A Love Letter to WinCo

My kids help me make the shopping list and I go to the store prepared with a plan but I am always horrified when I get to the line and we look like a hot mess. 
This is what happens when you have good eaters and a mom who loves to experiment with recipes.  All the years through grad school, and even into the present money has been tight and we save a lot by not eating out and shopping smart. 
While this is all true, it isn't that helpful for the dude who ends up in line behind us.  When I look at that picture I think that next time I should start at the other end of the store I have a photo that shows some fresh fruits and vegetables instead of just chips and cereal.
I want to preserve this memory.  We are not sure where we will be living in a year but it is pretty clear that wherever it is, it will be a place without WinCo.  I will always have love for WinCo.  The low prices made it possible to feed my babies without having to go on public assistance and they somehow do it while paying their employees fairly.
Don't get me wrong. I believe in public assistance and I took a lot of relief in knowing that if we had needed it, it would have been there for us.  But, because of this beautiful store we were always able to meet our own needs.  I have made all kinds of recipes with things I found on the shelves and shoved into an overstuffed cart.
And also, the cookies.

Tuckered Out

 Everybody loves a good makeover.

This is why I still blog even though it 'aint cool anymore.

Still Training

I am still lacing up my running shoes almost daily and often getting up before the sun to train for the 50K.  I'm not going to say it hasn't been hard, but I can say without any hesitation that it has brought a lot of satisfaction.  Even though I have done some hard things in the past, I still doubt myself and fear failure and it is empowering to take on another big challenge and succeed.  It is unbelievable how quickly a body can grow stronger with some effort.  I don't know how many of these long races I will do, but I sure hope that whether it be running, or something else that I will never stop trusting myself and my ability to stretch further than feels comfortable.

 It is sure a lot easier with great company.  My running friends have proven to be great therapists as well as entertainers.

Joy in the Mundane

 I just really can't get enough of Ike in his little bowtie.  Kids this age are tricky because of the tantrums, but they make up for it with their cuteness.  I mean, seriously?  Ike and Ruby holding hands at church generally means trouble is on the way, but while things are peaceful, you can't help but adore them.

 March has lived up to its stereotype with lots of rain and wind and some gorgeous sunny days mixed in.  Spring is a miraculous time.  When it is sunny it is impossible not to look at these 4 beautiful children and know how lucky I am.

 Rocky and Daisy wanted to participate in the walkout protesting gun violence in schools but instead just wore their Activist shirts. Eugene is definitely a place that has taught these kids to stand up and fight for the things they believe in. 

 We spent an afternoon at the dentist office which isn't an interesting photo-op, but I just had to snap a shot of my girls.  The older I get the more I realize the value in the mundane day-to-day business of living.  Some of the best moments are the quiet ones where nothing special is happening.

 The kids made a mini hotel on St. Patrick's Day as an attempt to catch a leprechaun.  I was especially taken with the artwork on the walls of the cafe.  It couldn't be more fun to watch as my kids are growing up and creating experiences for themselves.  They get so excited about their projects and when they actually work together they come up with amazing things.

 We spent that evening at a friend's house playing on the rope swing and feeding lambs. 

How did they grow so quickly?

An Artist

 Daisy won the Judge's Choice award at the school art contest.  She has a creative passion and her projects have a lot of charm.  I don't think it will take long for her to wear down the complete set of crayons she won.

Gross.

Ike's hair was all spiky and I realized it was because when I pulled his shirt over his head all the boogers from his nose got dragged up his face and gave him a new hairstyle.  Disgusting.  He thought it was awesome.

A Bit of Chafing

 Ike pretty much lives in these skates which works out well when he is mixing beats on the keyboard.  I swear I met the grown up version of this guy working at Classic Skating.  Let's hope it is a phase.

Snuggles

I not stuck. I Ike.

Little Lovebirds

 Mostly they are picking at each other, but once in awhile the sun comes out and these kids remember that they are friends.

 Okay, so the joy of running also comes with pain.  I took this picture as a joke.  I wasn't hurting that much, but I will admit I was hurting.  I had 24 miles on my schedule and because of a variety of reasons I had to do the last 2 by myself.  My friend said to send her a photo when I was done so that she knew I wasn't dead. 
I was super tired though.  And so so so happy to be finished.  And I was inexplicably chafed under one arm. The sleeve of my shirt rubbed me raw, just on one side. Who knows why. 

It ain't all sunshine and rainbows.
But I have heard it said and I agree that you never regret a run.

Daisy at 8

 Our Daisy girl turned 8.  She is a delightful person.  She is kind and warm and beloved by adults and kids alike.  She still has a great belly laugh and an artistic eye and is a great joy to our family.
She wanted Skittles cupcakes and everyone helped make them. 

 Ike was the self-appointed taste tester and got kicked out of the kitchen almost immediately.

 For her birthday meal she wanted pesto tortellini and sweet potato fries.  She begged for school play sets which have been in almost constant use since she got them.

 Since Sailor and Nora share the birthday with her she always gets the best party.  This year it was especially great because Sailor's grandparents provided everything.  It was a unicorn extravaganza.

 She also chose to spend the afternoon at Get Air and for a special treat we put as many kids as we could fit into the Hurricane Simulator.  Hilarious.

When I went to the school to deliver the birthday treat (Fruit by the Foot...which was on the list of approved 'healthy' treats for some unknown reason) this boy came by to introduce himself. 
"Hi, I am Manuel, or you can call me Manny.  Daisy and I have crushes on each other.  We are basically boyfriend and girlfriend."
He was so cute and so confident.  I worried a little bit about their relationship though when I saw the body language in this hug, check out her hands.  Whenever I ask Daisy about how she feels she just giggles. He told me that I don't need to worry.  He knows she is moving away but that they will find each other again some day. 
Good luck Manuel.  You seem like a real sweet kid.