Photo replay: Run, Bubby, run

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Bubby participated in his first organized run yesterday — the half-mile kids' dash during an annual community run that benefits local families in need.

Bubby ran with Mommy (who placed first in her division in the adult run), and when the going got rough after about a quarter of the way, they held hands and pumped their arms together.

kids dash

Megan reported that they sprinted at the end, and Bubby was quite proud of himself once he'd crossed the finish line.

Soon after, I received this text from Megan: "I just asked him if he would ever do a race again and he said 'No way! But you know what I got from my race?' Then showed me his guns! Ha!"

Seems for a nearly 5-year-old, the arm pumping is far more enjoyable — with better payoff — than the leg pumping.

Today's question:

Which do you work harder to keep fit — your guns (arms) or your legs?

What I learned this week: The momentum has shifted

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female soccer keeper

When my youngest daughter, Andrea, was in high school, she joined the soccer team. She'd never played before, not in earlier grades in school, not on club or park & rec teams. But in true Andie fashion, she chose the soccer team over the track team because her sisters ran track, and she was determined to do her own thing. Plus, she figured there'd be less running in soccer than in track.

Andrea was wrong about the running, but she was right about choosing soccer anyway, as that girl rocked the soccer field. She even chose to be goal keeper when no other girls on the team wanted the position, a position that eventually garnered her a spot — and a scholarship — on her college soccer team.

During her high-school stint on the soccer field, Andie's coach for the first few years was a young male teacher, not long out of college. His youth and enthusiasm for his job, for his team, for the game were a boon for the girls he coached. They absolutely adored Coach D. (His good looks had a wee bit to do with that, too, I assure you.)

Now, Andrea's high-school soccer team was not the best in the district. In fact, they were pretty far from it. But they had grit, they had dedication, and they had Coach D cheering them on.

Jim and I were fortunate to be able to attend the majority of Andrea's high-school soccer games. Many times, her team struggled to keep up with their opponents, often ending up on the losing end of the match. Sometimes, though, they'd manage to pull ahead.

It was during those initial moments of pulling ahead that Coach D's enthusiasm spilled over. "THE MOMENTUM HAS SHIFTED!" he'd shout to the sky, to those around him, but most importantly, to the girls. To which the girls would then run harder, faster, as they heard the sound of hope ringing across the field.

In every game, no matter how bad the beating seemed it might be, there would be at least one point where the exclamation would be made.

"THE MOMENTUM HAS SHIFTED!"

Every once in a while, the momentum would shift fully in the girls' favor, and Andie's team would come out the victors. Always a sweet victory indeed.

Ever since those days of watching high-school soccer games, hearing Coach D exclaim the moment of change indicating hope on the horizon, I've often heard his words ring out in my head — sometimes even spoken the phrase aloud or chuckled when Jim would say it at just the moment I thought it. I've heard it in my head at Andie's college games, while watching live or televised sporting events, when my daughters have overcome a challenge, when most anything in my life warrants the exclamation.

Well, this week, I learned this: The momentum has shifted... in my favor!

You see, the years since I lost my full-time job at the newspaper have been a heart-crushing struggle in a variety of ways, from trying to get books published — with my agent quitting the business midstream — to trying to keep my bank account filled with at least enough money to turn around and send it right back out again to pay the bills.

Many people have similar stories to tell, all beginning about the same time my financial woes began. The year 2008 and most since have sucked for a lot of us. I'm not unique in the challenges I've faced, I know. That hasn't really made it any easier, and I've wondered again and again when things would start trending up instead of continuing the downward slide.

Finally, though, it seems the downward slide has ended. In one small but significant way, the momentum has indeed shifted. Thanks to the copy-editing position I recently started — with much thanks to my online friend Carol — I'm finally able to see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, finally see hope on the horizon.

I must admit that this new position is not a high-profile one by any means, and it doesn't pay huge amounts. But it's enough to make a difference.

It's enough to give me hope.

It's enough to make me feel things are on their way up.

It's enough to make me say, with all the conviction of Coach D:

THE MOMENTUM HAS SHIFTED!

photo: stock.xchng

Today's question:

What have you learned this week?

My daughter the marathoner, plus the GRAND Social

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mother runner

Please indulge me as I enjoy a moment of motherly boasting. You see, my daughter Megan is awesome. Well, all three of my daughters are awesome, but in light of Megan's participation in yesterday's LA Marathon, today she tops Mom's List of Awesome.

