What have we been doing? ....

...one might be asking themselves since it has been over a month since my last post.  Whenever I post, I usually make a mental resolution to do better with the blog ... post more often ... share more thoughts ... be more witty ... entertain those few that keep up with this blog.  But alas, I have failed myself again.  I guess one could argue that I have just been doing too much living to take the time to put it into words and pictures.  One could also argue that I am just lazy about it.  I do enjoy writing about the Parker clan because there is a sense that I am reliving the fun memories when I take the time to recount them for you all.  I am often smiling when I type a post or add a caption to a picture.  I guess that is one reason that I continue with the blog.

So I am going to literally list a few things that have happened in the last month.  I have not taken many pictures so words will have to tell the story this time!

1.  I am again training for a half marathon.  It is on November 3rd (I will be running while I think of Opa and the fact that he would have been turning 94!)  So this means that I am amping up my running and that means that Kyle is kind enough to indulge my love of running by watching the kids on Saturday morning.  Of course, this gives him a great excuse to watch Game Day on ESPN.

2. Jack has started another season of flag football.  This year is much better and fun to see the improvement from last year.  He has many more buddies on his team and really enjoying.  I love to think about how he thinks he is black and really really really really really really really fast as he practices running with ball.  I have to fight my practical boring live in the truth side of me and not burst his bubble that he is not LaMichael James and playing for the mighty Oregon Ducks.  They named their team the Hawks.  Jack was hoping that they would have red jerseys, but they got grey.  He was hoping a mother could do add some hawk feathers to the back of the jerseys and they would all get red Under Armor long sleeved shirts with red shorts with red socks and they would transform into Hawks each game.  Alas, that did not happen but I could only smile at the creativity and passion that my son showed in dreaming up such an outfit.

3. Molly FINALLY started gymnastics!  and she LOVES it.  It has a big learning curve, but I have been most proud of her for tackling it.  She really did not know what she was getting into but has taken it on and really made it her own.  She has not given up and I have even seen some really good improvement.  Of course there might be more improvement if there was actual practicing that happened at home!  I have some pictures but have promised not to put them on my blog because she is waiting to put them on her blog.  She too thought that she was going to go in there and be Gabby from the Olympics ... so cute to see the dreaming of a six year old!

4. The picture below is of Jack while he is doing his "presentation" of himself to his class.  He was chosen to be the first VIP of his class this year.  He was so very excited, and he worked very hard on the poster at home.  Each day of that week he took something new into add to his collection of toys there.  I think that he really like the attention of what it was he had brought that morning.  He was not nervous at all to be in front of people.  And I enjoyed getting one of the many projects done and out of the way so early in the school year ... score one for mom!  (Molly is also the first in her class and does it next week ... stay tune for her picture!)

5. My parents came for a visit, but I am going to save the pictures of that trip for another day!

6. The usual church activities are in full swing and keeping us busy.  A little more so this year since Kyle and Davina and their kids are gone.

7.  The kids had their annual Jog-a-thon last week.  I missed it since I was at presbytery with Kyle but my parents got the joy of being there for the kids.  We did a horrible job of raising money for the school, but the kids did well at running/walking.  It was a BEAUTIFUL fall day in Eugene.  Molly ran 11 laps, and Jack ran 16 laps.  So proud of them ... maybe they will be future track runners with me.  I can dream of one day running a marathon with them ... wouldn't that be a hoot!  (YES, I did just type hoot)

Of course there is more, but I do believe that is enough for now.  Besides, it is 1pm here and I have to eat something before I walk to get the kids from school.  It is their Friday ... no school tomorrow!  

School days are here again ...

Today began our new school year, so of course, that meant some pictures before we left for school.  I normally take the pictures in front of our azeala but we have our beautiful black-eyed susans still in bloom, so I changed it up!

 Jack and Molly with "jackets on" picture

 Jack and Molly with "no jackets on" picture & a little posing going on

 Molly - 6 1/2 years old.  She looks so old to me - what a year can make!

 Jack - 8 1/2 years old.  Those eyebrows always get me - look at the triangle they make!

 So after school we were just hanging out in the front room talking about the day.  Jack still had his new shoes on and I was just smiling looking at those legs with those feet.  He is growing up so fast.  He is no longer the little boy - he is getting so very big.  By the way, those new shoes are a size 6!

These are the after school pictures that I was able to capture.

They both had a great day.  Molly snuggled up in my lap for awhile.  I think that the "full" day wore her out.  They are both sitting in front of the tv right now.  I figure that with no homework on the first day why not let them veg out because they won't be doing it in the days to come!  They are both excited about their teachers and their classmates.  Jack was excited because he gets computer everyday!  Molly was excited because she has TWO recesses!  I was excited to pick them up from school today!  I missed having Molly around.  I enjoyed my day without them, but it will take some getting used to having them be both gone for the full day.

So in summary ... it was a great day and we are all looking forward to the year that awaits us.

Blueberry jam...

I just made my first ever batch of blueberry jam this afternoon.  I made some strawberry jam on the fly a couple of months ago.  It was nice and SWEET!  This batch is a recipe that I found off the internet.  It has cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice in it.  I tasted it ... and it is really really really good!  Come over and try some sometime ....

The Dirty Dash ...

So the Dirty Dash came to Eugene this year.  It was today, and the kids and I saddled up to go watch some friends run in it.  I had told the kids about the piglet plunge for kids, and they didn't want to do it ... then they wanted to do it ... then they didn't want to do it ... then they wanted to do it and I signed them up so they couldn't change their minds again!   It was a wonderful day for the race.  Everyone had a great time, and there is even excitement about doing it next year!

A much needed "reward" for waiting all day to do the race and not having planned enough to bring enough food and/or money to purchase food!  A real shaved ice ... boy, are they really good.

Just had to ....

... repost this picture of my Molly!  A couple of thoughts -- a.  look at how grown up and older she looks;  she is only 6 years old.  b.  look at that smile of complete happiness being in the water and running free as a child should.  c.  who does that tall lanky child belong to?  d.  look really hard and you will glimpse the crooked teeth and have sympathy on Kyle and I have much money spent on that grand smile.  e.  isn't that dress great - you want one for yourself don't you!

(okay, so it was a few more than a couple of thoughts!)

A quick overnight to the coast ...

 This was me on the beach ... very cold!

 This is Jack and how he feels about being at the coast ... putting a hex on the ocean

 Molly enjoying the waves

 The kids "surfing" the waves

 Jack swimming

Molly enjoying herself

A couple of facts ... it was 50 degrees outside, and who knows what the temperature of the water was that day, but whatever it was the kids did not seem at all bothered by the coldness.  It was a quick trip but it was worth the time and effort to get there just to see the smiles and complete joy it brought the kids to be there in the sand and water! 

The end of baseball...

Baseball is finally over!

We hosted a team cookout on Saturday to officially say goodbye to the Wildcat team.  It was a long season, but it was a grand season.  Kyle and Jack learned a lot about baseball.  Jack learned that there was a lot to learn about baseball!! All of the boys improved over the season.  I learned that I could make it through a season with joy and excitement.  I was a little worried that my childhood years spent at the ballpark might have damaged me beyond repair to enjoy Jack's season.