Soccer Saturday

This Magical Moment Brought to you by Childhood

I came, I ran, I didn't sleep

I was part of a 12-woman team in the Ragnar: Cape Cod running race. We relayed from Plymouth to Provincetown, covering almost 200 miles. I ran around 11 of those miles.

My first leg was along a canal for 3 miles, and then the fourth mile was on the beach in sand that felt like one of those nightmares where you're trying to run, but can only go in slow-motion. But I kept running, and passed around 5 people as I came in for the hand-off.

My second leg was at 3am. I was running on a gravel rail trail all by myself in the dark. I didn't have runners in sight ahead or behind. But it was cool in a spooky/peaceful kind of way to listen to the animal and night noises.

My third leg was in the bright sun and I had two monster hills to conquer. That was character building.

Other race highlights:

*Getting 30 minutes of sleep total during the 2-day trip.
*"Sleeping" in a high school gym on wrestling mats with all the lights on. Also, they had promised hot showers and indoor toilets. There were no hot showers, and one indoor toilet. ONE.
*Watching Amy overcome the final leg with a severely inflamed IT band- the stuff sports inspiration movies are made of.
*We were stuck in bridge traffic for an hour on our way home, and suddenly looked over and saw Ellen (one of our brave volunteers for the course) waving from the next car. We had a nice chat as we bumper-to-bumpered.
*Living vicariously through super-speedy Emily- it was fun to hear the other teams gasp over how fast she is.
*Spending a quiet evening on the beach while everyone else slept in the tent.
*Hanging out and running with 12 awesome people- go Road Hazards!

Accidental Dinosaurs

Ivy recounts a first-hand dinosaur experience.

Wildlife "Refuge"

We visited a wildlife refuge in Concord with some friends over spring break. It was a successful trip- we saw many creatures up close and personal. We may have stretched the definition of "refuge" a bit by harassing said wildlife with prodding sticks and loud noises, but it was all in the name of science and not getting fingers chomped by snappers.
Things we saw:

Snakes as long as Calvin,

Turtles with slimy shells,

Birds (sitting on Beaver lodges- we didn't see any beavers this trip, but the next time I stopped by with the kids we saw two beavers),

Nonchalant Muskrat (seriously, we could have pet this guy but for fear of rodent-borne diseases),

Fist-sized Frog,

And, of course, children.

She requested...

...Chocolate cupcakes. I ad libbed the crème fraîche and strawberries.

One of my favorite things about Ivy is that she has suddenly started incorporating the word "suddenly" into her stories. I can't understand all of her grand narrations yet, but I know it's a pivotal moment when she says her new favorite word. e.g.:

He requested...

...Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies instead of a birthday cake.

Coordination

Calvin and his coordinating buddy, busy with waterworks at Walden Pond on a flukishly warm April day.

Fear Factor: Spicy Food

Three kids who abhor any manner of spicy food. A bag of Jalapeño Pretzel Bites. A father in charge of dinner. Dimes are promised. Their mother is out. These are the results:

Happy Easter