Sunday, August 25, 2013

AuGUSTO Run

This morning Cody & I ran the AuGUSTO Run at OP Schnabel Park. This was our 3rd 5k race and our 2nd one chip timed. 

We arrived around 6:30am for the 7am race and it was still dark outside. We had to wait for the sun to rise before we could capture some pre-race pictures. Cody & I were trying to recall the last time we watched the sun rise together.
Waiting for the 5k wave to start

The course was nice and relatively easy. The start was difficult to pass fellow runners because the trail was only 2 people wide at the beginning. I had to wait till it opened up to start passing other runners and catch up to Cody. I caught up to him much faster this time and we ran together for a short distance. We were passing some of the 10k wave runners that had started before us, which was pretty motivating for us!

After the water station and 5k turnaround I ran ahead of Cody and really didn't see many others running around me. I ended up running the tail end in with another male runner and he shook my hand after the finish line. Cody ran in passing another female and she told Cody "you passing me encouraged me to start running again". Cody told her "I'm trying to catch my wife!"

Needless to say, I beat him (again but not by much)!
Apparently they handed me a bottle of water...I don't remember this!

Post-race, waiting for official chip time (I knew we had both beat our own times)

While we waited for all the 10k and 18k runners to finish we enjoyed some awesome freebies from local vendors! We got some nice shirts (and my cool shades) from BurgerFi, Miller 64 beer, Starbucks, Pericos breakfast tacos, La Madeline croissants, & sample smoothies from our favorite Smoothies Extreme & Oxygen Bar (yes, we even got to try the oxygen post-race)!
Courtesy of Scottydog Reports
Guess what?! 
We BOTH got medals!!
Chip Time 27:30 Pace 8:51 Female 30-39 #3 Overall Female #4 Overall #9 out of 47 runners

Chip Time 27:55 Pace 8:59 Male 30-39 #3 Overall Male #7 Overall #11 out of 47 runners


I can't believe we got medals on our 2nd chip timed race! I guess it helps that a lot of runners ran the 10k and 18k distances...giving us newbies a chance!


All race stats are posted here

*UPDATE with race photos:





Thursday, August 22, 2013

Little Smarties!

Preschool has become a much smoother process at home now that the girls know the routine and my expectations. Sometimes I don't feel like much is being learned but the videos are proof they are, in fact, learning!

Reese has learned 3 more sight words to add to her list!


She has also learned how to skip count by 2's and 5's on top of counting by 10's!


Emma can now say all 12 months of the year! (she also knows days of the week)


Emma has developed into a great artist and loves to color! She stays in the lines and gets very upset if she messes up or the colors are wrong.

Scarlett is able to identify all her body parts!


She can also count to five, fold her hands for prayer & say "Thank you Father"..."Amen". She is obsessed with trying to dress herself (even if she's already dressed). She now sits and pays attention to our morning songs and even tries to do any action movements associated with the song.

I am one proud Mom!!!


Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Learn To Like Running

Tonight I was asked: "How did you start running? How did you learn to like it?"

I got so excited over this text message that I decided to make it a post! I am still very much a "new" runner and I am still very much learning! Here is what I have learned in a short period of time:

1. There is never a good time to start running. As long as you own a good set of shoes and a good sports bra you are ready to go! (p.s. buy running shoes 1/2-1 full size bigger...I did not and am regretting it).
2. Sign up for a novelty 5k run (that isn't even timed)! Once you have paid money and committed to a timeframe you will be motivated (hopefully) to get out there and start running. You will be able to run a race without all the pressure of time & pace. Most importantly, you will associate running with a FUN event. Personally, I did the Color Me Rad 5k.

3. Download a free app to track your runs, milage, time, pace. etc. I suggest Runkeeper but there is also mapmyrun. An app will help you know how far you have gone during a run, your pace, calories burned, and even lets you compete against friends.

4. Start running slow and don't push the distance right off the bat. Start with a 1 mile run 2-3x/week. Then aim for 2 mile runs the next week and so on. Your endurance will get better with each run. I used to be out of breath after 1/2 a mile! I am not kidding. Over time, I started adding an extra 1/2 mile with each run and I started to notice a difference in my endurance.

