{now} playing...

We've had a fun weekend...starting with our visit to the brand new IMAX at Springfield 11 to see Happy Feet 2. Critics panned the film and Ryan didn't go for all the musical numbers, but Macauley and I enjoyed the little singing penguins and we all agreed the picture and sound quality of the IMAX (oh, and the ginormous goggles--Mac even upgraded to them eventually) make even the best 3D pale in comparison. We will be back...

Ryan was also sweet enough to take me to see the new Twilight movie Saturday night. We had a yummy dinner at Metro with the Rhoads then hit the late showing. I don't want to see it again, but I think I liked it and look forward to Part 2...

Last Sunday we took our passes and little Megan to SDC for the afternoon. It was such a pretty day and the park wasn't busy at all...an interesting mix of seasons with the Christmas decor surrounded by crunchy brown leaves. We had a mediocre and superexpensive buffet meal at The Mill, rode a few rides and called it a day. We plan to go back in a couple of weeks to see the park lit up with 4 million lights.

Tonight I posted final grades for the online class I've been teaching the last 10 weeks and I feel 1000 lbs. lighter without that hanging over my head. I also made it over to my little booth this afternoon to add a few things and straighten up. We've got just 2 days of school this week and then a Thanksgiving break with no big plans to venture too far from home. I'll be nesting and resting and maybe doing a little shopping if I get brave...

Local charm

Some lovely, fantastical, holiday images from local neighboring shops The Thicket, Branches and The Nest, aptly located on Cinderella Road here in Springfield, whose open houses my mom, sisters and I visited last weekend...

A day for heroes

(above: in Paris, shortly after WW2)

Today we honor men like my sweet Grandpa Jude, who worked as a medic on the European front during WW2, survived the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Bronze Star. I also honor my Papaw, a POW and survivor of the Bataan Death March. I recently had my classes construct a hero tribute using Glogster, an interactive "poster" incorporating images, links, videos and text...my example is here: http://fraserfras.edu.glogster.com/hero-grandpa-jude. I have been thinking of him a lot lately...

Run-around

This has been one of the busiest weeks I've had in a while, and it ended with such an awesome day today. Lane came in from KC on Friday and my parents came up from Arkansas Saturday morning. We had lunch together and then the girls headed out for some shopping while my dad took Macauley to their hotel to swim. My sisters made a yummy lasagna dinner and we got a coconut cream and French silk from the Pie Box. In addition to gifting him with the Rock Ballads CD set he saw on an infomercial last summer, to celebrate my dad's 58th birthday, my sisters and I (and Derek's mom Melissa) ran with him in the Bass Pro Relay Marathon. We each took a leg, with Lindsay and Lane running a 10K, me running a 5K and my dad finishing with the 12K. I hadn't trained like I needed to, and I was nervous, but I managed to make it the whole 3.1 miles without walking and it really did feel great. I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow, but running in to the checkpoint to high five my dad with my sisters cheering for me and Lady Gaga blasting in my headphones, I wondered why I don't push myself to do this more often. My dad said he was shooting to finish the race at noon, but he had a really good run and finished 20 minutes earlier than that so we missed him crossing the finish line.

I don't know if heading into winter is the most opportune time for me to pick up running again, but I was so inspired by the racers and the sense of community and I know I need to sign up for another 5K and keep at it.

We celebrated at Cielito Lindo for lunch and then everyone went on home. It was so nice to have our family here and Macauley said "we just have to do this more often!"