September 2007 Archives
Granny and Buelito arrived last night (past Magda's bed time) to watch her in the morning while Jfer and I ran in the Austin CASA 5K. Since I started running this spring, my goal for the year has been to do a 5K in under 30 minutes. I ran in the Cops & Joggers 5K in July and it took me 30:10 - just barely over my goal but with a (for me) decent 9:40/M pace. So I searched around and figured that the CASA 5K would be the perfect race. It's for a great cause, a cooler time of year, and it took place at the Domain, mere minutes from our house (and I hate getting up early to be at some faraway race). I even managed to squeeze in a practice run in Houston this Thursday - taking the bus to get to Memorial Park, no less.
Well, it turned out that I read the race time wrong and we showed up an hour early (Jfer still hasn't learned to double-check me on everything). So we did some early-morning window shopping at the Domain - there is a lot of cops pacing there in the dark. We picked up our chips, waited for the kids' 1K and then lined up towards the front of the pack.
The race went well. All of it was on the Domain/IBM property and fairly flat. I learned from my previous 5K and started out nice and easy. My plan was to stick with someone who looked experienced and going about my speed and then let them pace me. I eventually found some lady who looked like she knew what she was doing and managed to not be left behind. Then she started fading past the 2nd mile and I had to run the rest of it "on my own" and even managed to pass someone on the final uphill. In the end, I ran the entire thing, finishing 6th in my age group with a time of 26:24 or 8:31/M pace. Jfer also finished great at 29:40. I'm very happy with these results and hope to do another under-30 5K when I run relay in the Longhorn Triathlon.
Meanwhile, Magda had a blast at the house with Buelito and Granny. After we came back from the 5K and did breakfast at CJ, they expressed disappointment that they didn't get to spend enough time with her. So Jfer and I took this opportunity to see the Bourne Ultimatum while they did some more bonding with her. One couldn't ask for a better Sunday.
Well, it turned out that I read the race time wrong and we showed up an hour early (Jfer still hasn't learned to double-check me on everything). So we did some early-morning window shopping at the Domain - there is a lot of cops pacing there in the dark. We picked up our chips, waited for the kids' 1K and then lined up towards the front of the pack.
The race went well. All of it was on the Domain/IBM property and fairly flat. I learned from my previous 5K and started out nice and easy. My plan was to stick with someone who looked experienced and going about my speed and then let them pace me. I eventually found some lady who looked like she knew what she was doing and managed to not be left behind. Then she started fading past the 2nd mile and I had to run the rest of it "on my own" and even managed to pass someone on the final uphill. In the end, I ran the entire thing, finishing 6th in my age group with a time of 26:24 or 8:31/M pace. Jfer also finished great at 29:40. I'm very happy with these results and hope to do another under-30 5K when I run relay in the Longhorn Triathlon.
Meanwhile, Magda had a blast at the house with Buelito and Granny. After we came back from the 5K and did breakfast at CJ, they expressed disappointment that they didn't get to spend enough time with her. So Jfer and I took this opportunity to see the Bourne Ultimatum while they did some more bonding with her. One couldn't ask for a better Sunday.
It's been a long time coming, but Magda finally bonded with the toilet. We started putting her on the toilet who knows how long ago, but most of the time she just took it as another place for reading books (which, personally, I can totally relate too). If she ever did something, it was by accident and she'd be surprised by it - and not always thrilled.
This has been baffling to me, since whenever we went to B&N, she'd always eagerly visited the potty-training-books section and always wanted some of them read to her, Once Upon a Potty being a favorite. And when Kayleigh started using the commode, she was always suitably impressed.
Well, they tell you not to push them into it, and sure enough, she decided she was ready on her own. And then the transition was pretty darn fast. So now we only put the diaper on for the night, and it's been dry in the morning for close to a week! I wonder how long one can recycle a dry diaper?
Anyways, going to the potty is still a big event and all of it gets celebrated. She sometimes proudly announces her bowl movements to strangers; and just today we were standing around the toilet chanting "Bye, bye poo poo" in unison. But I don't care - my girl's out of the diapers and we couldn't be any happier.
This has been baffling to me, since whenever we went to B&N, she'd always eagerly visited the potty-training-books section and always wanted some of them read to her, Once Upon a Potty being a favorite. And when Kayleigh started using the commode, she was always suitably impressed.
Well, they tell you not to push them into it, and sure enough, she decided she was ready on her own. And then the transition was pretty darn fast. So now we only put the diaper on for the night, and it's been dry in the morning for close to a week! I wonder how long one can recycle a dry diaper?
Anyways, going to the potty is still a big event and all of it gets celebrated. She sometimes proudly announces her bowl movements to strangers; and just today we were standing around the toilet chanting "Bye, bye poo poo" in unison. But I don't care - my girl's out of the diapers and we couldn't be any happier.
We decided to change things up for a chance and took the dogs to Barton Creek. As usual, we took the 360 entrance and hiked up stream. For it being Labor Day, there weren't all that many people there, probably because of the overcast sky. Though the tubers we saw did seem to have a good time in the great water.Being without a stroller and having Mada walk quite a bit on her own we only made it about 0.75 miles before we were stopped by sheer cliffs on our trail (and the creek wasn't really crossable). About that time the gray sky opened up and started pouring. When it didn't seem like it would let up we headed back along trails that quickly turned muddy and full of puddles.
I must say that I was very impressed with Magda's walking back. I've learned that if you hold her hand and get her to sing songs, she can travel at a decent clip. And we were almost halfway back before she asked if some would carry her on their shoulders - which we then did.
And despite being wet and cold, she amazed me by not whining once - much better than what I would have been like, if memory serves right.
