End of Year parties with the Kids

Both the kids had end of the year parties in the park down the street from the school. Andrew's was on Monday (school got out on Wednesday.) They took sack lunches and played for about an hour and a half. It was pretty fun. I ended up pushing some of his friends on the swings and then playing the outfield in kickball. These second graders are hard core kickball fans. They are very serious about the rules and take the game so seriously. They don't like to get out. There were lots of tears shed when kids were out. I can't imagine playing kickball on a daily basis with this crew, but it was certainly fun for a one time thing. I couldn't convince Andrew to play though.

Marin's class also went to the park on Wednesday. We were not so lucky with the weather. It was sprinkling and pretty chilly. The kindergarteners didn't seem to mind though. Prior to going to the park, we had a graduation ceremony. Marin's teacher wrote a poem about each child that she read and then presented them with their graduation hat and a handshake. She was a wonderful teacher who really understood each child in that class. She created an environment where the kids were able to thrive. Marin's poem was called Marin Who.

Marin Who

Marin who
Is short blond hair
With delicate earrings
Sparkly necklaces
And vibrant bracelets
An accessories queen
With extra headbands, hair bands, and shoes
In her backpack
Marin who
Loves her family
Going to Publishing House
And writing about her mom
And many family adventures
Marin who
Works hard
And always gives her best efforts
With every task
Marin who
Is kind and helpful
To others
Eager to please
A gentle smile
And hand to help
A classmate or friend in need
Marin who
Has a generous spirit
Who I will remember
Because of her infectious laughter.

Thu Truong

What a great poem that really captures Marin. It was so nice to see her move on to first grade. She has really progressed this year. When we were at the park, I spent much of the time giving the kids underdogs. I was pretty tired after doing at least 40 underdogs. They would giggle and laugh each time. Some only wanted to go sort of high and others I couldn't get high enough. It was interesting to watch the different personalities come out. We had pizza and veggies and fruit in the rain. It was a fun day though.

I am so proud of both of the kids for doing their best in school. They are both well liked. They both excel in their studies. What wonderful children I have.

Taekwondo Purple Belt

Andrew tested on Friday night for his purple belt. He was really nervous on the way there. He gets very anxious before every test. He was worried that he wouldn't get his new belt. I knew that he would if his teacher told him that he was ready to test. He did really well on his form and with sparring. There were only two boys going for their purple belt. The other kid towered over Andrew, but he held his own. We are so proud of his progress. If all goes well, he will have his black belt by the time he turns ten. Good Job Andrew!

Newport Marathon

Eden and I have been training for 18 long weeks. We saw all our hard work end on May 30 in the Newport Marathon. It was really fun to follow the same training plan as Eden. Each week we would email each other about how our training was going. It was amazing how similarly our training went. We ran most of our runs at about the same pace so it was looking like it was going to be a fun run. Eden had initially said she would come out by herself. Then Jarrett wanted to come out with her. Pretty soon the kids were coming too and it turned into a family affair. Eden and her family got here on Wednesday. Eden had had a mishap with the neighbors' dogs before she left Maryland. She ended up having an infection on the top of her foot, right where her laces would be. It looked pretty nasty and was pretty painful for her. We went to the instacare Thursday afternoon and found out that she needed antibiotics. We were worried that her foot would really bother her for 26.2 but she was determined to race.
We left Friday for the coast. It was a long, crowded trip out to Newport. The kids were pretty well behaved, although they serenaded us with a little ditty that Ashton made up called "Ashton and Marin". By the end of the car trip, Jarrett was ready to jump out the window if he heard any more of that song. Andrew couldn't resist singing it though.
We went to race headquarters and got our packets for the race. Eden and I are in the same age category so I was looking for an edge to do better. I thought if I entered the Athena division (if you weigh over 145 lbs.) that I could potentially do better. I asked the lady if I could be weighed in. She wrote my number down, set the scale to 145 and told me to step on. I thought that with my clothes, a fleece, and shoes that I might be close. The scale did not budge and she told me to come back after I had eaten dinner and maybe I could be entered in the Athena division. Well, as Kevin was looking up race results, it turns out they kept me in that division, although I didn't make the weigh in.
Eden and I both were a little tense the afternoon before the race. Eden had a string of bad luck that included dropping two batteries out of her camera, right into the ocean as we were watching the sea lions. She was beginning to wonder if she was going to have any luck on her side at all. We both got a decent night's sleep, which can be unusual before a big race.
We got up and were ready to had to the start Saturday morning at 6:30 am. Kevin took us to the start. It is a pretty small race--there were less than 700 runners. There looked like a lot of seasoned marathoners there. There were two men who were running their 100th marathons and another that was well into the 200s. It was pretty impressive. We were anxious for the start of the race. It took about 30 seconds for us to cross the start line after the gun was sounded. We had decided that barring anything unforeseen we would run together. We were going to take it easy for the first half of the race and hopefully pick up the pace towards the end. It is a beautiful course that follows the Yaquina Bay. It is pretty isolated though. There is not much in the way of crowd support except at the turn around (15.5 mile mark) and at the finish. It was nice to have Eden for company. We were both feeling pretty good. Her foot was holding up pretty well. Newport Marathon is billed as a flat marathon, although we came to find out that from the turn around on, it is a gradual uphill. From mile 25-26 it is a pretty significant uphill with the last .2 miles finishing downhill. We stayed right on pace for the first 17-18 miles, maybe even longer. At about 20 miles, we slowed pretty considerably. We wanted to finish between 4:15 and 4:30. We ended up finishing in 4:28:55. It felt really great to cross the finish line. We ran the whole thing, except for the aid stations, which we walked through to stay hydrated. We both got emotional as we got close to the finish. It was really nice to have our families there. Norm and Marilyn drove out for the day just to see us cross the finish line as well. We appreciated all the support, especially from the kids who were great cheerleaders. What an amazing thing. We are already planning to race another marathon and beat our time. I guess we have the bug.

Happy 33rd Birthday Kevin

Happy Birthday Kevin!! I am embarrassed to admit that I thought he was going to be 34 until I counted it up. He is still so young. Aahh, to be in my early thirties. We celebrated with his family, all weekend long. He wanted ribs and black bottom cupcakes so that is what his mother made. He got lots of gift cards and a really nice suit. He looks very sharp in his suit, although I don't have a picture of it yet. I hope you had a great birthday weekend--Kevin always stretches his birthday out as long as possible.

Taekwondo Tournament

Andrew competed in his first Championship Tournament. It was pretty small since it took place over Memorial Day weekend. It was great because it only lasted 5 1/2 hrs. instead of much longer. There were some great demonstrations. Andrew competed in his form and sparring. He took second place in both. In forms, he was competing against adults as well as other children, so I am really proud of him taking second place. He was very pleased that he got two really nice medals.

K_2 Music Program 2009

Each spring, the school puts on a music program showcasing some of the songs that the kids have been learning throughout the year. This year, they had a new music teacher who seemed like a real hipster. He did a very eclectic mix of music with the kids, from the Beatles, to Coldplay, to patriotic songs. They were both very cute, singing with their grades.

Publishing House Spring Tea 2009

This might be the kids' last publishing house tea. Our school budget is shot for next year. I actually went to my first PTA meeting to try to keep Publishing House around but it was voted out for next year. I am hoping that they will find some money between now and next fall so that we don't lose this valuable program. Marin has published countless books this year through the program. Andrew's class hasn't shown up much but in year's past he has also really benefited from it. At the tea, they both were so cute reading their stories. I love to see the progress that they make throughout the year.