Ides of Life

Oliver has been ice skating before, but this might be his first time actually enjoying it.

We went ice skating after school one day because Phoebe's best friend had never been!

Phoebe got a FitBit for Christmas and now keeps track of everything. Her continuous hula hooping record is now more than six minutes long. Ask her for the exact record; she is very proud of it.

I've never considered myself a political activist, but Mr. 45 is changing that. His election baffled me and his executive orders have gone against my core values. After 45 wrote an executive order to ban travel from Muslim-majority countries, I proudly stood in solidarity with many other peaceful protestors. I would be ashamed of myself if I didn't do something to stand up for my Muslim friends and neighbors. They are peaceful people that practice a peaceful religion.

Bruce and kids combing the rocky shore for the perfect shell or rock or sea glass. This is in Rhode Island at our neighbor's grandma's house along the shore. It was beautiful!

Phoebe loves loves loves animals. She enjoyed walking our neighbor's dog around the yard in Rhode Island.

For Valentine's Day, Phoebe helped me decorate all the bags for our valentines for the homeless project.

She is running out of teeth.

Martha's Vineyard 20-miler 2017! I first won this race in 2007 and then again in 2012. This year makes it three wins!

February vacation in Quebec: we got a sweet little cottage with an outdoor hot tub.

Phoebe literally chilling out.

Phoebe getting off the magic carpet, ready for more action.

K had never skied before, so gave it a go. She does not like the cold. Or uncomfortable boots. Or awkward skis. But she survived a lesson, learned to stay upright more than on her bum, and tried skiing. Success!

Oliver loved skiing. Scott and I took turns going down the bunny hill with him.

Bruce and Phoebe waiting in line for the lift. That would be Phoebe "doing the Dab," as she calls it. She thinks she is so cool.

Oliver discovered ketchup-flavored Doritos. We may never be the same again.

We tried to include a few things that K would actually enjoy, so we headed to a mall and got pedicures. She claims Canadian malls are sooooo much better than American malls.

Phoebe and her snowshoes.

Phoebe in the Montreal Biosphere, a museum about climate change.

And we finally made it to the Montreal Biodome - the museum we originally intended to see. It's like a zoo/ museum/ aquarium.

Phoebe and her big mouth with an alligator and his big mouth.

Phoebe started a cooking class after school and loves it.

I might just adopt the bullet-point style of blogging from now on. I cannot seem to keep up anymore.

January highlights:

• We added to our family! No, I am not pregnant. We took in a 15-year-old girl from church who needed a place to go. We bought bunk beds and another shelf for Phoebe's room and K fits right in. K is a freshman, a sprinter on her school's track team, and is easygoing but driven. After a full day of school she heads to track practice, then comes home to a pile of homework before dinner and bed. She prefers to spend weekends sleeping in. Thankfully, she is patient with small noisy kids. Anyway, she has been with us since the start of the year and will be with us through at least part of the summer or maybe longer. K is a delight, so we aren't showing her the door.
• I ran a 3K at an indoor track meet. I started official marathon training and jumped in a 3K for fun. I got roasted by the other ladies, but still had a blast.

Phoebe at a community ice skating party.

February highlights:

