Thankfulness

So I'm a little behind, my parent came up for the week and it was pure chaos with the kids excitement.  They had so much fun and Riley even got to sleep over at the hotel (and ride in a booster seat since cousin Daniel is in a booster seat now).  Jacob was especially excited to have a whole week of stay at home days even though he talked about all of his school friends all week. 

Off to the hotel with Nana and Poppy

We started Thanksgiving Day off with our first Turkey Trot, I think we are most definitely going to have to make this an annual tradition.  Marc and I ran the 10K and it was great!  I actually had my personal best time for a run averaging a pace of 9min 15sec per mile.  After our run we had about an hour before Riley ran in the kids' 1/4 mile run, next year I'll have her do the 1/2 mile as the 1/4 mile was too short but because of her age they kind of talked me into having her do the 1/4 mile. 

This is what I get for pictures these days

And she's off

She took off at the finish line, she smoked me!

So proud of her!

She loved it!

My running buddy

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for many things but I'm especially thankful for Riley being able to run in the Turkey Trot.  I'm thankful for what looks to be a future that is cast and surgery-free and I am thankful for her ability to accept her clubfeet and not let it affect her life.  She could very easily use it as a crutch and an excuse to not do stuff but she shrugs her shoulders and just says "Yeah, I had clubfeet, so what."  I'm thankful for her resilience, ability to face adversity and most of all her contagious smile that despite countless casts, AFOs and a pretty major surgery, never stopped smiling.

Cheers to all of that and more!

After our run, I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for us, which I failed to capture a picture of.

Friday, we woke up early and hit up the Outlet Mall for a little Black Friday shopping.  And then went to the regular mall for more deals with kids in tow, they were good sports and we got lots of great deals!

Black Friday shopping!

Riley got a nice Buster Posey jersey earlier in the week so we let Jacob get a Build-A-Bear

The kids literally go nuts for this store

Jacob made BuberBear - his new Spider-Man bear (he calls Spider-Man "Buber-Man")

After shopping, I made Marc go for a run with me!  Needed to run off that gluttony!

Jacob loving on his poppy

Dinner with my pretty girl!

And just like that another vacation is over and now onto the next big activities...Jacob's birthday AND Hanukkah!  Let the holiday/birthday season begin!

Girl's Weekend Away

Last weekend I met my very good friend of 15 years down in Anaheim for a Girl's Weekend and Half Marathon.  She convinced me about 6 months ago to sign up for the Inaugural Avenger's Half Marathon so she's to thank for getting me addicted to running.  We met down there on Friday and raced (no pun intended) to the Expo to pick up our bibs and a most importantly park hoppers and then we hit the parks for some adult fun at Disneyland.  Saturday morning we slept in, went back to the expo to check out the vendors and then off to the parks for the day.  Sunday morning we were up bright and early for our run which started at 5:30 (yes, in the AM!).  The race itself was actually awful.  There was a major Santa Ana rolling through SoCal and the winds were ridiculous and blowing at our faces.  The course was awful and we spent much of the race running along a sand-filled aqueduct with the sand pelting us on the face due to the winds.  There was no on course entertainment so it made the race drag on.  Still, I'm glad I ran it despite the poor conditions.  We finished in about 2 1/2 hours, so about the same time as my Nike run.  Anne is a super competitive runner so I felt like I held her back a little but there was no where to run, the path would only fit 3 people across for most of the race.  They even cancelled the post-race Expo because of the wind.  So after the race we got our stuff and headed straight for CA Adventure so we could get FastPasses for Radiator Springs Racer.  (Wow, so much fun!).  We were hard core and stayed at the park for a few hours before heading back to our room for a shower and then back to the park.  We did about 22 miles that day according to my FitBit!

Even though the race was disappointing, we had so much fun, it's been 6 years since we had seen each other we picked up where we left off and had a blast.  It was nice to get away and Disney is so much more fun without kids.  Of course I had a high level of mommy guilt being at Disney without my two favorite Disney fans so there were lots of pictures and lots of presents for them!

