mini me

Maggie was in her first cross country met on Tuesday, coming in 3rd place overall with a 8:08/mile pace. The course was wet grass with lots of standing water and mud, though afterwards she said she "could" have run it faster. Yesterday was the second meet on a tough wooded course with lots of rocks and roots and even a small stream to jump over, but she improved her pace to 7:56/mile, coming in 7th place. For the team it was the story of "the little Catholic school that could" as the girls won both meets, over much bigger schools with almost as many kids in each grade as we have in the entire K-8th grade. This youth sports experience is the best I've ever seen with kids who are cheering each other on as well as other teams, a prayer before each race, a coach who is really great with the kids and keeps parents informed, and parents and teachers who come out to support the the school. I'm surprised at how well Maggie is doing as she hasn't been very enthusiastic the past year or two about races. But she is finding it much more fun running with a bunch of friends, ice cream practices, and being on a team competing against girls from other schools.

our golden eggs

Although our chickens are now 4 months old, and technically 2 months shy of when they are supposed to start laying, I went out Wednesday mid-morning to check on the girls and found two eggs tucked in the hay in one of the nesting boxes.Tim claims that he has calculated how much each egg is worth based on how much we have spent on housing and fencing them in and that they are worth more than their weight in gold.

We celebrated their achievement by having scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast for supper. Both eggs were double-yolked, one tiny and the other super-elongated. Apparently, the first few eggs each chicken produces are a little off in terms of shape and size, but soon we will be making lots of cookies and pound cake with our very own farm-fresh eggs.  

a warning

Never go into a chicken yard with flip flops and painted toenails. 'Cause chickens go wild over blueberries, crazy wild. I almost had to bean one on the head with my compost bucket to keep her from pecking my poor feet. 

Yes, I have very spoiled birdies, every morning I throw in their pen a few handfuls of Sungold cherry tomatoes, the Japanese Beetles I find on the raspberry plants, and any fruit I would otherwise throw in the compost bin. The kids and I also feed them clover leaves one by one through the fence like we are at the petting zoo. I certainly feel like a real farmer every morning, having to don my rubber boots and take them fresh water and feed. They don't peck my toes then, no matter how blue they are in color.  
 

labor day race results

After pouring up until twenty minutes before the race began, I stepped up to the starting line in damp shoes and socks and ran one of the best races of my life. I stuck like glue to Robin, my only real age-group competition this year, for the first two miles, and then pulled in front right before Goat Path, a gravel and sand track that seems to go straight up. The humidity was high, but I kept a steady sub-7 minute pace to finish in 34:17, coming in 5th place among women and winning the master's award.

I get a kick out of surprising people when I tell them that I have 6 kids, but it still shocks me every time I do well in a race too. I only run about 35 miles a week and have to stop and walk during runs when it is hot/humid. Running is something that gives me strength and mental toughness, something every mommy of many needs to get through each day.