• It was our neighbor's birthday and he wanted us to celebrate by going to his grandma's house in Rhode Island. We went for a night and enjoyed playing with the dog, throwing rocks into the ocean, playing in a real legit backyard, baking a cake together, staying up chatting, and enjoying time with friends. 
• Valentine's Day was eventful yet again. I organized women from church, school, and neighborhood groups to assemble 120 valentines for the homeless. 100 valentines went to the Salvation Army in Central Square and another 20 went to a smaller women's-only shelter called On The Rise. I also got valentines for Scott and the kids and they gifted me lots of chocolates too.
• I hosted another successful blood drive at church. When I first started organizing drives, I would get so nervous about things possibly going wrong or no one showing up or whatever. I am finally getting to the point where I feel hardly any stress at all. Which is good because this time around, Oliver threw up at school that morning so that changed our plans for the whole day. I am usually there from start to finish, but this time I delegated and disappeared for as much as I could. As for Oliver, he threw up twice but woke up fine the next day.
• I won the Martha's Vineyard 20-miler! This probably deserves its own post, but it's not going to happen. Here is a quick recap: I woke up race morning to a car that wouldn't start. Our car battery was weak anyway and then Phoebe left an interior light on when she was searching for a favorite pencil a few nights before. Oops. Luckily, my parking-spot-neighbor was warming up her car for work, so she gave me a jump-start and I drove the 1 1/2 hours to the ferry. I took the 45-minute ferry to Martha's Vineyard and warmed up for the race. The weather was fantastic. Last year it was ridiculously awfully cold and this year it was in the high 40s or low 50s - so 70 degrees warmer than last year. It was still windy, so I spent the first 10 miles tucked behind two guys. Those initial miles are along the ocean, so the wind is very strong and my face felt like it was being sandblasted. After 10 miles, the course turns inland and the wind isn't as bad but then the hills start rolling. I was not sure what place I was in because there was a relay at the same time; I had seen another woman go out very fast at the start, but wasn't sure if she was a relay runner or a 20-miler. As it turns out, she was a relay runner. Not knowing my place didn't slow me down though: I was determined to race well even if it wasn't going to be a win. I'd worked hard just to get there! But when I got to the finish line and the race director unfurled the winning tape across the line, I was really happy to break it. I first won this race in 2007, so it is nice to be able to come back a decade later and win. 
• February vacation! The kids had a week off of school and Scott took the week off too. We wanted to escape the city, but traveling anywhere with six bodies is now really expensive. We looked at places within a few hours' drive and ended up going to Quebec. K had never been out of the country so was very excited to go somewhere - even if it was just Canada. We stayed at a little vacation house in a small town between Montreal and Quebec. We went skiing and hiking and snowshoeing. The house had a hot tub and tiny sauna, which we used daily. We went on a day-trip to Montreal and after two hours at the wrong museum, we ended up where we originally intended at the Biodome. K is not a huge fan of the cold or outdoors, but she tried a lot of new things. To reward her efforts, we had a girls' day where we went to a mall and got pedicures and facials. We decided that everything tastes better in Canada. Everything was a little cheaper too. Success.

As for kid updates:

• Bruce still loves middle school. He enjoys the feedback and actual grades as opposed to the ambiguous grading system from elementary school. He loves playing piano in the jazz band and now plays regularly at church functions. He loves playing Bananagrams and would sit there putting together words and eating cookies all night if I let him. 
• Phoebe is a joy and a curse still. She is so fun and creative, but throws fits like a two-year-old. I keep hoping this phase will end, but I hear it may just spread into the teenage years. Phoebe still loves taekwondo and is now going twice a week. She is taking a cooking class after school once a week. She made thumbprint cookies the first week and sorbet the next. Phoebe has lost a few teeth and still has a ridiculous streak: she recently etched the word "POOP" into our tabletop with her fork.
• Oliver is still my baby and showing it. He loves preschool but still goes through periods when I have to talk him into attending. He also has a hard time going to Primary on Sundays. He does not like big crowds and so clings to my leg when I try to drop him off with his class. I usually have to sit with him for awhile, then sneak out when he isn't looking.

Happy Mother's Day to my Awesome Mom

 Here is my biggest fan. You would think that with 10 kids, my mom wouldn't have time to make it to everyone's sporting events, plays, science fairs, scouting banquets, and parent-teacher conferences. Somehow she made it to everything for everyone (maybe she had one of these?) and then some (muffins for sick people, volunteering with the police and fire department, community activist, classroom parent for 30 years, etc.). She made it to cheer me on in the marathon this year and saved the day when Bruce and Phoebe both surprised me by being born six weeks early.

 

At the State Cross Country meet my senior year,  my parents led a fan club to remember. Many of my siblings, nieces, nephews, neighbors, and friends came to support me, all dressed with my signature nubbly hair-style. Some painted their faces and my older brother, Dan, even shaved "GO EMILY" into the back of his head. I won the race and still treasure it as one of my best moments because of the support from my family. 

