Midyear updates

Well I guess writing can be a form of therapy ... that would mean that you actually write down your thoughts and go back and reread them. I understand that it can be a form of therapy, like look how far I've come or remember when... Well, here is to someday right?

Since the last post, upwards of 7 months ago many things have happened. Of course, Brooke has danced, Tyler has played soccer... Lou and I have argued with schools, I have run and signed myself up for crazy challenges again. Lou has officially ended his term as Vice President of the PTA. Lou and I signed up for the Tough Mudder again, the kids signed up for the Mini-Mudder ... They are super excited for that. 

So the Challenge that I have accepted for 2015 is to run 2015 miles with a team. Luckily, I have fantastic team mates that are keeping the team going. My mileage at the beginning of the year was rather lame and I was super stressed about the situation because secretly I had set a goal that I was going to run at least 700 of those miles. We 35 miles in January and 35 miles in February is pretty sad ... But I have stepped up my game and now I'm much closer to where I need to be... I haven't totally made it up yet but I'm close. Right now I sit at 370 miles. I was kinda hoping to get to 400 by the end of July but 30 miles in 8 days is probably not going to happen. Anyway, this challenge has given me motivation to keep running every week... You see I haven't really signed up for many races and no long distance races so I really didn't have a reason to get out of the house or go further than 3-5 miles. Since Lou has decided he would start running with me a little bit it has been much easier and motivating to get out of the house, however, he is forcing me to run much much faster. I've always said I don't do tempo runs because I'm afraid of them.... Well I'm still afraid of them, Lou just forces the issue.

Lou is so happy to be out from under all of the PTA duties. He thought it was great at first and to give back to the community and the school and stuff was great, however, like most things we volunteer for it all becomes too much. The last few months it seemed like every day he was at the school having to take care of something new. Quite honestly it was starting to make me a little angry also.

Brooke has had an eventful 6 months, outside of her typical dance schedule... First she went to Outdoor Lab, then she went to Washington DC, then to Long Beach. Brooke danced the whole season, she did great and for the most part enjoyed the experience of all of the competitions. As Brooke is entering the almost teenage years I'm doing my best to make sure she is learning lessons and remembering feelings along the way. That has been a bit of a struggle. Another big thing for Brooke, she was finally strong enough to be on point and to get her first set of point shoes. The girl was so happy, I don't think I have ever seen smiles so big. Brooke's dancing took us to Long Beach for a week. It was fun to visit a new place but believe me when I saw it is not the pretty part of California. Brooke and I enjoyed some time in Washington DC with kids from school. It was a fun trip filled with tons of sightseeing. The days were long and we were all exhausted by the time we got home. It was an amazing experience that I'm sure she won't forget, I know I won't. Outdoor Lab was very exciting for her as well. It was for the most part the longest she has gone without talking to us or seeing us. They keep them very busy so I know she was fine but there was a little worry there. And finally Brooke made it out of elementary school. She is officially a Middle School kid. I'm still not sure how this happened and if I'm even ready for it, but guess what ... Not many people care what I think.

Brooke's point shoe fitting

 

Brooke and her friends at 'continuation'

Tyler played soccer in the spring, ran track in the summer and will play baseball and soccer in the fall. As if everything else didn't keep us running, Tyler wanted to make sure we were full... Tyler is over the top excited about his first opportunity to play baseball, I hope it turns out well for him. Tyler also has been taking statistics classes for fantasy football ... I guess there is always room for improvement, winning by 20 points every week isn't enough. This is to give him a little something extra for his Math push. Last year Lou and I argued with the school often about them ignoring Tyler ... finally they put him up a level at life at our house was so much better. This worked so well for Tyler that the school has changed the schedule to be able to accommodate other students like him. Just getting that battle over with has helped the stress level at my house immensely.

 

 

Aside from all of the above excitement, we have run a few 5K's as a family, spent some time at the pool, tried to enjoy each other's company... Here are some random pictures to show just that...

 

Oh, Right! We went to some Rockies games...

This is the "bike" rental on the beach, it was a lot more work than Lou and I anticipated!

This was after a 5K ... In the middle of July ... That started at 3 in the afternoon... That race director was not thinking ... I don't think Lou likes me much ;).

Tyler and I trying to match Lou's face ... Or maybe Lou just doesn't believe in taking a picture any other way...



Running Streak Thoughts ... Cancun trip

Well ... I finally have about 3 extra minutes in my life ... So here are my running streak thoughts ... I ran at least one mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Years Day ... I did this same streak last year and it seemed so much harder ... When I looked at the mileage differences I was running longer mileage last year but I had so much less time ... There was more than once that I was out running my mile in my jeans at 11:30 at night because that was the only time I could fit it in. This year I was also still cross training at the gym 3 days per week and working a whole lot more so mentally I was drained. I did race on New Year's Day on a pretty cold day and snow covered paths. There was no PR or even top 10 finish but it was good to get out and race ... I haven't raced in a long time. It was really great that the Running Club had a great turnout also. I love running races with a bunch of friends. Overall, the streak is good for me. It keeps me honest during the holidays and although I'm not sure I get any stronger I am not loosing ground either.

