Pictures, A Long Week and my Biggest Puzzle Challenge Yet

Finally coming within sight of transition after the long trail run from the swim

My cuties, supporting me at the race

Dropping off my bike so that I can start the run


Post-race photo - I stunk so bad that I'm surprised the kids would get near me

Brandon gets his diploma from his teacher

Post-graduation hugs and squeezes from a very proud mama!

Parker now calls the preschool, "Parker's school - not Brandon's anymore"

I finally got around to posting photos. The top ones are obviously from my race last weekend, and the bottom ones are Brandon's graduation ceremony from preschool. He and his classmates sung a few songs and then received their diplomas. I can't believe that he's already finished his two years of preschool! It went by so fast. Luckily, I couldn't get too sentimental, since I'll be right back there in the fall taking Parker.

So, a belated Happy Father's Day to my Chad, who unfortunately missed alot of Father's Day with us because of a last minute trip to Chicago. He left Sunday afternoon and won't get back until late Friday night. What a bummer. I miss him. So, it's going to be something of a long week for me, with six nights in a row of putting the boys to bed alone. Usually, when Chad gets home from work ,I take the opportunity to relax a bit - or at least pick up around the house in peace. He does baths, teeth-brushing, pj's etc, and I just roll when they are ready to read stories. Ah well, I think I am up for the task. Brandon is actually very understanding... I tell him that I need his help this week because Daddy is out of town, and he is definitely on his best behavior. Parker... not so much. Man, is he a 3-year-old! Does exactly what he wants, pushes boundaries, and is a world-champ whiner when he doesn't get his way. I always think that the 2's are nothing compared to the 3's. Oh well, only 10 more months to go - hah!

So, once I got past the fact that I was going to be missing my Chad all week AND alone with the kids for a week, I realized that this had a very serious impact on my training. I mean, my next race (I decided to go for it on another Olympic distance) is only 3 weeks away! Typically, I train my butt off this week. But, I think I've come up with some solutions so that I can still get in my workouts - let's face it, I'm a much happier woman and better mother when I get my exercise! So, this morning I took the boys out in the double jogging stroller for a 5.5 mile run. That was a workout, my friends. That's got to count as some sort of cross-training because no way is that just a run, pushing nearly 100 pounds of boy and stroller. So, I'm going to do that Monday & Wednesday, take Friday as my off day for the week, and then I have friends watching the boys on Tuesday & Thursday afternoons while I go out on my bike. Perfect. And I've made plans for every morning this week and 4 of the afternoons, so there won't be much empty time on our hands. Now I just have to figure out how to fit in a few errands I need completed.

One other quick note, I am working in the most insane in the membrane jigsaw puzzle right now. Sheri-Lynne got it for me, and I love it... but I may be working on it for the next year. I try to sit down with it for 30 minutes or so a day, during which time I'm lucky if I can fit in a piece or two. It is extremely slow going! The puzzle is a sort of broad-stroke painting of Obama's face, so perhaps 75% of the puzzle is just a gray backdrop and the rest is just sort of a few occasional brush strokes of red, white, or blue that give the basic outlines of a face. It's a tough one. Expect a proud picture of me with the completed puzzle sometime in the summer of '10.