Girl on the Run

After weeks of training, Nat finally ran her first 5K!

It all started when she signed up for an after-school program called "Girls on the Run." GOTR is a national program focused on developing positive life skills through physical activity and interactive lessons, and I had no clue about the program until they came to her school.

What a blessing it has been. From the day she first heard about it she got excited to run, and it caught me completely off-guard. I saw the flyer she brought home and didn't think she would be interested. After all, this is the girl who isn't really into riding her bike, the girl who scoffs at going outside any day when the temperature is over 70, the girl who is perfectly content to lay around the house with headphones on and read a book.

But now, she's a runner. She's taking after her dad.

Action Added: How My Kid Became Superman

Anyone can dress-up as Superman, but why stop at dressing like this:

When you can actually put yourself into the world of your hero?

Sure, it takes a little more work, but I think the kid is worth it.

Please Sir, May I Have Some Mower?

Like most people who live in the suburbs, I have a house which has a yard which needs to be mowed periodically. This would normally not be a problem, as those of us with lawns to mow usually own lawn mowers. Mine however bit the dust two summers ago.

I tried to make it work through last summer. I did all the responsible lawn-mower-owner things like replacing the blade, sparkplug, and filter. I changed the oil, took apart and reassembled the carburetor, and replaced fuel lines. Still, I ended up just fighting with it for hours at a time and every attempt at clipping my grass culminated in knocking on the neighbor's door and borrowing their mower. Yet again.