Eggheads

Yesterday our after school activity was coloring Easter eggs. All three kids got completely into creating their own little egg heads - a fun day for all of us.

On Monday, Brady came home and said "I need 6 more points to get into the Accelerated Reader 250 point club ... by tomorrow! Mom, can you find me a 6 point book?" What we had from the library were two 4 point books, so Brady spent about four (or more?!) hours on Monday afternoon and evening and Tuesday morning devouring those books, so that he could earn the points in school on Tuesday. We let him stay up late on Monday and get up early on Tuesday, because he was so focused on his goal, and it was nice to see this all come from him. The school is supposed to have their AR assembly today, so we're anxious to hear how it goes for Brady. He went off to school, feeling proud and excited.

Buffalo Stew

To participate in the Antelope Island Buffalo Run, each runner was asked to contribute a can of vegetables to add to the post-race meal, buffalo stew. I was hoping that the stew was the only buffalo I'd see close up all day - and it was! I enjoyed a wonderful cup of stew after I crossed the finish line of my first ultramarathon, a 50K (32.5 miles, actually). I really enjoyed the whole experience. The weather cooperated, the trails were clear and dry, the views were gorgeous, the race was well-organized, and the runners were fun and supportive of each other. I finished the hilly course in about 6 1/2 hours and had no real mistakes or problems. Although my muscles were sore, I had no issues with blisters, toenails or any of the other nasty things that ultrarunners tend to deal with on a regular basis. I even got a free massage after the race, which helped work out some of the soreness.

Running that distance was not easy though, and I enjoyed the challenge of pushing myself to run when I hurt and to speed walk up the hills when I wanted to stroll casually! At one point I got down on myself about my pace, but I pushed the negative thoughts away rather quickly, remembering why I was doing this. I am proud of the money that I've already helped raise for Project Running Hope to America, and I am genuinely warmed by the love and support of so many people in my life. I thought a lot about the children who have been orphaned and who have the courage to try to keep their families together and about how lucky I am to have my own children. I spent time thinking of Uncle Ted and family. Ted is undergoing a second brain surgery within a week to remove a brain tumor. The challenges that so many others face are inspiring reminders to me about the fact that simply being out on a trail, strong and healthy enough to run a 50K, with the love and support of my family and friends is a true privilege. I am so blessed.

We were able to turn the long weekend into a fun family adventure, with our friends the Russells. Susy and Jeff also both ran the 50K, and their 4 kids and our kids enjoyed lots of playtime at the hotel pool and in our rooms. Connor and Will even had a sleepover in our room on Saturday night. I think the kids had enough pizza to last a few months and I know Corbin and I had enough of "strip mall heaven" to last more than a few months!

Now we are happy to be home ... and I am happy to feel so recovered as I prepare for a 50 miler in less than 2 weeks!

Going to the Zoo

We went down to Salt Lake City for a long weekend.  The main purpose was for Nancy to participate in the 50K Buffalo Run on Antelope Island.  The day before the race we went to the Hogle Zoo.

It was kind of a weird weather day, snow, rain, sun, etc.  Typical spring day in the Rockies.  So the elephants and rhinos were inside.  Yet still plenty to see and we had a great time.

Spring Break Begins

Brady has been asking to try snowboarding for the past month or so. Yesterday, he got his wish. Brady and our friend, Elsa, took a 2+ hour snowboarding lesson in the morning and then spent the afternoon practicing. They both loved it and took to it rather well. While they were riding, Corbin and I skied with Maggie and Connor. Mostly we stayed on Shoshone, as the weather never warmed up quite enough to soften up the snow on top. We plan to go back up today, in part to watch the freestyle competition finals off Peaked Mountain! Late yesterday afternoon, we returned home to two phone messages. One was an invitation to a bar-b-que (at Heather and Harley Wilcox's home) last night, which turned out to be a wonderful gathering with many friends - a nice way to end the day. The second was Brady's friend, calling to see when they could go snowboarding together - yikes, I guess this wasn't his only day of snowboarding, just his first!

I'm off to meet my friends for a relatively early (7-9am) run. After Friday's long, hilly day over

the pass, I'm beginning my taper for next Saturday's race. When in my life did I ever think a 2 hour run would be part of a taper?!

Pass Holders

Nancy and I both had a fun time on Teton Pass today.

Nancy met "the Ladies" at the Coal Creek trailhead after dropping off the kids at school.  (Well actually Connor stayed home sick with me today.)  "The Ladies" ran/walked over the pass to Wilson, had a bagel at Pearl Street Bagels, and ran/walked back over the pass to their cars.

Nancy got home just in time for Jeff Russell to pick me up for an afternoon ski.  Jeff and I, along with his friend Mike, hiked up to the top of Glory Bowl and skied down the west side to 1st turn.  Round trip was less than two hours, so we had time for a pitcher at the Grand Teton Brewing Co.

