(Sigh)

I'm beginning to wonder if my children are a result of my obsession with Calvin and Hobbes when I was younger. Is it possible that somehow all that mischievous energy was absorbed by my brain and then transferred genetically to my sons? Today Brig cut his own hair. This is a classic moment for parents and rather than get mad I wanted to laugh. I had to hold it in because he was rather proud of himself. Brig has started taking an interest in himself which I assume is normal development. He wanted to comb his hair and I left him alone in the bathroom (my mistake) and a few minutes later he comes out saying "Dad, I cut my hair." Huh? I wasn't sure I heard him right. I led him back to the scene of the crime and sure enough, there were chunks of his hair. He was very proud of himself, he got the hair wet, combed it down, and cut the long strings. It isn't that noticeable? Is it?

Brig's B-Day Final Phase

The festivities of Brig's Birthday wrapped up at Chucky Cheeses with a group of his best friends. Ricki did all the hard work, I followed Kre around and kept alert for signs of fire. The kids had a great time and it is such a blast to watch Brig interact with his friends. He is growing up quickly. Once it was all over Ricki claimed the evening as a success "Well, we didn't get kicked out." And that pretty much sums it up.

Kre on Skee

When life doesn't fit, don't be afraid of doing things differently. During Brig's 6th birthday party my only real responsibility was to assist Ricki when she needed it and follow Kre around with a pocket full of tokens. I love Chucky Cheeses because despite the shaky economy, fluctuating energy prices, volatile markets, and talk of a recession their games are all still 1 token. Where else can you find something as consistent as that? Skee ball, 1 token. Star Wars Pod Racer, 1 token. You name it, and you can play it for, you guessed it 1 token. Kre loved the Skee Ball but just didn't grasp the concept of the roll, so while I went to get some more tokens he took matters into his own hands and found a way to be successful at what he wanted to do most. We could all learn a lesson from his out of the box thinking.

Brig's Birthday

It is currently 4:46 PM on Thursday afternoon. Phase 1 and Phase 2 of operation Brig's Birthday are complete. Unfortunatly the Federal Government denied my request to rename today "Day of Brig" we have nonetheless moved forward in determination to ensure it was a fantastic day. Preperation began last night when Brig and I braved the grocery store without any adult supervision to get his favorite cereal (8 pack of mini-boxes) and some half cans of rootbeer for a treat. This morning while eating his Honey Smacks in Rootbeer Brig opened the presents from the Grandparents and played all morning with Kre. (Kidding people, Brig takes his cereal dry) He got to take Halloween cookies for a treat to his class and emerged from school with a crown and a supersized 6 hanging from decorative yarn around his neck. This afternoon he opened the presents from Kre and the P's. (Parents, come on everyone keep up with the abbreviations.) Notice in the pictures the reverence with which he handled the excellent gifts. You might also notice Kre's subtle dissapointment at not getting to open anything. Brig showed his stuff by allowing his younger brother to open one of his presents.

Estes

Everything was crazy for several weeks. Ricki was launching a new Kickboxing release so she was practicing with other instructors, teaching extra classes, and training at home. Work got freakishly busy (for which we were thankful) and I was pretty much unavailable for a while. So as things finally settled down Ricki talked me into heading up to Estes for the day. It couldn't have been better weather or a prettier day. The boys got to see the Elk resting at the golf course (sorry no pictures, perhaps next time) we walked the shops

and of course ate our favorite pizza. We get it to go and sit by the creek so the boys can throw rocks.

Kre always manages to find something entertaining to do.

No TV Week

Brig's school is having a "No TV Week." The last few weeks we have discussed it and Brig seemed fine with it. But as we all know, knowing that something is coming up and actually facing it are two different matters. So early this morning Ricki posted the "No TV" paper on the TV. Begin meltdown. Part of me thinks that he simply needs to have the TV on, regardless of whether he is watching it or not. It causes me to reminisce to the days the Parnell Clan lived on Hyde and anyone tried to turn of "Pete's Dragon." We all know what a disaster that was.....Ken. Anyway, This is Kre trying to coax Brig out of his life crisis mode to come and play. The green lump to the left is Brig hiding from the sorrows of the world.