In yesterday's post, I shared as Megan and my grandsons (and Preston, too) set out on Megan's marathon adventure. Today I share with you the results. Of the more than 22,000 participants, here is how my middle daughter did in her first full (26.2 mile) marathon:

LA Marathon results

Like I said, Megan is awesome. I am so, so proud of her.

Bubby had some awesome fun of his own while in California, finding sport of a different sort on the beach during this — only his second ever — ocean-side experience:

Awesomeness awaits the rest of us, courtesy this week's GRAND Social. Thank you for joining me!

link party

How it works:

  • All grandparent bloggers are invited to add a link. You don't have to blog specifically about grandparenting, but you must be a grandparent who blogs.
  • To link up, copy the direct URL to the specific post — new or old — that you want to share, not the link to your blog's home page. Then click the blue "Click here to enter" text below and follow the directions to add your post and graphic to the list.
  • You can add up to three posts, but no duplicates, please, and none you have promoted on a previous GRAND Social linky. And no contests, giveaways, or Etsy sites, please.
  • Adding a mention at the bottom of your linked posts, such as This post has been linked to the GRAND Social linky, is appreciated. Or, you can post the GRAND Social button anywhere on your page using the following code:

Grandma’sBriefs.com

<a href="/" target="_blank"><img src="http://grandmasbriefs.squarespace.com/storage/GRANDsocialbutton.jpg " alt="Grandma’sBriefs.com" width="125" height="125" /></a>

 

  • The GRAND Social linky is open for new posts through Wednesday evening, so please come back to see those added after your first visit.
  • If you're not a blogger, you have the pleasure of being a reader. All bloggers who link up would be honored to have you all — bloggers and readers — visit, read and comment, even if it's just "Hey, stopping by from the GRAND Social."

Thank you for participating in the GRAND Social!


Photo replay: Going to California

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Mac and Bubby hit the road Friday, headed to California, where Mommy Megan will run her first-ever full marathon.

boys on road trip

Good luck to Megan, for whom my heart swells with pride as I consider her conquering 26.2 miles. On foot.

May the luck o' the Irish be with her — and with everyone else today.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Boys and their bikes: Mac masters the motorcycle

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The boasting sharing tales of my grandsons and their bike skills continues. This time, it's all about Mac.

While Bubby worked on perfecting his bicycling skills, Mac more than mastered the (mini) motorcycle Santa brought him for Christmas.

Serious skills require serious attention.

A seriously awesome job by Gramma's little pip-squeak.

Today's question:

How would you rate your motorcycle skills?

Park and ride

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The weather was cruddy during the majority of my visit to see my grandsons, bordering on monsoon conditions at times. Add to that the fact that Bubby and Mac were sick most of the time—Bubby recuperating from the flu and Mac flirting with the flu while dealing with full-blown bronchiolitis, as well—and it's clear why Gramma didn't get to play outside with her grandsons much in the past week.

My last full day there, though, the weather warmed up nicely and the boys felt better than they had since my arrival. We seized the opportunity to relieve our cabin fever by heading to the park just down the street—with Bubby leading the way on his first ride there without training wheels on his bike.

I was a little nervous at first, allowing my four-year-old grandson to ride his bike on the sidewalk. A sidewalk right next to the street. A street on which vehicles drive. And a street we needed to cross in order to get to the park.

Bubby did fantastic, though. He experienced nary a wobble along the way, and once at the park, my grandson relished the freedom—and pride in oneself—that only a training wheel-less bike can provide.

I'm so impressed with Bubby's riding skills. He is four years old, turning five in June. I don't remember exactly when my daughters learned to ride a bike, but I'm positive it wasn't at four. (I don't think they even had a bike at four!)

As Bubby said at the end of the video above: "This video is great!" It is exactly that, because he's such a great bicyclist.

Adding to the greatness is Mac's little voice saying "Gramma" in the background. You heard that, right? And Mac's achievement for the day: He went down the twirly slide all by himself for the very first time while we were there. And the second time, third time, and fourth time, too.

I'm telling ya, my grandsons are athletic superstars—even when not on their A-game and still recovering from the flu.

Today's question:

Who taught you to ride a bicycle?