Buddy the Elf's Morning Appearance

Well, as soon as the kids got up on Saturday, they searched for Buddy (the Elf). I think it is like a game for them. They found him fairly quickly. He was hanging out in the DVD cabinet, sitting on top of a new DVD. Guess which one? ELF! I love that movie and have been wanting to watch it. So our Saturday evening plans were now set...
We had to get up fairly early. Child 3 had a basketball game...they won! Woohoo! I don't have any pictures of that because I was getting ready to watch my runners head out in our school's 5K fundraiser. I have to admit, I wasn't worried about Child 2. She has been training for a year and a half and has run three 5Ks already. I was a little more worried about our firstborn . He hasn't trained beyond the running he does on a football field and the one day he "exercised" by running down our street a few times. Needless to say, there was a LOT of teasing going on...

Well, 30 minutes later, look who appeared. No, not our firstborn. Child 2. She had her best time yet. 30 minutes 37 seconds. Woohoo! I will admit to feeling a little pride when one of the junior high track/cross country coaches from our area came up to a group of us and asked who that girl was and how old she was!

Though he didn't "beat" his sister, who should appear but child 1, five minutes later. Yes, the child who had never trained before ran the 5K in 35 minutes. I have to admit, I had to apologize for all of the teasing I had done. (Don't think I am mean and unsupportive...he was participating just as much as I was. He did say that partway through the run, he asked God to not let him die right there. :)

Oh, by the time the run started, Mark and child 3 had joined us (child 4 was already with me). And Marley the pup came along too. So it was a fun family event. I am very thankful it was NOT raining (as it did later) and that the weather was bearable though it was a bit chilly with the wind.

After that we went separate ways. Mark and the little ones stayed home for naps. One child had a birthday party to attend, and the other helped out at a shopping event at school. And I ran errands (a certain boy has a birthday coming up...next weekend!).

But we were able to come back together for a yummy dinner (crockpot chicken dip), then our viewing of our new movie Elf. Our youngest was laughing hysterically before the opening credits had ever finished...

And this is how Marley felt about the whole thing:
Apparently the morning's excursion wore her out. She just draped herself across my legs and snoozed through the whole movie.

Then when I got up to do some things, she decided that Mark's clean clothes were a good resting spot.
Rough life she leads, isn't it?

Reba