The Robins are Back

I saw my first robin of the year this morning.

Yesterday, I crossed off another item from my bucket list: crust cruising.  Nancy and I dropped the kids off at school and went straight out to Jeff Russell's farm outside of Tetonia.  The conditions were perfect; cold, crisp, no wind, and a thick crust.  We cruised.

Not being confined to a groomed track meant we could go anywhere.  We cruised down the south side of the rim of Teton Canyon to just across from the Felt Power Station.  Then turned around and cruised back. After about an hour and a half we had to call it quits, pick the kids up from school and drive to Jackson for a ski race.

The ski race was the last racing hurrah for Brady this season.  It was a dual slalom at Snow King and the best part of the race was that he got to pick who he could race against.  And he picked me!  The snow was good, the course was perfect, and we had a blast.  We even played in the terrain park between runs.

At about 7pm we headed back over the pass to finish the day with a cheese and pepperoni pizza at Wildlife in Victor.

Mary's

Spring has sprung---spring skiing that is.  Sunglasses, light coats, sunscreen, and sitting on the plaza in Adirondack chairs after a great day of skiing.  We had a great day of skiing today.

We talked our friends, Susy and Jeff, into skiing today with the goal of hiking Mary's.  The picture above was taken in February, but Mary's is the farthest point to the right in the picture.   Yeah, that's the Grand to the left.

After everyone dropped their kids at school, we meet on the plaza.  A quick warm up run down from the top and we were off to hike.  After a slightly hard---read icy---ski over to the access gate, we disrobed and began the walk.

The trail was boot packed with good steps kicked into the snow.  At the top, we shared the small point with a group of kids on spring break from Minnesota.  Needless to say they were huffing and puffing.  After clicking a few pictures we headed down.  There was a little crust to break through right at the top, but as we worked our way down into the trees the snow got softer and deeper.  Good fun had by all.

By the end of the day we had bagged two loops on Mary's. We parted ways with Susy and Jeff on the plaza at 2:30.  We all had kids to pick up from school, snacks to make, and homework to help with.

Visitors from Montana

We had some visitors this weekend.  While making breakfast Saturday morning I noticed this group of deer making their way from the backyard to the front.  Not long after they passed through, Carl, Andre, and Emma Anderberg drove down the driveway.

Carl and I went to MSU together.  He teaches math in Helena.  His wife, Andre, is a librarian in the school district.  Emma is in 5th grade. While in Bozeman, we had plenty of days teleskiing at Bridger Bowl.  We have also put turns together on the Beartooth Highway in the middle of summer and countless bike rides throughout Gallatin County.  We had a great weekend with them.

The Targhee ski patrol had a fund raiser on Saturday at the base area.  The highlight was "burying" kids in snow shelters while the patrol dogs dug them out.  Connor was the willing "victim".  The picture at the right is Brady, Emma, and Connor sticking their heads out of one of the shelters.

Saturday was cloudy and snowing, but Sunday was sunny.  Brady and Connor skied with their team, Emma was snowboarding for the second dime with Andre, and Nancy was skiing with Maggie so Carl and I were able to steal away and take a few runs together.  Mostly we dropped into Chief Joseph's Bowl.  There wasn't a ton of new snow, but enough to soften up the good spots.  The Scotty Bob's were happy for some fresh snow.

In the afternoon, while the boys were still skiing with their team, the rest of us took a run from the top.  While Maggie and Nancy continued on the Teton Traverse, the Anderbergs and I jumped off the catwalk into the spring corn.  About halfway down we looked over at the ridge to Peaked and noticed a long line of people boot backing up the trail.  We watched as they settled at the top of Toilet Bowl to catch their breath.  About that time I saw Maggie and Nancy below us so we skied down to them.  When I met Brady at the base at the end of the day, he said he skied Toilet Bowl with his team!  Yeah, that was his team skiing the chutes off the north side of Peaked as their graduation ceremony.  Wow!  Impressive.

Brady's Snowshoe Field Trip

Today Brady's class went on a field trip to Grand Targhee. They met up with the Resort Naturalist and went snowshoeing for 4-5 hours, exploring the ecosystem. Brady asked me to be a chaperone, and of course I said "yes!" The day was spent exploring tracks in the snow, scratch marks on trees (raccoons and bears), different types of trees, winter survival techniques for different animals, snow pack conditions (avalanche danger), and the watershed and water cycle. This all complemented what they've studied in the classroom, and the kids were very engaged and curious. We enjoyed a beautiful sunny day, with a picnic lunch along the way. The kids also got to run/roll down a few hills, do some creative jumps off a snowpile, and engage in a class snowball fight. I had fun being a part of this day and witnessing the 4th grade culture. Brady loved having me there and hung out with me more than I expected! I will savor that, knowing that these days are limited. Tonight, after dinner, we watched an episode of The Waltons and both Maggie and Brady snuggled up with me for the whole show. Connor probably would have, too, except that he was asleep within 10 minutes of sitting down!!

