"Hello, this is Kara."

I'm writing an article about elite runner-mommas for New England Runner Magazine's July "women's issue." I've been interviewing mostly regional elite runners who have kids, but by some random hookup the editor of the magazine got me in touch with Kara Goucher (shown above, kicking booty in the 2009 Boston Marathon before finishing third). She called me yesterday and we talked for a half-hour about running, diaper changes, Nike, and motherhood. I tried not to sound too star-struck, but I totally was. While we talked, Bruce watched PBS Kids and fed Phoebe a steady stream of chocolate chips in her high chair so I could talk in peace. It's probably a good thing that my "chocolate chip babysitter" isn't available for marathon training runs.

To the plank!

The gym we went to this week had a pirate ship play structure with a plank set above a pit of foam blocks. On the way to the gym, Bruce kept talking about how he was going to jump off the plank into the pit, but his story changed when we got there...

He did eventually go off the plank, but never crazy-style. For all the energy Bruce has, he is actually very cautious. Phoebe, on the other hand...

Play Place

School Vacation Week

Sorry for the lack of blog updates, but it isn't because of a lack of interesting things going on. This week is February Vacation, perhaps something that only schools in Massachusetts celebrate. As you can see, we've been playing to the point of exhaustion. The above picture was taken yesterday after an outing to a park, a McDonald's Play Place, and a gymnastics gym.
On Monday, we went to the Museum of Science. On Tuesday, we went to the Children's Museum. On Wednesday, we went to the Museum of Fine Arts. On Thursday, we hit up the gymnastics gym. And today, we went to the library and watched Shaun the Sheep episodes on this lovely rainy day.
I have a bunch of pictures and videos, which I will add later. These photos are from the Children's Museum.
Here's Phoebe in a refugee exhibit. The kids thought it was a fun exhibit. I thought it was a little weird - I mean, kids shouldn't think being a refugee is fun, right?

Happy Valentine's Day

My mom found this email I'd sent when Scott and I announced our engagement to our family and friends...

Subject: Announcement!

Hello everyone.

The rumors are true. I've found the man of my dreams and I am marrying him on August 22 in Columbus, Ohio. His name is Scott Raymond. He is a sweet Montana man majoring in physics and neuroscience here at BYU. He is absolutely amazing and makes me excessively giddy. I hope everyone is doing well. Life is good.

-Emily

Day in the Life of Phoebe

Phoebe is a busy body. She is busy learning all kinds of new tricks...
...like climbing onto Bruce's train table, for instance...
...or trying to escape (since she can just about open the door, I'm heading to Home Depot tomorrow for some childproofing gear)...
...or grabbing a bite when she can manage it. She noticed the pantry door was ajar and helped herself to Target-version Lucky Charms - she skipped over the Cheerios and Fiber One of course.
Phoebe loves to pull all the books off the bookshelf in Bruce's room, which drives him absolutely crazy. Life isn't all mischief though: playdate!Snacktime!Phoebe gets serious about playing...
...three blocks......four blocks!Phoebe likes to climb into this chair in Bruce's room. She must feel really cool because she will just sit there for a few minutes and babble to herself.We wrap up the day with Bruce, who is a very willing reader - although Phoebe is not always a willing listener.

The Calm before the Storm

I was going to get some before and after shots of the latest snow storm to hit town, but the snow started early. We've had 1-2 major storms each week for the past few weeks, and now the snow is piled high. Today and tomorrow we will get another 16 inches added to the pile.
These are my "before" pictures. Notice the parking meters are barely peeking out of the snow and that poor car is probably stuck there until spring comes.
The sidewalks and ramps are so snowy (and skinny since not everyone shovels with a nice wide jogging stroller in mind) that I can't push a stroller through them. To get Bruce to school, I've been putting Phoebe in a hiking backpack. I'll be glad when the snow melts - someday.
Check back in a day or two for "after" pictures of this latest storm. Should be crazy.