It's race time again!

     It's beginning to be that time of year again---race time. Jim's a serious runner, whatever that is, all I know is he trains a lot and he's fast. He could care less about placing or getting a medal. He races against the clock, trying to improve his time, something I love about him! It is a plus when he does win races where there's a monetary award though! I love going to his races. Before we had Andrew, I never missed a race. After Andrew's first race, Jim's gone solo to quite a few.

     Tomorrow {Saturday} will be the first race that all five of us will attend together! Yah..I'm nuts! There's just something about showing my support for my husband in all he does, not only in our home, but in public as well. I also think it's pretty cool for Taylor and Andrew to get to cheer for their daddy! It's so sweet! Jim is a super hero to these boys. At the Watermelon Festival in Water Valley last year Taylor had a throwdown screaming tantrum at the start of the race because he couldn't go with his daddy. It was so embarrassing...I couldn't even hear the prayer or the starting gun because he was wailing so loud. Jim keeps asking me over and over if I really want to go. All he can remember is the first race I took Andrew to.

     It was the Bodock Festival in Pontotoc, MS.  It's an evening race and one of our favorites to attend. We hadn't gotten to go to this race in 2 years because we had been in D.C. I was so excited. Not only is there a race, but a festival, vendors and lots of carnival-type food--my favorite!!! I don't know what I was thinking, taking an almost 3 month old out at 7 in the evening in the hot, sticky, muggy Mississippi humidity. Ya'll think I hold it together in public now.... Well, I didn't then.

     The race crowd was bigger than I had remembered...had to be a million people there. {exaggeration, probably a few hundred} Taylor was excited! Andrew was fussy. He was having tummy issues at the time and we hadn't yet figured out what was wrong. I got very very overwhelmed. Among a million people, with a 2-year old and a screaming 3 month old, I got a rare and very, very bad case of clausterphobia! It was awful. I thought everyone was staring {they probably were just admiring my glowing beauty=my sweat}. I thought everyone just kept getting closer and closer. For the first time ever, I wanted Jim to be the first one coming down that hill for more reasons than one. I wanted to get the heck out of that place. I was scared to death. Jim did come across the line first. By the time he found me on the courthouse steps I was doing all I could to not to burst into tears.

     He could see it on my face. "Honey, can we go home, NOW?" I hated leaving all that cotton candy, chicken on a sticks and corndogs behind, but I really couldn't take it anymore. As we walked away from the race, without Jim's prize for first place or getting his official time or having his picture taken for the Pontotoc Progress, I began to sob. Andrew and I cried all the way back to the car.

    So, as I prepare snacks, outfits, and blankets for our race debut tomorrow morning, Jim is remembering that long walk back to the car. He's probably asked me 10 times tonight if I was sure I wanted to go! I'll most likely regret going, but I have help meeting me there.{Melissa--remember her!! She's a life saver!}  It'll be freezing, not a sauna...a plus in my book.