kind of like my 3rd child.

fourth, sorry pup.

Ready, Set, Run! pilot program at Franklin Park Borough in Pennsylvania gets kids on right track for fitness

View All News Stories Fun…exciting…challenging. These are words youth participants used to describe their experience at the Ready, Set, Run! pilot program hosted by Franklin Park Borough (Pa.) Parks and Recreation. Ready, Set, Run!, a program of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), prepares children ages 8-13 to run a 5k in 12 weeks. While they build endurance and stamina, the children also go through a character development curriculum that equips them with the goal-setting mentality needed to accomplish their running goals. Topics covered include enhancing confidence and self-esteem, respecting authority, dealing with peer pressure and fueling their bodies with proper nutrition. “This has been a fantastic program,” said Jim Watenpool, parks and recreation director at Franklin Park Borough. “The things I have seen the kids do in supporting and respecting each other was amazing.” Franklin Park Borough recently held their final run where each youngster demonstrated the culmination of their progress over the last 12 weeks by running a full 5k. “All I can say is that it was awesome,” Watenpool said of the excitement the children and families shared during the final run. “Franklin Park was an ideal candidate for piloting the program,” said Kacey Lake, director of Ready, Set, Run! “They are well-organized and committed to programs that benefit their community. They, along with all of our other sites, have provided us with the incredible feedback we were hoping for: turn-key for the coordinators, enjoyable for the coaches, fun for the kids and a true value-add to the community!" Several of the parents decided to run alongside their child, and all of them completed the full 5k. “The parents and kids were cheering and clapping for each child as they crossed the finish line,” Watenpool said. “As the last boy was coming around to the finish, almost all of the kids ran out, without prompting, and ran the last 100 yards with him to cheer him to the finish.” Running a 5k is a feat that most adults even have trouble completing. According to the parents of the youth runners, however, Ready, Set, Run! gave their children the confidence to accomplish this, and lays the foundation for them to set and reach more goals in the future. One parent said, “I like the fact that the kids had to work to obtain their goals – that it wasn’t about competing, but pushing themselves.” Added another parent: “At the beginning my kids didn’t believe that they could run a 5k! They had the biggest smiles and were so proud of themselves for finishing the race.” While Franklin Park Borough’s recreation department offers many programs for children of all ages, they did not have anything similar to Ready, Set, Run! “This program added another dimension to our programming,” Watenpool said. “It afforded us the opportunity to reach some children that were not interested in participating in any of our other programs.” Click here to learn more about Ready, Set, Run!, how to implement the program into your youth sport program or to view sample manuals, or emailreadysetrun@nays.org.

Posted:6/28/2011

sport mode

i have been keeping my camera on sport mode recently. i think it's very indicative of the way we've been moving around here. while it's important to us to stay active (physical fitness, playing outside, being social...) AND sport mode is really the only way to capture the quick in-between moments with a toddler and bebe, we need to be in no-flash mode every once in awhile, too.

i feel like it's this ongoing challenge of motherhood where you want to teach your kids to think for themselves yet respect others' opinions, be free-spirited yet obey the rules, push themselves to be better but not push themselves too hard, enjoy life but know that this home and this life is temporary.

i find this post amusing today. a monday where we look forward to a week of the brookfield zoo, west chicago pool, and concluding with a trip up to lake geneva for 4th of july weekend. all of which i am oh so excited for. all of which will require sport mode on the camera, for sure.

but right now? right now fal gal is rearranging her chairs and setting up food & utensils from her kitchen on each seat. she has been doing this for a good 25 minutes. savvy is next to me on her play-mat, looking at her adorable reflection and kicking with delight towards the penguin and alligator that rattle when she hits them. you're starting to swing at them on your own now, baby girl.

i am mentally recording (and quite frankly, physically recording) all of this: the coo's and rattles, the toddler counting her chairs over and over again, the anticipation of the text that will let us know that daddy is 5 minutes away. the in-between times between the hurriedness that can sometimes overtake the day.

snapping shots when the sunlight is pouring in the windows just right and the girls are calm and comfortable.

i had to fill out a ministry application to lead a small group in the women's group i've been involved with at church. one of the questions asked my strengths and weaknesses. i always find this question difficult to answer. i decided on a weakness being hurriedness. being stuck on the sport mode and not slowing down enough to make things totally right or appreciating the moment fully before moving on to the next.

tonight's agenda? club sandwiches for dinner and spending this monday evening in no-flash mode around the house. can't wait :)

just "mom"

no mama, no mommy, just mom. "ok, mom." "hi, mom." "help please, mom." my little girl is growing up. in many, many years, when i hope you are reading all of the entries, fallon & savvy, i want to let you know how wonderful it is being your "mom" at this stage in your lives.

