Just me

Today is one of those days. The kids are in school. I'm just sitting here. Doing nothing. It's weird. It's lovely. It's lonely.

I've got to get out.

Nerdy fitness freak of a husband is up to his old tricks!

This past spring Ryan ran a 25K trail run. It was on the Superior Trail in Northern MN. It was called Superior Trail Race, and it was really pretty rad. He was able to run up a mountain and through the woods. He loved it. 

This is the half way marker. He looked pretty darn good. But he told me he paced himself with the guy in the yellow. Then after the half way point, he took off on his own. I knew he ran hard when we saw him at the finish line. He did NOT look as chipper.

After the race, he was able to collect himself. Rest. Get his feet washed off because of all the dirt, and pose for a photo with the kids. Miles brought his friend "J" on the trip. Claire said Ryan "smelled bad", and of course went full drama mode for the photo. What a butt.

Afterward we went swimming at the resort, out to dinner in Grand Marais and checked out Lake Superior. It was a really nice night.

Once home, Ryan learned he injured himself in the run. He's still rehabbing. But he's back on the road running like Forrest Gump in aqua socks. Yeah...Ryan runs in aqua socks. He's a fan of barefoot running, but I assured him that he'd get some kind of funky ass infection running the streets of St. Paul barefoot. He disagreed. I told him, "you'll step on glass and get dog shit in there or something." And sure as shit...he stepped on glass and it got all jacked up. So he wears stupid aqua socks.

But I digress. Ryan has informed me he is no longer going to run the 25K trail run again. He wants to run the 100 MILE trail run in 3 years. 100 MILES! That's a fucking long race. Apparently you have to complete it in 38 hours. Who stays awake, running, in the wilderness, IN THE DARK, for fun? I certainly don't.

But my crazy husband will. And is planning on it. I hope they make that human GPS chip available by then. I'm sure AT&T won't cover that area very well, and I'd hate to be THAT widow at the support group, whose husband died on a 100 mile trail run. I can imagine the comments now.

6 going on 16

This morning Claire changed her outfit twice. She first put on the clothes I had laid out for her. Then after a bit, announced she wanted to wear her new boots because her jeans were called, "Bootcut" therefore, she had to wear boots.

She tucked her little boot cut jeans into her boots and said, "They're too puffy here mom." Indicating to me that area around your knees where the jeans bunch up.

I said, "Hurry up! You're going to be late for school."

She said, "Just one second. I'm going to try my 'Skinny jeans'." And she did. She emerged very happily from her room. Jeans tucked into her boots with perfection.

Then she said, "Do you think I should change my shirt? This one doesn't match very well." Ugh.

Cut to her walking out to the car, all new outfit, looking about 10 years older, and happy as a fucking clam.

The teen years are going to be so hard for me. I just know it. Kill me now. No seriously. Kill me.

Back to school!

The kids went back to school. I don't know how I feel about it. It's the first time in 8 years that I don't have a kid with me. And when I say the first time, I mean...really....the FIRST time.

I think I can count on one hand how many times I've left my kids. It never happens. I don't like it to happen. I really really like my kids. I'm one of THOSE parents. But don't hold it against me. They can piss me off with the best of them. But I really do enjoy their company. They're funny little things.

So it's the first time I've been alone. I don't know how I feel about it. My girlfriend who is in the same boat as I am suggested we do something to keep our minds off not having the kids around. So we went to the Mall of America and IKEA. Eh. It kind of helped. But then I was surrounded by stay at home moms with their little kids whining and screaming about some sort of shit or another. And I was reminded how good my kids are and then I missed them again.

Anyway. Day two of my kids at school full time. I was worried that Claire would have a difficult transition. But I was wrong, and Ryan texted me after he dropped them off saying:

So that's good news I guess. It's Claire's first foray into full day school. She couldn't be happier. Better that, than her bawling her eyes out carrying on like a deranged lunatic with a weird sort of Oedipal complex. She said she missed me, but I bet she didn't. That little people pleaser.

Here are the kiddos on the first day of 1st and 3rd grade. Ugh. They're getting big and old. So am I for that matter.

At least I still have this. A reminder of our last day at the fair. Claire and I went again just the two of us. We met her best friend and her mom. We can't help ourselves. It was divine. I miss summer already. Yeah that's a big pickle!