The Color Run & Zombie 5K

Our past 2 weekends have been pretty awesome and busy.  I ran in 2 5ks within 2 weeks.  A 5k is approximately 3.1 miles.  I'm glad that I signed up for each of these runs, because they were so much fun and gave me an actual motivating reason to get out and run more on a regular basis.

The first one was The Color Run, also known as "The Happies 5K on the Planet."  There were no times, or no awards, just people running/walking/strolling getting doused in color.  I was allowed to bring the boys to this race, and it was their first 5k.  I did actually run with them, and they loved it.  



The comments I would hear while running with the boys were hilarious.  Some people would just applaud me, I heard some "Yeah Momma, you're awesome!"  or "OK guys, we need to run faster...there is a mom pushing two babies who just ran past us!"  And then there was Katrina not far behind me who would occasionally scream, "Tucker! Slow down!"

So we all started the race out wearing all white.  At different points throughout the race, there would be checkpoints of color to run through.  People with bottles of colored powder would throw their color at you.  It was awesome.

I think most people were scared to throw color onto the boys, for fear of scaring or upsetting them.  So they didn't get quite as colored as they could have, but they had a blast anyhow.

You can see clouds of color behind me...everyone had a huge color throwing party at the end of the race.

Color post race clothes.

So then this past week, I ran in another 5k, called The Zombie Buffet 5k.  This one was just as awesome.  It wasn't known as the happiest 5k, but probably actually the creepiest.  So this was how it worked:  There were runners, and there were zombies.  Runners run a 5k like normal, but are wearing flag-football type flags on their waist.  Zombies were also running, and met up with the regular runners at some point on the trail, and chased the runners to take their tags.  

CHASED BY ZOMBIES.  

Once you got both your flags pulled, you then could become a zombie and pull other runners flags.  I wanted to get chased and then chase, so I started out as a runner, happily gave up my flags pretty after the 1st mile, and then chased people down for the remainder of the race.  

SO. MUCH. FUN!

These were our costumes...I found an old style dress at Goodwill, and tore it up.  Jeremy made some homemade blood, so with that, and a $6 Walgreens make up kit, we became zombies.  

The fake blood turned out really well.  It was a mixture of chocolate syrup, corn syrup, corn starch, cocoa powder and red food coloring.  We made a whole bunch of it, took it to the race and ended up sharing with some zombies that were parked next to us.  

We did put a little bit of face paint on the boys, but you can't tell very well from this photo.  I didn't take them on this run, since pulling flags, getting chased and running through the woods would all be significantly more challenging with a stroller (and I don't think strollers were allowed).  But the boys came out to the race to meet me us the beginning and end.  

Chasing people was so much fun.  I'm a pretty quiet runner, so people didn't know I was trailing behind them, and then I'd just speed up, grab their flag and run to the next person.   Sometimes I'd throw a creepy scream or growl in there for fun. 

At the end!

Definitely will be running both of these again next year!!!  

What We've Been Up To Lately: Quiet Book//Birthday Presents//Weddings//New Job

This is going to be a mash up post of our life happenings as of late.

First of all, I finished the first page of the boys' quiet book!  I'm solo slow when working on this stuff, mainly because I haven't done a lot of sewing before, so it takes me a while to figure things out so that I don't sew something upside down or inside out or what not.  But I'm excited about how this first page turned out, and can't wait to do more!

Just in case you can't tell, the page has a little 3d rocket that is attached to a zipper.  As you pull the rocket up towards the moon, the fabric opens into what is suppose to look like flames coming out of the back of the rocket.  I did make my orange fabric piece a little too small, as it does not come down all the way to the edge of the page.  Oops.  I didn't want to redo it, and I don't think it looks bad enough to warrant a total remake.    

Let me know what you think!  It's my very first time with doing anything like this, so be nice.  

Jeremy's birthday was back in August, and I thought I would share his gifts that I got him, because they're pretty awesome.  First of all, I got him these:

If you know Jeremy at all, you probably know that he is a huge Star Wars fan.  We always make fun of the typical stick-figure-family details, so I thought these would be awesome instead for our car!  He loved them, and was so excited to put them on the back of our car.  