fallon: i know i am biased, nonetheless, you are one of the spunkiest little girls that ever has been. i may sound like i'm bragging, but it really has nothing to do me and everything to do with you. people often comment on your amazing spirit, confidence, resiliency, and how quick you are to smile, dance and squeal. your bubbly reputation precedes you everywhere you go. you are social and you love spending time with other kids. you speak so well and literally repeat EVERYTHING i say. i always heard that about little kids but it's amazing to hear it happen. you also copy everything i do with savvy with your own baby doll. the other day you laid your doll on face down on a blanket next to me with a quiet "tummy time." the wheels in your head move as quick as your busy little legs.

savvy: it seems impossible that so much sweetness can be in such a tiny body. you are calm yet excitable, petite yet so strong, and you have the biggest, bluest eyes that just *light up* when you make eye contact with people. you love to watch your sister play around you and you amaze me with how tough you are when she pokes, leans on, or accidentally bops you with a toy. your smiles are so very contagious and dad & i spend a lot of time up in our bed with you right before you go down just laughing at your gummy grin. at 3 months, you are an impressive sleeper: 9:30 pm with a quick feed at 6, then back to bed til 8:30 or 9. you spend a lot of time attached to me in the baby bjorn or being held with one arm as we chase around your sister or go about our busy days. i love having you close and you seem to enjoy the cuddles as well. one of my favorite things you do is BURROW your face into my shoulder when you're just waking up or about to go to sleep.

fal & sav: i see the bond already. there is an innate bond between you and i am SO excited to watch it develop. fallon wants to "hold you, savvy" all of the time. savvy, one of the first things you learned to "follow" with your eyes is your big sister. i remember right after savvy was born some people asked me if i felt guilty that i couldn't spend as much time with fallon or i wouldn't spend as much time with savvy as i did with fallon. absolutely not. i am so confident in the gift i am giving you as sisters and i can't imagine a better trait i would like to pass on than to think of others before yourself. you both are proving to thrive in this already.

so that's a bit of life as "mom" to the gals right now. although, this morning i heard some light talking in fal's room. i turned up the monitor and heard a "mooooommy. mooooomy." i couldn't wait to come scoop up the toddler and go join the baby for our morning rituals: milk, couch cuddles, and the quiet hour or 2 before the days get into full swing!

a picture is worth...

i have put off writing this blog post several times. for some reason the words have not been flowing for me. i think about documenting memories in my head while we are going through our day, then i sit down in the few silent moments i get starting around 9:30 pm and i'm just too tired to be witty. or sentimental. so i'm letting the photos do the talking today.

like how fun it is to take the girls to the park.

oh, i'm sorry savvy, do you have something else you'd rather be doing?

and how much i enjoy seeing life through the eyes and quick legs of our toddler. like on a family trip to the zoo.

i wanted to let this horse out into the wild (well, the wheaton wild) so badly.

oh, i'm sorry savvy, do you have something else you'd rather be doing?

and taking IN how expressive savvy is becoming and the big personality that fills her petite little body.

for the man of the house.

Father's Day 2011

running in the rain.

a rainstorm caught me on my run today. apparently i wasn't running fast enough. it felt awesome. luckily i was by myself and the girls were dry inside with kara, world's best sitter. while i would not have set out for my run if i knew it was going to rain like it did, i thoroughly enjoyed the experience. changing my stride to avoid (and splash in a few...) puddles, the looks of drive-by-ers who seem to feel sorry for me, the feel of rain dripping off my eyelashes. it was a pleasant surprise.

we can't always see what is ahead of us, but when we can chuckle at our circumstances and splash in a few of the puddles that come, it sure would make life a lot more enjoyable.

i'm thankful to be married to a man who does this. big things: bryon experienced sudden hearing loss in his right ear about 6 months ago. it came on quicker than its name. i have yet to hear bryon really complain about it. little things: bryon likes to lay on the couch and read his iPad. these times are few & far between. usually he's doing this...

dear bryon: thanks for always cracking jokes at really inappropriate times. thanks for telling me to be patient when it's the very last thing i want to hear. thanks for your awesome discernment that reigns in our household. thanks for loving our routine & the comfort of our home. thanks for being positive and steady. thanks for not listening to downer music. thanks for those times that you make fallon laugh even harder than i think she's capable of. thanks for watching movies on airplanes and saying the strong female character reminds you of me, but weaker. thanks for working so hard. thanks for encouraging me to be me. thanks for reminding me to laugh at myself while running in the rain.

