Last Blog Post

Hello loyal blog followers! I recently read a book called "Better than Before" by Gretchen Rubin, where she talks about the Four Tendencies. I am an upholder, and as such, I tend to form habits fairly easily and stick with them. In fact, I tend to tighten around a habit and keep it going even when it's no longer serving me. The truth is, in the past few years blogging has become repetitive, as I post about family and friends on Facebook, most work-related things on Twitter, and more and more pictures of the kids are landing on Instagram. It's hard for me to stop doing something I've committed to doing, but it occurred to me that Clark's 5 year photos were the last in the series, and I feel like it's time for the blog to end in the same way; as an account that covered Aurora's first 5 years and now Clark's first 5 years pretty thoroughly. Looking back, August marked 10 years of blogging!! I blogged consistently through two pregnancies, breastfeeding two babies, countless motherhood revelations, birthday parties, family outings, and even the most mundane parts of life. From no longer being a vegetarian to becoming a runner, I've chronicled it all. Now it's time to focus on blogging and writing newsletters for the Austin Runners Club while continuing to raise these adorable kiddos through new challenges - including their own social media usage. I am hoping to create First 5 Year books for both kids highlighting my favorite blog posts from the past decade, and I think it's fitting to sign off with one more mom brag about each of my sweet littles. 

On Friday, Clark got his first Elementary School award for being cheerful! And it's true. He has taken to kindergarten so much better than I'd expected and is just as happy for a Monday as he is for a Saturday. He will tell you he has the best teacher (and the best mommy!) in the UNIVERSE and I could not be more proud of how he's been growing into a model student and wonderful, loving, responsible member of this family. He's even learning to read!

As for Aurora, this energetic and fun-loving girl has never met another kid she didn't like. She is up for any adventure and LOVES playing, crafting, running, watching movies, and generally having fun with me, the family, and any one of our neighbors or friends. This weekend we did the Bubble Run 5k for the second time and she had a blast.

While she often needs breaks from her little brother and craves mommy-daughter and friend time, she typically comes back to Clark with more patience and sweetness than I would ever expect. Yesterday they spent the day apart, then came together for a sibling sleepover.

Chuck has been spending a lot more time with Clark recently, as they are suddenly VERY interested in playing video games together, which makes it so much easier for me to go to work events or hang out with my friends on a weeknight and go running early on weekend mornings. Chuck still needs plenty of time in the studio and has been putting a lot of effort into his YouTube channel, but I think we've been able to strike a balance that's working for everybody. As the kids get older and more self-sufficient, bedtime routines are getting easier and our lives are becoming more flexible as well.

As for me, I'm just making the most of every day as it comes and working to be the best me I can be. I will admit I spend too much time on my phone and computer and am trying to set a better example for the kids. Perhaps no longer blogging will help with that... or maybe I'll miss it! Regardless, THANK YOU for caring enough to follow along on the journey from Amber's Adventures to Weekends with the Wadeys. If you're not on social media, let's be sure to find other ways to keep in touch!!
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Bowling & Movies

While this weekend was busy and did include a nice run, yoga, and some hours working at our computers - we had very little on the schedule so I decided to focus on some good old fashioned family fun. Yesterday the whole family went bowling and today I took the kids to the $2 theater to see Despicable Me 3. Both were a hit!!!

Clark LOVED bowling. He won for style points and most enthusiastic moves, and honestly, he did pretty well with actual points as well. Those bumpers make a world of difference!! Chuck and I had to warm up a bit, but I think if we went bowling more often we could be pretty good... alas, we probably won't go bowling more often, but if today's movie trailers are any indication I probably will be taking the kids out to the theater more often! Hope your weekend was just as fun.

Belated Birthday!

I've been so busy celebrating my birthday, working, working out, and taking care of Austin Runners Club business, that I missed a blog post!! ARC has been super busy lately, with extra emails to send and tons of social media, but I also just got access to blog posting capabilities through their WordPress site so I HAVE been blogging... just not here!! Regardless, I had a great birthday which included an annual group lunch with friends, a 10-mile run and a Barre class with the Austin Runners Club board, a pretty amazing dinner at Home Slice Pizza with the family, and an exceptional day out with Aurora watching Harry Potter in Concert, with the Austin Symphony Orchestra LIVE on stage!

The Home Slice meal was amazing because I'd "won" it at a silent auction (meaning, I was the highest bidder) and it included their best bottle of sparkling wine, appetizers, pizza, and several desserts! Harry Potter in Concert was even more magical than I'd expected. We were right up front with the conductor. So cool.

Of course, my birthday marks the first day of fall, and Austin got the memo! My first track workout as a 41 year old was in the pouring rain!!

