Wintercross 5km

I set a goal and I didn't make it. First of the year.
MY goal for this cross country race in the snow was 22min. I did it around 23:47. Goes to show you get out what you put in.

So this race was a community event run on the same course as the masters/Juniors/ Seniors national championship. I thought about masters cross country but because I do not belong to a track team I really didn't think I could enter the races...actually I'm still not sure on that point. In any event I actually didn't have any time this fall to run the Ontario series so at very least I thought it would be fun to run one cross country race.

Now what I am learning about cross country is it leisure trail NOT hiking trail. Sure there are hills but there are no branches to whip your face, no roots covered by leaves to trip you, but there can be mud which is fun. In yesterdays case there was snow- hard packed and slushy snow. Spikes would have helped. Of course anything would have helped. I felt slow, fatigued and sluggish. Just didn't have kick in me. True I was hot- had over dressed and had nobody at the start line to hand my gear off to, but there was just no excuse for my time. I know I haven't been doing enough focused workouts, and have kinda lazy about 'getting work done' , which is why I am interested in having a coach. Somebody who can direct my workouts and allow me to make the most out of my time.

On a positive note I have shaved seven seconds off my 50metre swim time.. and can actually swim 100 metres before passing out from excursion. Seriously I stop and cry to catch my breath for a few minutes. Although the iron man who is helping me I think cringes every time he sees me in the water. Don't worry I always swim in the lane closest to the lifeguards.

It's that time of year...

That I beg and plead you to send me Christmas cards.

Yes I am that shallow...Cards =love.

Bed

Luke has went away for a couple of night. To prepare he made the beds before he left.
My question is who is going to make the beds tonight??

It takes a 4 year old..

For YEARS I have intended to fill a shoebox for operation Christmas child, however it just never happened. Who knows how many empty shoe boxes went to waste due to my laziness.

Of course Maya comes home from AWANA last week with box to fill, and today WE ACTUALLY FILLED it. Nothing amazing- pencil crayons, sharpener, pencil case, scissors, soap, pink washcloth, toothbrush, hard candy, hair elastics, and a yo-yo. I told Maya what the suggested items were and she made the choices with only a bit of assistance. We prayed over the box and all we have to do it get it to the church. Lord help us.

High Heels

Shoes found in my stock pile of clothing for future use. Much adored, put on as soon as she woke up one morning. Looking good with her jammies.

I'm a dirty dirty Boy

Threesome

Shhhh she has head lice...

Shhhh it's Maya. It seems that due to Maya's thick head of hair and her inherited ability to allow bugs to take up residence in her hair she has head lice..... again. Thanks sister of Luke's which shall remain unnamed.

The summer camp where she went with Stephanie this summer had an outbreak while she was there so....she came home with it. This time another little girl in her class had it and Maya sat within five feet of her so.........another round of the chemicals, tree oil shampoo every night, many loads of laundry, tears, videos, and combing sessions.

I sleep with her and have yet to get it. This is way I think some people just are susceptible.

Whats Up with......

.....a home having two Christmas trees? And while I'm at it. Whats up with a home having both of those trees up already???

LOL

Hilarious stuff like this is why the internet is awesome.

Also this is the best opical illusion ever. Squares A and B are the same shade of gray. No seriously, they are.

Ode to Toast

One of the things I never understood about Luke was why he liked toast. He would happily eat endless meals of toast and tea if I wasn't around to feed him.
Perhaps I thought it was gross cause growing up i'm sure my mother purchased the cheapest whitest bread around which i'm sure tasted gross. Perhaps it is beacuse it seems boring. Or perhaps it is because there is no sugar involved that cause me to turn my nose up at toast.

However now I see the light.
I do not how this liking of toast with a smig of butter came to be. Perhaps curiously finally got me, or perhaps laziness did, or perhaps it is truly amazing bread that isn't 99cents loaf.

In any case I now see myself as a statistic in the form of how many pounds of butter I eat a year.

Just Saying...

...babies would be so much funner to have around if they didn't cry.

Look how many teeth I have now!!

Costumes and Candy

Here is Mayas princess dress that i crafted from my own design and sewing machine. No plan and no pattern makes for some potty words.

Ever is a sock monster, the monster that steals socks and leaves you with singles. A product of my OWN imagination.

The candy haul. We placed no limits on eating it this weekend but she had to share. There is no candy left and we all have Halloween hangovers.

I'm a priare princess. The hat was from Mayas baby costume a few years ago and I made the pinafore in ten minites. Luke was the cat in the hat but was grumpy and washed off his makeup before I got to take a picture.

Pumpkins

Mayas creation. She drew and I cut.

Lukes Zombie pumpkin.

EVERybody loves Halloween.

Annes masterpiece.

Busy

Ever has learned to drag the step up to the counter and climb up to find whatever he can reach.

We have learned to not leave large butchering knives where he can grasp them and bang them against the counter, the cat, or himself.

Re- Fashioned

I wore this dress as a little girl and for some reason my mother kept it, and for some reason i spent time adding trim, frills and blows to make it just much more girly.
In comparison, I wore this when I was age sevenish and I was always a string bean, however Maya is four and there isn't alot of room in the shoulders.