When I went to the State Track meet the following spring, my mom led the troops again and cheered me on through one of the hottest meets of the year (I think it was almost 90 degrees). I ran the 4 x 800-meter relay one night, then the 1600 meters the next day, and the 3200 meters two hours later. While the 3200 meters was my strongest event, it was my last event when I would be the most tired. My dad took a video of the race - and someday when I am savvy enough I will post it - and the best part of the video is during the last 200 meters of the race. Another girl and I had been battling back and forth throughout the race and it came down to the very end. In the video, you can see me pull ahead while the camera jostles all over the place (before the days of image stabilization). You can hear my mom screaming "GO EMILY!" so loud that her voice breaks and cracks. You can tell she is so emotional but it doesn't stop her from yelling into a big stadium even when there is little chance she will be heard by me.

That is my mom: I know she supports me even when I can't hear it coming. When Phoebe was born, my mom came and watched Bruce, made meals, drove me to the hospital, and generally took care of everything. When Phoebe was still in the hospital, my mom brought me to visit her but would reserve Phoebe's limited out-of-the-isolette time for me; my mom did not even hold Phoebe the first time she came out. My mom was a mother first before a grandmother, I guess.

I love you Mom!

Baby J

The past few weeks have been very busy. I've reached that point where I only reply to life-or-death emails, make meals that take less than 15 minutes, and miss playgroups and events because of napping schedules. Sounds like I just had a baby, right? Sort of. I've inherited one during the day; I started nannying Baby J full-time about a month ago. She is four months old and still spends a good chunk of time eating and sleeping. She loves watching Phoebe and Bruce, and laughs when they make silly faces and noises at her.
I expected Phoebe to be jealous of the baby, but so far so good. Phoebe thinks Baby J is just a big baby doll. She likes to rub her hair gently and say "saw" (translation: "soft" - making lots of progress on communicating). She brings her blankets and toys. The only time she shows a tinge of jealousy is when I feed Baby J a bottle. Phoebe has been bottle-free for almost two weeks, but would still take a bottle if given the chance.
A few days ago, Scott was working a night shift and I didn't feel like making dinner. Bruce's favorite restaurant is Qdoba, so for $9 we had a nice date. It was totally worth it: the kids ate like they hadn't eaten in months. It was amazing.

Here's another one of our methods of coping with the crazy schedule: baking chocolate chip cookies. Bruce loves doing this - it's his thing. Phoebe is happy to sample the chocolate chips too.
Bruce likes to say, "The best exercise is to move every day." I think it's something he learned in gym class. We follow that advice and not only walk to and from school, but often stop at the park on the way home. Baby J is happy to get out for a walk, and Bruce and Phoebe are happy to be out of the house.
18-1/2 months. Have I mentioned that I just love this age? Phoebe learns so much every day and is absolutely adorable.
Bruce is still learning a ton too. We have had to institute a "no math at the table" rule. Last weekend we went to the Cambridge Science Festival and he built a robot that propels itself around and draws circles on paper.
Here is Bruce on the track at 7 a.m. Scott was working all night at the hospital and I didn't have time to run that evening, so I took Bruce and Phoebe to the track and ran circles around them before school. Mileage ended when Phoebe discovered the steeplechase pit, which was being filled for a meet later that day.
For Mother's Day, Scott made breakfast in bed for me. Phoebe sat next to me and stole my toast, leaving crumbs all over the bed. Bruce decided that breakfast in bed was super-cool and requested it for his birthday. That evening, we had a picnic with friends at the Arnold Arboretum's "Lilac Sunday." Bruce was in a much more pleasant mood on Sunday; the night before, I told him to put his PJs on and he told me I was the "meanest mom ever." I'm harsh, I know.
And finally, here is a picture of my dirt. I'm excited to eat some broccoli and tomatoes out of here!

Me, the Miler

I hopped on the indoor track for another mile attempt, this time in a distance medley relay. I hadn't run a relay race in a few years, and I'd forgotten how much fun it is (and how nervous it makes me too!). My team, the Greater Boston Track Club, raced against a bunch of college teams. I ran the anchor leg (the last leg of the 1200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter, 1600-meter relay), so unfortunately our final placing was up to me. And unfortunately I'm not a real miler. Four teams passed me, and then I nipped one back at the end (see the photo finish below).
After the race, I remembered why I used to carry cough drops with me to every indoor track meet: the "track hack" (I think it's the combination of deep, hard breathing and really dry indoor air?). After coughing for a solid 15 minutes, I went for a 10-mile cooldown with some teammates and felt much, much better by the end. 78 days until the Boston Marathon!