Fourth and Final Race Day

Joshua, Emma, and Hannah ran their final race in the Fall Series of Running today. Since they participated in all four races, each of them earned a trophy - they were so excited! I am so proud of all three kids for their accomplishment. Emma in particular pushed herself harder than she ever has before. Each race was over one mile, so pretty challenging for a six year old. Many times I saw her lagging significantly behind and I'd think "She's not going to be able to finish", only to see her get this look of raw determination on her face and speed up with a fresh burst of energy. It made me so proud to see her press on even when the going was tough. Hannah ran shorter distances, but gave all of her heart and it was a blast to watch her! Joshua was as steady as always - running at a disciplined pace and sticking with a strategy - so much like his Daddy. Here are some pictures from the day. You might notice that Eli is looking rather surly - this is because he was rather surly. In fact, he was downright mad! The race today happened to take place right next door to one of his favorite playgrounds. When we arrived, he was all excited (even though we'd told him beforehand that we were going to watch the other kids race - not to play) and immediately turned in the direction of the playground. When I told him we were going the other way, he was not amused. He spent the rest of the afternoon glaring at me, attempting to refuse to hold my hand (that did not go well for him), and refusing to respond when spoken to - this also didn't work out too well for him. When the race was over and we headed to a "Hawkins Family Pizza Party" at a local restaurant, he perked up considerably. For once, his temporary lack of language worked out for him - had I been able to explain the consequences of his aforementioned behaviors, he would have been headed home with me for peanut butter and jelly while his siblings enjoyed a pizza party! All in all, it was a great day!

Love,
Jen