SUNNY FRIDAY FUN

What do you do when the temperature rises in January (mid-60s and 70s) and it's sunny? You go get ice cream after school, then hit the military park for some "hiking" fun (Buster came along too, though he's not pictured - he was extremely worried/jealous of the kids jumping across and playing in the little muddy stream). 

I told them they couldn't roll down the hill holding hands. They sure showed me...

Short video of the rolling action (or butt scooting/swimming, in Lauren's case):

After each kid (in turn), excepting Lauren, fell into the stream and got muddy and soaked, we just had to laugh. Only Cora seemed put out by our giggles, but she got over it. No pants or shoes were allowed in the car on the way home though...

 (The sun setting at the top of the big hill was pretty and their school spirit shirts are very long, so I asked the kids to pose looking at the sunset. Instead, they lifted their shirts and shook their booties at me. Oh well. I shouldn't have expected any different, I suppose...)

POPSIKOO

Jay's new idea this week (in an effort to help James focus better at school, since that continues to be the thing that gets him on yellow/orange/red) is to get the kids up a half hour earlier and have them dance around to music videos to get some energy out. The idea stemmed from a friend who has their ADHD-diagnosed son work out on their elliptical for 20-30 minutes each morning before school, and who is basically weaned from his meds now that he's able to get that energy out before school (though he also uses a special "chair" at school - a balance ball secured in a stand that provides just enough wiggle room to engage his core and give him something to focus on other than his restless hands). It's only been half a week and we haven't seen a behavior color change yet, but the kids are certainly getting their chores done faster (and with less complaining) and going to school more awake and smiley, so that's already a positive in my eyes. Only time will tell...

SLEEPING BABES, JANUARY 2016

 Annnd... flashback! She still has that same sleepy pout.

WIZARD OF OZ

The kids got to go on a field trip to the high school's production of The Wizard of Oz today. The whole school went and the kids were very excited to be going together (Cora was very disappointed to not get to go on the last field trip to the Orchestra) - they even got to sit on the same bus on the way there. After school, they told me ALL ABOUT IT, interrupting each other and squealing about all the parts they'd remembered from the movie. Fun day for them!

COLD, COZY DAY

Not much going on today besides couch snuggles by the fire. Just the way we like it.

2016 GOALS

Resolutions? I'm not really a resolution-making girl. 

But goals? Yes. I love to set goals!

So here are my goals for this year (in a somewhat prioritized order):

go on more (monthly?) real dates with Jay (not just lunch dates)

spend more one-on-one time with the kids

fix my back problem... somehow...

maybe by getting back into yoga and increasing my core strength

spend copays on regular sports massages instead of doctor visits and tests (hooray!)

go camping at least once/season (and try someplace new at least once)

start doing family bike rides (get Jay a bike and build Cora's confidence)

start using my spin bike at home (now that Spin Instructor Amy has moved)

 run new PRs in the 5K, 10K (check!), and half marathon

run more short races (speedwork!) and maybe another full marathon...

continue to reduce debt (aiming to be debt-free by Dec-2017, we're on our way!)

learn to use my new hair straightener (this could be harder than the other goals...)

COOKIE SUCCESS

Cora finished out her Girl Scout Cookie pre-order sales with a bang!

She scooted around the neighborhood (with big brother in tow - and he was patient, helpful, and encouraging - she is SO LUCKY to have him), going door-to-door with her spiel (which she'd practiced at the house before we started) "Hi, I'm Cora and I'm a Girl Scout! Would you like to order some cookies?" and every single person who opened their door to her ordered cookies. Hard to turn down an adorable little kindergarten Daisy Scout, I suppose. People were impressed with her zeal, and with her willingness to be out in the 34 degree weather too, I'm guessing. We met some new neighbors (not new as in they just moved in, but new to us because we hadn't met them before), visited at length with the few we already knew (indoors, by their fireplaces!), and got some exercise. She sold 35 boxes, which brought her total pre-sales up to 226 (earning her another special sales patch - Grambot had helped her complete her Cookies for Heroes patch), including our family order and a few extra boxes to have on hand at the office to sell. She earned 46 more pre-sales boxes by agreeing to attend at least two cookie booth sales next month.

