The homework that never ends...

I really wanted to blog this week to get some pics of Norah up from Soccer and stuff....but this week has been so busy...literally I can barely breathe. The only way I got through this week was because of my Rock Star of a Hubby and Superdad Jeff...he was so awesome helping however he could this week. I am completely overwhelmed at this point but hope that as the weeks go on...I can better manage it. I will say that I have done more homework and studying this one week then I probably did my entire Freshman year (Ellen says she can attest to this.) So here goes the week recap....
Norah has had a pretty good week...Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were not the best days for her but by Thursday she was doing much better. She was just getting adjusted to her new teachers and new friends in her class (she only knew one kid in her class...) Plus she has just been plain worn out with all the new activities...

So Tuesday brought soccer for Norah...it is 30 minutes and it is really cute. She started really well but after 15 minutes she had had enough and basically laid on the field and cried. I felt so bad for me...but she is 3 so things happen. We are hoping that as the weeks go on...she will get more adjusted to it and make it the whole 30 minutes. Here are some pics before the meltdown....

Lila, Harper and Norah listening to Coach Mark talk

Everyone gathered around Coach Mark

Starting some warm ups....

Norah on the move....

Doing some drill....

Playing around....

Okay...so next up...Wednesday...more school for me and then Thursday I had work...and then Friday... Friday stands for frustration. I got up and took Norah to school and then went for a 3.7 mile run (yeah!), came back took a shower and hit the books. I got one class assignment done and moved to the next one which required me to do a power point presentation slideshow...however, since I haven't ever used PowerPoint on my computer...it wanted an activation code..which I can't find...long story short...after 2 hours, phone calls, and $150....I still didn't have power point. So I worked on another subject's assignment. Then I picked Norah up from school and took her for her first haircut!!

I have cut Norah's hair for the last 3 years (actually she just kinda got hair the last year) so it was time for it to be done right! I took her to a place called "Doolittles" that specializes in kids haircuts. She did so well! I couldn't believe it! And she looks so cute with her new bob haircut!

About to get started....

In progress....

Getting it dried....

Final product....isn't she cute :)

This is what it really looks like on a day-to-day basis...we like the wild style (this was today after going to the pool with Daddy)!!

So then Friday night we got a pizza, cupcakes, and wine and headed to Jeff's parent's house to celebrate his moms birthday. We all had a great time and came home...Norah went to bed and we went to bed not too long after! It had been a long week!

So today I went to my work and used the computer there to do the powerpoint and after this blog entry...surprise...surprise...I am back to doing some more homework...it never ends!!!!!!!!

Here are some pics of the puppies...it is so hard to get a picture of them as they are on the move constantly...Finn will be 6 months old next week and Darcy 5 months next week. Can you believe it will be September next week?!

Finn...and yes...right now one ear sticks up and one ear flops over....it is hilarious! Just a couple weeks ago...they were both sticking up so we figured in a couple of weeks...the other one will flop over!!

And here is "Big D"...Darcy! He is like a moving teddy bear...they are both so cute!!!

Well tonight Jeff is heading to the Panthers game so once Norah goes to bed...I will be back to doing school work. I hope to finish as much as I can today so that I can enjoy tomorrow and get in a good run. Hopefully next week will be smoother and then we are headed to the beach for Labor Day!!

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The homework that never ends...

First day of school...for Norah and me!

This will be a quick post but wanted to get the cute pics of Norah up! Jeff took these for me at school this morning...I love taking pictures of the first day of school! I have taken one of her each year she has gone to "school."

Playing hopscotch at the front of the school before going in...

She is my precious! I really was sad not to be the one to take her to her new class today but daddy Jeff did a great job. She had an okay day in her new class. Some moments better than others...I figured it will probably take a few days to adjust to new teacher and new classmates.

I started school today too and it was a long day....I drove 130 miles in my car today....have already done 3 hours of homework and about to hit the books again. Hopefully I will get in the swing of things soon...well off to do some work and get ready for bed. Tomorrow is a full day of work and then Norah has her first soccer lesson/practice (not sure what to call it as it only lasts 30 minutes!) And then more school work for tomorrow night....

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First day of school...for Norah and me!

Half Marathon Training...

(Two posts in one day...gotta get this nervous energy out!)