The pictures are: the class examining a set of ermine tracks; Brady with his best buds - Alex, James, and Andy; and the class checking out a 500+ year old tree.

PJs Everywhere ... a dream afternoon?!

One of our hopes on this sabbatical was to take advantage of the moments, even the small opportunities, with our children. That time after school is a funny thing! We have spent the year trying to find the right balance among ... down time, structure, enrichment, creative play, socialization, family time, etc. Of course, each child's needs are different! Everyday we have high hopes for how the day will go. Some days we are disappointed, other days elated. This past week has been a good one. Brady had a school project and needed to build a solar system model. While this occupied his time (and mine!), Connor was easily engaged with his Red Sox activity booklet and the opportunity to look up baseball statistics with Dad! Oh and the Math Songs website, shared by Aunt Sarah and Cousin Nicholas, was a big hit this week! Connor, if left alone, will usually go into Star Wars play mode. But if engaged, he will happily read, do math activities, or do other academically based activities. We try to give him the space for the first, but our patience usually presses us to engage him and direct him to the second! Maggie has continued to immerse herself in imaginary play. She loves to play school, where she is the teacher and her babies (dolls) and imaginary "kids" are the students. As soon as she gets home, she sets up her pajamas and blankets over the entire family room ... somehow this is her school, which includes reading time, song time, nap time, etc. We love hearing her replay her experiences. She also incorporates names into her play based on the names fresh in her mind - this is so funny because she has kids named: Aunt Clare, Sweetie, Uncle Paul, Christopher, Reese, Caden Green, Cassidy ... whatever is on her mind that day!! Just today her dailogue was: "So 5 plus 1 equals 6? What I'm hearing you say is 5 plus 1 equals 6, right? Good job, that's right. I'm so proud of you." Do we love her teacher or what?! We felt that we had a couple of "dream afternoons" this week, with Brady building his solar system model, Connor first investigating Red Sox trivia and then reading, and Maggie playing - all with us involved, and following their leads. The pictures give some idea of how it looked!

80 for Haiti

I've looked forward to this weekend as my first of four events where I committed to running for the children of Haiti, and beyond. I am overwhelmed by the support I've already received from so many people! I will send out an "update" by email ... but for our own memories, I want to make this blog entry. The boys did not have school on Friday, so after I dropped Maggie off and had a relatively relaxing morning (interpreted ... ate a really great breakfast, talked to banks about loans, and talked with contractors about appliances, plumbing, and cabinets for our dream kitchen), Corbin and the boys dropped me off for my run. While I began my run, they went off to skate - but the ice was full of puddles. So they went to run errands. As Corb took the truck in to get the oil changed, the boys accompanied him and were complimented for their great manners and behavior. They then had a fun outing to the library before they got Mags from school. After regrouping at home, they met me at our friend, Susy's, house for dinner. Our friends, Susy and Jeff, have 4 kids close to our kids' ages ... and Susy and I are great running partners!

Yesterday I ran 25 miles. Today I ran 20 miles ... after Corb dropped me off today he had the kids for the morning and then they joined me for a final "lap" (1 mile) with the family. This afternoon I took the kids to see the second "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie in Victor, which is kind of a big deal because we don't have move theatres here ... but a playhouse in Victor recently decided to do movies ... a good family outing! Tonight, the kids are in bed and we're having a late dinner. Tomorrow we'll ski at Targhee. Conditions are spring skiing ... we love that but are wishing those conditions came a bit later ... for now, we're just embracing what we're given.

Training for 2026!

Today was the last day of winter activities at Maggie's school. For the past six Mondays (not including holidays) the students spent the afternoon in ski lessons up at Grand Targhee. On this last day, the ski school and the Learning Academy organized a fun ski race for the kids at all levels. They put up gates/flags on Bobsled Run and each child got one timed run through the course. The course was lined with cheering parents and teachers as each child, aged 4-12, took his or her turn. It was a gorgeous, sunny, warm, spring-skiing-type day! At the end of the race, there was an awards ceremony. The announcer reminded the children that, just like in the Olympics, not everyone gets a medal, but that everyone should be proud of their efforts and accomplishments. Maggie got a sad little look and said, "Mommy I wish I could get a medal!" Her group was the first to be awarded prizes, and she was so excited when her friend Gabby was called up - Maggie gave Gabby a gentle hug/nudge to go up and get her medal - so cute. Then, the announcer said, "... and in first place, Maggie Lang!!" Of course at that point, Maggie got all shy, but she went up with her friends and got her first place trophy. Although she was shy at that moment, she was very proud to bring her trophy home and show it to her brothers. Connor was especially excited and happy for her ... and genuinely proud!

One picture is Maggie "on deck" at the starting line. Our friend took the picture of us with Maggie right after her run. And the other picture is the view I had from the top today -- it just doesn't get old.