"Back to school! Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool! I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight!

Me and the kids at Bear Lake

Where the heck did August go? Good grief. I knew July would fly by, but two months flying by in a row is just a little ridiculous. Here are some past-month Eggertz' highlights:

Joshy-boy

Have you ever had those "slap in the face/your getting older" moments? Maybe it was the day you looked in the mirror and noticed that your crows-feet wrinkles didn't disappear after you stopped laughing. Maybe it was when the sun hit your chin just right and you noticed that you had a black whisker living there (or "stray eyebrows" as I refer to them). Well my slap in the face moment happened this past month when my oldest lost his first tooth. I swear I'm not old enough to be parenting a child whose teeth are missing, but according to my crows feet and whiskers, I am.


Josh was SO excited about the whole process. Granted when he saw the blood involved he was a little nervous. But he ripped his first, and next week his second tooth out all on his own. Das-a-my-boy!

He then asked me all sorts of questions about the tooth fairy and if she really did in fact come at night and bring money. "Is she real, mom?" (refer to December's post when the evil boy on the bus told my kid that Santa wasn't real.) Now Josh is full of all kinds of doubts about everything. I'm actually having issues with this one. I always Loved the magical feeling of Christmas, the thoughts of the North Pole and Santa sneaking down your chimney to leave treats in your stocking and a toy just for you. However, when I embellish these fictional tales, I feel like I am lying to my child. Probably because I AM lying to my child. Also, I don't want to get him confused about not seeing/believing in Santa and not seeing/believing in Christ. Do you follow? Any suggestions about the whole ordeal would be fantastic.

I also must add Josh's first day of first grade! The picture on the left is my G.Q. boy. Look at him strike a pose! The picture on the right is when I asked him to show me his new shoes.

































When he came home after school I asked him a few questions. "Josh, how was school today?" "It was great!" "Do you like your new teacher?" "Yeah, she's great." "How did you like eating lunch at school?" "It was great." So all in all, everything is great!

Daxton

Wow, I love this little guy! There was a point in time where I really did not feel connected to this little man. I was never sure why, but it always frightened me. Now, however, I can't get enough of him! He is always making me laugh and smile. Today I was changing his pull-up (yes, he still will not take a crap on the toilet) and afterwards he says "Momma, I wanna see da poop in der." I know that's totally disgusting, but man I was laughing. Cam thinks I should make him look at the poop and rub his nose in it, but then I reminded him that Dax is a little boy and not a puppy. Who knows though, it just might work. (yes, I'm kidding. Unless you tell me that it worked for your kid in which case I just might try it.)

Ella

Pure sweetness. I love my bells. I thought I should write down some of the nicknames we have for her:

Ella-Bella
Bells
Bella-Boo
Missy-Moo
Miss Priss
Little Fish
Monk
My little red-head
and obviously, Princess

Ella has already used the potty once and pooped once too. (I bet you really wanted to hear that.) She's a talker as well and is even talking in sentences already. In fact she's yelling at me right now to get her out of bed. Perhaps 7:30 is a bit too early to tuck them in. So shoot me for wanting an extra 30 minutes of peace and quiet! Don't worry, it's completely backfired. It's now quarter to nine and all 3 kids have been out of bed 3 times. What was I thinking?!

Cam

My egg-head is currently hiking Gannet Peak, Wyoming's highest peak at 13,804 feet (4,207 m).

"Gannett Peak is commonly climbed on a four to six day round-trip, and is considered amongst mountaineers as second only to Alaska's Denali in difficulty of state high points. However, many climbers rank Gannett Peak behind both Denali and Montana's Granite Peak, which, in 1923, was the last state high point climbed." --Wikipedia

It's funny how Cam never really mentioned that this peak is a freakin' trip to climb! I have to learn it through Wikipedia and through Mike's wife (another mountaineer climbing with Cam). He left early Friday morning and should get back late tomorrow night.

Cam thinks that I get really bugged when he goes on big expeditions like this (probably because I act like I am really bugged) but really, I think he's 100% stud. He can honestly do anything he puts his mind to, especially if it is a physical task. He's amazing. If our house was ablaze, there is no doubt in my mind he could put me and the rest of the kids on his back and carry us out safe and sound.

Another big "Eggertz accomplishment" is his garden. He planted a fantastic one this year. Zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and watermelon!




























Me

Honestly people, does it get much hotter than this?
Yes folks that is me posing, and yes I do have the figure of a 12 year old boy.

I am probably in the best shape of my life, though my big toe is taped and my butt is inflamed (some nerve thing.) I have 2 weeks until the triathlon and I feel pretty good. HOWEVER, I still hate running. I keep thinking to myself that after a while I would begin to like it, maybe even just tolerate it, but that is not the case. It's like every time I run my body is screaming at me "What the hell are you doing to me? Do you not feel that this is slowly killing you?" I try to reason with my body, but it just won't listen. And you should hear the kind of language it uses! Someone get the soap.

Here are some things I have learned as a triathlete in training:

1) Biking is not a cop-out.

I used to look at bikers as I was running, whilst my body was swearing at me, and think "Sure, just keep pedaling. Maybe you should get a pink basket and streamers for that pretty little bike of yours."

I have learned that biking is tough stuff! Any little incline and your thighs check in and have to work it, work it, to make it up and keep your momentum. I love it.

2) Do not get mad at bikers riding in the road

And please, try not to drive so close to us. We can't ride on the sidewalk without dodging parked cars, tree branches, sprinklers, cats, you name it. So please stop honking at me and giving me the finger. Let's just share, okay?

3) Never make fun of anyone exercising

I don't care how big they are, how slow they are jogging, or how tight their spandex are. At least they are doing something!

4) Don't hold your breath under water

No, I'm not suggesting that you breathe underwater either. But as I began the whole swimming process I just couldn't get my breathing right. I kept holding my breath while I put my head under, instead of having a constant flow of air in the mouth, out the nose, in the mouth, out the nose. Now I feel great and can finish my 20 laps feeling fine.

5) Swim in the lake BEFORE race day

Wow, this was the best thing Kelli and I could have done. The lake freaks us out!!! It is so big, and dark, and there are fish in there! We drove to Pineview Reservoir last week, fully decked out in wet-suits, swim caps, and goggles. After diving right in, we begin to hyperventilate because you can't see a dang thing in that water! It's especially horrid because both Kelli and I have VERY vivid imaginations and can picture all sorts of scary/slimy things swimming below us. Just writing about it makes me all tense. Mind over matter, mind over matter. Wish me luck that I don't crap my wet-suit on race day.


That's right ladies, those lips are collagen free. Look out Angelina.