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The Year of the Brew and the Bod

22 Mar

Andrew turned 35 with well wishes and gifts of love from friends and family.

One of those gifts was named Mr. Beer and it created a one-man home brewery.

Mr. Beer home brewing

Bottle Night

He brewed and he brewed, bottled and emptied, unlabeled and labeled and started a schedule.

The main fridge filled up with future beers and a new one was needed to chill the ale.

Drew's Brew home brew

A fridge full of Drew's Brews.

Drew’s Brews started as a beloved (and delicious) hobby but it soon became a passion.

One year. His 35th. He tried something new and conquered it – achieving pour after pour satisfaction.

Great brew.

The 3-5 also meant a time to run – get in shape and race toward a healthier him.

And it didn’t stop there, his running became a family inspiration.

Daddy and Son Sneaks

In 5K after 5K, some 10K’s and a half marathon too, Andrew placed in his age group and met his goals.

Personal best 10K run.

The running lifted his spirits to be more in shape – and it also lightened his load.

From 180 to 150.

Thirty pounds lost to start his 36th year, with a family who loves him and supports him with cheer.

Daddy's Biggest Fans

Happy birthday, Andrew. May this new year bring you all the joys of the last – with a personal best race times and a full glass.

Awesome "Trophy"

Bye-bye Barbie Bike, Hello Tiptoe Tall Ride

18 Mar

Of course, the time was going to come. Signs were all around me every day (and continue to be).

The questions they ask. The things they know. The inches they grow, marked with higher and higher marks on the wall. The ability to wash their hands at the kitchen sink or brush their teeth at the bathroom sink without a stool. Child car seats with only seat belts and not five-point harnesses. Bigger bicycles.

For some sentimental reason, that last one recently did me in. As I watched them push and ride their first two-wheel bikes to trade them in for bigger ones at the store, I couldn’t hold back the tears.

Bye-bye, First Bikes

Nia’s first bike was a rad Barbie one that had a place for Barbie to ride her bike, too.

Bean's First Bike - 2008

Nate’s was Spiderman all the way.

Nate's First Bike - 2009

As we steered the two pieces of childhood memories to customer service, I started to doubt our decision. “We could keep them and the new ones.” I tried to reason with Andrew. “That way, smaller cousins and friends will have bikes to ride when they visit.” We don’t have the physical space for a shopping aisle of bikes in our garage. The decision stood.

Aside from being sad about saying goodbye to that time of growing up, I think I just didn’t like the thought of their childhood memories being recycled in a heap of scrap metal, instead of recycled and cherished by another child.

The kids didn’t think twice about it the exchange though. They parked their old rides and immediately turned their backs and bee-lined for the new spokes.

Their smiles helped me shake off the sadness. Especially when we got home and I watched as Nia worked with her daddy to build her bigger bike and then looked so not-little while she pedaled around the cul-de-sac.

Growing up is good. Sniff.

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Happy of Myself

1 Mar

From Runkeeper.com

This is huge for me. I am so close to my goal of running a 5K straight through. Sure, this was just in the neighborhood, but I felt so great and strong as I headed home that last little bit. I just wish I would have judged my distance better so I would have made it the complete 3.16 miles.

My next official 5K race is in a week. I’m excited for it. I believe in myself! (Just like the little boy who learned how to ride his bike and gave this awesome speech.)

Beach Run and Fun

29 Feb

It was windy and cold and so worth every minute out in the Tybee Island air. The 2012 Tybee Run Fest featured friends and family and lots of running fun.

Andrew ran in all five races – the 5K on Friday and then the 10K, Half Marathon, 2.8 Mile Beach Run and the Mile on Saturday – a full marathon all together. Nate joined Andrew in the Mile run and had such a fun time running and watching the other racers finish. For me, I ran in the 5K (along with running buds Ginger and Lee) and I consider it my first “race” because it was the first one I really trained for.

I ran that 5K in 34:45 / 11:13 per mile average pace. I felt proud and couldn’t wait to go enjoy pizza and beer with Andrew, Ginger and Lee post-run.

Andrew ran all of his races and proclaimed he would never do it again. With as fun as this weekend was, I find that hard to believe.

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Observations From Around the Block

29 Jan

I’ve been spreading my wings and trying my treads out at running around our neighborhood. I usually like to just stick to the treadmill because I don’t have to worry about stray animals or kids on bicycles who think it’s fun to circle me like they are on horses and I’m a cow they are trying to lasso back to the farm. Anyway, I digress.

