I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it on the blog, but Gareth and I started the Couch to 5k running program.  You might remember me raving about it back in 2008, but the idea is that you gradually work your self up to running a full 5k.

We started doing the program because a few months ago, we were driving somewhere, and I saw this mom out running with her son.  I thought to myself, “wow, that would be so cool to run with your son, I wish I could do that…” at that point it dawned on me that I CAN do that!  Seeing as I have a ton of sons! LOL

Gareth has surprised me, I expected to sorta be dragging him along, trying to convince him to keep with it – but instead, he is just as jazzed up about it all as I am!  Most of the time it is Gareth dragging ME out the door, and he wants to stick to every run, every time, which just makes me feel more enthusiastic about what we are doing.  Plus, it is a great thing that we can do together just the two of us.  Good for our bodies, but also for our bond.  As Gareth is getting older, I’m trying to squeeze some real bonding types of activities into our lives… This way, when he’s 12, we’ll have at least some routines that keep us communicating.

So yes, Gareth was totally into the idea, and he was especially excited when I told him we could reward ourselves when we finish the first month’s worth of running.  Well it’s taken us a whole lot more than an actual 4 weeks (doesn’t it always?), but we are getting out there as much as we can, and we’re up to running 5 minute intervals.  Since we made it through week 4, Gareth has been excitedly waiting for our trip to the store to pick up “Pokemon Heart of Gold” (yeah, I don’t get pokemon either… but isn’t that always the case for the best kid things??) as his reward. 

Gareth has been SO patient.  Even last night he was saying, “Mom, if you’re tired we can wait to go.”  That is when it dawned on me, Gareth sacrifices so much, so regularly, for this family.  From giving up a coveted seat to one of his brothers, to getting up from what he’s doing to go “check on his brothers,” to trying to figure out what I might want or need and making sure I am taken care of.  Gareth is such a little knight in shining armor, that sometimes I don’t even know how to express how grateful I am for him, and how amazing it is to be his mom.

By the time we were at the store, Gareth’s sheer enthusiasm had grown exponentially (and it was contagious). He could actually see the display from across the store.  He got all silly and told me he could see it because it was “his destiny.”  He was so cute, and I swear, he even kissed me on the cheek right there in the store.  While we were diving home he told me that we’d better hurry home because he had the sudden “urge” to give me a hug…. and he did as soon as we got here.

Getting  him that game was one of the most gratifying things ever.  I’m proud of us for running, and he deserves it just on that level.  But Gareth is so gracious, so caring.  He is seriously the best big brother, he is such a gift of a son, and he is such a great little person.  He deserved it on soooo many levels, and I’m really glad I was able to get him something he really wanted so much.

This week will bring more runs, and I know that this whole experience will be so great for both of us, but this morning, I can’t help but think just getting the game in itself was good for us.  Gareth is an amazing kid, and I’m so pleased that I could, just this once, make it all about him.

So, Saturday is here and my new products have hit the Shoppe!

First off, I have 3 packs of titles called “Title Work.”

 (click on each image to see it in the shoppe!)

I got the idea for these when my internet wifey was complaining that she hated making titles for her layouts, and really didn’t know where to start (so she usually just doesn’t do them LOL).  Well title work is something I really actually LOVE to do.  So I thought why not put together some versatile titles for people to use on their layouts if they aren’t the biggest fan of making them themselves.

I had tons of fun making these and may just have to do some more in the future!  I’m always open to title suggestions and ideas (hint hint…)

For Title Work, I picked 3 random winners:

If our three winners will just send mean email with your choice of the three title packs and I’ll get you a coupon asap!

The other fun product that hit the Shoppe today was my first ever font! I teamed up with the ssd’s super wonderful fontographer, Darcy Baldwin, to make Swirl Me Around, a swirly fun little font that I think you’ll love!

Darcy did a great job taming my crazy swirls into an actual usable font LOL!

I also picked a winner for our font and here it is:

Heather you lucky duck, two weeks in a row now LOL!!  Just send me (another) email and I’ll get the font to you!

Congrats to our winners!  I love this part where I get to pick winners and send them their prizes!

Hope you all enjoy the products this week, and remember that if you shop today you can save 20% on the new releases!  Enjoy your weekend all!

So, today I was working pretty much up to the wire here.. so our peeking is happening late… and its a bit hard to decipher!  LOL!

There are three element packs here, and I’m so proud of them!!  So I want to be sure to give you guys a chance to win even though its way late…

So here you go! Just leave a comment to get a chance to win one of these sets.  There will be three winners and don’t forget you can get an extra chance to win by tweeting/facebook linking/or blogging and then coming back here and posting an additional comment about it.

OH! and oops!  I forgot the best part!!!  I just might have teamed up with the coolest font designer and I might have had some font fun this week!

Akk! I can’t believe I almost forgot that! So yeah everything I said before but with 4 winners not three!

K, it’s bunco night with the girls so I’ve gotta run!  Be back later with full previews and winners. ‘Night All!

I’ve seriously been putting this off for FAR too long, so this morning I sat down and edited, uploaded, named and journaled for 24 separate photos… It is a good feeling to be all up to date, but wow, it took forever! 

So quick go check them out and leave me a comment so I don’t feel like all my work was for naught! LOL!  Happy Hump Day everyone.

Reece told me a few weeks ago that he couldn’t see something on the board at school because it was “blurry.” I was a little hesitant to believe him, because the older boys have had no vision issues what so ever. Also… our Reecey is very opinionated about his looks( and I have to admit, the kid way more style than I do) so I wondered if maybe the whole desire for glasses had more to do with his “cool image” that he was trying to achieve (yeah… seriously there is this whole “jo cool” thing he’s trying to emulate, and apparently jo cool, does in fact have glasses).

Well we went to the eye dr. and what do you know, reece IS having a little bit of vision trouble.  He is slightly far sided, but with a stigmatism in one eye that effects his distance vision as well.  The dr said he can compensate for it, but that he’s probably using a lot of his focus energy to literally (and I’m sure you know 5 year old boys tend to be limited in this department) Well he was so thrilled, which was a pleasant surprise to the staff at the vision place.  Then he carefully weighed his options and then settled on a very slick pair of black plastic frames. 

We just picked up the glasses a few days ago and let me tell you, I’m totally smitten with my reecey in glasses.  I’ve always loved glasses, and well clearly i love my little man… but reece IN glasses, its like a whole new level of adoration!

I had him pose for the camera this morning before school so you can all see what I’m talking about:

(I’m pretty sure this is the pose Jo Cool would take)

These next two pictures take the cake, oh. my. goodness!!!

Um, yeah, see!?!  This isn’t just a gushy mommy thing, the kid looks so awesome!

Oh and last night I scrapped some pictures I took the day we came home:

He’s at school for the first time since we got them, I’m hopeful that they’ll help him some with the whole staying focused at school thing, and also that people give him a good response so he doesn’t get self conscious or anything (and so that mama doesn’t have to go the the school and chew some kid out!).

I know I can’t imagine anyone NOT adoring my little stylish son!