14 June 2008

Asher's 1st Race

Last night, I felt like I was pinning wings on my little boy as I pressed the safety pins through the race number I was attaching to his back. I've worn many of those racing numbers and each time felt a sense of pride, knowing the work it takes to get to the point of being able to race.

Our training for this first Friday night kids run consisted only of practicing running around the kitchen table for about ten minutes while we waited for daddy to get home, but it was still fun to watch Asher be excited about running.


The fun lasted for only so long. Asher enjoyed a couple of practice jogs down the track with daddy, but by the time the actual run began and daddy said, "Ok, Asher now is the time to run."




Our son who we at one time thought would be a compliant child stated, "NO, WALK."





That was then followed by another defiant statement of "Sit in grass." So, Walter ended up carrying Asher most of the way around the track while I waited and waited for them to come running by. They came around eventually, dead last.


I explained to a race worker that my son had indeed completed the race and asked for a ribbon like she had handed out to all of the other racers.



He was excited about the "trophy ribbon" and we are hoping that next time he will actually run during the race to earn his prize.

Mommy thought we needed another prize after the race - nothing is completely celebrated unless it includes ice cream. Asher thinks that ice cream cones with eyes are even better!

09 June 2008

Fun Facts about Returning to Wheaton

In college, everything was "fun." I daily found myself exclaiming with friends that their good news was, "fun for you!" There were "fun facts about Nancy," "fun facts about Ukraine," "fun facts about Fischer 5W," and fun facts about every other thing that was...fun. Since I just spent 4 days back on campus, I thought of some

"Fun Facts about Returning to Wheaton - 10 years later."
1. Late night talks with my roommates - this still happened!
2. Getting to ride in the new elevators at Fischer dorm.
3. Knowing where the not-so-crowded bathrooms are.
4. The buildings still smelled the same!!
5. Watching current students eyes glaze over - just as mine used to do when an excited alum described how great it was to be back and what it was like when they were a student.
6. Everyone around campus says "hi" to everyone else on campus.
7. The phones in Fischer dorm are the exact same model from 14 years ago.
8. I gravitated to the same places in SAGA, the cafeteria, for every meal.
9. I remembered to take multiple glasses of drink on my first pass through the food line.
10. The chimes still ring!
11. I wasn't worried about being raided by the brother floor when I went to bed at night.
12. Blanchard lawn is still the perfect lawn to nap on.
13. I felt completely safe walking across campus late at night.
14. God is there. I found myself once again talking outloud to Him.