Being on the ARC board has kept me super busy, and it's also made me feel more obligated to show up to way more workouts, which is good for me - and maybe it's good for the family as well. Clark is finally becoming more of a daddy's boy, and Aurora's fine with me being gone on weeknights as long as I'm home in time for a hug before bed. It's not always easy balancing it all, but we're making it work. Thanks for all the birthday wishes, cards, and gifts!!

Health & Fitness

I had such a cool work week and it bled into the weekend in the best possible way. On Friday I presented an oversized check to Marathon Kids on behalf of the Austin Runners Club, then I headed to City Hall to accept an award from Mayor Steve Adler as LIVESTRONG was accepted as a Mayor's Health & Fitness Council Partner.

This weekend was the LIVESTRONG Honor 5k/10k and it was the most fun 10k I've ever done. Part of that was the community and the cause; being surrounded by so many friends, colleagues, and people I know from the running community was SO much fun. Part of it was that running 6+ miles felt great and I'm pretty sure it was my fastest 10k yet. 

I already think my desk job is pretty cool, but being able to represent the Foundation and the Austin Runners Club in the community and at running events has been such an honor. I feel so fortunate for my health, our happy family, and all the opportunities we've been given. 

10-Miles

This weekend was jam packed from the moment I left work on Friday. I scheduled a sleepover for Aurora, Chuck picked up Clark for a boys night, and I went to happy hour followed by a charity event with colleagues.

I got home past my bedtime and woke up before the sun to go on an organized 10-mile run. This is the first year I've kept training through the summer and it's really paying off.

I didn't get much sleep Friday night but made up for it Saturday! We slept in, did laundry, yard work, food shopping, and I took the kid's to Aurora's first Girl Scout meeting of the year.

Clark joined in as the girls learned about gardening and planted lettuce. Aurora is a Junior now and I can already tell this is going to be a great year for Troop 29. The next badge they'll earn is about hurricane preparedness and we're going to be holding a fundraiser to support the Texas coast as they rebuild after Harvey. I also got to spend a few minutes chatting with my folks in Florida. They don't have power right now but expect to make it through Hurricane Irma fine. I hope the rest of our family and their homes fare just as well!

Monopoly

After an eventful storm and a busy week with Chuck traveling, we went right into a long holiday weekend. It was an extra long weekend for us, as Clark had a fever so we stayed home Friday as well. Aurora and I did finish our game of Monopoly (she won!), and while Clark was home sick we played "Onopoly Junior." I won, and we had to have a talk about being a good sport when we lose.

The rest of the weekend was pretty low key. We stayed home, did puzzles, watched movies, and while it was beautiful outside and I had a couple of nice long runs, the family mostly stayed indoors while Clark recuperated. I did ask if we could go get him a haircut, and he insisted that I give him a buzz cut. I asked if he even knew what that was, and he said yes - he remembered that I gave him one when he was two years old. So, we did it!

I'm telling you, he didn't eat for days and was sort of a sad, tired little dude. But the buzz cut made him so happy! He liked it when he was two, and if that smile is any indication he likes it now. I think it makes his eyes and smile look bigger and brighter (and it's super soft). Sorry, Mom! Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose...

Power Outage

I would've loved to post this on Sunday or Monday, but we've been without power at our house since early Saturday evening and it was just restored this morning. Crews knocked on our door at 12:39 AM asking permission to go into our yard, and the power came back on somewhere around 3:30 AM. I'm not mad about the lost sleep, and I'm certainly not mad about a weekend without electricity. We made the best of it and I know that others in Texas have been facing far worse challenges due to Hurricane Harvey. It was a little hard keeping the kids calm. Clark thought it was scary, and Aurora must've gone through all the stages of grief... from shock and denial to fear, anger, and finally acceptance. She is a sensitive girl and doesn't really like when things go wrong. We had actually just rearranged her room and she was feeling pretty good!

She also had her first few homework assignments and brought home this awesome project. Aurora may be sensitive, but she is a sweet, creative, focused and bright girl.

We ended up spending much of the weekend at home using lanterns from our camping gear to play Clue and Monopoly. It was really dark (even in the daytime) and sort of warm and humid in our house, but it was totally bearable. We also ventured over to the neighbor's house (who did have electricity) where we watched a movie and played until the kids got stir crazy, then decided it was time to manually open the garage door to find some food and go to the library.

Megan and David were incredibly generous. They lent us charging bricks for our phones, gave us space in their garage refrigerator and freezer for some of our food, and even made homemade cinnamon rolls! Now Chuck is traveling for work and I'm catching up on all the dishes and laundry that piled up over the weekend... it's amazing how much we rely on hot water, cool air conditioning, and light! One thing we rely on a little too much are electronics, and I'm hoping we can make board games a bigger part of our weekends after this.

