2009-09-11

Instead, I want to write about the last few weeks, just as a reminder for me. Since you've all followed along at least this far, you get to mark these things with me.
First running--I ran in two races about 9 days apart The first race, I'd been talked into by my erstwhile running buddy. It was a small race, with mostly "serious" runners. Dr. Mom, the aforementioned running buddy, who runs as fast as I did in high school told me she thought it felt like a hard course. I think what was so hard about it was this usually I finish almost dead set in the middle of these races--middle of my age category, middle of the race as a whole, this time, I was 76 of 104. It went fast. I finished 5 of 8 in my age category and my time was a respectable 31:02. Not that that's a bad thing--the shirt was purple and we were all given a pin for finishing. Plus they had a overpriced photographer taking pictures at the finish. There is not much photographic evidence of my running so I checked on the price of getting a picture. $10 for a 4X6. Well, at least I have a pin.
The next race, was labor day. I ran in that one last year and the t-shirt was an awful thing--white with a dark green small logo on the front. Seriously, I never even want to wear it to run in! So this year, I opted to not get the shirt. Of course the shirt they gave out was pretty this year. This year they also had a chip timed race, whereas last year it was really informal. I can't remember what my time was last year and I guess I didn't note it here. This year I had a few issues--first I usually use my heart rate monitor as a stopwatch, it is pretty accurate--but I don't wear the heart-rate halter thingy. Well, I tried three times to get the watch going before it finally started recording my time. So I knew it was off. Well, when I crossed the finishline, my watch said 30:02, the official timeclock read 30:50 and my official time was 31:10. I was so disappointed in that that I almost missed something kind of important, I finished 3rd in my age group! And they gave medals to the top three finishers. There were predictably 6 people in my age group. I finished 101 overall, out of at least 200--was hard to tell. If I had run the 10K it would not have mattered my time, I would have won my age group as I would have been the only 40-44 female in that race. Also predictably, I didn't wait around for the awards because I didn't expect to get one. Thankfully I made arrangements to get my award today. It is BIG and blingy.

Second, school. I'll have to write more about this later because I need to go get the ladies really soon. They started first grade on September 8. Then I went to work (and had the worst day ever). Kindergarten her eis half day so this was their first time with a full day. Emily was nervous excited and Amy was just nervous. Both girls bought hot lunch (hot dogs). Amy said the hot dogs tasted like "fake hot dogs" and Emily hated the buns. They both seemed to have a good day but told me they had missed me. Day two found me consoling a sobbing Amy who begged and pleaded for me to come get her at noon. Thursday she asked husband to get her after lunch recess and today told me that she could make it to 2:30 (school gets out at 3:35). I pointed out that gym started at 2:40 and went to 3:10 couldn't she make it through gym. Well yes, but she wanted me to pick her up at 3:10. She's really having a difficult time I think for two reasons. First is the teacher. Now, I'm not going to say that this is a bad thing because it certainly in my book is not, but she has expectations of them, she runs her classroom a bit more structured than the kindergarten teacher*. For Amy this is going to take some adjustment. Emily on the other hand is in heaven! Second, she had been really clingy the last few weeks of summer and I think she just built up this fear of being away from home all day. Emily reports that Amy is happy and doesn't cry or mope so I'm sure that once she lets herself, she'll have a blast. At least I hope so, the mornings are kind of hard with her weeping about going all day.

Personally, I'm having a great time with them gone all day (even though I work 2 of the 5 days). I have gone to yoga, eaten lunch in front of the tv, run in the afternoon, and gone to Target, meijer and Joann's for things I've wanted all summer long. In fact maybe we can't afford the girls to be gone all day, I've spent way too much money--although for really frivolous things like a mop and underwear. I even wasted a whole morning knitting with some friends of mine and STILL had the entire afternoon. Life, as we say, is good.

*Emily also told me (When asked she wasn't tattling) that Amy gets told a lot very gently to stop talking. Amy doesn't like this kind of small critique.

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