The other day I went running and I was thinking about how great it is that my friend Meredyth is training for her first half-marathon. Those of you who do run know that you become a little obsessive about it and it is so great to have someone to talk about...how long you ran, what you were wearing, what did you eat or drink, the pains, etc. Well when I was getting ready for my first half-marathon I didn't really have anyone to talk about it with as I didn't know anyone that was doing one. Here is where the blog world came in...I started searching the internet for tips and stories about other people and their running experiences. This is how I found a lot of the blogs I read today and still check out runnersworld.com too for information. So I started thinking that if I searched for info that maybe someone out there is searching for some basic info too...so I thought I would give you some tips that work for me...

1. Get shoes from a running store!! My running journey started about 2005 when Jeff and I decided to take a 6 week running class at a local running class. I had played tennis in the past and even had done a 5K and 10K but walked them. So I was definitely starting from square one. I arrive at the class in whatever tennis shoes I had bought probably for $49 because I liked the way they looked!...and started the class with running/walking...basically the couch to 5K program. After the first two classes...I complained of shin splits...she (the coach) said it was the shoes I was wearing...I of course figured they were just trying to sell their shoes but decided to try some on. So they watched me run and then picked out a few shoes to try on...after each shoe...you would run in them, etc. At the end of this...I had found a new pair of like $100 shoes...but I never had a shin split again!! So those were Muzunos, after about 6 months after having Norah I was ready to get back into it and went back to the store as my foot changed a lot while pregnant and got asics then after year or so...I got fitted again as my foot finally settled into my new "size" and I got saucony...now my foot hasn't changed anymore so the last couple time...I have ordered my same saucony shoes online at a discount site. My whole point to this ramble...is get the correct shoes...it makes a world of difference trust me!! (and my running shoes are a whole size bigger than my regular shoes!!)

2. Do not wear cotton. Yes...I'm old school and remember the days of playing tennis in cotton t-shirts or hittin' up the gym sporting the beloved cotton shirt...this does not fly in the running world. No cotton shirt, no cotton sports bra, no cotton shorts and if you can swing it...no cotton socks...trust me on this too.

3. You gotta find out what works for you regarding fueling. I never even heard of a GU before running but once I started running more than 4-5 miles...GU became my friend. I also sweat a lot and plain water usually doesn't work for me. So I use a half gatorade/half water mix. In the winter/cooler weather...I take my handheld and GUs for anything over 4 miles but in the summer/hot weather...I take my handheld everytime and GUs if over 4 miles. Again this works for me...try some things out before your big day.

4. Don't be afraid of ice. I see a lot of people take ice baths after they have long runs...I'm not that brave but sometimes after long runs...for me that means anything over 6....I usually would put frozen veggies or a ziplok of ice on my legs...it does help! Especially for the next day.

5. Warming up/Stretching...so far what works for me is I walk .2 miles before I run and then again after I run everytime...I don't count this .4 miles in my total either. I only stretch at the end never before. Again, this is what works for me.

6. This is a personal thing...but I love my Garmin 405!!! This is like awesome to me...I walk out the door and I walk my .2 miles, then I hit start....I can keep my screen at the total time, pace, and miles...then I hit stop when I finish running and then walk my .2 miles. I love that I never map at my run...I just can see how many miles I've done my looking at the "Garmmy"...love it! This is definitely not needed but I love it...I ordered it from Costco.com when they were having a special for like $250!! Totally lucked out!

Those are the main things I can think of for now...maybe I'll update later as I think of anything else. My main opinion of things is that I love to run...I am slow (super slow!) but I still love it and I am not the person that at this time is trying to get any faster. Maybe one day I will have more time to devote to getting faster but now I run to de-stress and feel good!

I have to admit with all that is going on in my life...running has taken a backseat but I'm hoping this week to get back on track as I am excited about the half marathon in October!

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Half Marathon Training...

Weekend Recap and Nervous Nelly...

This weekend went by fast and it was pretty busy. Friday, work was pretty busy plus I ended up going to the doctor during lunch to have my rash stuff looked at as I wanted to claw my wrist away...got a prescription for that...so far it seems to be improving but I still want to claw at it!!

Left work and picked up baby girl, dropped prescription off, took her to Panera to eat a quick dinner and then went back to the school to meet with her new teachers. She starts tomorrow in her new 3s classroom. I got a really good vibe from the teachers and I am excited about things they will be doing this year! So I hope it goes well! Time we got home...it was bath time and bed time!