All together, that earned her 272 boxes in pre-sales (digital cookie sales are not included in that total, so she likely sold 282+ based on orders that are still going through) and 6500 boxes for our Troop (we have 26 girls total, so that averages 250 boxes per girl, which means all the girls did an awesome job with their pre-sales and earns our Troop some special prizes for the extra effort!)

 Cookies arrive mid-February, so we'll be out and about, uniform and smile in place!

MAMA'S MERMAID

This little fish rarely lets mama take a solo bath...

SNOWFLAKES

100 DAYS OF SCHOOL, 2016

The kids collected 100 of their favorite items (acorns) and decided to make posters. When we went to buy poster supplies though, James found leaves to make his tree more realistic and Cora found the sparkly sticker hearts, so their projects changed a bit. They were both very happy with the outcome, and both mostly completed them by themselves (James needed help with the glue and Cora couldn't figure out how to add more hearts once her "heart poster" was filled up, so I helped her add extra to the top to make it more 3D). Then they brought home crowns and certificates and badges...

Remember when James dressed up at a 100-year-old back in K4?... 

COOKIE PAIRINGS

*Pre-orders are due this weekend, so get your cookie orders in!

Since Tagalongs (my favorite) weren't mentioned above, and I think they would go better with a good stout or porter anyway, here is a list of beer pairings for Girl Scout Cookies: 
 

Tagalongs

The vanilla, chocolate, and peanut butter flavors from the Tagalongs sound like adjuncts in a stout. So grab these flavor-filled stouts to heighten the insanity of this pairing.
Off Color DinoS’mores
FiftyFifty Vanilla Eclipse
Prairie Artisan Ales Bomb!
Stone W00tstout
Terrapin Cinnamon Roll’d Wake-n-Bake

Thin Mints

These dark and roasty stouts deliver a mouthfeel that pairs well with the crisp, minty crunch of the wafer cookie (especially if you keep your Thin Mints in the freezer). Consider yourself warned, though, as these beers range from 9—13 percent ABV and you’ll likely find yourself reaching for a second sleeve of cookies in record time.
Perennial Artisan Ales 17
Alesmith Speedway Stout
Shipyard Mint Chocolate Stout
Epic Big Bad Baptist
Hardywood Sidamo Coffee Stout

Trefoils

Stick with tradition by pairing these classic cookies with traditional beer styles such as Baltic porter’s cheek-warming notes of dark fruits and coffee or a Scottish ale with notes of cocoa and coffee and a dash of smoke.
Smuttynose Baltic Porter
Founders Dirty Bastard
Jack’s Abby Framinghammer
Central Waters Brewer’s Reserve Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale
Oskar Blues Old Chub

Samoas

Match the toasted coconut of these cookies with even more toasted coconut and the roasted caramel flavors in these beers.

Creature Comforts Koko Buni
Oskar Blues Death By Coconut
Bruery Mash & Coconut
Funky Buddha Last Snow
Wormtown Norm Chocolate Coconut Stout

Do-Si-Dos

Let the flavors of the Do-Si-Dos dance with the balance and rich texture of these malty lagers.
Metropolitan Dynamo Copper Lager
Schell’s FireBrick
New Belgium Shift
Tröegs Troegenator Doublebock
Great Lakes Eliot Ness

Savannah Smiles

Push aside that lemon wedge you occasionally put in your beer and, if you must add a wedge, consider accenting your beer with the Savannah Smile instead. The lemon-flavored cookie wedges have been dusted with powdered sugar and pair well with these witbiers and bières de miel.
Allagash White
Westbrook White Thai
Jester King's Bière de Miel
Casey East Bank
Brasserie Dupont Bière De Miel Biologique