A friend has suggested that we do this other challenge ... Run 2015 miles in 2015 ... Lucky for me we can split this into teams and the team has to run that many miles. So far my January mileage isn't great so I need to figure out a plan to get me going. Last year I logged about 500 miles, however that didn't include any track workouts or hill repeats and God knows I probably did plenty of miles then. I'm trying to find a race to train for again but it seems like every one that looks good there is a conflict. I'll figure it out though... Don't worry team, I'll do my part, I promise.

At the beginning of January we went to Cancun for the week. The best thing about the trip ... the lack of a schedule. Recently my life has been scheduled down to the minute, from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. I'm not really loving it but I love that I can be so involved with my kids and work and that people like me enough to want to hang out with me. The trip's start was a little rocky when they told me they at security in Denver that they need to search Tyler (I guess he is a sketchy looking kid) and then when we landed in Cancun we sat on the runway for about 45 min waiting for a gate to open up. And then Sunday (the first full day there) I lost my sunglasses ... After that we were smooth sailing. My Birthday Present was a new pair of sunglasses ... not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess my expectations were pretty low for a birthday present anyway. I need to learn to stop loosing stuff in Cancun though ... Overall we spent a ton of time at the pool, on the beach letting the kids build in the sand and swim. Happy hour (and only 1 hour) was great and the relaxation was exactly what all of us needed. The wind along the beach was extreme while we were there so I elected to run on the treadmill instead, which was not pleasant but it was nice to run at sea level and not know my pace (their treadmills are km/hour). It was nice to come home with a nice tan and it only took a week to be exhausted again... Sometimes vacations like that are exactly what was needed...

The view on the street side of our condo ...

The ocean / pool view ... Love Love Love waking up to this ... Maybe I should consider moving to the beach...

The kids master piece ... a giant pyramid ...

With decorations of course...

Love kids photo bombing our selfie ;)

I was trying to catch a picture of my kids holding hands walking down the beach but I missed it ...

 

Christmas Letter 2014

Christmas Letter 2014

So another year … updates, I’m sure, of how all of us are doing. Wonderment of where all the time went. As best as I can tell the average year has about 8,400 hours in it and when you try to look back can one account for all of those hours? And why is it, at the beginning of the year we all think there is all this time and new beginnings and time for change, but at the end of the year we wonder what happened!

Anyway, 2014 has been another successful year at the Krapes house. The kids did try but were not successful in driving each other crazy… Mom and dad on the other hand, might be a different story. We traveled some, in January we went to Kauai with my family. As always Kauai is an amazing place and full of lots of fun sites as well as a ton of relaxation. We also went on a road trip to Wisconsin Dells over the summer which boasted tons of things for all of us to see. We spent a night in Snowmass when Lou and I completed the Tough Mudder. And I made a quick trip to Vegas for a work ‘meeting / training’ with my dad.  Unfortunately, other than those trips our lives have kept us close to home.

Tyler … continues to keep us on our toes. Anytime we think we have an easy street he finds a way to find another challenge for us. Tyler played soccer in both the spring and the fall… Lou continues to coach the team. I think it is a good thing. Much to my dismay Tyler loves to play goalie, and Lou doesn’t mind putting him there. It is just so stressful to watch. He does pretty well and it is only mom that complains, so perhaps I need to learn to keep my mouth shut.  Tyler had a great second grade year, still is looking for someone to give him a little extra push instead of letting him just ‘skate’ by. Tyler also has continued to be our sport guru of the house.  We do get to follow the sport of the season, which lucky for me is football right now. Lou and I have learned an enormous amount about baseball, basketball and hockey, not sure I love those spots as much as Tyler does. He is currently running a few fantasy football leagues. In the one that counts (apparently there is money on the line) he has made it to the playoffs, however Peyton Manning had a few slow games so he lost. I’m a little worried that we may create a habit of gambling. Tyler also loves to “help out” with the chores, Lou has had him mowing the grass (some) and papa has him helping at work, when has time to make it there. Any time there is a tractor involved Tyler is always there.