There are a few things I’ve noticed while running by people’s homes. (No, I’m not a peeping peeper. But I will glance in the general direction of your open garage to see how you have things organized. Some people keep pretty impressive shelving systems.)

My random observations include:

  • Why do people not pick up the newspapers that are thrown on their driveway each week? Do they feel like they didn’t put them there so they shouldn’t have to pick them up? I’ve seen some papers so old and so run-over that they look like they exploded. Also, at what point should the person throwing them down (if they are free papers, that is) think, “They already have five bagged papers scattered about that they haven’t read, maybe I shouldn’t toss another to the mix.”
  • People plant trees and bushes as obstacle courses to sidewalk users. Fun times. Bob and weave.
  • A lot of people use some good smelling dryer sheets. Man, I love that fresh scent that breezes by me when I jog passed an in-use dryer vent.
  • I cannot spit. I pray that no one witnessed my attempt. I will not try it again. It didn’t make me feel better or solve anything that I thought it would solve. Instead, it just taught me what my brain thought before the attempt took place. “Spit? But you cannot spit!”
  • My neighborhood has hills. My goal is to run up them all, eventually.
  • There are several half-marathoners in our ‘hood. I know this because of the stickers on their cars parked in their open garages or on their driveways. I am not letting this intimidate me. After all, I’m married to one of them and I’m well aware that he can run two 5K’s in the length it takes me to run one and I’m ok with that.

Overall, I’m just proud to be running around the block. That’s something I never thought I’d do and it feels cool. Plus, I get to enjoy the elements.

An Introduction to the Theatre

4 Dec

“Can we watch all the plays?” A wide-eyed and entertained Nia asked me after the curtain closed on the first play she ever watched.

It really was the perfect play for her to call her first. She was reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in class last week and this weekend our community theatre was performing the play of it. She was enjoying the book and reading us excerpts so I knew the performance would be wonderful for her.

Loved the book.

It was perfect because it had so many young actors – even a few who Nia knew – so that kept her really interested. She was happy to have her beloved reindeer doll to sit with her through the show too. I was happy that I didn’t have to pay for a ticket for Clarice. (The tickets were a great price though, $5 for children and $10 for adults. Some of that money even goes to varying charities.) On top of all the specialness, Nia also got to enjoy refreshments after the show. Festive cookies and a candy cane. I love the question she gave me as we walked back to the car, almost finished with both cookies, “Aren’t refreshments usually meat and cheese and crackers?” Not a complaint, just a little girl trying to figure out her world.

Excited for the show to start.

Mommy/Daughter Date

Talented Cast

Enjoying refreshments.

The sweetness of it all made me tear up. The carols at the end of the play really did me in. Luckily, Nia was there to hug my arm and distract me with her forward thinking. Can we watch all the plays? I promise to take her to as many kid-appropriate ones that our schedule allows.

Checking our calendar now …

Strong Little Legs

5 Nov

They’ve cheered on daddy as he crossed the finish lines of his 5Ks, 10K and Half Marathon. Nate, always worrying as he watches others cross before Andrew. “Daddy didn’t win,” he says heavy-hearted, not really understanding that to finish at a certain time is often the win. Both kids have also proudly collected as Andrew handed them his participation and prize medals/trophy (for those times he did “win” by placing). After all that support and watching, Nia and Nate finally got to participate in their very own race and have their daddy give them fist bumps and praise. (This is, of course, after Andrew rocked his 5K earlier that morning.)

The Strong Legs Run in Atlanta was awesome for us because it was held at the home of the Braves, Turner Field, and it was the first time we all took part in a race as a family. Andrew ran the 5K, I signed up for the 2K and the kids had fun in the Mascot Trot, a short dash with some of the area’s most popular mascots (including their favorite, Chopper from the Gwinnett Braves). They liked the Trot but were disappointed about how short it was. Since the 2K followed it, all three of them came along with me for fun. Nate was pumped.

He took off and ran so far ahead of us that he stopped and turned around to see where we were and if he should keep going. Andrew was walking up ahead of me with Nia. (Yes, I was the slowest in the family.) Andrew and I both pointed for Nate to “Go, buddy, go!” Andrew then followed after him and Nia and I became ear-bud buddies, sharing my ear-buds as we walked and talked about other times she walked or ran far like this. (Very special to me.)