The other part of his birthday present was a surprise date night to The Price Is Right Live Show!  The show came to Nashville a couple weeks ago, and I thought it would be fun for us both to go.  Unfortunately, neither of us got chosen to play, but we had fun watching! (sorry for the dark pics-my cell phone is all I had!)

This past weekend, I had the awesome privilege of being a bridesmaid in one of my best friends' wedding!  The wedding was perfect and beautiful.

Since I had to leave early in the morning the day of the wedding, Jeremy was left to work, pick the boys up from daycare, feed them, clean them, get them dressed and make it to wedding on time...all within like an hour and half.  But he made it!  And the boys looked super cute!

Foxx

Judah

 

                      

The boys had so much fun.  They did awesome, especially since they were out way past their bedtime that night.  They were very good during the  ceremony, loved hanging around all the people, and especially loved dancing with us on the dance floor.  (So wish I had photos of that...but I was busy actually dancing with my boys and not able to take the pictures).  We all had an awesome night.

And lastly, we're excited about Jeremy's new job!  He is now going to be working at The Well, a coffee shop that was started by a few people from our church.  This coffee shop has done surprisingly well.  It is an awesome little shop that gives away all of their profits to a couple different organizations that build wells for people in other countries who do not have access to clean water.  

This coffee shop has really opened my eyes to how much other* coffee shops are just pocketing money.  This place can afford to pay their baristas (not unfairly), keep the place open and thriving, charge cheaper prices for their coffee (not compromising on quality or taste), and still afford to give away a whole lot of money to people who really need it.  

We're so excited that Jeremy has the opportunity  to work for such an awesome place.  He starts in a couple of weeks! 

If you haven't been yet, you should totally go check out The Well.  It's located in Green Hills, right on the corner of Richard Jones rd and Hillsboro.  Not only will you get a great cup of coffee, but you will also be helping people who are less fortunate than yourself.  

  

A Good Day With No Naps

This is a post dedicated exclusively to bragging on how awesome my baby boys are.

A couple of Saturdays ago, my friend Ashley and I took Judah & Foxx to Cheekwood to see the tree house exhibit they've had up for the summer.  The boys could have cared less about any of it, but they enjoyed strolling around outside anyhow.

sliding with the boys in the "hobbit" tree house

Just strolling around, happy as can be!

The boys showing off their new trick (Shaking hands) to Ashley

They did enjoy the slides that we got to go on though.  After going to cheek wood and going out to eat,  my plan was to just go back home and put the boys down for a good long nap.  While eating, we got invited to go to the county fair.  I'm not one to pass up getting invited to do anything, and we wouldn't be going until later that afternoon, so the boys would still have plenty of time to take a nap.  wrong.  Boys decided they didn't want to take a nap in between lunch and going to the fair.  I tried and tried to have them take one, fearing they would be awfully cranky while out at the fair if they went napless.  But they just wanted to play and eat snacks at home instead.  So that's what we did.  Then we went to the fair.

AND THE BOYS WERE AWESOME.  There was no fussing, no cranky babies, no meltdowns, nada.  They were perfect. And they had so much fun.  I know a lot of kids wouldn't be so awesome without naps, so I was very thankful for this fun day with friends.

 

Lately

It's been a while since I've posted, so I thought I'd just give an update of what our lives have been like lately...

I've been working a lot.  One extra 12 hour shift a week really doesn't seem like all that much, but I feel it.  It makes it worse because it's another day that I'm away from my boys.  That being said, I try and make the most of my days at home.  It's hard sometimes, because I'm super tired, but that's the life of a mom right?  

We haven't had much of a winter here in Nashville, I think I've only worn my heavy coat once or twice.  It feels like it's already in the early days of spring. I'm not complaining!  Today, it was around 70 degrees and sunny with a little breeze.  AMAZING.  Judah had a post-op urology appointment this morning (more on that later - all is ok, for now), and afterwards, we went to have a picnic at Centennial Park.  We got our favorite, Hog Heaven, and ate with our boys on a blanket on the grass.  

My boys are the cutest twins ever, right? Glad you agree. 

The boys have taken to food now, and we've started making our own baby food.  It's so much fun!  I have a whole list of food combinations that I plan on making here soon.  I'll do a separate post on how we do all that later.

And you've heard me brag on how much we like cloth diapering, well this morning just further proved our preference of cloth over disposable.  I stripped all of our cloth diapers today, so we had the boys in disposable for most the day.  This morning, a little while after Judah woke up, he smelled funky, so I went and changed him.  As soon as I unzipped his sleeper, poop emerged everywhere.  Like it went all the way up his back, up to the top of his shoulders.  I'm not even kidding.  His sleeper was covered.  He was kicking like crazy, getting poop all over his arms, legs, and my arms, legs and some how my bottom?  Anywho, I ran him straight upstairs and gave him a full on bath.  

All the way up the back of that sleeper!

Guess who can stand up on their own?  (while holding on to something, of course).  They love the pack and play.  They will sit in their, play with each other and with their huge stuffed animals, while laughing at us looking at them from outside the netting.  It's super cute.  

And about teething:  Foxx now has 2 little teeth popping through, right on the bottom front!  He is taking teething like a champ.  He is just as happy as ever!  No need for tylenol or cold teething rings, or baby orajel, he's a rockstar!  Judah still has no teeth to show for all his drool that covers our house, but I expect some to show up any day now!

  

I'd love a vote!

Our Home

Our home.  I'm super excited that we have been able to buy a house, somewhere to call home.  Somewhere where we can park and get comfortable for the next 5-10 years or so (until our family outgrows this house!).  I haven't really felt "at home" since I left mine in Michigan in 2005.  I've lived in college dorms, friends' houses, duplexes, and apartments since I've moved to Nashville for school.  Jeremy and I first lived in an apartment when we got married, but it never really felt like home, because I knew that we weren't going to be there for very long.  Even though I had no idea that we would be able to get a house as soon as we did, I never completely felt at home in our apartment.  Sure, it worked just fine for us, and we had 2 Christmases together there, but there was always something missing.   

But now our house is now really our home.

Maybe it was our babies that solidified it, I don't know.  But I do know that we live in a place that I am always excited to come home to.  When I walk in the door from having been gone for a while, I feel a warmth, a peace, a comfort.  It's the place where we always are together.  It's the place where we cook delicious homemade dinners.  It's the place where we chill out and watch movies/tv.  It's where we remodel and paint and decorate the way we want, without having to get it approved.  It's the place where we sleep, together and with our babies.  It's the place where we play with our boys and watch them grow.

It's our home.   

vote for Newborn Grown-ups here!

Thanks² Day 16

I'm thankful for the season of fall and all that comes with it.  The leaves, the perfect temperatures, the food and the holidays.  I'm thankful that we can take drives and hikes with our boys, enjoying nature with them!

Radnor Lake and Loveless Cafe

My friend Katrina and I took the boys out on their first Nashville adventure.  We first went to walk around Radnor Lake, and then went and had lunch at the infamous Loveless Cafe.  I wasn't sure if we would be able to do both outings with the boys, but they surprised me and did awesome, so we got to hike and eat lunch!  The weather was amazing that day.  It was just a tad cool that morning, and it was the first time I brought out these super cute hoodies for the boys to wear.  I had been waiting for a time when they could wear them.    

Judah welcoming Katrina

Foxx giving me half a smile

We drove to Radnor, got out our baby carriers, and headed onto the trails.  The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect.  The only thing that could have made it better is if we were surrounded by fall colors.  Unfortunately, the oranges and yellows have not made there way here yet.  The green trees and the smell of the woods all around was calming and very much needed by me.  One can go completely insane with cabin fever while having to stay cooped up in the house with 2 little ones instead of enjoying the outside.

Katrina and Foxx

Foxx slept through most of the hike.

 doe

Fawn

Judah rode with me

This little guy loved it our here.  He was looking around at everything the whole time.  

After our walk through Radnor, we made the trek out to the Loveless Cafe. The food is uber good, and if you have heard of the Loveless, then you know the biscuits are the real fame holder.  I got a pork BBQ omelet.  It may sound weird, but man it's delicious.  The boys just chilled out and took it all in.

That was our little adventure and I'm looking forward to many more while showing the world to our little guys!