2013 Platte River Half Marathon: Check.

The ladies of Team Anderson finishing the Platte River Half Marathon.

April 7, 2013

My time wasn't as fast as the Colfax Half Marathon last year BUT I still completed it. And, for the most part, I achieved all my race goals. I don't set a hard and fast time goal but rather several goals. Some are measurable and others are subjective. This way, even if I don't set a personal best each time, I'm not disappointed and can still appreciate all that I did accomplish. (Maybe I should have been a psychologist or therapist instead of accountant.)

The Platte River Half Marathon starts in old Littleton and follows the Platte River Trail north to 8th Ave. From there, it crosses over I-25 and all the railroad tracks and finishes at 10th and Osage near the Buckhorn Exchange. Most of the race is on a slight decline except for the last 1-1/2 miles.

After coming down the overpass at mile 13 and returning to flat ground, I noticed a sign off to my left. Someone had made a sign for their friend, Mollie, and I remember thinking, "Hey, her name's spelled like mine. That's cool." When that group started jumping and hooting and hollering, that's when I realized the Mollie on their sign was referring to me! Shelley and friends had made an awesome sign "Mollie, P-P-P-Push it!" and were quite the cheering squad. For some reason, I was so surprised to see them at that point but still happy and grateful. Thanks, Shelley and friends!

Another block or so later, I recognized a curly haired girl sitting on her father's shoulders. I also recognized the girl's father along with her younger brother. It was my family! When I got close enough, I said, "Want to come with me?" and Madelyn hopped down off Griff's shoulders and ran the last two blocks with me. Thank goodness she wore her running shoes that day! It was a real treat to finish with her. I think she was very proud of herself as she proceeded to wear the finisher's medal all day. And, she enjoyed the post-race expo including apples, playground time, and ice cream bars immensely. Everyone enjoyed the Light Rail ride back to the car especially Sawyer.

I'll likely wait until Madelyn's in kindergarten and Sawyer's in preschool to do my next half marathon. That's really not even that far away. Who knows? Maybe I'll get up the courage to do a full marathon...or maybe not. At any rate, I'm enjoying exercising again for fun instead of following a rigorous training schedule while juggling preschool, sicknesses, and uncooperative Spring weather that acts more like Winter.

Congratulations to Teresa Bauerle on running your first half marathon! I'm happy to have been a part of it with you. :)

Way to go, Madelyn!

Life's more fun when you have a buddy.

Never a dull moment.

Let's set the scene. The time was a little after 600P on a Friday. Griff was on his way home from a business trip in Lake Tahoe. The kids had just traded in their old balloons for new ones. Madelyn chose purple (her favorite!) and Sawyer chose red. I'm in the kitchen with my back turned -- Yes, I realize this is ultimately where I went wrong. -- putting together dinner plates for some Friday night homemade macaroni and cheese.

I should tell you that these two LOVE balloons. Really, what kid doesn't? So, the amount of happy noise and playing I was hearing behind me was not alarming. There was much pitter patter of feet and a Sawyer cat meowing. I'm not sure for how long he was meowing but there was a lot of it. In fact, there was so much, Madelyn admits that even she tuned it out.

When I turned around, I was stopped dead in my tracks at what I saw. Sawyer was on all fours on the kitchen table...crawling laps around the center piece...meowing like a cat. I didn't know whether to yell, laugh, or grab the camera. So first, I grabbed the camera. To give you an idea of his speed, he made at least three laps in the time it took me to grab my phone and start recording.

Yes, the video's short but in the interest of my child's safety, I thought I should cut things off pretty quickly. Apparently, I've got a climber on my hands!

Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow.

Sunday, snowy Sunday.

I've got a secret to tell you. It's snowing today.

Madelyn really wanted to go sledding yesterday morning on the snow that was left from Thursday but that didn't happen. Fortunately, for everyone in my house, we've got a lot of snow coming down today!

Mid-morning, Griff, Madelyn, and Sawyer got bundled up and headed out for some snow day fun. I think the driveway might have been shoveled, too, but that's beside the point.

 Snow? Check. New snowsuit? Check. Here we go!

FINALLY enough snow for sledding.

Taking a ride down the street.

This is more fun than he expected. We might need a bigger sled.

The three amigos.

It's a good thing Oshkosh B'Gosh practically gave me Sawyer's snow suit. He was toasty warm and not a bit wet. In fact, I had to lure him inside with the promise of chocolate milk. For everyone else, hot chocolate with marshmallows waited for them inside.

Happy snow day!

A whole new world.

We've made the jump. We drank the Kool-Aid. We are now proud owners of an iMac. After much consideration, and flip-flopping on my part, we bought a new  computer yesterday.

Madelyn has spent more play time on it than any of us so far. They use iMacs in the computer lab at her school so she's all sorts of knowledgeable. We have our own Genius Bar!

Griff says now I can take my blog to a whole new level. But, first I have to figure this thing out. Stay tuned!

BRF (Best Running Friend).

Yesterday morning as I stretched post-run in the front yard while Sawyer slept in the stroller, it occurred to me that running with my babies really is one of my favorite things. Yes, I realize that they aren't babies anymore. And, I realize that I shouldn't call them my babies but I still do. It's a hard habit to break.

