I signed up for the Frostbite 5-miler in Ambler this weekend, and I am happy to report that I finished it. I think my biggest woe was a blister that developed on the inside of my left foot. I am not quite sure why. I welcome sock suggestions. My running buddy Jane suggested a brand that Target sells but then I couldn’t find those there.
Jane ran the race in penguin garb (shown) which slowed her down enough that she and I could chat for the whole race. So it was generally a good time. It was between 25-30 degrees and sunny, so not so bad. And when we got back inside at the end, they had chili and soft pretzels so I helped myself to those.
Then I went home, supervised a playdate, then took my daughter on a mother-daughter lunch date to Panera. Where I also had chili (in a bread bowl this time). So I was definitely feeling well fed by the end of this.
We managed to get outside a few times as the sun isn’t setting until almost 6 p.m., and the weather is getting a little warmer. The 10-year-old and I went outside for tree climbing on Saturday, and then the 5-year-old and 10-year-old and I went out to ride bikes around the driveway for a while on Sunday. When the time changes in early March it will be officially time for the reappearance of TOAD time (Time Outside After Dinner) and I am looking forward to it. I think we all need a little less screen time.
I finished reading Little House in the Big Woods to the 5-year-old (somewhat edited — the bee sting part messed with me as a kid so I skip that chapter when reading it out loud). We then started and finished the first Magic Treehouse book. With several dozen books in that series that should take us a while to get through during bedtime story reading.
On Sunday I went to an organ recital — James O’Donnell was playing at my church. He was previously the organist at Westminster Abbey (where he directed music for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, among other major services). There was a Bach organ piece that I had heard as part of my listening, so that was kind of fun.
Other than that, just a lot of kid stuff! I had to get up at 6 a.m. on Saturday to bring a kid to a robotics tournament. I guess I thought when the kids got older there would be more sleeping in on weekends, but oh well.
Hi! I feel like you likely don’t need any recommendations, but I really enjoyed the Dragon Masters series with my kids – around age 5 was when they were the best. One kid in particular really took to them, and now she (at nearly 8) generally reads them on her own/seems to have moved past them. I suspect my youngest will lean more to some of the other Scholastic “Branches” series (I’m guessing the Owl/Unicorn diaries will win her over – her current favorites are the Yasmin books by Saadia Faruqi). I keep searching for books I don’t mind myself 🙂
@Allison – ooh, I will check out Dragon Masters. Yep, I have to find books for reading aloud that I don’t mind. I did all the Magic Treehouse ones with other kids in years past but it’s been long enough that it’s still somewhat fresh with this time around…
I really like the Kitty superhero books for readalouds. Really beautifully illustrated. And the Mr Penguin books.
@Coree- I hadn’t heard of the Kitty superhero books – I will check them out.
Another vote for Dragon Masters series, I read them to my daughters when they were 4.5 and 6. Recently the 4.5 year old who is now 7, re-read the entire series herself and loved it again! We give these books often as bday gifts and really they seem to have wide appeal.
At my current 4 year old’s preschool they read the Magic Treehouse books during naptime and she looooves them. I had them in mind for once we finish the Ramona series, but now after reading this blog, I’m thinking the Little House series would be really fun. I love the nostalgia of reading them books I can remember reading as a kid!
@Nikki- Little House in the Big Woods was good with some editing (I also took out the part about Laura getting whipped for misbehaving…though perhaps I should have kept it in to remind my kid how good he has it!) I seem to recall Little House on the Prairie having some not politically correct elements — maybe a discussion point. And of course in The Long Winter they are starving to death, though I think I read that at age 6 or 7 and possibly just had no concept of what was going on. You guys have convinced me to get the first Dragon masters book from the library!
I recommend Feetures socks but the real key to blister prevention is rubbing body glide (or squirrel’s nut butter) all over the sides of your feet and tops and bottoms of toes, then put Vaseline in between the toes. That worked for me during my two marathons (which were my first ever) last year at the age of 41. There is a body glide specific for feet which I’m guessing is the same formulation but it’s a convenient small foot size. 🙂
@Sara – I should probably try that!