Brooke … continues her dancing adventure. Coming from a mom that doesn’t know much, I can see definite improvement.  This was the first year that she performed a ‘solo’ which is amazing to me that she will get up and dance in front of hundreds of people all alone. Her first competition she did forget some of the choreography but made up for it very well, only the teacher and I knew.  Brooke scored very well and placed in the top 10 often and even earned first place a few times. Brooke just loves life when she is at the studio. I’m not sure how many problems an 11 year old can have, but she says that can forget them all when she is dancing. We all need something like that right? We did have a few struggles when some choreographers came to town and Brooke was not picked for the dance. Eventually, after conversing with everyone, it turns out she wasn’t picked because of her body type (super skinny and short) and not based on ability. Those were some interesting talks about confidence and being able to accept yourself for you who you are. Some days I feel like I’m still trying to learn the lessons that I’m trying to teach Brooke. Aside from dance, Brooke plays the piano as well as being very involved at school. This year, being the last year in elementary school, she is on the weekly broadcast team, as well as helping students who are struggling. Brooke has also run a few 5k’s this year, with some of her friends.  I’m not too sure I’m ready to have Brooke head to the big world of middle school but I guess life is going to come weather I like it or not.

Louis … He continues to be super involved with work, the school PTA, the second job, dance dad and of course keeping the house and yard in great shape. Good thing there is never a dull moment.  Lou took on the Vice President of the PTA and although there have been some difference of opinions the PTA seems to be doing so much better than when Lou started. Work has gone well for Lou this year and the second job did slow down a little bit, which has actually been alright for our time crunch.

As for me … we have had many changes at work which has forced me to learn many new aspects. We have partnered with Arctic Cat (snowmobiles, ATV’s and side by sides) to bring Denver the only full service dealership in Denver. There were many hurdles that had to be jumped through to get the dealership off the ground but so far things have been fantastic. I’m overwhelmed and excited all at the same time. Along with all of those learning curves, I have also taken on a coaching position with Girls on The Run, a great organization that teaches young girls confidence and self-esteem through running and exercise. I continue to organize runs and races with the Arvada Running Club and although I didn’t get the time to race as often as I would have liked I have enjoyed all the running adventures with the ladies of the club. Finally, I have taken on teaching a stretch and strength class to girls 10-18 at the dance studio, not only to help the dancers with their stamina but also to give kids in the Arvada area. Some days I think the kids teach me as much as I am teaching them.

So yes, my Christmas letter is incredibly late, my pictures are lacking and probably my sentence structure could have been so much better, but like the rest of my life, I’m feeling rushed and very guilty that it is New Year’s Day and I still haven’t published this. So hopefully our 2015 Lou and I will figure out a way to slow down a little, maybe not take on so many projects and try and enjoy things just a little bit more. Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous year filled with tons of joy!

 

PS ... I will update on the running streak of 2014 soon...

Running Streak 2014

Remember awhile ago I said something about a small chance of me signing up for the running streak of running at least a mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Years? Well apparently that small chance decided to come to life again and here I am ... 4 days into the streak. And I already had the first meeting with myself ... after a short night (maybe 4 hours of sleep) a full day of work I remembered (while in the shower) that I needed to get my mile in. And only 1 mile I went, after I took a shower. This year I ran a race with Brooke on Thanksgiving Day ... That was a good choice. This year I am also signing up for the New Year's race before I have time to talk myself out of it. I do have to say it certainly is easier to run with friends, than to go out alone. And this year I will have some other obstacles ... like having to go to the gym and my daily routine. But I will figure it out!

I'll try to keep this updated. I'm hoping that there is not another 5 degree streak that we have encountered with snow... That might make me sad -- or learn how to run in a bunch of layers again.

Summer Updates

So since my last blog post we have had an incredibly busy but fun summer. Since the Bolder Boulder we have road tripped to Wisconsin for dance, raced the Slacker Relay race, 4th of July Parties, met some of the Rockies players, got an Arctic Cat dealership, kids started school, started coaching soccer and Girls on the Run again and I'm sure so much more that we have forgotten. Thank goodness we have pictures.

Our Wisconsin Dells Road trip with dance was so much fun, for Brooke and for us. My mom joined our trip. We tried to see an amazing amount of things, but there are only so many hours in a day. Brooke danced great. She got a National Platinum award for her first solo ever. She was also in a dance that got a prop award (although I'm not encouraging that nonsense) and she was in another dance that was top 10. She was able to hang out with her dance friends and overcome some water park fears. But also be a little more independent. That has been good. On our way home we stopped through South Dakota and went to Bear Country USA and Mount Rushmore. The kids loved both places and Lou and I decided that we will have to go back when we have a little more time on our hands.

This is what the bear thinks of the mountain lion.

We didn't have time to do the hike, next time...

Brooke and her friends...

Bombs on the Dance Floor

Brooke's friend McKenzie -- Brooke is her 'mini me'

Brooke's last time in her solo costume.

 

After the road trip, I ran the Slacker Relay with some friends from the running club. I loved the no pressure attitude and just go run to have fun. We then enjoyed the beer at the end.

Laura and Wendy are so fun!

Funny, I forgot that I even still had this on my phone. Nice 11 min mile in a race...

 

And we can't forget about our Annual 4th of July Party!