Saturday we went to Norah's first ever movie at the real theatre. My mother-in-law gave us free tickets to see the Tinkerbell movie. We met my good friend Julie and her cute little girl, McIver to see the movie. Norah said she liked it but it was "scary." I think when it would get dark in the movie and the music would change....it would kinda scare her...but she did pretty good! Once that was over...we headed over to Chick-fil-a to have lunch and play on the playground. Then it was home for nap time.

After nap...we went over to my friend Christie's house (thanks for letting us come over...I always feel like I invite myself over!!) and Norah had a blast and a half playing with Harper, Perry, and Mason. They are all so cute!! I had a lot of fun too and some wine...much needed! Then we headed home for bed time..Norah was exhausted!

Today we got up and went to Costco, to Ellen's house to bring her some grub and take a peek at little William...he is precious, and then a final stop at the grocery store. Next Norah and I came home and took a nap together...it was great! When we woke up...Daddy/Jeff was home! Yeah! So I headed out and did the last of errands by myself...Target and EarthFare. When I got home...Norah was riding her new (FREE) bike she got!! She is so cute!!


Then it was dinner, bath and bed. Now I'm writing a post and trying not to think about my day tomorrow. I'm super nervous Nelly!!! I can't believe I am going back to school...I hope I do well! I have my books and notebooks ready to go. I have Norah's clothes and stuff ready to go for Jeff tomorrow and all her new stuff she needs to take to her new class. I will so miss taking her to school tomorrow on her first day in her new class but know daddy will be great with her!

Hopefully this week will go smoothly... :)

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Weekend Recap and Nervous Nelly...

Thursday...TGIAF (Thank Goodness it's ALMOST Friday)

Well I wanted to blog earlier this week but ran out of time...But here it is Thursday and I'm feeling like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. This week has been crazy (what's new!) but right now I feel like I got a little off my plate. Today I took the day off and went to UNCC campus and got a student ID, a parking pass, and then to the immunization office where I ended up getting two shots.

Then it was off to return something and get teacher gifts...next stop Norah's school where she had her "end of the year" party. She moves to her new class for 3 yr olds on Monday. So we rented a bounce house for the party and it was a HUGE hit. The kids had a blast!

Now it is football time...we love football in our house. We are big NFL fans but also love college football too! Hopefully the fall weather will follow soon!

Obviously since we live in Charlotte...we are Carolina Panthers fans but actually love watching all the teams...we just like watching football in general. It is funny because I never watched NFL football until I met Jeff but now I'm more into it then the college football (don't worry we are still Clemson (where I graduated), Appalachian State (where Jeff graduated), and Georgia (Denny (Pops) team) football fans too!).

This is Norah at school sporting her new tennis shoes we got her as she starts soccer next week. The low ankle socks work better but I only have one pair of them right now and they were dirty so these are good ole' fold over kind. She looks like a big kid!

This is her class eating the cupcakes before they jump away the sugar in the bounce house!

Norah loves a cupcake! (Jeff even had one too!!)

Norah...lovin' the bounce house!!!

I'm sorry but how cute is my hubby! He is so cute! He is the best dad...I love that he came to the party too!!

Jeff entertaining himself at the party!!

Showing off his mad skills with the pink ball!

Anyway...tomorrow is my last day at work as a full time employee so I have a lot to do! So I'm off for a little down time before it is bed time. I hope to get some more posts up this weekend....before the madness begins next week!!

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Thursday...TGIAF (Thank Goodness it's ALMOST Friday)

Long time...no blog...

Well I haven't posted lately as it has been a little stressful this week. But no worries...I am a "glass is half full" kinda of gal so this will pass (and wine helps too!). So here are 10 random tidbits of what has happened in the Hoppe Household.

1. I'm super excited and my friend Meredyth and her BF "T" are signed up for their first Half Marathon!! (They are gonna rock it!) It is so nice to have someone to talk with about the training. Speaking of which I got my 4 mile run in on Saturday so I should be back on track.

2. Norah is feeling better (and me too!) so hopefully we can stay well around here for a month or so! ;)

3. My books are ordered for school and I hope they are here next week! School starts on Monday, August 23...I also found out that my classes are not uptown but they are actually at the main UNCC campus. Therefore, instead of riding the train to the classes as planned...I had to buy a parking pass for campus. So gotta pick that up this week and do a practice run so I can know where I am going. Still have some loose ends to finish up with school this week before it starts.

4. This weekend was low key as we wanted to make sure Norah was 100%. We did ride the train uptown and eat breakfast as a place call Mert's this morning...it was yummy! (I so love Norah on the train...she gets so excited to ride it!)

5. Then I actually meal planned for the entire week and hit up Trader Joes and Harris Teeter and got everything we need...I'm so hoping that I can keep that up. I mean after this week...I am not going to have time to go to the grocery store everyday.

6. I have a random skin rash thing on my arm/wrist that looks awful but I think it is healing on its own (like I need to go to the doctor again...)

7. Hopefully this week will be smoother! This is Norah's last week in her class and she moves to the "3s" class next week with new teachers (I can't believe how she is growing up!).

8. My mom is coming to town on Thursday for a few hours...can't wait to see her!

9. So I'm off to spend a little time with hubby before bed!

10. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post next time!

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Long time...no blog...

Great weekend and sickness...

So Jeff left us on Friday for his birthday weekend fishing trip (his birthday is in October but this class was offered in August.) So Norah and I had the whole weekend to ourselves. Friday night we hung out and even though I still didn't feel 100% I actually got a run in on the treadmill.

Saturday Norah and I got up and went to the greenway for just a little bit to walk around. (How much did I wish I was running on it...it was the best weather)

Norah finding one of the mile markers.

We then came home and changed in to swim gear and headed to the pool. She had a blast! After pool time we had lunch and nap time. Then our neighbors behind us asked us over...so off we went. (Thanks Meredith and Chris for letting us bother you...it was fun!) It was great to have a busy day since it was just the two of us. The day flew by and Norah had a lot of fun!

Sunday morning we got up and met some friends at the playground at Norah's school...it is always so cute to see all the kids in action. Here is a pic of Norah and Harper on the see-saw.

Norah...isn't she sweet?! Love you baby girl! I then decided when we left there to head over to Panera and we had lunch. Next home and nap time. After nap...I invited ourselves over to my friend Christie's house (thanks for having us over Christie!). It was so great! Sometimes that 5-7 pm time frame is the hard one especially since it was so hot outside. So it was fabulous getting to be with other kiddos for her. She had a blast with Harper and Perry and Christie and I got to catch up!

Perry, Harper and Norah playing together! How cute!

Jeff got home really late Sunday night and he had a great time! I am so excited that he had fun! Well Monday rolled around and my throat was still hurting...I had been taking Motrin like every 6 hours all weekend. So I called the doctor and they called in another antibiotic as she said sometimes the penicillin doesn't work. On a good note for Monday...I watched Sense and Sensibility again on tv Monday night....I love all Jane Austin! Seriously I should have a Jane Austin movie marathon one weekend!

So today comes and Norah seems "off" in the morning but we took her to school to see how it goes. They called me around 11ish and I went to pick up baby girl and took her home. I couldn't get a doctor appt till 1:30. She immediately fell asleep on the couch. Poor thing!

Isn't she sweet! So we went to the doctor and low and behold...she has strep and an ear infection (that most likely is strep) so she got a penicillin shot in buttocks region. I feel so bad for her...she just doesn't feel good. Seriously we are the sick house around here. I've already used three different toothbrushes and about to switch to a new one again just in case. I washed all the sheets in hot water and cleaned some other stuff. Maybe we can stay well for like a month??? :)

Well I am about to go back to work once Jeff comes home so I can get something done for tomorrow since I probably won't be there all day tomorrow. I'm hoping that Jeff and I can tag team tomorrow with baby girl and each stay home a half of day.

Hopefully the rest of the week...we can get back on track around here....

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Great weekend and sickness...

Three Things Thursday

Three Things Thursday....

1. I love Great Harvest Bread Company. I've started getting a loaf of Honey Wheat Bread each week for Norah to eat sandwiches, toast, etc. There is only like 4 ingredients in it compared to the like 25 in grocery store bread. It tastes great too! It costs about a $1 more or so then grocery store but I feel better knowing that Norah is eating "cleaner" food. Now surely I can find a way to make my own loaf of bread each week...it can't be that hard. Hey Mom...if you are reading this...ya want to see if we can figure out how to do it? :)

2. Jeff is celebrating his birthday early this year with a weekend fishing class/trip put on by our local ORVIS store. He is super excited and I think it will be great for him! I found out about the class through an e-mail they sent out. It is the perfect gift for him!