Sleeping baby.

February 2013

With Madelyn gone at school two mornings a week, Sawyer and I are logging our miles with the single BOB. Some days we end at the playground. Some days we literally run errands. But, more often that not, we just go out for a few miles and some fresh air. We still use the double BOB sometimes, when Madelyn's around, but I find myself scheduling my runs for days when I only have one kid with me.

For her 4th birthday, Madelyn received a pair of NIKE shoes from Aunt Kari and Uncle Gabe. She immediately called them her running shoes. Then a day or two later, she said something to me about being able to run with me now that she has running shoes, too. Last week, she ran the last 100 or so yards of my run with me. It was so sweet and I think I felt my heart melt.

Every now and then, I apologize to Griff for my rubbing off on our kids. I'm really not trying to brainwash them! It just happens. However, I do love that my love for running is rubbing off on at least one of them. Hopefully it will on Sawyer, too, as he gets older.

The window of running with Madelyn and Sawyer in the stroller closes a little more each day. And, I see that but I'm okay with it. We've got so many more milestones ahead of us. Perhaps in a few more years, my babies with their running shoes will become my little running buddies and family runs will take on a whole new look.

A few fun stroller pictures to follow -

Mile High Madelyn after her very first swimming lesson ever.

Not exactly a running picture but still pretty awesome.

June 2010

Little Brother, during the bald phase, slumbering through pumpkin patching.

Again, not a running picture but demonstrating all the places our wheels have gone.

October 2011

There was a time when naps at home were few and far between.

But, a trip out in the stroller was guaranteed to put little people to sleep.

November 2011

Family run on a Saturday morning.

Taking a quick break at Marcy Park in Highlands Ranch.

June 2012

January

It's been almost a month since my last post and I don't really have a good excuse. I could blame it on the technical difficulties I've been having with Blogger on the computer. But, most of my blogging is done through my phone or the iPad. Time does seem to be moving really fast lately though. Maybe that's my problem! We're just too busy having fun.

After ringing in the new year, we celebrated our sweet, sweet Madelyn's 4th birthday. Her annual check up was good. The doctor re-confirmed that she's still a genius and, it turns out, a little on the smaller side. She was in the 25th-30th percentiles on both height and weight -- a petite little thing!

We hosted her first kid-oriented birthday party. Eleven of her friends, and their parents joined us, during the Broncos play off game for the Fun Bus. In spite of the cold -- the kids had no idea it was 12 degrees -- a GREAT time was had by all. Purple cake pops were served along with chocolate milk. The only thing that might have made the day better would have been a Broncos win. Oh well.

 Fun Bus. Hello, old friend.

The grand finale - sliding out the back of the bus.

I think each kid did this at least a half dozen times.

Happy birthday, dear Madelyn.

Purple cake pops like the lady requested.

The gumballs were hit, too. Kids and adults dug in after the cake pops were gone.

Somehow I didn't see that one coming.

The following weekend, Madelyn and I took a trip to Chicago for a girls' weekend with Auntie Kate and Aunt Trish. What fun! We got free DirecTV on our flight out so Madelyn watched Madagascar 3, a household favorite. Upon arriving in Chicago, we lunched and later got manicures and pedicures at ZaZaZoo Nail Salon. A friend of mine, the former director of SPAVital at Pura Vida, who now lives in Chicago, recommended it as a good salon for mommy-and-me manicures. Madelyn's nails were beautiful and it was a real treat.

Living it up.

The skyline on a COLD January day.

On Sunday, we brunched at Tweet where Kate and Trish pointed out "the actor from The Bodyguard." I corrected them as him being from Dumb & Dumber which just happens to be one of my favorite movies. Griff says all my movie quotes come from that movie but I'd have to replay the tape of the last ten years to confirm or disprove that fact. Thanks to Trish, though, I got my picture taken with him - Mike Starr!  He was incredibly gracious and very kind. Although he may not be there every Sunday, I highly recommend Tweet. Their food is delish, the service is excellent, and it's very kid and family friendly.

"Pills are good!"

Enjoying a delicious fruit salad at Tweet.

On Monday, Auntie Kate, Madelyn, and I visited the Shedd Aquarium. Somehow, it still cost us $78 to get in on free day but it was worth the price of admission. We saw everything there was to see including the Jellies exhibit and had a blast.

After returning to Colorado, Anderson & Co experienced a bout of the stomach flu. No one was spared. That was the pits but we're all back and on the mend. Life is getting back to normal. Madelyn returns to school and gymnastics, half marathon training with my little running partner (Sawyer) resumes, and Griff will be in and out of town again for work. Bring on February!

Snow day hobbies

One of Madelyn's snow day hobbies is shoveling. She loves to get all bundled up and shovel the deck.

Sawyer's hobbies, for now, include standing at the window watching.

Thankful turkey

"I am thankful for...

 

"wanting to play on the playground at 5th grade.

 

"wanting to look at owls.

 

"Yo Baby yogurt at school and at home.

 

"that I will try roast marshmallows roasted.

 

"trying pumpkin pie."

 

- Madelyn

 

Oh, to be three and experiencing all these things for the first time. I love how she sees life in such a simple, happy manner. Somedays I'd like to be more like her.