New Chip

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There is something weird going on around these parts!!!

Chip tried an apple! A real honest to goodness, grown on a tree apple! Not apple juice, not an apple newton, not an apple flavored jolly rancher......a real piece of fruit apple!

He went to the grocery store with me last night and said "Can I pick out an apple to try?" Without hesitation, I jumped for glee and said "YES!"

He picked out a cute little gala apple and put it in a produce bag. He carried a load of groceries into the house and came walking back out with the apple in his hand and a big bite in his mouth. I could hardly believe my eyes. After I cringed because I am sure he didn't wash it, I grabbed my camera to document this in the history books.

Chip and an apple. Hello stranger.

You want me to take another bite?

Okay.

Open wide.

Doesn't look easy for him does it?

Not so sure he is loving it.

But he is chewing it up and swallowing it down!

And is so proud of himself!!!

I am super proud of you too, Chip! Way to try something new! There are lots of good things happening with Chip these days. In fact, his brother has started calling him "New Chip", as in new and improved Chip.

Now quit climbing the walls of the house and help me get the rest of these groceries in.

Something Close to Nothing

How can it be that I can walk 10 miles yesterday and 10 miles today and feel like I have not done a thing all weekend? Must mean I am enjoying those long walks with my girlfriends entirely too much!

This weekend has been so lovely and relaxing! Hubby and I got to go to dinner by ourselves on Friday night! Special shout out to the V Family for taking our guys to the football game! We went to Pei Wei and sat on the patio and had dinner. The weather was so lovely outside and I just enjoyed the company and the conversation so much. We don't do that nearly enough.

Saturday dawned another spectacular day. Took off at 7:30 and walked 10 miles with Connie. We solved all the world's problems and some of our own during our 2 hour and 45 minute walk. It is like therapy I swear. Took Hubby's Jeep in for new tires. Harold's football game was at 1:00. They put up another "W" and had some great plays. The rest of the day was spent loafing around reading and watching football. Made up some good snacks to eat while watching the Bama game. It was, of course an easy game to watch. Not unlike the normal nail biter that they usually put us through. Smiles all around.

This morning, I got in another 10 miler with Connie, Martha and Karen. We had some good laughs and the time and miles went by pretty quickly. We finished in 2:38 today so we shaved some time off our pace. Everyone should start their day walking, talking, laughing, breathing - GOOD STUFF! I am home now and we have a homework-a-thon under way at the dining room table.

I have a hankering for a pumpkin pie, so I might jet out to the store to pick up something to make for dinner and the ingredients for a pie. I am sure that counteracts all the good calories I burned yesterday and today, but pumpkin is a vegetable. Look it up. I am going to make a vegetable pie. Practically a health food junkie! Really must also do some laundry, brush a dog, sweep a floor - something that is choreish! Or maybe not!

Hope your weekend has been just as relaxing and enjoyable as mine!

Friday Celebrations

So glad that the weekend is upon us! Got here just in time!

First thing to celebrate is the weather. It is sensational! A beautiful 84 degrees, breezy, sunny, no humidity - PERFECT weather.

Second item on the celebration list - Harold got a 100 on his Pre-AP Biology test! Way to go Harold!!

Third - accompanied Chip's class to the local Retirement Home this morning for a little "Community" field trip. The kids were great. They colored fall pictures and made tootsie pop ghosts for some of the residents. I met the sweetest woman who in 10 minutes gave me the cliff notes of her life. She told me I must see Maine in the fall. I told her that I would - it was #12 on the old 50 Things to do Before I am 50 list.

Gorgeous weekend to look forward to! I am planning to walk 10 miles on Saturday and 10 miles on Sunday! Nice long back to back walks! Harold has a flag football game on Saturday and otherwise we have big fat nothing! Yay!!

I hope your weekend is shaping up nicely!

Ten Totally Random Tidbits

It has been a while since I did a "Ten Totally Random Tidbits" so here we go!

1. Chip is a spelling machine. He is in third grade and spelling words like encourage, beautiful, uncle and rhyming! Those are hard words!

2. I didn't walk this morning because I had to have both boys at the dentist at 7:30 a.m. and because I have walked the last 15 days in a row and I needed a break. Instead of waking up at 4:45 a.m. I set my alarm for 6:10 a.m. Ahhhh! Except it wasn't ahhhh at all. My sweet husband got up at 4:45 a.m., started making coffee, letting the dog in and out, moving furniture, searching the kitchen cabinets, using a jackhammer and heaven knows what else was going on. I had to get out of bed to shut the bedroom door to drown out his efforts to keep me from my extra hour and 25 minutes of sleep. I am glad we don't have a gun in our house or I might have used it on him. Just saying.

3. This fall weather is glorious! Makes me want to bake a pie, buy a pumpkin and rake some leaves!

4. I hid Chip's Buzz Lightyear and a couple of swords up in the top of the closet. I just wasn't ready to donate them just yet.

5. My family does not like Sloppy Joes.

6. After I finish the 60 mile walk in November I am going to start training for another 1/2 marathon. I really hated the one I did in 2005, so I want to try again. See if I can do it better. So brace yourself for about a year of hearing about me trying to run. Running is hard.

7. I am doing 10 week Beth Moore Bible Study with some friends in the neighborhood. Really enjoying it so far. That Beth Moore is an energetic, charismatic, passionate and funny lady! She talks and I want to listen.