 

 

Tyler's highlight of the summer! We had the opportunity to go to a Rockies game and meet some of the players. You know Brooke really only likes one guy, but Tyler knew them all... Everyone's name, their position, why they were on the DL etc.... I love that he has a passion.

 

One of Tyler's favorite, Tyler Chatwood

Brooke's favorite guy, Nolan Arenado

Charlie Blackmon... that guy is tall!

 

At work, we have been a bit on the busy side! We took on the only Arctic Cat Dealership in Denver. Our first shipment was delivered on August 21st

 

School has started. I have a 6th grader and 3rd grader. Not really sure how that happened.

 

Brooke doesn't like having her picture next to Tyler because he is as tall as her. Hence the reason she is wearing Giant shoes!

 

Bolder Boulder

So, a few months ago someone came to me and asked me to train them for the Bolder Boulder. Of course I agreed because I'm a complete sucker for anyone new person that wants to start running. Life ended up getting in her way but I had already signed up for the race. I cursed ... probably cried ... hated / despised it ... and I actually probably didn't 'worry' about my training because I have always had a bad taste concerning this race. Perhaps that is a fabulous plan.

I totally despised this race purely because of logistics. Getting in and out of Boulder is tough on a good day, let alone a day when 60,000 other people are going there also. The park and ride idea is great except that I didn't want to spend the $8 round trip ticket. The start line and finish line are not in the same spot and that is kind of a killer also, especially when you don't know the town. I also really don't enjoy big races because there is this fine line between weaving in and out of people and lack of courtesy and such. Also, every other time I have run this race, the weather has been super crappy, cold and raining. Who even likes to run in that?

Well what ended up happening is that I didn't worry about the race, I just had a 'no big deal' attitude about the whole thing, go with the flow...whatever happens ... happens. A friend told me she would get me to the race. We would park and have real bathrooms and everything would be great. And  guess what? That is exactly what happened. She drove us into Boulder (and funny, we hit the city limits and I was immediately lost) we parked, walked to a real bathroom and then walked 1/2 block to the start line. The really nice thing about the Bolder Boulder is you can choose to get into a 'qualified' wave ... or you can start later in the day. For the first time in my life I was put into a wave that totally paced me exceptionally well. I didn't have to weave and crowd and have a hard time ... I just ran. And maybe to say I ran comfortable is a bit of a stretch, but I felt good the whole race. I never hated it, or wondered what the heck I was doing. I enjoyed all of the bands, dance teams, radio stations etc along the side of the road. I enjoyed the guy handing out Doritos and jello shots and the slip and slides. I guess, however, that I missed out on the cupcakes and bacon and cotton candy. I guess my wave was a little too early for the college kids. I enjoyed the hills (however demented that sounds) I enjoyed the downhills and I really enjoyed finishing on a track type environment (and I thank every single one of those track workouts that I did before the race) ...

The outcome of all of this, besides the fact that I enjoyed the race, myself and the friends I was with ... I had a Personal best time of 54:15 ... not exactly what I was aiming for in my 10K ... but almost 2 min better than my last 10K and on a difficult course. I'm at the point where I will take it and be happy. And I hate to say this but thinking I could possibly sign up again next year without cringing.

Our busy spring

How many times have I told myself that I would be better about blogging and keeping this 'journal' so that I could remember more things? Far too many, so lets just say I won't be better, I will try to blog and I will do it as often as I can.

Now for all of those moments in my crazy life that I have said I should write a blog post about that and of course now that I have a few minutes I can't remember what they were... So I'll go with what our life has been lately ... Lou has been coaching Tyler's soccer team and every one (except me) knows that when Lou signs up for something he sign both of us up... So that has been a little difficult to fit in. But in the end the team played great. There are a great group of kids and parents on the team which also made the season fun.

 

I also, in the same 'season' helped coach a "Girls on The Run" team. I did this, not with any of my own kids on the team, but to see what the program was all about. The program is fantastic, they have a very specific curriculum and it is very easy to follow. Some of the girls were a bit challenging to get to know but in the end it was a very good experience. I do, however, need to figure out how to manage my time a little better.

 

 

Tyler made his first communion. That was a little bit difficult figuring out how to get him to the church every week for his lessons but in the end we are glad we had it all done.

 

 

 

 

And Brooke and Tyler had a piano recital. I love the piano recitals. It brings back music that I learned or still have to learn. I love listening to the kids play and I love the see the growth out of everyone.

 

And finally, Brooke had a dance competition... She had to struggle a little with this one as she had sprained her ankle in rehearsals the week before the competition. However, I told her to go and have fun, that is why we are here. And she did ... And she got first place and her first platinum score for her solo. I couldn't be more proud of her and all of her hard work.

 

 

 

So now, that church, soccer and Girls on the Run is over I can actually have a little time for me. It is somewhat amazing and I'm not entirely sure what to do with myself.