Playing Catch-Up (Part 1)

Wow.  What a couple of weeks.  We crammed so much into 2 weeks that it feels like it was 2 years.  Today's Wednesday, right?  Just checking.  The next time I decide to schedule 3 trips in 2 weeks, please try and talk me out of it.  They all went well, but geez!  I know I'm ready to hibernate for a while now.

After our trip to Sesame Street, we returned home for a whole 36 hours before packing up the car again and going to my in-laws' house for the weekend.  Defying logic and insomnia, we ran a 5K with my sister-in-law the morning after our arrival.  It was my husband's first 5K and I'm so proud of him.  He did a really great job.  I also somehow managed to get a personal best despite minimal training and the course being uphill both ways.  (No, I'm serious.)  This included a 0.4 mile hill.  I can only explain my time by citing the classic combination of adrenaline and caffeine.  And then my SIL showed both of us up by placing 1st in her division.  (Congrats again, Liz!)  It was a good weekend and Eva, of course, had a great time running playing with her grandparents.

Then another week of school, errands, soccer, and trying to keep track of what day it was flew by, and we were on the road AGAIN.  Our first stop was my parents' house.  They kept Bailey for us while we went on our little adventure.

In the morning before we left their house, Eva and my mother were outside playing.  For some reason, my daughter decided that she had a pressing need to rake the leaves in their yard.  I would like to know exactly what triggered her need to clean something up and exactly how I can turn that into some kind of pavlovian response around our house.

The best part about that little scene?  Before long it turned into Eva riding the rake around like a pony.......and.....(wait for it)......her convincing my mother to do the same.  There is photographic evidence that I really, REALLY wish I could share with you.  Alas, as I was snapping pictures, my mother was yelling at me, "This had BETTER NOT end up on Facebook!"  I'll go ahead and assume that her wishes extend to this blog.  It's a pity because...well, let's just say it's not something I ever expected to witness in my lifetime.  The things grandparents will do for their grandchildren.......

It was almost 60 degrees out, but she insisted on being bundled up.

A girl and her dog, just running.