I'm famous!

Weelll... maybe famous is overstating. But still -- nice to be featured on the Quilts for Kids website!

Race report

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, a great day for a 5k. So, what great timing that I actually had a 5k to run that day! I was supposed to run with a friend, but she, er, never got around to registering, so off I trooped to Regent's Park on my lonesome. One train, one tube, and several minutes of walking later I arrived at the gathering point for that Saturday's Race for Life -- one of many being held across the country this (and every) summer for Cancer Research UK.

The area was a sea of pink, with most participants in the official (for purchase) t-shirt. I bucked the trend in my old green tee, but that's the kind of maverick I am. You betcha.

I also for once decided to push my way relatively close to the start line -- as part of the 'runners' group (instead of 'joggers' or 'walkers'). And smart decision it turned out to be, with a total of 5000 entrants (hey - 5k for a 5k!). I've been in enough races like these to know many entrants have no idea of their pace and start much further forward than they should -- the very participants I needed to avoid to get a good time.

My goal was simple -- crack 30 minutes, so 6 minutes / km. I didn't think I went out all that quickly, so I was amazed to see a time of 5:11 for my first one. And though I slowed down a bit after that initial stretch, I never dipped slower than that crucial 6 minutes (despite even spending nearly 500m between 1 and 2 sorting out my annoying failed iPod, but that's a rant for another day). I even put in a little kick near the end when I thought I might break 28:00.

Well, the kick wasn't quite enough -- but I was more than a little pleased with what I think must be my personal best 5k time of 28:08. Now let's see how my fitness holds for my 10k this Monday!

Hannibal Lecter in training...

Picked up Paige from nursery last Friday, only her second full day in 'Toddler 1' (last month was just a trial). When I got there she seemed to be playing happily with some Duplo-esque blocks, but dropped them when she saw me, and ran over, smiling. Ah, all normal and as it should be.

"She was fine today," said Nursery Worker 1 (I still haven't learned the upstairs names yet). "Good nap, ate all her lunch."

"Great," I said, looking for Paige's sweater and grabbing the rest of her things.

"Just one thing," continued NW1. "She was bitten earlier."

"Bitten?" I queried, looking at cheery Paige, and assuming some sort of insect had come her way as they played outside.

And then I saw her arm...

"OH MY GOD" yelped I, without thinking (don't want to scare the c-h-i-l-d, after all).

"Yes, it is a bad one. It's his worst yet."
Turns out there's a known biter in Paige's new room, and little Paigey, minding her own business, was just reading books when Chompster came over and, well, chomped. Much polite huffing and puffing and speaking to the manager on my part, but really nothing to do. According to the manager, the girls are 'watching him closely' (hmm - maybe not closely enough!), and looking for triggers so they can intervene. I do understand it's stressful for everyone involved, and no one's *fault*, but I really hope it doesn't happen again -- especially if the bites are getting worse. Who knows, the next time he could break the skin!

And in the meantime - I'll just be sending Paige to nursery in her new Kevlar long-sleeve jumpsuit...
(ps -- the picture is 24 hours later -- and she's still got a bit of a bruise showing today, nearly a week on!)

"A pleasure and a joy"

Aww... we had our first parent-teacher evening last week, complete with mom- and dad-sized adults perching on toddler-sized chairs. Paige received a glowing report, no suprise... but then again, could she really 'fail' at playing in the sandbox and colouring? She did get specifically singled out for *not* eating the crayons, so extra gold star there... now only if she would remember that while at  home!