Tomato

Nina potted a tomato in school last spring and Grandma and Grandpa nursed it along in their little garden all summer long.  Nina has been waiting weeks to pick it and yesterday was finally the day.  She was so proud and excited (and adorable). Macy got into the tomato picking action too by helping Grandpa with a few cherry tomatoes  After picking their prizes Grandma helped wash the tomatoes. Nina promptly took a big bite and together the girls finished every last juicy bite.  

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Two Hearts For Hope 5K

I ran my very first 5k race today. I trained for about 6 weeks to be able to run the 3.1 mile race and though it doesn't sound like much, it was a lot for me:) Of course it wasn't quite how I imagined it since I ran pushing a double stroller that weighed 83 pounds with the girls and their assorted electronics!  So I didn't break any land speed records but I did run the whole way and I finished and best of all I got to do it with some really wonderful friends.  Actually the toughest part of the run was keeping the girls entertained.  They would much rather be running beside me than be pushed in a stroller (come to think of it they would probably be faster than me too).

The 5k benefited Two Hearts For Hope and I was happy to have been able to raise $800 (thanks again everyone) for the cause. All together more than $10,000 was raised. The donations are being used to buy new beds for an orphanage in Taraz, Kazakhstan.  I am praying that I will be able to join the Two Hearts mission trip next fall when the beds will be delivered.  It would be amazing to see the end results of this weekend's hard work (and running/walking).

Ready. Set. Go!  UP HILL!!!

Crossing the finish line with my awesome (slightly cold) Team Printy!

Kaz Mama's Angela, Stacy, Regina and me

Accepting our prize for first place stroller finish ...they made that up for us:-)

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Kiefer in Patagonia

Sounds like a TV show...

Kiefer has decided to spend this school year abroad.  It feels like an abrupt change of plans but the truth is he has been searching for this kind of opportunity for many months now.  He has left the University of Akron and is now enrolled at the University of Utah. However, he won't actually attend any classes in Utah.  Instead he will be duel enrolled with the  National Outdoor Leadership School and the Wilderness Medicine Institute which partners with the University.  Kiefer will earn 27 credits for courses offered through the University’s departments of Biology, Health Education, and Parks, Recreation and Tourism. That's the part I like.  The part that is harder for a mother to like is he will actually be studying abroad in Patagonia.  But I have to admit it is an experience of a lifetime.

NOLS offers an amazing program.  The focus is leadership training and it includes the Wilderness Medicine program I mentioned, a service project, a short stay with a Patagonia family, sea kayaking, hiking, glacier climbing, mountaineering, eco training and more.  He will spend most of his time living in a 4 man tent and will often be days from civilization.  There will be a satellite phone for emergencies but we have been told not to expect much in the way of communication.  At this point it looks like Kiefer will be leaving on October 14th and returning in late March. He might come home for a two week break at Christmas but at least for now he is planning on using his break time to travel to some other areas of South America. That's still a work in progress.


So my baby is really going away and I am going to have go cold turkey...no calls, weekend visits or even Christmas break.  Yeah I know he will be sleeping on a glacier but honestly I think it's going to be harder on me.
 

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Macy Sings Her ABC's

BTW She mastered this song at about three weeks home. She is crazy smart.

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Hair Crimes

The Scene of the Crime: 11:30pm, master bathroom,  a pile of curls on the floor, a pair of scissors left open on the counter along with a shredded ponytail holder. A sleeping child found sprawled across her parent's bed. 

The Motive: removal of the pigtail holders, pink, too tight.

The Weapon: Cosmetic scissors used in a repeated hacking motion.

Sentence: Short hair (possibly for life).

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5K...5Kids...$5bucks!

I have been running for weeks now trying to get ready for my first ever 5k. I will be running (quit laughing) the "Walk for Kaz" 5K on September 25th in Indianapolis. I followed the couch25k running program and I am finally at the point that I can indeed run 5 kilometers without stopping to walk, gasping for air, cramping or throwing up!  I am not going to break any land speed records but I do feel like I'm ready!

Of course it's never that easy....just this week I decided to take both of the girls with me to the event (Dart and the boys will be staying at home).   I had been planning a different sort of  "girl's weekend" but after our last minute getaway  to the Bahamas I just didn't want to be away from my girls another weekend.  And, as if the 5 hours drive with two demanding diva's isn't enough to make you sweat, I now have just 10 days to work up the strength to run while pushing a 23 pound jogging stroller filled with almost 60 pounds of double trouble.  Honestly I'm hoping that the adrenaline will kick in and I wont even notice my extra load...bring on the runner's high!

The bigger hurdle is the need to raise a few dollars for Two Hearts for Hope the beneficiary of the event.  I am hoping to raise $500 dollars.  Actually,  I am hoping I can get 100 friends to donate $5 each. Somehow that seems fitting; 5K...5 Kids...$5 bucks!

So I am asking YOU dear reader to please make a $5 donation to sponsor my run.  You can donate by going to Pay Pal and making a personal gift payment to my email address loriprinty@gmail.com.  Thank you everyone who can help out and please be sure to leave a comment too...all support is welcome!

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A Day of Pre School Beauty (Macy's First Haircut)

We took the girls for haircuts this week.  I am sure it was not Macy's first haircut but it was her first haircut with us so we made it a little special by adding mini manis.  This was Nina's second haircut and she was confident and brave which was all Macy needed to see.  Macy jumped right in and seemed to enjoy the pampering and fuss.  She really is my girly girl.

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Game Face

Nolan...is all business this year!

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Cheers to being home again!

We had a great time in the Bahamas.  Lots of R&R, good food, drinks, great weather.  It was a perfect weekend.   By the time we got to the end of our trip we felt rested and VERY ready to be home with our kiddos again.  Three days it turns out is plenty of time to miss each other!

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See Ya!

This morning Dart and I are headed to the Bahamas for a much needed weekend get away WITHOUT THE KIDS. This is the makeup vacation after our Branson Bust. If all goes as planned we should be comfortably lounging at the pool by noon.  I even booked the honeymoon villa at our adult only resort just to make the point: NO KIDS ALLOWED. We need a grown up break. It's just a weekend but ahhh what a weekend it will be. The mere thought of sleeping without someone kicking me in the head is pure bliss. My goodness we might even be able to sleep past dawn or (I'm all tingly now) take a nap! (Can you tell we are tired?)

Sure there will be the usual island fare; sugary white sand beaches, fruity drinks with paper umbrellas, steel drum bands and cabana massages but honestly it's the potential for three nights of interrupted sleep that I look forward to the most.

"The moment your Rolls Royce pulls up to the stunning Georgian facade of Sandals Royal Bahamian–once the domain of a former king of England–you realize that you've entered a realm of sophisticated splendor. This glamorous spot regales you with its sumptuous suites, its dazzling array of fine eating establishments, its exquisite tropical beauty and its breathtakingly gorgeous off-shore island, boasting two pristine, white-sand beaches, a serenely secluded spa and absolutely everything you could ever imagine in an exotic island hideaway."

(The ticker below is for my sister Lisa:) ....Yes I know there are hurricanes and tropical storms all over the Caribbean but don't worry it looks like they will miss us.  If not that's OK too, the sound of rain hitting the thatched roof of our KID-LESS villa can lull me to sleep!)

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