marathon dancin

and then we danced! As with the course, there were moose along the way. We even saw a scary roadrunner but that is a memory we would all like to forget.

Mayor's Marathon

We did it! This past week our Team in Training Team ran for Kate and many other honored heroes. 980 people raise 4.4 MILLION dollars! wow. The race was amazing. It rained at the beginning and was cool throughout. For the first time ever, I think I had that runner's high that everyone always talks about. It could have been that I was running with Kate's amazing spirit in my heart or that I was running alongside my dear friend and incredible advocate, Carolyn. It could have been the forests we ran through that were lush and vibrant, filled with huge ferns and wildlife. It could have been the fun I was having with Laura talking about bacon and kickball. It could have been the feeling in my heart cheering on our friend Sarah, a recent survivor who was running with her husband Tommy, a soldier who fought for our freedom and came home to take care of the love of his life. It could have been the thoughts of Kenny, our friend who was running in memory of his sweet little boy Collin.

Thank you to everyone who was with me in spirit. Thank you for your encouragement, love and hope. Thank you for giving for such an important cause. I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and I will continue my support.

netflix picks

I love Netflix. Movies delivered to your door quickly, no late payments and until today "movies you'll love." This is a dropdown box that because of movies you have rated, has choices for you that you are supposed to love. Today I had this:

Jillian Michaels: Cardio KickboxBecause you enjoyed:

Angela's Ashes
Felicity: Season 1
Entourage: Season 3: Part 1

I will enjoy Cardio kickboxing because I enjoyed Angela's ashes and Felicity? Where does poverty and despair in Ireland meet kickboxing? Perhaps in college where you are trying to find yourself. Should I be a doctor or an artist? Nah, I should kickbox.

will's funny word

we played the funny word game at dinner last night (at depeaux yum!). When I asked Will which word makes him laugh, he said "bean smaggler." Don't ask him what it is because he will tell you firmly "someone who smaggles beans."

*if you google it, all that comes up is "did you mean bean smuggler?"

funny words

last night we had dinner with friends at a Lebanese restaurant. Everything we ordered made me laugh despite how delicious it was. I can't say "muhamarra" without pronouncing it like an old movie villian. and how fun is "shwarma?" We then began to ponder funny words. My sweet husband recalled that my favorite funny word is snorkel which made me laugh more. The following words make me laugh. Send me those that make you giggle (in itself a funny word) and I will make sure to say them frequently in your presence and add them to the list.

funnies:



the name of everything in IKEA

ointment-

hirsute- you don't think it's funny? then you don't know what it means

gruntled- is this what you would be if you were pleased?

besmirched

fisticuffs (I read a lot of historical fiction)

scofflaw (see previous)

moist- even funnier with "towelette")

falafel

shellac

shag- carolyn's fav

smorgasbord- no matter how much food is there, I will laugh

flummox

calvalcade- call em in and make me laugh

wharf- good thing I don't have a boat

gubernatorial

nougat- makes Beth laugh

tittle

barnacle- especially when found in the wharf

nozzle

shababeek

new additions from my friend, Geoff:
Galumpki- funny and delicious
quaff
uff da



*if only you could have been with me for the spelling bee finals. Ben and i watched in entirety. He giggled a lot as well. We were sad that head in her hands girl didn't make it very far.

yesterday

just when you second guess your parenting skills, something extraordinary happens. I was watching bits of "Hard Days Night" with my boys when they both pointed out each Beatle by name....mentioning George Harrison first even. good stuff.

the super 70's

My kickball team has been trying to come up with fun/amusing names and during the process I realized how much of an age difference we have. I am not sure what the final name is but "Kickin it old school" was a finalist. Funny, because I truly have kicked it old school.

I had this poster on the back of my bedroom door, my bedroom that was painted purple...with purple shag carpet. I would gaze at is before donning my pink satin jacket and bell bottom courderouys. Then I would pull back my Jan brady hair in some cool ribbon barretts and get my roller skates out. My favorite tv show? toos up between the Land of the Lost and probably Fantasy Island. Hop on my banana-seated bike to the store for penny candy. Just had to take a few bottles back and maybe I could score a pop and some zotz or a candy lipstick or two.

yep, that's me in the Holly Hobbie dress (it had a matching bonnet). kickin it old school

mmmmm bacon

http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2008/02/27/bacon-cups/

Holy mother of all things wonderful! Look what I found. Bacon as art. Bacon as a vehicle. If only I could drink from them.

speaking of good parents...

speaking of great parents, check out this groovy dude. yep, that's my dad and I spinning (or cooking in large pots) at Disney. His hair is fabulous.

This man is amazing. Great person, great father. I always knew I was loved and that I could be anything I wanted to be. I have always felt comfortable talking about everything with him. This photo was taken after he came back from Vietnam. I can tell by the necklace he is wearing. It holds something special that a villager gave him. While he was there he helped build an orphanage for the children who were alone. my hero. His name is Walter, Ben's middle name.

frustration

I had a moment with a mom in the parking lot of a mall today and I can't seem to get it off my mind. When we were entering the mall, a little boy about 3 years old came running out crying---you know that cry where they breathe in really hard and their chest rises and falls and it goes on after the crying is over. Many moms tried to help but it looked like he was following someone so we all watched and waited. Then he ran into the crowded, hot, saturday afternoon mall parking lot wailing and turning in circles. My heart fell and my legs started to run. As a man who was closer tried to help him, all of us moms stayed at watch to make sure he would do the right thing. Inside the mall a mom strolled towards the doors (seriously, she was taking a Sunday walk looking for her lost child). As she opened the doors the little boy's eyes widened and he ran for the comfort of his mother. Whew, I thought. He is safe. Here comes the horror of it all. She grabs him and slaps him then pulls his arm tightly and walks away with him. There was a collective gasp, but no one did a thing. nothing. I couldn't help but run to her. I stopped her and said "you hit him? he is lost and you hit him? He was wandering the parking lot crying for you and you hit him?" She walked away. My sons said "mom, people are staring at you. This is a little embarrasing." All I could say was "she should know that she was being a bad mother. She should know we are watching. He should know that we are watching." I hope someone is telling him he is loved at home because my heart is breaking for his little soul. I hope my children understood from that moment how much they are loved and kept safe.

my friend Shannon made me a gorgeous frame with this quote which is fitting for today: "Our children are watching us live, and what we are shouts louder than anything we can say" --W. Peterson

origami sweetness

Will has an art camp this week with my friend Whitney who is donating the funds to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society to support her San Fran run this fall. He had such a good time yesterday, especially with the shrinky dinks. This morning he asked when they would get to origami, his newest passion. "Do you think we will make birds? I would like to make some to put on top of presents because then people would get a present on top of their present. I would like to make one for Whitney to thank her for doing art with me. I could write the words on the wings for her." sigh.

to donate to her run http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/nikesf08/wblackmore

silver comet trail

does this butt make my butt look big?

Sunday we biked the Silver Comet Trail on a gorgeous albeit hot day. The kids did great biking 10 miles. It was great to work different muscles after running so much the day before. We loved getting ice cream at the 4 mile mark. Ben had some mighty fine bike etiquette. I can't believe I am the mother of someone old enough to say "on your left."

A Will moment: on the drive we were looking up at the clouds. I noticed one that looked like it had a wondow in it. Will said "Yeah, the people who go to heaven always turn into clouds."

*today is my wonderful dad's birthday. Happy birthday silly goose, love peanut.