Rah Rah Raisins

You’ll definitely be cheering when you pair these oatmeal cookies loaded with raisins and Greek-yogurt-flavored chunks with these complementing sour brown ales filled with dark fruit flavors.
Boulevard Love Child
Crooked Stave Origins
Rodenbach Grand Cru
New Belgium La Folie
New Holland Blue Sunday Sour

Toffee-tastic

These gluten-free butter cookies, offered only in select areas, are loaded with bits of toffee, and beer lovers can harmonize with the bread and toffee flavors of the cookie:
Epic Glutenator
Brasserie Dupont Foret Libre
Or stray away from full-on gluten abstinence with these beers:
Avery Hog Heavan
Green Flash Le Freak
Deep Ellum Four Swords

"WATCH THIS!"

He learned this at Cub Scouts tonight and was SO PROUD. He totally got me the first (of 20-some times) and his delivery was spot on. He tried to teach Cora too... and she eventually figured out how to do it correctly. There was another trick learned this evening that did not quite have that same air of belief... James received a Magic Kit for Christmas, so I expect him to be delving into that soon.

OCD BABY

Why get gummies in your froyo if you're just going to take them out, lick the froyo off them, line them up by type and color, and save them for last? Wouldn't it be easier to just buy her a bag of gummy bears?...

CHILL IN THE HILLS, REVISITED

Since my Thanksgiving Half got scrapped (hip flexor injury) and I hadn't run a race since October, I decided to bite the bullet and run the hills today (if you recall, I ran them once 3 years ago during a January heat wave, then resigned myself to just volunteering at the event the past two years because the course was so hard).

My nerves were jumping (as they always are before races), but since I really had no idea what to expect from myself (it's taken me 2 months to get back to feeling like myself while running and I hadn't even attempted speedwork since October), I didn't put too much pressure on myself. I figured I could at least beat my previous course time (since that was set after I'd only been back to running for a year), and I would have been happy with that. But at the last minute, some of us from our running group threw a team together and I decided that I had to give it my all for them. I was watching my splits throughout the race and felt happy with them, and when I crested the final, big hill (the worst one on the course) at mile 5.2 and realized I had just a mile to go and 12 minutes to get a course PR (plenty of time), I knew I had to suck it up and get to the finish as fast as I could and aim for a distance PR too. Jay and the kids had surprised me at the bottom of that big hill and it was so great (and uplifting) to see them there. They were at the top of the final rise before the finish too (they'd driven over after I'd passed by them) and Jay's loud screams helped push my tired, shaky legs around that last turn and into the chute. I grabbed a 53:11 (I ran a 57:53 here in 2013, and my current 10K PR from Run Thru History of 54:37 was set back in March of 2014) so this gave me an almost 1.5 minute PR (which is actually a pretty good drop for a 10K!) and first in my age group! Our team got second place (out of two), but the first place team had the overall female winner on it, and as you can see from the official results below, she finished almost 10 minutes before me... They averaged the top three finishers for team times, so my time didn't even count (Tank, Jennifer, and Francine all finished within a minute ahead of me), but knowing that it might have helped push me during the race.

It was a great race and I'm so glad I went and ran it hard! The after party was fun, our group's tailgate was fun, and Jay and the kids and I enjoyed a yummy lunch at Martin's afterward with a bunch of other runners we know. By the time we got home (well after our normal lunch time), I was exhausted. I took a hot salt bath, was spoiled with a massage, and was then allowed to nap (and 2.5 hours later, I awoke to happy kids watching movies with daddy and the sun having already set...) Even so, I probably won't run it next year - those hills HURT and I'll be paying for this effort for a few days!

Tank and his stash of Michelob Ultra at the awards ceremony. Don't worry Jenny, I brought my own craft brew to enjoy post-race!

Team 2: RWOP (Jennifer, Francine, Tank, and I)

Kristi (overall female winner) and her speedy kids, all with their own 1st Place chili bowls!

