Friday, December 28, 2012

The next step

My new mantra

Yesterday I had an appointment to find out the next step in my battle with melanoma. I saw Dr. Mark who is a double board certified surgeon- certified in both Head and Neck surgery as well as Plastic Surgery. And as silly as this may sound, I was also excited to hear that he is a runner! Almost 70 years old and he was telling us about running 6 miles the other day and was talking about the amazing feeling of a "runner's high". Hearing that helped me relax a little for some crazy reason. I guess I felt like he "got" me and it was nice that we had this in common.
 
 He told us that our next step would be surgery to remove more of my ear around the area where the spot was. They need to remove a margin of 1cm on all sides. He tends to be very aggressive with melanoma and will do a sentinel node biopsy at the same time (some Dr's don't believe in doing it but he feels we would all feel better doing it and knowing all the information that we can). This involves an injection of radioactive dye around my ear and then waiting 4 hours to see which lymph node the dye drains to and removing that lymph node to see if the cancer has spread. He said that he thinks my prognosis is good- so that made us feel better We still won't know the extent of it until they do the surgery and get the results of the node biopsy. Both my husband and I really liked him and felt like he was straight with us. He told us that radiation doesn't do anything for melanoma so if we would need to do any further treatment it would probably be chemotherapy. He explained that I will have a melanoma team that will consist of: him, Dermatology, and Medical Oncology. He was great about explaining the whole procedure including the reconstruction of my ear. He even gave me his home phone number and cell phone number! He said that he would rather have me call him either place than for me to have questions and to worry about them.
Surgery is scheduled for Jan. 2. With the holiday that was the soonest I could get in. We heard him say to his nurse that we would just have to "bump" the surgery that was already scheduled for that day because "melanoma trumps everything". I guess hearing that also made us feel better because we know that they are doing whatever they can to get on this and not delay it anymore.
 
I will go in early that morning to Nuclear Medicine where they will do an injection in front of my ear and behind my ear. Then I will wait for four hours. He will start the surgery with finding the lymph node that the dye goes to and he will remove it. He said it is a little like finding an acorn that is buried in the ground but he is confident it will go well. After that he will remove the area on my ear that he needs to and will then reconstruct that area. He said my ear will just be "smaller" than the other one. I have to be honest, I am a little worried about what it is going to look like. I realize it is just an ear but at the same time everyone looks at your face and it is a little hard to hide your ear. I guess at least I have my hair to help hide it. I am sure I will be self-concious of it for a while. Providing that I wake up okay from the anesthesia I will be able to go home the same day. My ear will be all bandaged up and I will have to go back to see him the end of the week. I will have stitches for 5-7 days and will probably be off of work until the stitches come out.
 
Bad news is that I won't be able to run the S-NO-W Fun Run in Lake Geneva like I had planned. I know it sounds awful in the grand-scheme of things but I was bummed! I am happy that we are moving forward and have a plan in place as to our next step. I know it is only short term and I am grateful for that. It is still going to be hard to not run- that is my stress reliever and my "therapy". Last week when we got the news- going for a run is what felt "right" and is what got me through.

Be flexible, keep moving forward

I guess I will just have to blog away my stress and worry for the next couple of weeks. I will have to enjoy all of my blogger friends run reports as if I am out there running with them!
 

Something that I need to remember!

Sorry that my posts have been such "downers" lately! I will have to make sure my next post is more positive. I have not forgotton about The Weekly Chase. I did fairly good with my goals the first week and then with Christmast I kind of fell off on them. I did complete the Squat-athon and loved the challenge of doing it. I also decided that I need to keep doing them because I was really seeing results and could feel a difference in my runs. I don't think I will continue doing 100 at a time each day but I am planning to keep them as a part of the routine.
 
The run streak was a different story. We did really good up until the blizzard the week before Christmas- then we missed that day and I ended up missing the following day due to getting called into work early. The run streak was great while it lasted and we have tried to do what we can to keep at it even after missing a couple of days. The Weekly Chase will be back next week and I promise to do better with it!


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Happy Holidays!

 We had a wonderful holiday and hope that you and your family did as well!
 
