My Color Vibe 5k

I ran my first color vibe race today. It's an interesting experience. When you first show up other racers greet you by throwing some of their colored corn starch on you. Then during the race there are color stations where more color is thrown at you. It adds a fun element to the race.

I, however found the race to be quite frustrating. I was not prepared to run a race where the large majority of participants were walking. And there was no room to pass them. I wove in and around the crowd the best I could--sprinting and walking in intervals.

Would I do it again? Yes: If I brought Ella and walked it for fun.

Self portrait

It's days like today, when my children fully utilize the dirt that is our back yard, that I question our plan to "improve" the yard.

Ella made herself today.

Zoo time

We went to the zoo this morning. The zoo was busy decorating for Halloween.

Rhys loved the Otters. Eli liked getting a giraffe print on a crushed penny. I liked our picnic afterwards.

Are you enjoying the Fall weather too?

Jump rope club

Ella is part of her school's jump rope club. They meet once a week for 1 1/2 hours. Man, I would have loved this as a kid.

Pumpkin patch

Today we went to the Marana Pumpkin patch. The weather was cool (yes cool! 73 degrees) and it actually felt like Autumn. Sigh.

There was a pig race and a corn maze. There was a straw mountain and a petting zoo. And of course there were pumpkins.

Running is happiness

Ella ran in her first race today.  It was a one mile run.  She says she loved it and is ready to run another.  I could not be a prouder Momma.  (She ran her mile in 11:10)

 

Eli ran in a race today too.  His was a 100 meter dash.  Ella ran with him to give him support.

After running in the Beach to Bay marathon relay this past May I have decided that someday I want to run it with my family as my team.  This relay is a six team relay.  So, all I have to do is have one more child...and wait until they can run five miles each.  Today I feel much closer to that goal (You know, because my kids are already in training.)  I love having a running family.

An infestation!

Getting ready for Halloween...

Captain America

Eli is all about pretending to be superheroes and cowboys and soldiers. But pretending at home is not enough. He wants others to see him all dressed up.

Today he wore his Captain America costume when we walked Ella to school. He rode in the stroller until we got close to school and started to see other people. Then he had to get out and walk so everyone could see that Captain America was there.

May he always have such confidence.

Ahhhh is for Autumn.

Today felt like September.  A September that feels like Autumn.  Like the Septembers in Salt Lake City and St. Louis.  Like the Septembers that I love and miss. 

Sigh. 

I do love Tucson, but Septembers here are usually much hotter than August (August cools down for the Monsoons) and this has ruined my love affair with my birth-month.  Autumn is my favorite season, you see, and today it felt like Autumn.  Ahhhh.

To enjoy this lovely Autumny September day we made an excursion to the zoo.

 See the baby elephant?  I got to see it nursing. 

It was especially fun to see Rhys get excited about the animals.  Here he is pointing out the lions.

 And I just love this picture.

I hope you get to enjoy some Autumn weather this September too.

The crack

We spent Labor Day weekend in St. George. It was tons of fun. Today Julia and Gray took us hiking at Pioneer Park--They called the hike "the crack". See why:

Super

I am the worlds coolest mom.

Your argument is invalid.

Finally!

It just about did Eli in having to wait two days after Ella started school before his school started but he made it. Today Eli started preschool and he loves it.

Here are some pictures. Note the super cool spiderman backpack.

First

Ella starts first grade today. She is super excited. See:

She did it!

Ella is quite pleased with her accomplishment. I told her she had until school starts (it starts in two days) and she was diligent in her efforts.

Here is what she was able to do:

Teach them while they're young

One of the reasons we love living in Tucson is the hiking. We live not five minutes from hiking!

We have lived here for three days now so the time has come to start hiking. Chris left at five in the morning to hike to the top of Sombrero Peak. The kids and I left at seven to hike Sanctuary Cove.

Here are some pictures of our hike: