The Color Run 2016

Back in April, we signed up under the team "Lithuanian Express", led by our fearless leader to participate in the Color Run on August 20.  In May, when the boys were off-track, we practiced "walking without whining" for three weeks, where I took the big boys on a 2-3 mile walk while Quinn was in school.  After those couple weeks, I was confident that Wyatt would do just great walking a 5k and I already knew that Elliott could probably run the thing.

Fast forward to Saturday, the 20th.  Our team also included the Binggeli's, Meranda and Pedro and Natalie.  We arrived early in the morning and on time and participated fully in our matching t-shirts, sweat bands and enthusiasm.

Elliott decided to run the whole thing with Willie - they finished in about 30 minutes.  Wyatt and I walked, mostly with James and Jack and the two of us finished in 54 minutes.  The others were either before us or behind us, with Haley and Molly bringing up the rear, Molly riding in the wagon.

As if we weren't coated in enough color at the finish line, we threw the packets of color they gave us all over ourselves and were sweaty and sticky rainbows when it was finished.

Upon purchasing the celebratory slurpees and diet cokes, the boys declared this activity one of the most fun things they have ever done and asked if we can do it again next year.

Of course we can!

Before Pictures:






After the race:

Quinn's first day of preschool

Friday, August 19th was Quinn's first day, of his second year of preschool.  He is in the 3-4 year old group, even though he will turn 4 on September 2.  Being the oldest has it's perks I suppose, there is a little girl in his preschool class who is turning three on August 31.  I'd rather my kid be the oldest than the youngest, that's for sure.

He is also the biggest.  No shocker there.

We lucked out and signed him up with the same teacher, Mrs. Beuhler, that he had for the mini 3 group from January - May of this year.

He was nervous at orientation, but when it was time to go on Friday, he was ready.  He knew what to do, and did it well.  Most importantly, he was happy and excited to tell me all about the first day on the ride home.  Hooray, Quinn!

The Griswold's go :: Las Vegas

We'd had the idea for a while - a quick trip to Las Vegas to eat some good food, hit up some outlet malls and then head home.  After some back and forth we decided to make it work as the tip-off to the boys second summer 3 weeks off track.

Bad idea.

Long story short - it was one of those ill-fated trips from the beginning.  I'll spare you the details but they involved heat (114 degrees in the shade), poorly planned sleeping arrangements, and two parents who couldn't get on the same page.

Either way, the kids had a good time.  We ate chicken fingers at Raising Canes, went to the Hoover Dam, shopped, ate at Shake Shack (which Elliott declared to be the best hamburger of his life) and sweated a lot.

Back to School :: 2016-17 School Year

Well, as of today, the boys have been back to school for a whole week.  They returned to dual immersion Spanish and new grades, Elliott 4th and Wyatt 2nd on Tuesday, July 26 and we had back to school night a couple days after.

Back to school is pretty uneventful, mostly because it was just three weeks from when the previous school year ended.  Elliott's English language teacher, after the second day of school was hospitalized and he finished out the week with a substitute.  We received a letter from the administration yesterday that his teacher of two days, had a stroke! and had resigned her position.  I feel so bad.  We never met her, Elliott was unable to describe what she looked like, how old she was, or anything specific about her so she will forever remain a mystery.  A new teacher has been hired and will start on Monday.  I look forward to meeting her.





Otherwise, we've fallen quite nicely into our routine.   The boys keep growing up faster than I'm ready for.  Quinn starts school in two weeks and then I'll have two hours, three days a week where I will be completely by myself....whatever will I do?  Probably mope around and be lonely.

Pionner Day

Sunday, July 24th was Pioneer Day in the numerical and historical sense, but Monday, the 25th of July was Pioneer Day, observed by the state of Utah.

Side Note:  I've never heard it called, "Pie and Beer" day, but a bunch of people in my instagram feed called it that - ha.

To celebrate our pioneer heritage, all who were available to participate loaded in Grandma Judy's covered wagon (the family truckster) and ventured out on a hike in some dirt.  The boys and I (Ross had to work), joined Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Willie (The Bings had other adventures planned) and we headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon to do the Doughnut Falls hike (with a good portion of the rest of Utah).




It was cooler up the canyon, we had three camel back water containers a backpack full of snacks and a 3 year old who we weren't really sure was going to walk.  But guess what!  We all made it, even grandmama and that little lazy fart that is my third child, known as Quinn, did the whole hike, round trip, without quitting or whining.  In fact, he ate an entire sleeve of ritz crackers for the duration of the mile to the falls and just held my hand and told me that he was so tired, he was "losing all his lives" on the way back.  He even crossed the water to get closer to the falls.  Proud of him I was.

All would have been excellent except I walked into a tree on the way back down the trail and smacked the top of my head really hard.  (Two days later it still hurts, FYI).  {Insert your, "hey Grace, how's charm school?" insult here.}

Wyatt, my mom, Quinn and I left the three daredevils to their own devices and they were a little over half an hour behind us coming back down the trail.  Why do you ask?  Because they decided to be Mountain Goats and climb over the falls, over the mountain, and then had to find their way back down.  But, no injuries or deaths occurred.  Phew!






After the hike, rehydrating and chewing a TON of bubble gum (not me) we were headed to lunch at Hires.  And though the food was good, the AC was broken and the building was roasting.  It was bad news.  But, the heat of the building made it a perfect excuse to jump in Great Grandpa's swimming pool  before it was time to head back home.








It's also worth noting, that on this day of Pioneer observance, all of our cell phones were dead.  My mom's had been dead for days.  Willie was at 15%.  Mine mysteriously died (to be revived later at the phone store) on the way up the canyon.  All we had to rely on for the day for service, pictures, and replying to the 1 million texts from Haley, who wasn't with us, was Boompa's trusty phone.  It served us well, and he actually left it on the whole time!

Phew!
If i'd have been a Pioneer, I would have died.