They lumped the 65-and-up guys into one group (all other age groups were split by 5's) and Mack took home 1st Place (he's 71, and even though he took it easy due to racing The Mississippi Blues Half Marathon last weekend, he still finished in under an hour and beat all the other OP guys!)

In fact, nobody in our group went home empty handed...

I think we need to have a chili eating party one of these days!

(Once home, the kids ran out to swing while Jay and I unloaded the car and walked Buster.)

Superman-style swinging!

LITTLE VOLUNTEERS

These little sweeties were as well behaved as can be while mama volunteered at packet pickup and race registration for Chill in the Hills (3rd year in a row). They read their AR books aloud to each other, then played Kindles until daddy showed up to take them home for dinner.

THEY FAVOR US

MOVING ONWARD

One of my best running friends and spin instructor, a woman who has encouraged me to set goals and not be afraid to work hard for them, and someone whose enthusiasm is contagious, is leaving Vicksburg this weekend to move to the coast to be near her family and get a fresh start. And this group of runners is going to miss her terribly!

Luckily, she'll only be a few hours away and we have plenty of spare rooms between us for her to crash in whenever she comes back to run long with us some Saturdays, and we'll surely meet up at nearby races. Even so, it's not easy to say goodbye, and I surely owe a chunk of my happiness here in Vicksburg to her - she helped me get healthy again, she introduced me to a wonderful group of people, and she gives some mean advice (running and otherwise!)

 The kiddos are going to miss Ms. Amy too - we had to stop by the Y so they could get some goodbye hugs!

GOOD REPORTS

Cora came home with a perfect report card today, and James' was very, very good, just like last time. We are VERY PROUD of these kids for working hard and doing so well in school!

After dance class, we celebrated their "3's" with Orange Leaf (which is sadly closing in a couple weeks...) and they were as snuggly with each other as can be...

...good moods are fun for everyone!

2015 RUN RECAP

This past year, I ran 8 races (down a bit from previous years), but still managed to total over 1000 miles (1031 in 2015, 1150 in 2014, 980 in 2013) despite quite a few weeks off (7 total, I think) following the MS50 (2 weeks recovery), during our Disney trip, and healing my hip flexor in November (3 weeks off). My biggest month (ever) was last January (185 miles, prepping for the Mississippi River Marathon and MS50 50K), though I barely even came close to hitting 100 mile months the rest of the year. Running was mostly good (no injuries, other than the hip thing, and I felt really strong this fall), but I've battled back pain since last March (not related to running, as far as I or my doctors can tell), which has kept me from keeping up with core strength and cross training like I should (mostly because I worried they were making it worse). Since my back is still not 100% better though (despite being discharged by my PT, for a second time, and my physical MD - both the day before things took a turn for the worse again - so frustrating), I figure I might as well get back into a good regime of core and cross, in the hopes that getting my strength back will help my back (and make me faster!)

My 8 races this year included four 5K's, one 5-miler, one half marathon (trail), one marathon, and one ultramarathon (and 2 unofficial/virtual races: one for the Hogwarts Running Club and one day that I just ran as fast as I could on my lunch break to see if I could get a 5K PR). I would like to do more races in 2016, especially the shorter distances, with the idea that using races as speedwork will also help me to get faster. Actually, I would have liked to have done more races in 2016, but the Hells Hills Trail Half that I'd planned to do in May was canceled due to extreme rain and flooded trails (which they don't want messed up for the mountain bikers), and I've already mentioned the lost Thanksgiving Day Distance Classic...

This past year, I earned PRs for the 5K (unofficial and official, though their course was short, and extrapolating my time based on pace is less fun than actually earning that time), 5-mile (at OTRR), marathon (at Mississippi River), and ultramarathon (at MS50, by 1.5 hours!)

Here's to 2016! I would love to grab some PRs in the 5K (official!), 10K, and half marathon this year (my Soldier Half PR is getting kind of stale). I just need to keep making forward progress!