Merry Christmas from my family to yours!
On Christmas Eve we were able to have lunch and spend some time with family. Later in the afternoon we headed to our church for the Christmas Eve service- it was a beautiful service and we all enjoyed the candle light portion where we sing "Silent Night". We were able to have a relaxing night at home just the five of us. We opened gifts from each other and watched a Christmas movie. Then we decided to go drive through the Rotary Lights one more time. When we got home it was time to sprinkle the Reindeer Food on the front lawn and head to bed.
 
Christmas morning the older two boys were up pretty early but had to wait for "little man" to get up. They didn't have to wait long. He was so excited to see what Santa had left for him! It was so much fun watching them open their gifts and seeing their reactions. Little man "loved" everything and he was so much fun this year! They were all very happy with the gifts that they received. We were all very blessed this year by the gifts from friends and family.
 
Once the gifts were all opened and the boys were content playing with everything Tim and I were able to fit in the Christmas Virtual 5K hosted by Kiley at Daily Vitamin F.
 
 
It  felt great to get out and run even if it was only 10 degrees (probably less with windchill). We bundled up and headed out. There were spots that were still snow-covered from the storm last week. Sidewalks were a little tricky in spots but it was wonderful to be able to get out there during this crazy, busy time to take time for us. In the past we have done the holiday virtual 5k races as a family but this time we weren't able to pull the boys away from their new toys and the weather was very different from the other times we have done it. As we were running we commented about how different it was from just a month ago when we ran the Thanksgiving Day Virtual 5k and Tim was able to wear shorts. We got it done and we were pretty happy with a time of 29:08 considering the conditions of the sidewalks and how cold it was.
 
Once we were home and had our picture taken to submit our time it was time to pack up and head back to Iowa for another family Christmas. We had a great time seeing Tim's family and celebrating with them.We had great food (probably way too much) and great fellowship. We were all blessed with wonderful gifts and enjoyed seeing the reactions to the gifts we gave as well!
 
It is hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone for another year. It always seems like it is so much work and then done in a flash. This year it felt like things were less rushed and we were able to take time to enjoy everyone but it is still hard to believe that it is already done. It is a wonderful time of year and we feel so blessed to have had this time together!

Isaac (7), Aidan (3), Riley (10)
 Happy Holidays!!!


Friday, December 21, 2012

Strength

Today my post is not about physical strength- today I am referring to the strength you find deep down in inside yourself! I guess I should start at the beginning so you understand. Here goes...
 
I have had this crazy dark spot on my right ear that I have noticed for a few years (maybe more, I really don't know) that I asked my doctor about at my last physical because it had started to scab over and "change". He was concerned about it and wanted me to see Dermatology for it. So, last Friday I headed to the Dermatology office for my appointment. They looked it over and told me they were pretty sure it was a Basel Cell Carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. He said that form doesn't spread so you don't really have to be too worried it just does localized damage to the tissue where it is at. They did a biopsy to check it out. I was told it would be 7-10 days until I got the results. I went about my weekend of celebrating the holidays with my family out of town. I had a great weekend thinking that it was all going to be ok and the worst case I would have to go back in to have a little more of the spot removed to make sure they got it all. It was ok because it wasn't a form that would spread so it would be fairly easy to take care of it.
 
Monday afternoon I had to work and I missed a call from the provider. He left me a message saying that they had the results back and that I should call him back. I didn't get the message until after hours so I had to wait until Tuesday morning. Since I got the message while I was at work I mentioned it to a couple of co-workers and I was told to "stay strong".

I have heard this numerous times this week.

 I called right away and left a message that I would be available all day and he called back shortly after that. He told me that it wasn't what they thought at all and that what I had was a malignant melanoma, the worst kind of skin cancer. He told me that I would be referred to an ENT where they would do a procedure where they will inject a radioactive dye around that area to see which lymph nodes it goes to and then they would do a lymph node biopsy to see if it has spread. With those few words my world was turned upside down! I thought I was dealing with something completely different and had spent the weekend thinking it was all going to be ok because it was localized and now I am wondering if it is anywhere else in my body!
This sums up how I feel right now.

Everyone keeps telling me to stay strong and be positive. But it SUCKS!!! I hate the not knowing what is going on inside my own body. It is ironic because I feel the healthiest and strongest that I have felt...physically. I don't know that I am that strong inside. My mind keeps playing nasty tricks on me. Just when I think I am good and can handle all of this, my mind thinks of all of the "what ifs" . I found the following on Pinterest and I guess I have to believe it. At this point I don't have a choice!


