Happy feet!

Kate’s recital last Saturday was so wonderful! I'm so sad Dave missed it (out of town for anesthesia meeting) but Mom and Dad came to town to see her and help me with Collin for the day. I was super nervous for her and I am guessing that this was the first of many days when I will be feeling butterflies for my children! Mom brought her curling iron (from back in the dayJ) and she curled Kate’s hair which was exciting for Mom and me though Kate could have cared less. They had all of the dancers in the band room and I started to get really nervous when she didn’t want me to leave….I had to kind of abandon her when someone was making an announcement…I couldn’t stop worrying about her while we tried to find a seat (packed high school auditorium!). She was the fourth class to perform and when the curtain pulled back and I saw her there, I was so relieved!! She hadn’t even moved yet, but I was so proudJ Kate’s class (3 year olds) had two dances and this first one was the quintessential 3 year old dance….the girl next to Kate ended up trying to fix her shoe and sat down for most of the song, little Nicole was all over the stage and waving to her Mom and Dad…Kate did really well, though was pretty distracted by her dancemates! I was so happy after her dance! Kate’s second dance went really well and I was dying to go get her right after that. Time flew and soon she was coming out for the curtain call. So adorable. I ran back to the doors (they lock during the performance) and I was the first parent thereJ I went to the band room and it was chaos, I couldn’t find her and then I heard “Mommmmmyyyyyy!!” Seriously, the crowd parted and she came flying through and ran into my legs. She had a medal around her neck and was so happy. Priceless. We ran out to find Gma and Gpa and tried to take some pictures outside. Oh – every adult showed up to the recital with their arms full of flowers…..oops. I planned on buying some there - there was a greenhouse selling flowers there – but they ran out before we got any!!! Kate didn’t notice or say anything, but I felt bad. So….we went out for ice creamJ

We had a busy week….Dave was off and so we have had lots of adventuresJ We started tackling the yard (surprised at how much I enjoyed putting in some sweat equity…I was hauling and stacking wood after the sun went down!), we took the boat out for our first cruise of the season, and had to buy a new grill! Yesterday, we were blessed to have some friends from Iowa City stop by on their way to the Dells. They have two little girls and it was so fun to watch the girls play and catch up with friends. Today we took the whole family down to the Dells for an annual 5K that my clinic/Dave’s hospital puts on each year. Last year it was cold and rainy, this year it was cool and WINDY! We struggled a bit with figuring out our logistics (Kate didn’t want to ride in the jogger stroller with Daddy, Collin wasn’t happy in the car seat) but we ended up with Dave pushing Collin in the jogger and me and Kate walking/running/riding in the Chicco stroller. Kate was PUMPED! We hadn’t talked much about it, but once she knew we were running a race, she was all inJ She really wanted to run and ran for a long time! I kept asking if she wanted to walk or ride and she kept telling me no! I started to wonder if I should have left the stroller behind. Once we hit the first hill, she started walking and taking some rides. It was SO WINDY!!! I did okay until a hill towards the halfway point – the Chicco stroller was not meant for that type of terrain and I was afraid we were going to wreck! I have been wanting another/better jogger and now I am convinced. Kate started to get a little cold on the way back (brought her mittens but of course couldn’t find them once the race started). So she rode most of the way back and then got out to run the last bit. She was sad that Daddy ran ahead and was trying to spot him much of the time but enjoyed running the last bit with him and crossing the finish lineJ She kept telling me to run more and pass people, she didn’t like seeing the people ahead of us (“They are going to finish before us! We won’t win!” I spent a lot of time explaining that we don’t have to win every race, that it is just fun to participateJ She wasn’t convinced until we finished and she was pretty proud. She also got a kiddie goodie bag and some fruit which was a nice prize! She wants to run another race and Daddy says he wants to run with her next time, so that will be fun. So proud of her!