When we finally turned the corner for the finish line, I asked Nia if she felt like running again and we picked up the pace. Andrew and Nate were there to cheer us on and Nate even ran with us (well, it was more like sprinted ahead of us) through the finish line again. I think he would’ve liked to keep finishing, sprinting past everyone like he was the winner. Andrew tracked Nate’s time on RunKeeper and it said he finished in 11 minutes. He thinks Nate could’ve done it in 10 if he didn’t stop that one time and if Andrew didn’t have to keep slowing him down for pacing reasons.

We all enjoyed our Strong Legs morning – each of us walking away with t-shirts of our own and a fun family memory that we plan to do again. We’ve already picked out some fancy (fast) running pants for Nate and Nia and Andrew has already chosen our next race.

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Our Half Marathon Hero

23 Oct

He is 35 years old.

Father of two.

Routinely runs for pleasure and health.

Registered for the Athens Half Marathon two 5K’s and a 10K ago.

It took him 1:47 to run 13.1 miles.

Finished 294th out of 1,844 runners.

He was the 4th from our town to finish.

33rd out of 118 in his age group.

217 out of 793 men.

Of course, always, #1 in our hearts.

Yay for Daddy! And a beer at the finish line?! Best race ever...

Tough Teacher

10 Oct

Here’s a peek at the rules in the classroom of Miss Bean, where her little brother is the only “real” student among a lot of make-believe classmates and a famous Smurf. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to “have fun!”

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Dry Erase Rules

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Keeping an eye on Smurfette - Row 1

Imagination Snapshot

25 Sep

She wakes up but keeps her door closed to the rest of the family. It’s her time. Her time to make-believe.

I wonder what Nia dreams about to make her want to stay in her room as soon as her eyes open and start building lives for her Barbies. I loved to play pretend with my Barbies too. I became lost in their made up lives. I wish I could remember the stories I thought up then. I’m sure they would be good enough for a dollar store book rack.

I asked Nia if I could capture some of her imagination and keep it forever in one of my blogs. She told me sure and then even invited me in to her Barbie world tell me more about what her dolls had been doing at the time she was called to breakfast. Her imagination took a much different turn than mine. I’ll share what I thought they’d been up to and then reveal Nia’s plans for them.

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These dolls are enjoying a healthy brunch and then will follow-up with some serious hair makeovers. They must be having a girls get together during an emotional time in their lives – based on the food choices, the messy hair and the proximity of the toilet. (Upset stomach often calls during a roller coaster of emotions.)

Nia’s thoughts: “They are eating breakfast, lunch and dinner all at once. And I made their house out of the special Liv Doll room I had.”

She sets up a nice spread.

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Clearly, these two just got hitched.

Not so, says Nia. “I just wanted her to sit in his lap.”

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These are girls visiting the pediatrician for their newborns’ check ups. (There’s a baby in that pink stork thing.) The pediatrician is wearing the vinyl hot pants. She has a stethoscope so she must be legit, yo.

Nia sets me straight, “They just visited their neighbors – the girls eating all the food.”

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This poor miss just injured her hand in a fire and now must wear a doll-shaped bandage for it to heal. The fire also frayed her hair.

Nia straightens my mind out, “She’s a teacher who just got fired because she wasn’t reading to the students enough. She was telling them a story with a puppet on her hand when she was fired.”

I like Nia’s version of that one much better. I am concerned about the firing though. Seems like a pretty cool teacher to be using a puppet to act out a story.

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Me: Hot date to the drive-in movie theater.

Nia: They’re just driving home.

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Oh, this one is good. It’s a witch trying to remove the mermaid spell cast upon this Barbie in need of a comb. (The spell will also fix that.) The witch must perform the incantation in a hot tub in order for the mermaid to be the right temperature to shed her scales and form legs. Plus, an adult fruity beverage will also magically appear in celebration after her tail transforms.

Nia had no thought of witches. “The mermaid has to stay in the tub and the girl standing just wanted to warm her feet because she just got back from Kansas City visiting daddy.”

I’m not jealous at all but I like my witch story way better.

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All of the children under age 8 must sit on the only child seat in the house. As soon as one gets down they all must stop watching tv. The dogs, cat, rabbit and Cinderella mouse are attached to the children with an invisible leash. They must go wherever the children go.

Nia explains, “They are brothers and sisters watching tv. See the crown on the bike helmet?” (I love the close up picture below. Really shows the placement of each child – and that crown.)

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I can’t wait to hear what the next morning of Barbie world holds for me. I wonder if that teacher will get her job back?