Something I did, but not really.

 A couple of months ago I was grateful (grateful being a relative term where exercise and exertion is concerned) for the invitation to run a 10K.  I was grateful because the triathlon hoopla was over and I had zero motivation to ever go back to the gym again (except maybe for the hydro-massage table.)  I have found that having a friend to work out with makes a huge difference for me.  I was glad for that nagging feeling of "oh, she'll be at the gym and perhaps wondering where I am and why I am not working very hard".  I think I may have even put in a bit more effort for this one than the tri.  I was feeling better and had more energy so I went for it.  It also didn't hurt that there were extra friends doing it too, girls that I admire and really enjoy hanging out with. (Don't you love how the woman taking a picture with my phone conveniently cropped me out?)

Unfortunately the person taking the "after" picture got all of my body in, all of my slouchy, sweaty body.  I was excited for the day of the race.  We got up, met up and headed downtown to Georgetown where the race was being held.  Traffic on 66 at 6:30 in the morning (seriously? yes, seriously) got us to the parking garage, porta potties and starting line just in time.  We literally got in line with the runners as the bell for the people at the front to go sounded.  It was a neat run, beautifully set along the Potomac with views of the Washington monument on the horizon. We have had lovely weather until last week when nasty, humid, HOT temperatures dominated.  Besides the fact that it was a tad humid and warm, I was discouraged to see the front runners passing me coming back waaay earlier than I had anticipated.  And when they turned us around I knew that we had either made some kind of mistake or I was running way faster than I knew possible (that, of course, being the less likely of my suspicions.)  Since we had arrived late, we didn't hear the announcement that the 10K had been changed to a 5K because of the heat advisory.  I suppose it was a good thing, I was having a horrible run anyway.  Clark felt worse for me about the race than I did.  I was really glad that the week before, a couple of us had gone down to Georgetown to run the course (or close to it.)  So I had done it the week before.  I had a good run and felt satisfied that I had accomplished my goal.  Plus I got a medal and free banana ("free" being a loose term of course since I paid to run.)

In other news, school is still chugging along.  We have a little less than a week left.  I am so proud of Haley who applied to be a safety monitor for next year.  Haley is a go-getter.  She has tried out for and entered a lot of different competitions in past years.  It is hard to watch a child make an effort and put herself out there without always being rewarded for it (that's good for her though, right?)  So I was thrilled, almost as thrilled as she was, when she came home with her sash.  She is a monitor in training for the last few weeks and next year she will be in full force.

Hopefully setting a good example for all those impressionable youngins' out there.  (enter only slightly sarcastic eye roll and maybe a chuckle.)

Abby completed her big end of the year project and participated in the most awesome living wax museum ever, even though she was not feeling well that day.  All of the second graders had to research a person, write a report, memorize it and create a poster.  They were all in costume with a sticker on their hand so you could walk around, push the sticker and hear their schpeal.  It was so adorable and fun.  She did great.  Did you know Betsy Ross (aka Elizabeth Griscom) was married three times?  I did, or at least I do now.  So does Mia and Hazel who walked around for 2 days saying, "Hello, my name is Betsy Ross.  My real name is Elizabeth Griscom.  I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 1, 1752."  Her speech was two whole minutes long.  I was so impressed with these kids.

 Then the girls were peas in a pod.

 And a Chinese dragon.

I am ready to bring on summer....well, maybe not thoroughly ready.  Emotionally I am ready, physically, not so much.  I will get there.  Let's get through the end of year parties and exorbitant amounts of paper coming home right now.

My delightful sister Carrie is visiting right now so I am just enjoying her company (and her cooking and cleaning and child care.)  I will write all about her visit after the hoopla of the week has subsided.  Until then.
And yes, I managed to use the word "hoopla" twice in one post.  Isn't that something.  (Do rhetorical questions get a question mark or a period? I really do not know.)