summer days

we have spent a lot of time outside recently. it is such a refreshing way to pass the time: running through/drinking sprinkler water, walking around the neighborhood, laughing at fallon as she pushes/picks up/stands on her bike instead of riding it, stepping up the front stoop step-down the front stoop step-up the front stoop step-down...., splashing in puddles, so much more. it is playing-outside-time and we are in love.

note the busy toddler in the background. the only thing she stops for? cold mac & cheese in a big kid chair.

and then it rained. and rained and rained. i tell you what, the cooling rain has been a nice change. hot days are so much fun, but a cool rain detoxifies us and makes us appreciate the warmth that will come again.

this particular rainy day included a wet, slippery garage floor which caused a fal gal wipe out. wipe out prompted cries that could be heard around the world and a fast moving mama: savvy girl inside on a blanket on the floor, scoop up hurting toddler, get us all in and safe. this wipe out prompted something else to...

...i got us all in and (almost) settled and a knock came at the door. a neighbor told me she was going to encourage me: "these days will pass." hmph. "um, thanks." close door. i don't want these days to pass. quite frankly i'm fearing how quickly these days will pass.

these days where i am the one who fal runs to when she falls down. i'm the one she throws a FIT over when i can't pick her up right. that. second. i'm the one who gets to sit with savvy girl in a quiet office (where i'm supposed to be working) and watch her learn to express herself with her smile, eyes, tongue, eye brows.

"your little hands wrapped around my finger and it's so quiet in the world tonight. your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming so i tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light.
to you, everything's funny, you got nothing to regret, i'd give all I have, honey if you could stay like that"

i get to be behind these 2. pushing them, teaching them, learning from them, laughing with (and sometimes at) them.

hope you all get a chance to be fully in YOUR time and you enjoy it before it does pass by. we are headed into a weekend of staying put and celebrating my adorable niece's big 1st birthday. and date night tonight with my love. off to see this. last time we went on a date? we had a baby that night...

vibing

i use the term "vibing" quite often. usually when bry & i do a lot of laughing together, i feel like we're vibing. when the girls eat, sleep and play well, i feel like they're vibing. when sunday evenings mean a run for each of us, followed by grilled fish & veggies enjoyed on our picnic table outside, while fal gal skips laps around the backyard in between bites ALL leading right up until bedtime for the girls? oh yes. we are vibing.

there really is nothing more important to me than vibing with my family. i'm finding it's about balance, routine, and cherishing our moments. it's about not worrying, being intentional, and thanking God for blessings and challenges. 2 months ago when we were nervous about the life of our infant and learning to navigate life with 2 babies, we did not think vibing was in our near future. turns out, it is. and we are so thankful.

alotta things are working together to bring us to vibing status as of late. like weekends away with family.

why yes, that IS my old life jacket! sentimental overload.

there is something amazing about looking back on photos when you can actually SEE the love between people.

we're learning about the people that our girls are quickly becoming. seeing their bond forming already- like when fal decides toys to bring over to savvy. and savvy has begun following fallon around the room with her curious little gaze. laverne & shirley, thelma & louise, jo & meg march...

and please note our free-spirited toddler who has more photos trying to escape the camera/hug/loving embrace than not. her energy and buck-the-system attitude already remind me of a certain 18-year-old... ruh roh. when i convinced my dad to let me live in paris with a few girlfriends and then those girlfriends backed out and i went anyways, he warned me it would come back to bite me.

but then there are moments where she stops & captures the beauty and innocence of a moment that is otherwise overlooked. she stops to smell every flower. she dances with her shadow. she notes the baby ducks who are tucked beneath their mama. then we all get to experience the way the mama duck dives in after her ducklings like its her job. and it is. i know.

cause when mama duck is vibing with her girls, all else in the world is right. stress is eliminated, female pressures seem so SO silly, material possessions and creating the "picture perfect home" fall so far down the priority list.

and we've had loads of family time. two things we've noted on our first summer back in chicagoland: the genuine appreciation of nice weather and the refreshment that comes from spending quality time with family. fal regularly goes through the list: olivia, kris, mark, austin, graham, carter, maggie, goofy, donald, daisy, minnie.

the peanut and the cashew. guaranteed to be best buds for life. 1 month apart in age, 12 months apart in clothes size...

so needless to say, we are enjoying the vibe that has come with summer. we are enjoying the vibe that has come with learning how to grow with our girls. bry called me out for being uber sentimental the other day. this doesn't happen often. when it comes to crying at, well anything, bry is the first to crack. i wish i had it in me, but i don't. one of the things i love most about him. these days, though, i think i'm coming around. the vibe is getting to me and i like it.

and then he looks at me like this. like "really? you're taking a picture to capture this memory? ok, babe." i snap, we laugh, and i know we're vibing.