Latest book....and update

So my friends just started a book club and this is what we read this month. I loved it can't wait to go pick up the next book. Easy read but fun. I have been reading so much lately and just can't get enough. I would love to know some of your favorites. Also, update on my certifacate. I received a new one this week and thank goodness it was spelled right! I have been so busy with my launches for kickboxing these last few weeks so Bard has been taking over the blog. Wednesday is my last launch for kick so my life will slow down a lot....hopefully and I will be able to blog more. I feel like all I have done the last few weeks is eat, sleep, and kickbox. Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures on Wed. of my kick launch and post them.
P.S. A kick launch is just the new music and coreography that we get every 4 months. So it a big deal.

Treadmills

I ran today. (Stop your laughing) I know, I run a lot I admit it. But if you have to be addicted to something it might as well be something healthy right? Strange ideas have begun creeping into my mind as I transition into the winter months. My favorite trails are not as accessible and sub freezing temperatures and icy roads are often less than ideal running conditions. I still do it. I've found ways to keep my IPod from freezing (yes it has happened, it was actually the battery that was freezing up. Did you know that super cold temperatures shortens the lifespan of batteries?) as well as the tube on my hydration pack. Luckily the last time that happened I was only 3 miles from the CSU campus and I found an open bathroom where I could run hot water over the tube to defrost the ice. I digress. So I've been looking for ways to keep running interesting. I've considered doing a "Miramont Marathon". The gym Ricki and I belong to has three locations here in town; North, Central, and South. I thought it would be fun to calculate the distance between the gyms and subtract that from 26.2 miles. I would run the remainder split up on treadmills at each location. So I would start at the South Gym, run a few miles on the treadmill, grab my pack run to the Central location, run a few miles, run to the North and finish it up. I've also never run an entire marathon on the treadmill. So I think I'll do that next week...... or the week after. Believe it or not running on the treadmill is funcitonally different than running on the road so it is good to get into it a bit before I suddenly run for 3.5-4 hours on one. So I ran 2 hours on one today. I got bored early but managed to push through. I'm going to have to put some movies on the IPod because mid day Saturday about all that is on the TVs at the gym is politics and football. I really should get into football.

Bittersweet

After looking in the mail for the last two weeks hoping that I would receive my evaluation and pass/fail answer for kickboxing. I finally got it yesterday and it was a very bittersweet moment.

Yes I Passed, but this was what was on my certificate.

Very disappointing ! They spelled my name right on the package and evaluation but just couldn't seem to get it right on the most important document! Yes, I am still bitter about it and will be until they correct their mistake. All in all though I am a certified instructor so I guess that's all that matters. Especially because I would hate to have to stop teaching my classes. I love teaching and helping people get closer to their fitness goals!

Unofficial Blue Sky Marathon (Saturday Wave)

The Inaugural Blue Sky Marathon in Fort Collins Colorado is being held on Sunday October 5th 2008. Winning the "unofficial, unsanctioned, unregulated, Saturday wave" of the Blue Sky Marathon Bard Parnell completed the course in an unofficial time of 4:20 good enough for 1st place overall (out of a field of 1). Bard had this to say about the course. "And people ask why I love to run. Just look at this course, set in the beautiful Fort Collins foothills, this is a chance for local runners and visitors to enjoy incredible mountain trails. You get very runnable single track, rocky technical sections, steep ascents, and breathtaking views." When asked about his performance Bard said "Well, the interval workout on Towers Road the day before was probably not the smartest choice I've made, but today was about enjoying the course and being thankful that I can run it. Taking the overall prize was just gravy." For those of you who don't get to run these trails or the Blue Sky event, the slide show gives you a glimpse of the natural splendor this course encompasses.