 At this point the next step is a consult with ENT on Dec. 27th. The hardest part is waiting and not knowing. Operation Determination has taken on a whole new meaning to me- I am DETERMINED to not let this bring me down! Even though I am not sure I am strong enough to handle all of this everyone keeps telling me I am...
 
 
.... I just hope that I start to believe them soon.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Liebster Award Nomination

So excited to be nominated for a Liebster Award! I know you're wondering what a Liebster is right? Liebster is the German word meaning, "beloved" or "dearest". So of course, I'm honored! Thanks to Nikki at RunningYogaMom for nominating me!
 
This award comes with a few rules:

1. Write 11 random facts about yourself.
2. Answer the 11 questions by the person who nominated you.
3. Create 11 new questions.
4. Nominate 11 bloggers and mention them in your post.
5. Thank the person that nominated you and tell the people you've nominated.

11 Random Facts About Me:
  1. I take a lot of pictures.
  2. I was in gymnastics (power tumbling) for several years and was invited to perform in China.
  3. I was once hit in the face by a foul ball at a Milwaukee Brewer's baseball game.
  4. I would love to travel to Europe (Italy & Ireland)
  5. I am a Scentsy Family Independent Consultant and sell all three family brands- Scentsy, Velata, and Grace Adele
  6. I played softball all through high school and was the catcher.
  7. When I was in first grade my brother hit me in the head with a baseball bat and I had to have stitches.
  8. I had ankle surgery my senior year of high school.
  9. During a high school volleyball game I recieved a serve and the ball went right through the basketball hoop on our side of the court.
  10. I have a sweet tooth!
  11. I am addicted to reading blogs :)
 
And Nikki wants to know:
 
1. Who is your biggest fitness influence? I would have to say my best friend. I have watched her do great things with her running and see always amazes me. She is such a great supporter and encourager for me. Seeing what she does motivates me to push harder and set higher goals.

2. Yoga or Pilates? Yoga- I have only tried it once but I loved it and can't wait to do more!

3. Favorite candy? Mike N' Ikes

4. HGTV or DIY Network? HGTV

5. Favorite snack? Trail Mix

6. Rainbow Brite or Strawberry Shortcake? Both! I grew up watching, playing with, and wearing clothing of both.

7. Do you have a tattoo? Yes, I have two. Interlocking hearts on my ankle and shooting stars with "Believe" on my right shoulder.

8. How old were you when you got your ears pierced? Not sure. Maybe 5 years old or so. I don't really remember it.

9. One food you would never give up, ever. Pizza

10. Favorite book? The Difference Maker by John C. Maxwell

11. How many pairs of flip-flops do you own? 5
 
 
 
My 11 Questions:
  1. What are your hobbies other than running/fitness?
  2. Sweet or salty?
  3. What is your dream vacation?
  4. What is your favorite movie?
  5. Who is your biggest supporter/motivator?
  6. What is your favorite ice cream topping?
  7. What is the best motivational quote that you have seen?
  8. What is your favorite brand of running shoes or workout clothes?
  9. What is your "go-to" meal on a busy night?
  10. What is your favorite drink before/during/after a workout?
  11. What is your dream race or event to participate in?
My nominations are:

Let's Move It Momma's

Daily Vitamin F

Blonde Ponytail

Just Another Mom on the Run

The Hurgry Runner Girl

Road Runner Girl

Run with Jess

Healthy Strides

Adventures of Badgergirl

Run To The Finish

Shut Up + Run


Thanks again Nikki for nominating me!






Wednesday, December 12, 2012

12/12/12

Jess over at Run With Jess (another one of my favorite blogs) posted the Pick Twelve Challenge on her Facebook page to honor the special date of 12/12/12. You had to pick from the following: Run 12 miles, Run 12K, Bike 12 miles, or Bike 12K.
 
Since I wasn't ready for a 12 mile run, just yet, I opted for the 12K run. I headed to the Y and hopped on the treadmill and got it done! I think it is my longest treadmill run so far. I had my music turned up and got in the grove pretty quickly and it felt really good.
 
It was strange running with the treadmill set to kilometers instead of miles.
 Half Marathon training will officially be starting in a couple of weeks.So getting this run done on the treadmill has boosted my confidence.  I know I will be able to get all my long training runs in this winter no matter what the weather is like. In the past I have had a love/hate relationship with the treadmill... we are working on it and I think we will get through it!