5. Running takes practice & patience! No one likes it at the beginning. It is HARD work, exhausting, & really really hot during a summer in Texas. BUT... I feel awesome after a good run! I get a jolt of energy (and can even skip out on my morning coffee because I am so awake after a run). I am not as quick to get frustrated with the kids - mainly because I got "me time" before dealing with the daily chaos all children bring ;)

6. Hydrate! I didn't focus on this when I first started running and I quickly realized that I had to. Drink a large glass of water BEFORE going on a run. If you are running less than 3 miles, then you really don't have to run with water. Definitely hydrate after a run!

7. Stretch! I honestly had NO clue on how to stretch for running...so I didn't do it. Then after a week or two my calves and shins were killing me! So I searched for stretching tips on Pinterest and I really like this video!

8. Everyone has a plateau point in running. A point at which all the sudden your breathing becomes more in rhythm and running gets "easier". Each person can have a different plateau point. I have noticed mine is around 2.5 miles. So for the first 2.5 miles of a run I feel like I am having to work at running (doesn't help that I have to run uphill at the start and end of my route). Once I get past 2.5 miles all the sudden I feel like I can keep going forever (well, you know what I mean). So if you are just starting out and it is just plain HARD, hang in there! It should get easier once you find your plateau.

9. Form - practice makes perfect! I really have to remind myself this one while running.
10. Mind over matter! You CAN do it (even if you don't want to)!
11. Make the time. I love sleep just as much as the next person. So I alternate running in the evening with early morning runs. I (still) cringe setting the alarm to wake up and go running before everyone else wakes up. But I feel fabulous when I get back and am ready for what the day will bring. Morning and evening runs are very different. Morning runs are definitely not as hot but they are still humid and you will be sweating just the same. I have noticed that I have more "eagerness" to go for an evening run. Maybe because I am ready to de-stress after a long day. But it is absolutely HOT. For anything more than 4 miles I am now running with water on me. And I sleep like a baby after an evening run!

12. Get Support. A friend let me borrow a copy of Run Like a Mother.It has been very educational and motivational at the same time. It is a easy read with information that really helps new runners. They also have a page on Facebook and a blog. You can easily find running groups through Facebook for your area/state.

13. Running is a love/hate relationship. It's a good idea before you go, you hate it during & love it after, which makes it all worth it!

*UPDATE: I wanted to add this one in after a response I got on Facebook: "I feel like people judge me if I try. Like maybe I look like Phoebe from Friends".

14. You don't have to be glamorous to run! If you check out my finish line photo from my recent Loteria 5k, you will realize we all probably look like Phoebe! It is truly amazing how much respect you will get from fellow runners: waves, "good jobs", & even honks while you are out there! Only a runner can appreciate the time, dedication and hard work it takes to be out there. I used to be the person passing judgement - I will never be that person again! No matter who is judging you... you are still running faster than them!

I hope this helps! You can do it!


September PreK Lesson Plans


*NOTE: all the material/links below are assigned to days on the calendar. Please take a look at my calendar to see how I break the material up. This can easily be altered to your own needs.

~Here is my September calendar~

~Bible Stories~


Hidden Treasure: The Jesus Storybook Bible -Treasure Hunt pg. 250
Good Samaritan: Bandaid Matchbook printable, Helping Hands goal sheet, Sequence coloring, coloring
Zacchaeus: The Jesus Storybook Bible -The man who didn't have any friends pg. 264, Sequence coloring, Can You Find Zacchaeus activity sheet, Craft idea
The Lost Son: The Jesus Storybook Bible -Running Away pg. 272, craft idea, journey maze, story sequence, coloring sequence, hidden pictures, short film, matching, trace/color, search & find

~Bible Songs~
Zacchaeus Sing-Along
Never Give Up Sing-Along

~Chapel Music~
These are the 2 CD we use for our chapel music. The music is actually REALLY good! You can find the motions for her main songs on YouTube.