The Holidays really is the best time to be at Disneyland!

Love this picture of Walt Disney holding Mickey Mouses' hand with the castle in the background

It's still all about Anna and Elsa

I think people were judging our cones!

Quick pic with Lightning and Mater on our run!

Snow White and the Seven Drawfs (not pictured)

Finishers!

Captain America

Mickey's Funwheel from the Secret Drink menu at the Cove Bar.  YUM!  I recommend the lobster nachos

It Was A Good Day

Today was another whirlwind day but it ended up a good day, at least in the eyes of Riley. 

We started the morning off with Riley's first report card parent/teacher conference.  Riley got a very, very good report card and update from her teacher, we were very proud!  I got to pick her up after school because she had a 2:00 appointment with Dr Hoffinger. 

We grabbed a quick lunch at home before heading to her classroom so I could meet with her teacher to plan the Thanksgiving Party for her class and then we headed up to Walnut Creek for an appointment with Dr H.  I was pretty nervous, Riley's right foot has seemed a little stiff so I was concerned we might be heading down a relapse path even though I haven't seem any curvature.  While I was meeting with her teacher, Riley colored a picture for Dr Hoffinger thanking him for fixing her feet.  We also brought a kindergarten picture for Beverly.  We got there and luckily they weren't too busy so we only had to wait a few minutes before going back.  Riley handed Beverly her picture, which she LOVED!  Bev has always loved Riley, even when Ri was a baby, Bev used to scoop her out of her car seat and walk her around the office before Riley had her casts removed and re-applied.  Riley always calmed down in Bev's arms.  And of course we can't forget when Bev came to visit Riley in the hospital after her tendon transfer.  She's equally important in Riley's treatment as Dr H is. 

Then it was time for BossyMan.  He came in and Riley handed him her picture, he loved it and gave her a huge hug and then she told him about her Dashing Dolphins and her 6 dolphin tails.  He couldn't believe that they had a running club for 5 year olds but was very happy to hear about Riley's excitement over it and her participation.  He did the usual inspection and after watching her walk said he saw absolutely no turning in on either foot.  I let out a big sigh of relief and told him I was concerned because that right foot seemed tighter than usual and he said he felt that it was tighter as well but the position was good and there was no turning when she walked.  (Sad, that I can feel the tightness in her feet like a well trained orthopedic surgeon).  He also said that at this point (2 months before her 6th birthday) that it would be extremely rare to have an issue at this point on that foot.  He felt like we would have seen any issues if we were going to see them.  The surgery seems a success, the right foot looks good without surgery so there might just be a light at the end of this long journey that we've been traveling.  I am cautiously optimistic that we may be finally putting clubfoot behind us.  She's come so far and I'm so proud of her strength and the way she just lets it all roll off of her.  She could very well use her clubfoot as an excuse to not participate or do stuff but Riley has never let clubfoot get in her way.  I often wonder how a child who spent the last year and a half in casts and AFOs ignores all that and is able to run around and participate as if she's never been through any of this.  It blows my mind!

That's Riley and Dr H on the right side together

Check out the flexibility on those tootsies!

Miss Sassy!

Our traditional picture!

Since we were in Walnut Creek, Riley wanted to go to my office.  So we headed over there for a little bit, enough time for some Kellogg's treats!  There were only a few people in the office but Riley still enjoyed herself.

And I wonder why she likes coming to work with me!?!

Like most days; it was busy, chaotic, and exhausting.  But it was a good day!  I'm so proud of Riley's great report card, thrilled that her feet are looking good, and happy to spend the afternoon with her.  Work has been awful lately and Friday was a good reminder of what is really important in life!

Season End

Saturday was Riley's last tee ball game.  She is total hard core so she was sad to see the season end but I do have her signed up for an all girl's softball league in the spring.  Of course she had to play first base, she loves first base and she even caught a throw to her (most of them were WAY off target).  The second inning in the field Riley played short stop and fielded a few balls and had some great throws to first base.  She's so ready for the big time!