3. Running...I haven't been since Saturday due to the ole' strep throat. However, I really miss it and want to get in some sort of run in tonight, tomorrow and Saturday. But due to #2 above...I am limited to the outside runs so I may have to....use the treadmill aka the dreadmill. I so wish I loved the treadmill but it is so boring to me. It reminds me of this....

Happy Thursday!

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Three Things Thursday

Strep Throat I think you love me....

Yes...I have strep throat again...2nd time in 3 months....2nd time in 32 years! This is crazy! Who gets sick in August...that would be me. Went to doctor today and opted for the ole' shot in the buttocks region (instead of antibiotics for 10 days) so should be good to go in a couple of days. Keep your fingers crossed that baby girl doesn't get it!

So Norah loves my Ipod Touch (I so love it too!)...and plays this game on there that I downloaded...it is some kind of puzzle game. She is always asking if she can play on Mommy's Computer...
Here she is with the Ipod in action.

Darcy got a haircut today....look you can see his eyes! The girl who always cuts our dogs...made an exception since he hasn't gotten all his shots yet...but he was so hot with all the fur plus Jeff kept saying his feet were like "mops" and bringing in lots of dirt. He wasn't a fan of getting his haircut...she said he was scared so she had to give him a couple of breaks and then come back to him. But isn't he so cute!!

Well I've got to go back to work tomorrow so I better get to bed and rest up.

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Strep Throat I think you love me....

Back together....

It is so great to have Jeff and Norah back home! I love having us all together! This morning it is rainy and cloudy here...which has cooled off the temperatures...but has us inside...so it is play-doh time...



Norah takes Play-Doh time seriously!

So we got some tickets to see Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3 in October. I think it will be lots of fun! We are going to be going with some friends and I actually got a special friend of Norah's a ticket too...Shhhh....I haven't told him yet....it will be a birthday surprise for him!

I guess I should fill in on the whole weekend...Friday was work, then ran a couple errands, got one of my favorite dinners (Salmon Kabobs from Zoes...yum!), went for a run, showered and headed to Shannon's house to say goodbye before she leaves for a month! Then came home and talked on the phone with a dear friend who loves to play "phone tag" so since I actually had her on the phone...it ended up being a 2 hour conversation...I hope to get to see her soon. So once I was off it was time for bed.

Saturday...took the dogs out and then crawled back in the bed as I stayed up way past my bedtime Friday night. I had originally planned to run at the Greenway early but since I couldn't drag myself out of bed...I opted to run a couple errands first and then headed out for my run at 11:30 and just ran down the street and a neighborhood beside us. My original plan was for 4-5 miles but the humidity got to me and I only did 3.7 miles. I definitely like to run in the colder weather better...just have to remember in the summer I really need to run early in the morning. Got home and got ready for the family to return. J and N got home and then it was Norah's nap time. When she got up I took her to get "ice cream" at Yofuria and then we headed to a baseball game for a work event. Norah was tired and hungry...so Jeff decided to just bring her back and I stayed at the game. I actually left early compared to others (was there 4 hours) and got home around 9:30 or 10 pm. Was pretty tired so it was off to bed!

So back to today...indoor activities are happening...play-doh, coloring, etc. So just hanging out with the family. :)

Back to running...I have been thinking about races I want to do...first I know that I want to do races in colder temps...so here are some races I am doing or at least thinking about...

This is the medal for the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon on October 24, 2010

Kiawah Half Marathon which is December 11, 2010.

Charleston Half-Marathon January 15, 2011

All these courses should be pretty flat and I am not really concerned about my time doing any of them...but having races to look forward to keeps me motivated. I really love to run but I am slow and really don't have intentions to ever really get "fast." Don't get me wrong...I want to improve on my time but really just enjoy doing a race and running. Now if I could just talk Jeff into doing one of these with me....

Also my boss did approve my part-time schedule once school starts...which is in 3 weeks! I am getting excited and hope to be able to juggle everything :)

Well I'm off to chill with the precious little one!

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Back together....