Memorial Day at Torrey Pines – it doesn’t get much better than this.
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The five year old mind can be a mystery at times. Case in point:
Paul: In school we talked about people who help other people.
I raised my hand and said, “Mexican soldiers.”
Mom: What were some of the other answers?
Paul: Nurses, doctors, firefighters…
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In October 2007 I ran the half-marathon portion of the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon. When I took a running break afterward, I wasn’t expecting that my next run would be almost two years later. I could probably come up with a million excuses as to why I stopped running – the cold Michigan winter in 2007, moving to California in the summer of 2008, adjusting to San Diego and being intimidated by the hills in my new neighborhood, returning to work after six years of being a stay at home mom, and on and on. Like I said, lots of excuses. But for whatever reason, it took until last month to see if I could redeem myself as a runner.
On Sunday I proved to myself that I still have what it takes. After hearing about the Navy’s 23rd Original Bay Bridge Run/Walk from a friend, I signed myself up (just in time too – the event sold out quickly). The Bay Bridge Run/Walk is a four mile course over the Coronado Bay Bridge. The event raises funds for Navy Quality of Life Programs.
Sunday morning was perfect for a running event. The race didn’t start until eight but I drove myself downtown early to find a good parking spot. Plus, I had a lot of nervous energy and excitement and couldn’t wait to start. It was a perfect morning for a run despite (or maybe because of) it being overcast with a few on and off drizzles. My time was 48 minutes and 20 seconds. I had to laugh at myself because it seems like no matter what I do, I can’t break past that 12-minute mile.
As I walked toward the ferry to cross the bay and return to my car, I couldn’t help but think that it had been a perfect day. I’m already looking forward to my next run – the Aflac Iron Girl 5k on June 7th (my birthday). I’ve even recruited some friends to run with me.
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Megan turned eight on Tuesday. Here she is with her “Shamu” cake which she requested over the weekend. Megan is all about Shamu right now. No surprise here, she requested that we spend her birthday at SeaWorld. Living in San Diego has it’s advantages. Adam had taken the kids over spring break but this was my first visit – what a treat. Adam and I picked the kids up after school (they have a half day every Tuesday) and we spent the afternoon going to shows and playing on the kiddie rides at the park.
We went to the Dolphin Show (and got soaked sitting in the second row of the “Splash Zone” – Megan’s request), the Sea Lion Show and of course, the Shamu Show. We fed fish to the seals and bravely walked the tunnel of sharks. The park closed at six, but we made the most of our short time there. The best part is that our tickets allow us to return as often as we want until the end of the year. We decided to save the water rides for a warmer day. After getting soaked at the Dolphin Show, we were all freezing.
Happy Birthday Megan!
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As a child, my most beloved possession was my tooth fairy pillow. I still have it, carefully packaged away to preserve it’s frayed edges. One year my parents staged a tooth fairy visit so convincing that I truly believed that I was going to be a tooth fairy someday. That said, Adam and I have never carried on the tooth fairy tradition with our kids. We enjoy playing make-believe with Megan and Paul but we have never acted as though the tooth fairy were real (we apply the same approach to Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny).
Last Friday Megan lost a bottom tooth. Right before bed she confided, “I’m testing the tooth fairy tonight. I put my tooth under my pillow to see what will happen.” “Oh really,” I thought, “now what should I do?” Megan also told me that she had been reading tooth fairy books at school that day. Curiosity had taken a hold of her!
Instead of crushing Megan’s spirit I made the decision to play tooth fairy. We talked about what might happen and after discussing the going rate (Megan suggested $100.00…I suggested $.25) I tucked Megan and Paul into bed. A few hours later I tip-toed into Megan’s room and replaced her tooth with two shiny quarters. I placed her tooth safely into the pouch of a stuffed animal tooth fairy pillow which was sitting on Megan’s desk.
Megan woke up the next morning with a huge grin on her face. While she didn’t say anything at first, it was clear that she had checked for her tooth and found the quarters. A few hours passed before Megan declared, “Mom, the tooth fairy is real.” Paul quickly seized the opportunity to add his two cents. “The tooth fairy isn’t real,” he said, “I took your tooth and put money under your pillow.”
Keep in mind that Megan sleeps in a loft bed. Paul would have had to climb the loft ladder and crawl across Megan – without waking her up. “Really,” asked Megan, “If it was you, where is my tooth?” Without skipping a beat, Paul told Megan exactly where the tooth was hidden. He and Megan ran to her room to see if he were right.
“I guess Paul is the tooth fairy,” Megan laughed.
Case closed.
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