Kindergarten Begins

We had a big, busy, fun and eventful weekend focused nearly entirely on back-to-school. I picked the kids up early Thursday so Clark could get his 5-year well child check, and we learned that he's in the 8th percentile. He may be little and goofy, but he sure is ready for kindergarten. I went to kinder parent orientation and met his teacher Thursday night, and she is YOUNG! Fresh out of college young, and very sweet. Friday morning he got to meet her and while he did pose for a picture, he requested "no touching!" and insisted on showing off his newest Pokemon card.

Aurora was just as excited to meet her teacher, but this was not a first time meeting! In second grade she was in a collaborative classroom with Mrs. Stueve and Mrs. Kephart. She ended up with Mrs. Kephart in third grade and Mrs. Stueve in fourth! We got a picture in front of the big VVE balloons and left with a kinder yard sign.

Sunday night we read the Night Before Kindergarten, sprinkled Ready Confetti under Clark's pillow, and got lots of sleep before the big first day of school. Both kids were up early, packed their own lunches, and headed outside with time to spare - especially considering the bus stop is IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE THIS YEAR!!

Both kids are in Easy Care (Valley View's after school program) and when I went to pick them up, they were super happy and clearly had a great day. Clark said his favorite part of school was lunch, because he got peanut butter and croissants, two of his favorite foods. His least favorite part was that he didn't get to go outside to see the eclipse, he only got to watch it on TV and didn't have a very good spot to sit. Ahhh well, I showed him pictures from Facebook and Instagram.

I can honestly say that the best thing we have done for Clark was put him in the Valley View Pre-K program these past two years. He has been eating lunch in the cafeteria, playing on the playground and in the gym, and he wasn't a bit apprehensive about the bus ride (it probably helps that his sister was with him!). I have several friends with kindergarteners who had anxiety (and a few tears) today, but we were all smiles.

Goodbye, Summer!

While we may continue to have summer weather for months to come, summer is coming to a close. This is our LAST WEEK at Elsass Academy, and the kids have really enjoyed it.

I remember coming to pick Aurora up during her first week and seeing the swim instructor throwing kids into the pool while Aurora stayed in the shallow end, scared to put her face under water. Last week I came to pick her up and got to watch the instructor throw her into the pool!!!

I also remember the first time she rode her new bike on the track and wiped out trying not to hit some kids that were walking near her. While we haven't done much cycling this summer, she's just getting to a place where she's feeling more confident and willing to try things that used to scare her. This weekend our friends organized a neighborhood kid's ride and while Aurora was the biggest kid, at first she was the most scared of going downhill. Once she did it, she was hooked.

This weekend Aurora had a sleepover with a friend and I got to spend some quality time with Clark. I have to say, he gets a bad rap around here, always yelling to be heard and crying when he doesn't get his way. This weekend he reminded me a lot of Aurora at his age. He's actually a very sweet, smart boy. We did kindergarten prep books and he bought a Hatchimal with his birthday money, which we nurtured and played with together. It was great.

I didn't hit the gym or go running as much as I would've liked to, but spent a lot of time cleaning, doing yard work, sorting through old toys and clothes and doing minor repairs around the house. It was much needed and honestly, I'm a little sore today! This week we have 4-days of summer camp before we meet the teachers and dive right in to kindergarten orientation!!!

Birthday Boys

It would've been very easy to overlook Chuck's birthday this year. It was on a Tuesday and he honestly didn't think we needed to make a big deal about it. That being said, Chuck turned 40 this week and I'd say that's a big deal!!! We made him a special dinner, sang happy birthday with cheesecake, and got him a flight suit he can try out in his aviation videos.

The rest of the weekend was centered pretty solidly around Clark. We went to JCPenney for our last EVER numbered photoshoot! Truthfully, this year's shoot was a challenge. They called me a day ahead of time to tell me they no longer have white backgrounds or numbers, so we had to pick up our own 5 and the pictures would be gray with a woodgrain floor. We made the best of it.

Clark's party was emoji themed, and we celebrated the night before with dinner and the Emoji movie. The movie got terrible reviews but the kids insisted it was the only movie we could see. About 3/4 of the way through, in the cutest little voice you can imagine, Clark belts out "This is the best movie I've EVER seen!" which got about half the theater laughing. Today's party was also a success with lots more laughter (and a few tears from bonked fingers and noses) at Jump Wild.

At first Clark said he didn't want to invite any girls or siblings. Luckily, we were able to sneak in a couple of Aurora's good friends (who happen to be Clark's friend's sisters) and everybody had a great time. Of course, Clark would tell you his favorite part was opening presents, so thank you to everybody who sent cards and goodies! It's going to be hard to top this weekend for awhile...

