One of These Things is not like the Other Things

We got back from the cruise to find a garden that was going crazy (thanks to Shawn and Krystal for watering it while we were gone). I was weeding around the strawberries when I noticed this:See that green-stemmed plant by the strawberries? Not a weed. It's a green bean sprout. Wondering how it got there? Here's your answer: Seth. I was planting the beans (NOT in the strawberries) and he wanted to help. I gave him a few seeds to play with. Next thing I know he has his little shovel out and is 'planting' them in the strawberries. I didn't really care since they were all on the surface and wouldn't grow. Apparently he got at least one buried well enough!

Now for some random updates:

The weekend after I got home from the cruise was our Stake Youth Conference (vacation is officially over--reality is back!). We were chaperons for three boys from the Chesapeake Ward, which was an interesting experience. No complaints, though. They were great. I got to spend Saturday afternoon with our girls, which was actually a lot of fun. They all had a good time.

The stake had rented out this blow-up obstacle course race for the kids. They had a great time for an hour or two, then had to go inside to get ready for the evening. Which left the course empty. Which meant it was Seth's turn for a go. I really thought he would hate it. I thought he would panic halfway through and Jon would have to carry him out. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The only panicking he did was when we made him leave.

Getting a little help from Daddy

One happy little boy going down the slide

Yesterday we had Debbie, Angelina and Olivia (a foster child they're temporarily taking care of) over to play. Of course, the first thing they headed for was the water table:

Needless to say, we spent the rest of the afternoon in our diapers. I love getting together with Debbie and her girls--the kids always play SO well together, which means Debbie and I get to sit and chat. It's awesome.

And I have Debbie to thank for this next picture, too:
That, my friends is my 'new' jogging stroller, passed along by Debbie. Her dad found it by a dumpster and brought it to her, but she never uses it. She offered it to me, and I definitely accepted. I actually have one that was given to me by another friend (I have AWESOME friends) but it's an older model of the same stroller. Neither of them are in great condition (the one in the picture has a duct-taped handlebar that's all sticky) but they work for running!

Which leads me to my final point (and by 'point' I mean complaint). I'm training for this 5K that I'm determined to place in. For the past month I've been slapping Seth into the jogging stroller at least 3 times a week and running 2-3 miles. And here's the thing that kills me--my time stinks. Absolutely stinks. I'm running more than a 10 minute mile (pathetic). The worst part? My time isn't getting better. It's the uphill that's killing me--pushing 50+ pounds of baby and stroller up a hill is going to slow you down. But seriously? 12 minute miles? I might as well be walking! I'm just praying the race is on level ground. Then I have a chance.

But I have 2 and a half more weeks. I'm pushing myself, trying to improve. Because I WANT TO WIN A PRIZE, DANG IT.

(There's not a competitive bone in my body, I swear.)

PS--See those MONSTER peas in the background of that picture? They have honestly grown at least a foot in the past week. So far, so good. Tomatoes are also looking good, and the beans. My spinach was a total disaster--the leaves turned yellow and it stopped growing. Darn. I'll try again in the fall.