Sausage Race 5K at Miller Park

Today we had a great day at Miller Park. I did the Sausage Race 5K and Elliot and Brody got to meet the sausages and Bernie Brewer! I was really happy with my time- I finished in 28:42- I was miserable and I really wanted to just walk, but I pushed through and did it! It was very humid this morning, which made the running kind of difficult, but I made it and had a great time!!

Fun Summer

This summer is half over, I just find that really hard to believe, but everyone told me that time gets faster as you get older! We have had a great summer so far, we took a trip to Polishfest in June and Elliot and Brody both got to polka for the first time, we took the boys on a boat trip around Lake Geneva, and today we went to the National Train Show at the Frontier Airlines Center (formerly the Midwest Airlines Center). We have had a ton of fun this summer and hope that we can add some more fun memories as the summer continues.

Yesterday we took a trip to the farmers market in Wind Lake and got some pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet corn, and yellow beans. Dad helped Elliot try the cucumbers, and he sprinkled some pepper and salt on them to make them extra good. Elliot saw the pepper on the cucumbers and said, "No Dad! I don't want any bless you sauce on the cucumbers!"

Shrinking Graham Crackers

Take a close look at this picture. There is a funny story behind those two little crumbs that Elliot is putting there.

So he had been asking for a "snack" all morning, but in Elliot-speak, a "snack" means marshmallows. So I told him that he could have some graham crackers. Of course, he put up a HUGE stink and said he didn't like graham crackers! Tears were shed and I asked him if he wanted to color.

So coloring was going OK, so I decided to offer him the graham crackers again. Elliot said, "No! I don't like graham crackers!"

I told him that he could try a bite and if he didn't like them, he didn't have to eat them. So he took a bite and put them back down, telling me that he still didn't like them. I turned away to get something and when I came back there wasn't much left to the crackers! I just gave Elliot a look and he informed me, " I'm just making them smaller. I gotta make them smaller, see?"

Certainly did make them smaller!

Elliot's Educational Tip of the Day

"Plants don't eat poop."

Thanks Elliot, good fact- I will be able to make life's decisions much better knowing that.

Observance

Last weekend we were at my parents' house visiting. It was a nice day out so Grandpa and Elliot were outside in the garage. Elliot was helping Grandpa pick up his golf balls. He picked up the golf ball that he is holding in this picture and looked at it for a couple of seconds and then proclaimed, "Hey Grandpa, this one has tennis shoes on it!"

Yes, Elliot- the world has "tennis shoes" on it. Oh Nike, you sure did a number with branding...

Elliot's Lesson Learned

Sorry it's been a while. Things have been a little hectic. We still have plenty of crazy stories, but I just don't seem to have the time to write them!

Well, this isn't crazy, but it is unbelievable what comes out of kids mouths sometimes!

So it was Friday morning and Mark had off so I was getting ready to leave for work and Mark was watching the boys. I was getting Elliot his breakfast and everything had been going good so far...

Elliot was asking for a Jell-o jiggler and I told him he had to eat his breakfast first before he ate his jello. He proceeded to say, "I don't like you anymore Mom, I like Dad."

Even though the kid is 3 the words still stung a little, so I asked him if he understood what not liking someone anymore meant. I told him that saying that meant you never wanted to see someone again, so he proceeded to tell me, "I never want to see you again Mom."

Ouch.

I told him this was very mean and then I said it back to him. He got very mad and with tears in his eyes and his strongest voice he said, " Don't say that to me Mom, you hurt my feelings!"

I told him that is why you don't say things like that because it is very hurtful. By this time MArk heard what was going on and had a talk with Elliot. He told him that he had to come and apologize to me. Of course, now Elliot was feeling pretty rotten so he wouldn't come and say it to me.

I tried to talk with him in his bedroom and tell him that saying you don't like someone is just like hitting someone and we never hit so we should never say those things. Well, I think it was really hitting home because Elliot kept trying to hide behind his door saying, "Don't talk to me Mom."

I told him I was going to leave for work and of course then all h-e- double hockey sticks broke loose. He starting crying and carrying on and telling me I couldn't leave. (Quite the change of heart from a few minutes previous)

We got everything figured out, but I think from now on Elliot won't be saying those types of things an anymore... at least I hope not!

Countdown to "The Comeback" and another funny Elliot story

We are counting down. Only 8 more days. I am doing my first run since Brody was born next Saturday. I am a little nervous- I have trained up to 3.5 miles, but I haven't made it to the 4 mile mark. I am sure that I will do OK, but I would really like to be able to do a 4 mile run at least one time before Saturday. We will see how it goes...this course has a HUGE hill 3 miles into the 4 mile course that I am not looking forward to. I will just continue to putt putt along until I finish!! Wish me luck!!

Now for another funny story about Elliot- so we had a salesman come this week to give us an estimate on new carpet. The guy had a little bit of an accent so I asked him if he was from Jersey. He said to me, "Why does it always have to be Jersey? No, I'm from New York."

So he definitely had the New York accent but he was a super nice guy. We were chatting with him and he was telling us some horror stories (like how he went into a house and the whole room that the lady wanted new carpet in was covered in cat sh*t- so much for cleaning your carpets- just buy new ones) and getting a little animated. I guess he kept getting louder and finally Elliot looked up at Mark and said, "Daddy, turn his mouth off."

Yeah- right in front of the guy. Luckily he had told us he had an 18 month at home so I just told him to wait another year and he will be in the same boat as us!!