8. Tomorrow is October 1st. Damn.

9. Can Alabama beat Florida? Can my new fingernails survive the game? Should be a doozy!

10. Dinner dilemma. I have some leftover ham. I want to make this amazing ham/potato casserole my mom used to make. I don't think any of my boys will eat it. It is not fun to cook a dinner that no one will eat. Please see previous number 5 which was earlier this week. Not fun at all. Maybe I will just make a tiny little casserole for myself and just serve the fellas plain old left over ham. That might work.

Hope your Thursday is off to a wicked good start!!

I'm Registered

I just completed the on-line registration for my 3 Day 60 Mile walk in November! Only 38 days left until we hit the road!

Let's reminisce a bit about the walk last year, shall we?

Lots of training, lots of fundraising, but the day finally arrived!

Limo ride to Dallas!

We made it and so did our luggage!

Nice healthy dinner at Panera Bread and early to bed.

We arrive in the wee hours of the morning! So excited.

Hot air balloons glowing with inspiring messages.

Group photo kicking it off.


The awesome opening ceremonies!

We are off! We are doing it! Walking 20 miles!

Hydrating at the 7-11!

Day one complete. Yummy dinner at camp and early, early, early to bed.

Early to rise, too!

Camp is buzzing in the early morning hours.

Jiffy Poppers ready to walk on Day Two!

Lots of people ahead of us.

Lots of people behind us!

Group shot! Right after this picture my arches fell and I wanted to amputate both of my legs.

Not a minute too soon we made it back to camp!

And surprisingly got a little rest and a little food and then got our groove on!

Dance Party!

Day Three. Final Day. Bobbye in our hearts. One year ago.

Firemen make everything better.

Except our feet. We are the walking wounded. Feel like warriors.

We did it! Sixty long miles, but we crossed the finish line! I love, love, love these girls!

Now I am officially excited. I can't wait to do it again!!

Tender Moment

Yesterday afternoon while I was throwing together dinner, Chip walks by me and says "I am going to go clean out my toy box."

Huh? Did I hear that correctly? I hear the closet door opening and lots of chatter and clatter as toys are separated into piles.

Chip hollers from the other room: "Mom, come check on how I am doing."

Mom: "Wow, you are doing great! Are you getting rid of all of those guns, swords and weapons?"

Chip: "Yep. This is my keep stack, this is the throw away junk and this pile is the stuff that we can give to other kids."

Keep. Trash. Donate. I think those organizing shows on DIY Network are starting to rub off!

Mom: "Are you sure you don't want to keep some of your Star Wars stuff?"

Chip: "Nah, I am kind of over Star Wars."

Mom: "Your guns? All in the give away stack?"

Chip: "Yep, unless you want to keep them. Mom, do you want me to keep one for you to play with?"

Mom: "No, that is okay."

Mom: Gasp. "Buzz Lightyear is in the give away stack?"

Chip: "You can keep him for your room if you want to Mom."

Mom: Choking back tears. "No sweetie, that's okay. Some other kid will love him."

Chip: "Are you proud of me for doing this?"

To myself: "No, I am not proud so much as I am SAD! Andy waited until he was going away to college to part with Buzz Lightyear. You are killing me slowly with this growing up business. Stop it immediately. Start playing with those toys and don't stop until I am good and ready for you to stop."

To him: "Yes buddy, I am very proud of you. Thanks for having such a great idea to clean out this closet."

Chip: "You're welcome. Thanks for helping me mom."

Sniff - sniff - sigh.

Weekend in Review

We had a terrific weekend. Here are the highlights!

Friday night - We did nothing! It was great! I did spend some time getting the boy's uniforms and such ready for an early start on Saturday morning, but it was minimal.

Saturday - I got up bright and early to walk at 6:00 a.m. Karen, Connie and I hit the road and walked about 5 1/2 miles. Dashed home to shower and were out at the ball fields by 8:30 a.m. Chip's little team got drilled the first game, so bad in fact that they didn't even score. It was very lopsided. We got a quick break and then he had another game at 12:30 p.m. I used to really dislike double headers, but they don't bother so much now that he is a little older. In game two, Chip's team dominated. They won 19 - 2. Chip hit the ball like a brute in both games. After the game we had just enough time to catch a few minutes of the Bama game before we had to head out for Harold's first flag football game of the season. His Bears team won! They are FINALLY the tall team! Go Bears! Once that was over we sped home to watch the fourth quarter of the Bama game. I gnawed all the fingernail polish off of my fingers before the Tide pulled out a win. That was a close one. I was in bed by 9:00! LOVELY!!

Sunday - Woke up at 6:45 a.m., which honestly felt like noon. When you usually get up at 4:45 a.m., getting two extra hours of sleep is bliss! I got in a 10 mile walk with Connie and Karen then it was off to the pool. Might be looking at one of the last couple swims of the summer. The water is cooling off and although right now it still feels nice once you get used to it, our temperatures next week are going to be lower and probably make it nearly brutal to swim. We have definitely had another summer where we got plenty of use out of the pool, but it will still be sad to hang up our pool towels for another season.

I will leave you with some pictures of my boys in action. First is Harold in his flag football game:

A quarterback, ball boy and coach. We have it covered.

Now here is a little photo shoot with my boy Chip. He is a professional at making goofy faces to mess me up!

He's a treasure.

Hope you are relaxed and refreshed from your weekend activities! Bring on Monday, I'm ready!