The other thing that I did today to honor 12/12/12 was take a picture of 12 running items for the Moms RUN This Town 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway. There is still time to participate so go check it out.

My 12 essential running items



What did you do today to honor 12/12/12?

If you are a runner- what are your 12 items that you can't run without? I love my Saucony running shoes! If I am running outside I have to have my visor and sunglasses. I also can't run without gum. I know it is weird but I also know I am not alone... there are others of us out there! Another running item that I have fallen in love with is Body Glide. This is important in all runs (today I learned that I didn't use enough- ouch... that shower hurt!!). Also important are the right running socks, sports bra, shorts, and running tank. I am a little OCD and have to have my MotoActv to help me keep track of my miles and time. I don't know that I would do well running "naked". My iPod and water bottle round out my 12 items.

What are some of your favorite blogs to follow?

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

The Weekly Chase

 I love following Mindy at Road Runner Girl .  I think this is one of my favorite blogs to follow and I would recommend that you go check it out! She does The Weekly Chase and after reading about it each week I have decided that it is just what I need. What is The Weekly Chase? It is all about setting goals for the week and going after them!
 

I am a day behind for this week because, after reading Mindy's post, I was thinking about what my goals should be for this week. These weekly goals will help me reach my long term goals without being overwhelming. Many of mine are the same as Mindy's at this point.
 
Here are my goals for this week:
1) No snacking after 8:30-  After we get the boys to bed and we have our time to just relax I am really bad about feeling like I need a snack. I really don't need it. I realize that I just feel like I want it. If I can cut out this snack it will help me in my goal to lose weight.
 
2) Drink at least 64 ounces of water per day- I usually drink a lot of water but I feel like I have been slacking in this area lately. I would like to get my water intake back to where it should be.
 
3) Swim Laps 2 times this week- If I am going to consider doing a 'tri' next year I need to keep up the swimming and want to make it a part of my weekly routine.
 
4) Make friends with the foam roller and use 3 times this week-My IT band continues to be a little sassy and I know the foam roller will help a great deal. Its just that it hurts so good to use it! I just need to do it if I want to see improvement.
 
5) Make good choices in my eating- My diet is a work in progress. It is way better than it use to be but I need to make myself more aware and make better choices all of the time.
 
6) Continue to get my miles in for the Runner's World Run Streak
 
7) Continue to do my squats for the Holiday Squat-athon

Monday, December 10, 2012

Rotary Lights Run

What a beautiful day for a race! When you sign up for a race this time of year you just never know what kind of weather you are going to get. We were super excited when we woke up and it was snowing because we knew the park would be beautiful with the snow and all of the lights. This is the third year that we have done this race and probably the most beautiful!
 
The race has a late afternoon start. That way you finish in the park with the Rotary Lights on. Mid-afternoon we started to get everyone ready and we headed to the hotel that hosts the start of the race. We did same-day registration and it was quick and easy. We really like that they have a family rate for the race so it makes is really affordable for us to do together. We also really like that they give us hats for this race. What runner couldn't use an extra hat for winter running? We got everyone's numbers on and hit the bathrooms one last time. Then we headed outside to do a little warm up jog and take some pictures. 
My family pre-race
 
The race runs through the park and then connects to a trail for an out and back portion. As you can see the course was partially snow covered. But we had a beautiful view of the Mississippi River!

 
The beginning was very congested and it made it really hard to run with the stroller. I was so afraid that I was going to take someone out. Plus it was slushy and slippery. Pushing the stroller wasn't easy! It is a run/walk and people didn't pay attention to where they were lining up at the start so we had to pass lots of people. About a quarter mile in we got off the sidewalk onto a street so that helped spread things out and I was finally able to go around some people. Then as we came to the trail head things got congested again. Right at the 1 mile mark we were headed up a light hill and people were running 3 and 4 wide so it was hard to go around them to keep my momentum. Shortly after that point we started meeting the lead runners on their way back. The boys were amazed by them and cheered them on as they met them. At this point Aidan was cheering on his brothers. At the turn- around it was very slippery and you had to pretty much stop and walk around the cone. At this point Riley and Isaac we ahead of us and Tim was sticking with me. Aidan was cheering me on saying "Go, Mommy, Go! Go fast Mommy!" It got congested again for a bit and I told Tim to just go on ahead as it was too hard for me to pass people because when I had a chance there were people coming at us too. As we got back to the hill (thankfully going down  this time) things finally spaced out and I was able to make some moves. I felt like I had a pretty good kick at the end because I finally had room to move around people! The finish line was very congested. They don't have timing chips for this race so at the finish line they collect the bottom strip off of your race bib. This was hard for me because I have to keep moving after that final kick and here I had to stand in line! They told me I finished right at 30 minutes. My MotoActv said 3.12 miles in 30:03.

