Crossfit Day 1

Last night, I went to my first CrossFit session.  Truth be told, it wasn't even really a "REAL" session, but a "fundamentals course."  My quads are screaming that it was fundamentally torture.  I can honestly say I did more squats in the first half hour than I have ever done in my life.  Squats with no weights, back squats, sumo dead lift high pulls (squats with the added pleasure of a kettle bell), box jumps (wherein one jumps--or hops--onto a box 12-18 inches off the ground), and then a few pushups thrown in just for variety.

It was surprisingly fun...until I figured out that was really the warmup for the 10 minute newbie variation of a workout or WOD (workout of the day) as seasoned veterans would call it.  I confess that prior to this moment, I had generally thought ten minutes was a fairly short amount of time.  We watch a lot of legal movies and television shows around here; and you sometimes hear that it took someone ten minutes to die.  I usually thought that wasn't such a bad thing...because ten minutes really isn't that long.  I would now like to offer my apologies to all the fictionalized characters of the crime genre whose suffering I wantonly dismissed.  I was wrong.  Ten minutes is a lifetime...especially if you have warmed up with 30 minutes of varying squat exercises and now are trying to see how many more you can do in these 600 seconds.

When I finally made it home--which was something of a miracle considering I wondered whether or not my legs had enough strength to properly control the gas and brake pedals--I downed half a gallon of water and forced myself to eat some cashews.  I made it up the stairs with no problems but actually had to sit and slide down on my bottom to get back downstairs.  That's a little pathetic...but precisely pathetic enough to ensure that I will be be back Wednesday morning.

Harrison suffers the great misfortune of being the third child.  To compound the problem, the first two years of his life (and, yes, I realize he is only two) were a blur of sleep deprivation and failed attempts to wrangle his brother and sister into some sense of order. 

Anyhow, yesterday, Thatcher asked Chad and me what his first first word was.  We quickly replied that it was "Dudya."  Naturally, he then wanted to know what Hadley's first word was.  We instantly told him it was "Thomas."  As a matter of course, he then wanted to know what Harrison's first word was.  Silence.  I honestly have no idea.  He could have recited the Gettysburg Address when he was eight months old for all I recall.  My only hope is that I managed to record it on the blog; but, truthfully, I'm more likely to find it somewhere on Facebook, but that would take forever to search.

In an attempt to be a better mother to our "sweet lovin' baby," here are some of my favorite Harrisonisms.  When he isn't chattering away, Harrison is singing!  Because he loves to sing, I'm including some hits that he frequently belts out around the house. 

Harrison's Favorite Phrases

• Yes. (I feel this is noteworthy for two reasons, the first of which is most children usually get hung up on saying, "NO."  Secondly, Harrison says this with his tongue touching his top, front teeth.  It should sound like, "yeth," but it surprisingly does not.  The "s" is almost hissed.  It's entertaining.)
• Need iPad.  (Harrison wakes up saying this.)
• Need iPone
• I don't wike it.
• Tickle kiggies.
• Tickle chest.
• More tickles.
• More please tickles. (What can I say, the kid LOVES tickles.)
• More please choc-wet (chocolate).
• Molly take it (usually through tears when Molly takes whatever stick Harrison is playing with...those two are constantly fighting over sticks).
• Need choc-wet milk.
• Go see Mrs. Knapp.
• More please puppies.
• Want talk to Papa.
• No, Hadwee.

Harrison's Favorite Songs



• Thomas The Tank Engine Roll Call
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• Don't Fill Up on Chips - by Randy Kaplan
• Candace Party - from Phineas and Ferb
• Jesus Loves Me - by Danielle P Davis because the traditional melody was just too offensive to him. 

Big Prayer

Tonight, Thatcher prayed the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner.  I believe that you died on the cross for me and that you rose from the grave.  I want you to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.  I want to live my life for you.  Amen.

A Question for Harrison

Dear Harrison,

Why have you stopped napping?

Love,
Mom

My Funny Valentine

When asked if he would be my valentine tomorrow, Thatcher responded, "Of course...because you have all of my love.  I keep it in my underpants; but tomorrow, I'm going to let it all out."

Hadley's Letter to Santa

Mommy, those people at the post office were sending letters to Santa.  Do you know what letter I'm going to send to Santa?  The letter "H" because Hadley starts with H.

Kindergarten!

Thatcher headed off to Kindergarten on 29 August.  As usual, we had a flurry of activity surrounding this monumental event, so I was able to successfully make it through this transition without having a nervous breakdown.  Years (okay, let's be honest...weeks) from now, I know I will not remember the anxiety I had about letting him ride the bus with older children.  Would a fourth grade tartlet school him on sex  the first day?  Would some hardened fifth grader offer him a joint to celebrate finishing the first week of school?  Would the bus driver inadvertently teach him the "F word?"  In the end, transportation logistics--and his earnest desire to hang out with Lauren and Avery at the bus stop--won out, and I sent him off.  Even the ever nonplussed Chad couldn't believe it. 

Thankfully, kindergarten here is only a half-day program.  By half day, I mean it is only THREE HOURS long.  Thankfully, that bus ride--which tacks an extra 30 minutes onto each end of the school day--buys me a little extra time to take a shower or check my email; but it isn't much.  He's off at 7:15 and back home at 11:25.  He is really looking forward to having a full 90 minutes of Hadley-free time on the days she is at school.  If I plan my day just right (which rarely happens), I have Harrison napping when Thatcher gets home, so he can get some undivided attention.

Some Kindergarten stats for Thatcher include:

• School starts at 7:50 and ends at 10:50.  I need a work day like that.
• His backpack features Perry the Platypus from his favorite show,  "Phineas and Ferb."
• On his way to the bus on the first day, he told Hadley, "Hadley, I sure will miss you while I'm at school today." 
• The kindergartners do not eat lunch at school.  They do, however, have a "milk break."  For reasons unbeknownst to me, Thatcher usually chooses white milk, rather than chocolate or strawberry.  The first day, he told me he did it because I told him to drink the milk (and he didn't realize that meant he could have CHOCOLATE milk).  Now that he knows he can have whatever he wants, he still chooses the white.  What is wrong with him? 
•  Milk for the ENTIRE school year is $50.  That doesn't cover my monthly Starbucks habit. 

 Mom, I'm going to miss the bus!

 Walking to the bus with Lauren

 The Mill Run Court Kids

Lauren, Thatcher, Austin, and Avery

 The New Kindergartners...Ready to Conquer!

 Gran came up to see her special guy off on his big adventure.

 Thatcher and his teacher, Mrs. Thornhill