library at least once a week and every single time there is some sort of drama. Usually Ethan drama. We have never made it out of the library without him screaming about something. Last week when we went Ethan decided to look for books himself by pulling them off the shelf one by one, looking at the cover and deciding "not dis one" and depositing the book on the floor. He then realized that a more efficient and fun way of finding books was to just pull as many books off the shelf at one time as he could. His squeal of delight caught my attention and by the time I reached him, he had proudly cleared an entire shelf of books. Fun.

Anyway, this time he had just finished an especially loud protest about us leaving when I scooped him up and we rushed to the nearest exit. We reached it at the same time as this other man and in the confusion of getting Rian, our bag of 25 books slung over my shoulder, an unhappy Ethan, and the other man out of the door, Ethan fell and hit his head. I had set him down and he had somehow tripped backwards out of the door and his head (of course) hit first. Poor baby. I felt awful.

Later that same day I took the boys to ride bikes and Ethan fell again hitting his forehead this time. It wasn't a bad fall and he just whimpered and said, "I do it again to the head." (Rian and I shared a secret giggle when he said this and after we hugged him)

Last night we were going through some clothes that my sister-in-law handed down and Ethan just had to wear this "new" spiderman shirt. He took off immediately, flying around the apartment, blasting his web at all the baddies we have around here.

"Mommy, I want to fly?"

"Sure bud, go for it."

Puts his arms up, looks disappointed, tries again this time stretching his arms up as high as he can while grunting and making silly faces. He slumps over, his arms fall to his sides.

"Is not working."

Nothing like a sad spiderman....

He ended up settling for me flying him around. :)

22 miles

(Sorry for the ultra lame title....)

Yesterday I woke up, ate a little breakfast, drank some advanced sports drink (Thank you, Carol!!) and headed out in the cool, crisp morning to run 22 miles.

I DID IT!

I felt really good until mile 17 when I headed down a hill and my knee started screaming. It was pretty bad. I was doing the whole limp, jog a little, ouch-that-hurts-have-to-walk, then repeat thing. But after about two miles of that I found a slow jog rhythm that worked and I made it. WHEW.

My calves and knees hurt like hell last night but icing them helped. I'm feeling better today and relieved that I don't have to run that far again for 3 weeks!! HOLY CRAP, 3 weeks! Just realized that this marathon is 3 weeks from today....yikes.

Rian came home from school with this, which, of course, I think is too cute:

I went to a curriculum overview night given by his teacher (who I LOVE!!!) and she brought this up, pointing out how sweet that he states that the most important thing about him is that he is special. Maybe we're doing something right after all.....

This makes me want to just bundle him up and keep him at this age forever.

Ethan loves bugs. Loves. After a run the other day I let him out of the stroller to run around and he found a new friend.

(We find new friends all the time but this one was special and lived long enough for me to get a picture, which is longer than most....)

And then he ran with his new friend...

Scoping out new friends (after he squished ant-friend).

My little outdoorsman explorer.