Hanging out with my boys in the heated tent having hot chocolate.

Hanging with my wonderful hubby!
My family post-race
 On our way out of the park the boys wanted to stop by and see Santa. Since it wasn't busy they each got their turn to sit on Santa's lap.
Isaac telling Santa what he wants for Christmas.

Aidan was mesmerized by Santa.

Riley wasn't sure he wanted to sit on his lap. This may be the last time for him:(

As we were leaving the park to walk back to our car we enjoyed the lights covered in all of the snow. It was a beautiful night and a fun race!
 

Me and my boys

Both Riley and Isaac commented on the way to the car that this race was awesome and that they had a lot of fun! I think this race will continue to be a family tradition. Aidan can't wait until he is five so he can run too!

some of our favorite lights

one of our favorite displays
 Do you do any winter races? Holiday races?

Do you run as a family or have any family running traditions?

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Snowflakes keep fallin'

This is what we woke up to this morning. Winter has finally come to Wisconsin and the boys are so excited. They could hardly sit through church and changed clothes faster than I have ever seen once we got home.

I am also very excited because we have the local Rotary Lights Fun Run tonight and it is going to be beautiful with the snow. It might be interesting though as I have not run or pushed the stroller  in the snow yet this winter!

Friday, December 7, 2012

A little piece of heaven

When I arrived at the Y this morning I was shocked to find this...
 
 
...calm, still water and nobody in the pool!
 
 I even asked at the desk if it was closed and was told, "No, it's open. There is just nobody using it right now." I was so excited; I have never had the whole pool to myself before! Quickly I headed up to the treadmill to get my run streak mile in as fast as I could and headed back to the locker room to get ready for the pool. Lucky for me there was still nobody in the water and it was still calm and relaxing. I felt bad for the lifeguards though- they were enjoying a nice break and now I was making them go back to work! I enjoyed a good portion of my mile swim with the pool to myself. It really was a little piece of heaven.
 
 
What do you find relaxing/calming? What is your "little piece of heaven"?

Weekend part 2

This week has been very busy in our house! Take out a couple of afternoon/evenings that I had to work. One night that we hosted a Pampered Chef party and one night of Karate and having to run out and buy a new garage door opener and the week is already gone.
 
I am finally back with the rest of our weekend fun. I mentioned in my earlier post that between the Jingle Bell Run and the Rudolph's Dash that Isaac had his first basketball game.
 
He did a great job handling the ball and had a number of assists in the game. It is amazing the growth from last year. He is starting off the season with a much better understanding of the game and it will be fun to see how much more he progresses over this season.
 
After the Rudolph's Dash we headed to Riley's first basketball game. He also did a great job with ball handling. He is getting to the age where they are finally putting plays together and it is fun to watch the team dynamics play out.

 
After the game we headed home and had an amazing salad bar. I wish I would have taken a picture of it and can't believe that I didn't. The whole counter was filled with "toppings" for our salads. We had just about everything you could want. I also should have taken a picture of the bowls used to hold the salads! I thought Tim and I  made big salads but when my bestie used a mixing bowl for her salad it made mine look like a mini-side salad. I will be moving up to the mixing bowl in the future!
 
Next up- Isaac's first test for Karate. We had no idea of what to expect so it was very interesting to see how the whole process worked and to see how good Isaac did. He was very proud of passing his first test and moving up to a yellow stripe belt. Way to go Isaac! We are so proud of your hard work:)

Isaac getting his new belt.
 
After Isaac's test we headed home and Tim made his famous (well to family and friends anyway) pizza for dinner. We even tried something new- broccoli, chicken,  and ranch. It was super yummy!!
 
It has veggies on it so it isn't too bad for us... right?
Finally it was time to head to Rotary Lights! As a family we try to make it to the park at least once every year. Last year we took our friends and I think it has turned into a new tradition for our families to go together. The kids love to explore the park and visit Santa together.
Two of my favorite guys!

