Project 365: Week Thirty-Three

Week thirty-three of 2013 brought a trip to the Boerner Botanical Gardens, a day of appointments for me, Jim's return home from a week in the Netherlands, the Dirty Girl Mud Run, and yet another trip to the zoo!  Though it was an eventful week, I feel just "ho hum" about the pictures taken to represent the week.  I've done better.  I've been in a bit of a "photo phunk" as of late.  I've completed the task of documenting each day with a picture, but I haven't necessarily been in love with many of the pictures that I've snapped.  

The one picture from this set that I DO love happens to be one that I took a week ago - the one of Maddie running footloose and fancy free in our backyard makes me smile.  I wish that I could be so carefree!

225/365:  Garden Walk

With Jim in Europe, we sought out ways to break up the week by staying busy during the day.  After my mom spent Monday afternoon with us, we met her at the Boerner Botanical Gardens on Tuesday afternoon for a walk amongst the flowers, which was made a bit challenging by the double stroller!

226/365:  Bathing Cutie

I didn't have opportunity to snap any pictures prior to bath time on Wednesday, so a bath time picture is what I got!  Maddie has recently developed a fear of bath time (Actually, it's a fear of Will's bath seat.), so I'm sure that she was sitting on the other side of the tub grumbling about the experience.  Will, however, was all smiles!

227/365:  Carefree

Deb and Joan came to relieve me of my duties as Mama on Thursday so that I could squeeze in as many appointments as I possibly could in one day!  Because I was literally chasing from one appointment to the next from 9 to 5, I did not take a single photo during the day.  I had to cheat (again!) and use this picture of Maddie taken a week before.  She was having the time of her life running barefoot through the grass with her brother.  

228/365:  Daddy's Home

When Jim returned home after a week in the Netherlands, we were all happy to see him!  This picture is not technically perfect, but I think it captures the moment perfectly.  

229/365:  Dirty Girls

I had never considered participating in a mud run.  I don't really like to get dirty, and I don't run.  But then my friend Becky, who was then in the middle of treatment for ovarian cancer, asked me to join her and other friends in taking part in the 2013 Dirty Girl Mud Run.  I committed, believing that I would be in better shape by August 2013.  Not in the "better shape" that I wanted to be in, I completed the Dirty Girl on Saturday with , and in honor of, my friend.

I only ran the course in parts, but I did conquer all of the obstacles, which included mud pits, climbing walls, and a giant inflatable slide.  A day after the run, I thought that I had survived the Dirty Girl fairly unscathed.  I had a few bruises and a splinter in my hand, but otherwise felt fine.  A few days later, though, I was forced to seek advice from a nurse for my shoulder, which I believe to have injured in my landing off the giant slide.  Professional photos taken of that landing prove that I did, indeed, come down on my right hand/arm.

I've spent a few days now popping Advil, icing my shoulder, and rubbing Aspercreme on my shoulder.  As Jim so kindly reminded me yesterday, I'm "not 25 anymore".  I may not be 25 and my shoulder may still hurt like hell, but I think I'm still going to sign up for the 2014 Dirty Girl!  

230/365:  Man Bag

Much to Jim's chagrin, Will spent most of Sunday afternoon carrying Maddie's Pretty Learning Purse in the crook of his arm.  The next day, he once again found the purse (after I had buried the purse under stuffed animals in a basket) and proudly walked around the house with it!  We are now in search for a more manly looking bag for him to carry if he must carry a bag.  

231/365:  Flamingo

The twins and I visited the zoo for what may have been the fifth time this summer.  Since we only see the zoo in small chunks each time we go, but the time the summer is done, we hope to have succeeded at seeing all of the animals at the zoo!