Table is Ready

My table is ready.  The forth leaf was added!  Just gotta make puppy chow, mop the kitchen floor, work a few hours, change the sheets and, then, a certain someone should land in Memphis!  We know he is excited to come home for a few days.  So glad he is getting out of the northeast before the weather hits.

On Sunday afternoon, we were leaving Costco.  I know these iPhone pictures do not do it justice.  This was the brightest rainbow we've ever seen.  As we drove, it seemed like we might be able to touch the end of the rainbow.  However, that pot of gold was elusive as the end kept moving.  It was just beautiful!

Those Eyes

Those eyes…I'll get to see them in person in a little over 24 hours!

They do look a bit scary peering through the goggles.  I am sure they will be sparkling!

Chef's Life

A few months ago, I was exploring on Apple TV and came across the best show, A Chef's Life.  It is no secret that I enjoy to cook.  I was completely enamored with Vivian from the first episode.  The funny thing is so was the Big Guy.  If you have access, give the show a watch.  We are so sad that we got through all the episodes and have wait for new releases.  We are also trying to figure out a way to get to Lenoir City.  Someday, we will get to Chef and a Farmer!

Office Move

The Big Guy started in a new position on Monday!  He was excited.  It is always stimulating to expand your horizons.  I helped him with some of the stuff.  He wanted to have it all in place.  That way he could focus on the new job.

His new office is actually an old work room.  The music is playing and he will move again before the music stops.  He got a desk on Monday and hung a few more pictures.  It is now his home away from home!

Dinner Out

We went to mass this evening and decided to go to dinner after.  We opted for a restaurant that is a bit higher end.  We had a lovely dinner.  Peanut was our photographer.  I thought he'd take the honors with lobster pizza, but I got the award.  I ordered the pasta special, a butternut ravioli with blackened shrimp.   I should have known.  When you order the special, you never know the cost.  Oh!  Well!  It was yummy.  I decided we won't eat out again until Pumpkin gets home.  I still feel guilty going out to a nice meal without him.  

Yep.  Had glasses on for the picture.  I wear them most when I knit, but I noticed my eyesight is not perfect in the romantic lighting.  The Big Guy and I were laughing about our eyes.

Gonna sleep in tomorrow, let it warm up and then take Buddy on a long walk.

Waiting

We took advantage of having Veteran's Day out of school and went to the doctor's office.  We wanted to get Peanut checked out after the few "issues" while running cross country.  Turns out, all indicators point to his breathing.  He gets so far into the race and for whatever reason sort of starts to hyperventilate.  He has got to learn how to take deep breaths.  We will see how that helps.

It never fails.  They promptly call us back to the exam room and then we wait and wait.  Not the best selfie.  I was trying to anything except go bonkers!

Lap Dog?

Ninety-nine percent of the time, Buddy wanders off behind a chair, curls up and is dreaming in minutes.  The other evening, though, he decided he wanted to be a lap dog.  He is so funny.  He slinks one paw up and then the other and then the other and finally he is all the way up.  There is nothing sly about 65 pounds climbing up on your lap!  The good thing is that he doesn't normally want to cuddle for long.  As Pumpkins said, "He loves his pappa!"

I'm thinking he loves me most right now.  He is patiently waiting for his morning walk.  I gotta bundle up.  It is one of the coldest mornings yet this fall!

Veteran's Day 2014

Yesterday, Pumpkin went to a local elementary school (local to the Academy) to teach the children about flag folding.  Thought the saluting picture says it all on this Veteran's Day!

Swimming & Singing

CGA hosted a swim meet this past Saturday.  Look who was singing and swimming?

I love to see the cadets at attention for the national anthem.  Pumpkin said it sounded good.  Wish I could have been there to hear it!

Halloween Fun at CGA

When we were up for Parent's Weekend, I asked Pumpkin if he wanted to go get a costume.  He said that he'd figure something out.  Well, he figured out a nerd outfit.  Love the paper bow tie and the calculator in his pocket.  Can he hike his shorts up any higher?  These are three swimmers.  I'm so thankful someone posted this.  We got a great chuckle!  Good to see them have some fun too!!

Cross Country Banquet

Hard to believe that Peanut's second year of cross country is in the books.  It was a lovely season and feel confident we will get the race management issues under control.

This is his cross country, swim team, and track buddy.

 Peanut and coach

 All the cross country sophomores

Peanut and a graduating senior.  Yes.  Peanut was MVP.  That is some trophy!  I have to laugh at myself and the mom in me who took one look and thought about where he was going to put it.

So proud of Peanut and the determination he displayed this season.  He made a great effort to get to know all the runners.  They will be counting on his leadership skills even more next year!

Lately, every time the Big Guy looks at pictures of Peanut, he adamantly declares everything about him is a Merritt.  I don't know if I see it, but then I've never been really good at that sort of thing.

State Cross Country 2014

Saturday, we made our way to the TN State Cross Country Meet in Nashville.  Winter weather was one of the highlights for the day.  It is better to run in cool weather than in hot weather.  We were not complaining.

 I even pulled out my winter hat.  The wind was whipping.

I was pretty composed at the start of the race.  I was just so worried about Peanut.  We heard more stories about his regional run, how terrible he looked, hot gutsy he was to finish.  I kept telling him to just have fun.  He told the Big Guy that he wasn't going to have fun.  He was going to give 110%.

I put my camera down and decided to just watch.  I was so nervous, anyway.  If I had taken pictures, they would have been blurry.  Peanut was in the lead group until about 2.25 miles.  Then, someone kicked him like he was a soccer ball.  He went down on gravel, rolled, and bounced back up.  Yes.  The runners all have spikes on.  Unfortunately, his body was already hitting the "wall."  He did finish coming in first for the team but not a personal record.  This picture stirs up angst in me.  It is so hard as a parent to watch your child work so hard and not be able to help him.

When I saw him at the finish, all he said to me is "what is wrong with me?"  I wish I knew.  We've talked to some folks and think it is a combination of diet and training.  I should probably call the pediatrician, but think that is a needle in a haystack.  I hope the solution to better race management is as easy as having him eat more!