Day Twenty Three - "Off Seaon"

Eat a live toad the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.

Unknown

Last night for dinner I made Sarah her favorite dinner for her 20 mile recovery meal. Chicken Alfredo with Ziti and herb bread. I popped open a bottle of red wine and we enjoyed a relaxing meal with the girls. With the busy schedules we have been keeping this was the first sit down as a family unit we have had in over a week. I started to make a Smore Pie for dessert, but after half way through I realized that the pie needed to set overnight. Well at least we have something to look forwarded to on Movie Night.

The night was filled of restlessness for both Sarah and I. Sarah was feeling the effects of the 20 miles on her body and was up most of the night tossing and turning in attempts to ward off the muscle pain she was feeling. Her uneasy night kept me awake worrying about her. I drifted in and out but during the "outs" I could hear Sarah and feel her managing the issues. The next thing I knew I heard a voice over the radio that suggested I get out of bed. It was time to get up. 6:08AM. Friday morning was a true "off season" day. My main objective was getting the girls ready for school.

I woke Ellie at 6:09AM and while she got ready for her day I shuffled downstairs (calf is still tender) to make coffee for Sarah and I, lunch for the girls and breakfast for Ellie. She came down around 6:20AM and the next 39 minutes was preparing Ellie for her day. At 6:59AM there was a small congregation on school children at the bus stop right outside our house. Ellie packed up her school stuff, gave me a hug and headed out to the bus stop. The morning was still as night with no hint of day light to be seen. The path across the yard was only lit by the street lamp that shone down on the children and the yard. Within 2 minutes of Ellie's departure and as I stand in the threshold of the door watching, the familiar sound of a diesel engine makes its way down the street to the children's standing point. The squeal of the brakes and the flashing of the lights rounds up the school children in a single file line as the bus comes to a stop, the yellow doors opening and the engulfing the children as the climb the stairs of the yellow transport into the abyss.

As the last child boards the transport to the public school I give a wave to yellow object blaring red lights as the windows are tinted with no recognition on little ones aboard. The yellow bus's red blaring lights subside and the door closes as the transport takes off down the street to its final destination at the school.

7:02AM. 18 miuntes to get ready for work before waking up daughter Number 2. This process is a lot easier since her being a Tween. You turn on the hall light, open her door and say, "Grace, time to get up". Once this is completed, I head down to have some breakfast and at 7:30AM I head back up to cleanse the teeth of the night and make sure Grace is up. She is awake and doing her "girly" stuff in the bathroom as I stopped, say good -bye as I head off to the job. With Grace tipping on the edge of being a teenager, our constant presence in her morning rituals is not needed. We give her the space to get herself ready and off to school which builds independence and self reliance. We will always be there if she falls to help pick her up as her parents.

The ride into work is far different at 7:35AM than at 5:00AM. The amount of cars compounds the time to travel the same distance by 3. What takes 12 minutes at 5, takes over 36 minutes at 7:30. I like 5 better.

Though I ate my breakfast a half an hour before leaving home the "toad" for me is the traveling in traffic 7.6 miles in 36 minutes at 7:30AM. So, now the rest of the day is going to be a good. Which actually is so far... I signed Sarah and I up for the Atlanta Half Marathon on Turkey Day. This event actually falls on the week that Sarah needs to run 13 miles at race pace. What a perfect time to test her ability to maintain pace in a race environment.

Mom & Dad, now that we are running the half, I am inviting you to our home for Thanksgiving.