~Songs~
The More We Get Together sing-along (friendship week)
The Journey Home from Grandpa's sing-along
Zumba from Action! Fun! Dance! (foward/backward concept)
This Little Piggy here and here

~Monthly~
All About the Letter A-Z worksheets
Letter Identification A-Z printables
Alphabet coloring here or here
Sight words flashcardscolor by numbers, search, sentences
Blends: Activity booklets, R Blends worksheets
Numbers of the Week here

~My Family & Me~
Family Tree activity
God Made the World in which We Live coloring
Community Helper: Astronaut pack
Grandparent's Day craft ideas (pick anything you like!)
*NEW: Letter A mini book

~Friendship Week~
Pray For Each Other song lyrics
Letter B Itsy Bitsy book
Friendship Collage - collage friend pictures
Friendship High Fives here
Community Helper: Baker coloring

~My Body~
Letter C Itsy Bitsy book
My Body pack
Make Sock Puppets idea
I Am Special fingerprint activity
My Five Piggies craft
Piggy Shape graph
Counting Backwards worksheet
Community Helper: Coach coloring (talk about different types of coaches)

~All About Birthdays~
Letter D Itsy Bitsy book
Cake color by number
Happy Birthday pack
Community Helper: Doc McStuffins pack
Birthday Handprint Art idea
Appleseed label body parts, Apple Addition worksheet, Apple Pickin' match, Apple unit
Happy Birthday To Me pack





Saturday, August 10, 2013

Friendly Lovers Battle

This morning Cody & I participated in our very 1st chip timed race! We were up and ready to go bright & early ... and eager for a friendly lovers battle on the course :)
This was our 2nd 5k race but the first "real" one that was actually timed. The Color Me Rad 5k we did was just a novelty run that wasn't timed (and I am convinced the course wasn't even a full 5k).

We had some pre-race fun: stretching, listening to the music & admiring the UIW campus (which was very nice).

Courtesy of Scottydog Reports

For more than half of the course Cody was ahead of me and I was running at a faster pace than I was used to. Cody was running at sub-9 minute miles and I was struggling to keep up. It's crazy how much excitement & adrenaline can affect your pace/time.

I have got to learn how to be more photogenic in running pictures - this is terrible! I was cracking up laughing at the finish line because when I raised my arms up in celebration my earphone cord (that I had threaded under my shirt) caused my shirt to rise up too. So here I am cracking up and pulling my shirt back down. I hope I didn't scare anyone at the finish line...yikes!
Chip Time 27:57 Pace 9:00 Female 30-39 #20 Overall Female #42 Overall #130 out of 441 runners

Chip Time 29:53 Pace 9:37 Male 30-39 #32 Overall Male #110 Overall #169 out of 441 runners

Post race we got free breakfast tacos, beer (for Cody), popsicle (for me) & water! I think I chugged 2 bottles of water myself.
Reese's theory was for us to hold hands so we would finish together (aka: I would help Daddy be faster)! 

Really wish they had thought about the sun angle for this post race set up

All race stats are posted here!

We are very happy that we have started running. We are much healthier and stronger than we have ever been (especially me)! A friend let me borrow her copy of Run Like a Motherand I am almost finished reading it. It is very inspirational for all of us moms who "just don't have time" and "don't like to run".

I see a lot more races in our future!


Saturday, August 3, 2013

Happy Birthday Princess Banner {FREEBIE}

I made a birthday banner for Emma's Cinderella party and I'm feeling generous so I'm sharing it as a FREEBIE to go along with the water bottle labels!

This banner spells out "Happy 3rd Birthday Princess" (our banner will go ahead and spell out Emma). You can leave out the age if it doesn't apply and I have included Cinderella's carriage at the end, which can be spaced anywhere in the banner.

Simply download, print on 8.5x11 card stock, cut out, laminating is optional, hole punch in each upper corner and hang with ribbon!
To download my full Happy Birthday Princess Banner click here!

To get my matching water bottle labels FREEBIE click here!

*UPDATE: to see these in use at the party click here

ENJOY!


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Princess Cinderella Water Bottle Labels {FREEBIE}

Emma has chosen a Cinderella party for her 3rd birthday and I have struggled to find much as far as free printables for the Cinderella theme. 

Since I ended up designing my own water bottle labels I thought I would share them in a variety of options as a FREEBIE!

To download Princess Emma water bottle labels (age 3) pdf click here!

To download Princess water bottle labels (editable in Word for age), click here!

To download Blank Blue & Pink water bottle labels (editable in Word), click here!

My margins in Word are set to zero all the way around. It will still print with a minimal white border that you can cut off and the labels will fit around an Ozarka water bottle perfectly :) 

Tip: adhere to a water bottle with clear packing tape to make them water resistant!

ENJOY!

*UPDATE: find the coordinating Birthday Banner here!
*UPDATE: to see these in use at the party click here