Last Tri of the Season

I participated in an all women's triathlon this morning.  It's the last one of the season for me.  I gave up on the Olympic distance tri a couple of weeks ago as the fall semester was fast approaching and my kids were starting their new school years.  I just couldn't fit in the training.  But I'm fine with that - maybe next year!

Today's tri was the last of the season for me.  I injured my hip last week and have an appt with an orth doc next week.  Today I was actually proud of my bike time - I averaged 18.8 mph on the hilly course.  This is a HUGE improvement from last year.  I have my father in law to thank for that b/c I did most of my long distance rides with him & my husband while we were visiting them in TN.  I was disappointed in my run time - I only averaged around a 9 min mile and I've been averaging 8:15-8:45 all summer.  Perhaps it was my hip (it hurt with every step) or perhaps I just had an off day, but I hope to be a little quicker with my run next year.  My swim was fine.  It's my strongest leg.

I had the pleasure of doing this race with a few of my friends from work.  We had a great time and it was a great race.  Overall, a wonderful way to end the tri season! :)

Kindergarten Part 2

I dropped my son off for kindergarten this morning.  Although I am completely secure and confident in the hands taking care of him I did find myself getting a little nostalgic.  When I left him, he was playing with some new friends on the playground.  My eyes teared up a bit as I walked away and wondered how my baby got so big!?!  Oh well, I had to shake it off quickly because I had to give my first lecture of the semester an hour later.  Thankfully, I had a friend who was dropping off her son for kindergarten as well with whom to share the emotional moment.  In case you can't tell, both our eyes and noses are a little red and swollen. ;)  Now that it has been a few hours, I'm back to being excited for my son and can't wait to find out how his first day at school went!

Kindergarten!

My oldest starts kindergarten this week!  This morning we attended an open house to meet his teacher, drop off school supplies, and familiarize ourselves with his room.  It was so much fun!  We knew lots of folks thanks to the pool party that one of the moms hosted on Friday afternoon for all of the kindergartners and their families.  Of course, I love meeting new people (as does my son - wonder where he gets it???)  so I have really enjoyed meeting the other moms and watching the kids get to know each other.

Below is my big boy with his teacher.   I've signed up to help some in his class and can't wait to see how he likes his first day tomorrow!

Nutritionist

I took my oldest son to a nutritionist this morning at the recommendation of the endocrinologist we saw in June and it was such a good appointment.  With all the conflicting books and junky information out there on the Internet, it was wonderful to sit down with someone who has the education to make some solid, evidence-based recommendations.

We talked about everything from child nutrition to organic foods to developing good eating habits in kids.  It was WONDERFUL!  I was pleased that she was complimentary of my kids' diets and positive about the way we handle food issues and family meals (of course, there is always room for improvement!).   She, like me, is a huge proponent of families eating together and eating the same foods (no short order cooking!) because data has shown that modeling is the single most important factor in a child's eating habits.

For my son, bottom line is that he is healthy as a horse but that he's just not consuming enough calories.  Given that he is offered the exact same foods as his siblings and they are growing and gaining appropriately, there are some factors specific to him that are the cause.  The first is that to my son, food just isn't that interesting or fun - especially compared to other things he could be doing.  The second is that he is a slow eater and this contributes to him losing interest in food quickly and not consuming as many calories as his counterparts when he eats.  The third is that the foods he tends to fill up on first (namely fruits) are not calorically dense.  The fourth is that he has a high metabolism which is probably even higher due to fact that he has some baseline allergy and a reactive airway issues.

I could write a novel on all the good information the nutritionist gave me from the steps of eating, to common food myths, to the organic vs. non organic and the "sugar-is-bad" debates.  SOOO fascinating!  Someday in my spare time I would love to go back to school and and get a degree in nutrition. ;)  For now, I'm so thankful to have found someone knowledgeable to help my son.  I have high hopes and am so excited to delve into the information she gave me and put it into practice.

First Day of Pre-K!

My middle child starts pre-k today!  I love her so much and am so proud of my sweet girl.  She's getting bigger by the minute!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

While my youngest naps, I like for my older 2 to do "room time" for an hour or so - they are supposed to play quietly in their rooms.  This allows me to get a few things done - a load of laundry, dishes, or even a quick workout.  Well, today they were quite mischievous and played "beauty parlor" on my daughter.  They cut chunks out of her hair in various places.  My son eventually realized that they were going to get in trouble and came down to confess.  When I ran upstairs to assess the damage I passed piles of hair on the stairs and in the hallway.  

I ended up having to cut about 5 inches off my daughter's hair.  She showed little remorse except for when she was getting in trouble.  After I repaired what I could she surveyed herself in the mirror and gleefully exclaimed, "Look mommy!  I'm like Rapunzel after Flynn cut her hair!".  Sigh...how am I ever going to get her hair in a bun when she starts dance again in a few weeks? 

Funny Conversations

This week was my oldest son's first week at his new school.  We started him in the day program they offer before school starts so he could get used to the new environment and meet some of his classmates.  He is loving it there and I have loved our conversations on the drive to and from school.  Here are a few of the funnier conversations from the week.

1.  No Hearts Please
When packing his lunch for the first day, I wrote him an "I love you.  Have a great day" note on a heart shaped piece of paper.  In the car after picking him up I asked if he got the note, fully expecting a hallmark moment filled with words of love and thanks.  Instead he briskly replied, "Yes mom, I did.  But, did you know you wrote it on a heart?  I really don't like hearts.  Next time could you please write 'I love you" on a planet shape instead?"

2.  Education Talk
On the way from school to church on Wednesday my son asked, "Mom, you're a pharmacist, right?" 

I replied in the affirmative.  He then asked, "Daddy is an engineer, right?".

After I confirmed that he was correct he then asked, "What am I?". 

Realizing that he was asking why he wasn't born with a profession, I launched into an epistle on how he was a kid and how his job right now is to go to school and learn and that mommy & daddy did the same thing when we were his age.  He then wanted to know how much school we had to attend in order to obtain our current degrees.  So, I discussed elementary through high school and then the various degrees we earned culminating in our doctorates.

He listened intently and then declared, "I think I want to be an astronomer.  How much school would that take?".

I hesitantly told him that he would probably need a PhD and that it would take him until he was 26 or 27 to finish school.  I fully expected him to dismiss the idea after considering how long it would take.  When I finished, I looked down at his little face that was creased in concentration to see his reaction.  He surprised me by looking up with a big smile and stating confidently, "Okay mom, that sounds great!  I'll be an astrononer" 

Ummm - okay - that was easy!  One education talk done, 2 more to go with the other kids.  Hope they go as well as the first one!  Ha! ;)

TN Trip

We just returned from a week and half visiting family and friends in the southeast.   It was a blast!  We got to visit some friends at their lake house and had a great time boating & visiting on Saturday.  My kids got to spend some time with their cousins and enjoyed playing and swimming.  We also got to spend some time just hanging out with everyone and celebrating my youngest son's second birthday.  It was wonderful seeing everyone and was a treat getting spoiled by our mothers.  It was jolt back to reality for me to have to fix dinner for my family tonight (don't feel too bad for me - I went and picked up Chick Fil A - those peach shakes are delicious!).  Below are some picture from the trip.  Can't wait to see everyone again around Christmas!

My tired boy fell asleep in the boat while wearing his life jacket

Me & my friend E

Grammy and her granddaughters

The four big cousins

Our baby boy is 2!

Yummy cake

Reading with Dadaji

kids and their great grandfather