This is Jacob's pouty face

Ready position

He can see better from here

How did he get so dang big!?!

Happy girl with her trophy!

Whew!

Wow, what a day Friday was!  A fun day but a tiring one!!!  It started at 7:45 when I realized I was supposed to drop my car at the dealership at 7:00am!  Ooops!  So I loaded Riley very quickly in my car, shot over to the dealership, dropped it off and then we very briskly walked to her school from there.  Now, we've been in a major drought as I've mentioned before and it really hasn't rained in over a year but guess what the forecast was for Friday...yep, rain...ALL DAY LONG!  Go figure!  So our entire trot (I call it a trot because I continually was telling Riley to pick up the pace so we'd make it to class by the 8:35 bell!  My friend Alicia drove by us and was going to pick us up but couldn't logistically figure it out.  So once Riley and I finally got to school, I quickly threw her costume on her (didn't want her walking in the rain in her costume).  It started to rain just as I was getting her dressed and she was going into class.  Then I went to check into the school as a volunteer before lining up for the parade at 9:00 with fingers crossed that the rain would hold out. 

The parade was SUPER cute, lots of Anna's, Elsa's, Spidermans, Ninja Turtles but we had the only Merida in the school and all of the parents around me LOVED her red crazy hair!  We had a bow and arrow but that wasn't allowed at school.  It was a pretty bad-ass costume!

Riley's principal was BatMan and the Vice Principal was Wonder Woman, they are seriously fun.  I don't ever remember my principal and vice principal ever being so involved and fun!

One of the teachers was a blind ref - so funny!

And here comes Riley's class, her teacher must have decided to do reverse alphabetical order because Riley was first!

After the parade it was party time and since I am a co-room mom, I was there the entire day.  It was SUPER fun but I was dead tired at the end.  Spending 4 hours with 26 kindergarteners is exhausting.  Her teacher even sent an email saying how tired she was after the party as well but it was so fun being there. 

Riley's friend Quinn

Doing the craft at my station

Working hard with buddy Ryan

Halloween party selfie!

Cutie pumpkins

Snack time

Cutest kindergarten class ever, seriously, they are pretty much the cutest class in school. 

After we left school at 12:30 we went to lunch at Red Robin, then home real quick to attempt to have Riley rest and then we were off to Jacob's school for his Imagination Parade.  It had been pouring at this point since about 11:00AM so his parade was moved in doors.  They made their costumes based on the book "Where is My Mummy" and Jacob picked Bones from the book so he was a skeleton.  He did SO great in the parade, he was a little shell shocked but no tears or tantrums!

After Jacob's parade, it was time for the grand finale!  Trick or treating!  We did our normal trick or treating crew but on steroids.  Shari and Alex hosted so we just had to cross garages and we were joined by my friend Alicia and her two kids (her son is in first grade and her daughter is a little older than Jacob) plus another family down the street whose youngest son is also in Riley's class.  After dinner some other families from the neighborhood met up with us, the kids all know each other from school or the after school program.  I think we possibly had 30 kids at one point, I'm not sure our neighborhood will every recover!  Thank goodness for Riley's crazy wig, it kept her in our sights all night.  Oh and how could I forgot, we had Jacob's big costume reveal...Mike Wizoski (I totally spelled that wrong) from Monster's Inc.

Cutest Mike EVER

Jacob wanted to be in charge of the drinks again

Halloween is pretty much his favorite holiday

He was so cute going to each house

Jacob pretty much spent the whole night calling after Riley and her friends "Wait for me guys!"  Poor little guy just wants to be able to catch up!

This is the group we got to take a picture, I think we were missing a few here!

This boy had fun!  And I have no pictures of Riley because she was running around with the boys!

And that's a wrap!  It was an exhausting but fun day!