Almost August?

Where is the summer going? How is it almost August already?? This weekend we actually started our back to school shopping with new backpacks, lunch bags, and underwear. Clark got Captain Underpants undies WITH A CAPE and Aurora opted for days of the week. She's already laid out all of her outfits for the week with matching undies. We also did a ton of laundry, rode our bikes and went swimming. The neighborhood pool has been closed while they wait for a new pump but we were invited to a pool party on Saturday and had a great time.

That evening we went out to a restaurant with reflective ceilings and the kids couldn't stop looking up! Photo credit goes to Chuck for both pics.

I went on a long run with the Austin Runners Club, registered for a couple fall races, worked on my training schedule and a bunch of ARC business. Ever since the Ragnar Relay I've been feeling great, even in the heat. I've also been planning a couple of big birthdays!! Seriously... how on earth is it almost August?

YouTubers

This week has gone by in a blur. Trying to get back into our routine with a busy week at work for both of us, lots of yoga, an Austin Runners Club workout and board meeting, summer camp and a couple of kids re-adjusting to our time zone has been a challenge, but we got through it! Chuck has been spending most of his free time working on videos for both his and Aurora's YouTube channels. He's been working on a cool mixed reality flight simulator series, and Aurora is backlogged with cute ideas and a travel vlog for her new channel. Here are samples of their work:

You can click on their names (MRpilot and RoaraTime) for more, and be sure to like and subscribe! 

I Regret Nothing

What an awesome week it has been. We just got back from our trip from Seattle and I don't even know where to begin! It was the perfect vacation, filled with all the site-seeing, family, friends, food, and fun you would expect, plus an epic Ragnar Relay. This is way too much for one post, but I'm doing it all at once anyway! We kicked things off with a visit from Katie & Donnell and a backyard barbecue complete with a cake that Lillie made to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

It's hard to believe that we got married just a few miles from this spot 20 years ago. While we've been back a few times, we have many friends who we haven't seen in all those years, and while they couldn't all come to our party, we did end up seeing my brother Eric and our friends Christie & Jen. We also got to spend time with Jack & Avery and all the Ostergards, which was so great.

Then we did a ton of site-seeing! Chuck & I rented a car and I bought Seattle City Passes for the family so we could be tourists in our hometown. We stopped by the Fremont Troll and Gas Works Park on our way to the Woodland Park Zoo, went to Snoqualmie Falls, the Seattle Aquarium, took a Harbor Cruise and went up into the Great Wheel (which wasn't even there the last time we visited). We spent a full day exploring the Space Needle and Seattle Science Center and took the kids to a laser show, which brought us both right back to our old High School days.

We also took a trip down memory lane. We drove the kids past all of our childhood homes, schools, and the places we worked. It turns out that was a more extensive list than I'd anticipated. From Soos Creek Elementary to Kentridge High School and West Coast Awards, and I'm sure the kids were thrilled to see it. Aurora took this picture of me and Chuck at Meridian Middle School (formerly Meridian Junior High) right outside the art room where we first met.

And then, there was the running. I actually did a short run early in the week just to test my legs in 60 degree weather, and it was AMAZING. I don't remember ever going to the Soos Creek Trail, but if I lived in Kent or Covington you better believe I'd run that trail every week. It was glorious.

Then I met up with Team LIVESTRONG for our second Ragnar Relay. There were a few new faces this time around but it was mostly the same crew, all fresh off the airplane and ready to run. We definitely spent more money this time around with a fancier dinner, nicer rental house right on the water in Bellingham, and Cadillac Escalades (I guess there were no more vans!). 

I've been suffering here in Austin, trying so hard to continue training in the 97 degree heat and humidity, being forced to stop and walk on tough trails and rugged, hilly terrain. I've been struggling so much I started questioning whether I should've even signed up for this event. But all three of my runs were in cool temps, early morning and late evening. I ran faster than anticipated and could've taken on more miles. I think my whole team felt this way.

My final run was just a short 2.5 miles through a typical neighborhood, but our team in Van 1 was pretty proud to check all of our boxes and head to the finish line.

Check out Julian's Blog for details on how the trip ended, but let's just say the family had A fun time while I was away and I think they enjoyed the adventure of coming to get me on Whidbey Island. We were parked next to dozens of Ragnar vans on the ferry ride home and Aurora scored a meme from the side of Team Donut Even which sums up this trip AND this super long blog...

I have many more pictures and stories but this will do for now. We haven't quite adjusted back to our earlier evenings and mornings here in Austin and it seems as though Clark is now going to insist on watching SpongeBob SquarePants every waking moment that we're home, but that was pretty much the best vacation ever.