All of the kids in Santa's Sleigh

Me and my family

My bestie and her family.
 
My boys with Santa

 
 If you have kids- how do you keep them active? What activites are they involved in?
 
What is your favorite kind of pizza? My boys would say "Daddy's Pizza". I would have to agree. My husband makes the best pizza. As far as my favorite toppings- I vary based on my mood. I love bacon, chicken, ranch. But I also really like taco or bacon cheeseburger pizza too.
 
What are some of your holiday traditions?
 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Pro Compression Marathon Sock Giveaway

One of my favorite bloggers, Mindy at Road Runner Girl, is doing a  Pro Compression Marathon Sock Giveaway. Head over to her site to check it out and get entered for your chance to win. I have used compression calf sleeves in the past and they have been great. I would love to try these as I am training for my next half marathon in the spring.
 

Have you ever tried compression socks for running or for recovery after long runs? What did you think?

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

YMCA Jingle Bell 5 Mile Run & Rudolph's Dash


What a fun and crazy weekend!
 
Our weekend started off with my best friend and her family coming to town. We ate dinner and had an interesting conversation that included "footie pjs" and "sock monkey". Our husbands' sarcastic comments were "How Sexy!"  Once dinner was done and cleaned up the two of us headed out to drive the Jingle Bell 5 Mile race route. We weren't ready to head home when we were done so we decided to do a little shopping. 
 
 We were pretty excited when we found Sock Monkey footie pjs and she had to try them on so we could send a picture to our husbands. Doesn't she look sexy?
Pre- Jingle Bell 5 Mile
 Having fun at Target seems to be a pre-5 mile race ritual between the two of us. The following couple of pictures were taken before the 2012 S-NO-W Fun Run 5 Mile Race in Lake Geneva, WI.
The two of us in Target pre- S-NO-W Fun Run

Her husband in Target pre- S-NO-W Fun Run
 
Saturday started off with a quick Coulee Region MRTT (Moms RUN This Town)/ Reedsburg MRTT meet up. We have been "chatting" on Facebook for months so it was nice to finally find a race to do "together".
 
Nikki, Robyn, me, Julie
We discussed our "plans" for the race, got a quick picture and then it was time to head outside to the start line. I didn't really have much of a plan. I knew I wanted to finish under 50 minutes and I was hoping for a 5 mile PR (under 47:45.2). Julie, who is much faster than me, told me earlier in the week that she was going to stick with me and just have a fun race. I was excited to be able to run with her because I knew she would encourage and push me (and she did just that!).
 
We started off pretty good. The first couple of miles we were headed into the wind but it wasn't bad. The temperature was great for December 1st in Wisconsin. Julie and I talked throughout the race and things felt good.  I remember her telling me that we had an awesome pace. That felt really good since I was feeling pretty comfortable at that point. As we turned the final corner into the Y parking lot she told me to sprint, that we only had 10 seconds left and that I could do it! We both sprinted to the finish line and finished with exactly the same time and I was shocked! My MotoActv said 43:14!! I did it! A 5 mile PR! Thank you Julie for pushing me and helping me get there! It felt amazing! 
 
We found the other MRTT ladies and headed inside to find water and bananas. We hung out for a little while getting to know each other and discussing the race. Robyn and I even tossed out the possibility of doing a triathlon next summer. Julie promised to help us train for the running and biking and said that she would be there to cheer us on!
 
Later in the morning we headed back to the Y with my little man, Aidan, for him to do his first race. He has watched his brothers do races and he was just waiting for one that he was old enough to do. Finally it was his turn! He was so excited having me put his number on him but once we got him to the gym for stretching with Santa and Rudolph he wouldn't let go of me. We walked out to the start line together and it was very clear that he wasn't going to do the run on his own. On your marks.... get set....go... and a group of kids brave enough to run without parents took off. A few seconds later the second wave, including me and Aidan along with several other kids (some screaming) and their parents took off and ran to give Santa and Rudolph a high five. Aidan held my hand the whole time but at least he wasn't screaming and crying! Once we crossed the finish line he was so proud of himself. He gave Santa and Rudolph a high five and collected his finisher's ribbon. You would have thought he won the race!
 
Way to go on your first race little man!

That is only the beginning of our crazy weekend. In between the two races there was a basketball game for Isaac. After Aidan's race there was a basketball game for Riley and karate testing for Isaac. More on all of that to come.