How well do you know the Maschger girls?

POP QUIZ! I am posting one picture of each girl...one picture PER girl. You tell me who you think is who?

Picture #1: Maddie? Emma? Ellie?





















Picture #2: Maddie? Emma? Ellie?















Picture #3: Maddie? Emma? Ellie?

















Just wanted to share! Love you all! :-)

My Hero!

Jill Syphert, the Taylor Family, and the Maschgers...all completed the 10K!!! WHOO HOO!!!...or in Army speak...HOOAH!

There he is...my hero! This past Saturday was the Hooah! run (it's an Army thing). It was advertised as a run with a 5K and 10K option. I had decided to run the 5K, and felt pretty confident that I could do so without re-injuring myself. Our triple jogging stroller had come in the mail a couple of weeks ago, and Miles was excited to enter himself with the 133lb handicap! Upon arrival, we learned that the race had been advertised incorrectly, and was in fact a 10K only. Because I don't always do the smart thing, I signed up to run. About 1 mile into the race, in almost last place, I realized that I was FAR from ready to run a 10K...Miles was itching to run something a bit faster than my shuffle walk-run...so I let him go, and I climbed into the trail vehicle. Miles took off, seemingly oblivious to the 133lbs he was pushing in front of him. I was able to catch a ride to the finish line, and be there when Miles crossed...his total time 1:02!!! Pretty amazing, considering that he spent the first 15 minutes walking along with me! :-) The girls had a BLAST! Ellie slept, and the girls apparently peppered Miles with questions about the scenery that was flying past them! :-) Needless to say, Miles is hooked...and I have decided that I am going to train with the stroller during my short runs during the week, and then I'll let Miles push it in the races...I figure I'll be pretty invincible! :-)

In other news, Miles had his Farewell party this week. There was a picnic at Andrews AFB, and the girls favorite part was seeing where the president's plane lives! :-) He begins checking out of his command on Monday, and by the 1st of July we will be done with our second tour! Miles isn't going to check into the school until the 15th of July, so we are looking forward to taking some time to hand out as a family, since once school starts there will be none of that! :-)

The girls are doing really well. Maddie stunned us all last Monday night when she read "Go, Dog, Go" to the family during FHE! We had decided to have a reading party, where each member of the family would select a book to read to the family...the rule, you had to read what you picked. Emma quickly selected the only book she can read, "Mat" from the BOB book series, and Maddie came back to the circle with "Go, Dog, Go!" In one of my weaker "Mom" moments, I pointed out that she would have to read that book, I wasn't going to read it, and maybe she should pick something she could read...truly a low moment for me! Maddie declared, "I can read this book!" Miles and I exchanged glances, and rolled our eyes, and prepared to deal with the drama that would ensue when she realized she really couldn't read the book...ahhhhh...we parents always know what is best! :-( Maddie plops down on the floor, opens the book, and read the whole thing, only needing help on a couple of words! I was completely blown away!!!! I had no idea she knew so many words, and that she had such confidence in her abilities...I knew that she was progressing, and we had just completed our "A" book in school...BUT...this completely surpassed it all! I had read the book to her before, but it was a recent library loan, and so I'd only read it a couple of times...it truly was a moving moment! :-)

Emma decided that she wanted to do school again. Since Emma just turned 4, Miles and I have decided that we aren't going to force the school issue on Emma until she is ready. About every couple of weeks, she sparks an interest, and we do a little school, and then her attention wavers, and she is off on something else. This week, she stuck with full lessons for all four days of school...I was really proud of her!

Ellie is growing like a weed...and she is incredibly mobile...which I am NOT at all excited about! I am a little miffed that I didn't get more time with the sedentary child. As a first time parent you can hardly wait for your child to reach those movement milestones...Maddie walked at 9 months, and Miles and I just KNEW that we had the smartest child of all time! :-) When Emma didn't walk until 15 months, I was soooo relieved, and would have been willing to carry her for another year more if she wanted! :-) To have my 5 month old scooting all over the place...just wearies me...I wasn't ready...that's the essence of my drama...I just wasn't ready to deal with the mobility issue...SIGH! She is most decidedly a Momma's girl, and won't have anything to do with formula, or vegetables! :-) We started her on solids a couple of weeks ago, and made the horrific mistake of making the cereal with formula...honestly, genuine gag reflex! :-) However, make the cereal with water, and she downs the bowl! Now, try throwing in some veggies with the cereal...yep...the gag reflex back! Applesauce is the only way to go! :-) She's proving that she knows what she wants, and though she may appear to be a laid back child, she has plenty of personality to make everyday an adventure! :-)

That's about it from here...

We love you all!

Fishing, ticks, ice packs, and other adventures...

Am I on a roll? Three posts in one week...could we be on the way back into blog-dom? Only time will tell...

So, probably the best part of this week was the celebration of Miles' birthday on Saturday. Miles decided that what he wanted for his birthday was fishing equipment. A fairly normal male request. However, I found myself falling in love with him all over again when he also requested that his Father's Day money be spent on fishing equipment for his girls, because he wanted to take them fishing! Seriously, did I marry the best man in the entire universe, or what? :-) So, we went to Bass Pro Shop on Thursday and outfitted the family in rods and reels, bait and tackle...even included a couple of Bass Pro Shop hats for the girls to wear when they fish with their Daddy.

Saturday morning, Miles birthday, we headed out to Burba lake...which is here on base...as we were pretty certain that the thrill of fishing would wear off quickly and there are parks, etc. to occupy the girls. The girls were so excited, and were careful students as Miles instructed them how to cast their tiny Disney Princess rods. They spent several minutes practicing before Dad decided it was time to actually attach some hooks, and a....GASP...WORM! Maddie was incredibly intrigued about this part of fishing...Emma, surprisingly, could have cared less...she just wanted to catch a fish. Both girls spent a good hour casting, and reeling in...both Miles and I were amazed at how well they took to fishing, and how patient they were. Emma caught the first fish of the day, but Maddie was quick to follow. After an hour, both girls wanted to go back to practicing their casting (their rods came with a crown that you tie onto the line so that they can practice the cast...they loved it!) Miles picked up his brand-new rod, and baited it, and eagerly threw back his arm to cast, and let her rip...

What happened was irony in its finest moment...not entirely familiar with the new reel and all the intricacies of its design...his line raced out...the hook hit the water, but the line kept spinning, getting all tangled and mangled inside his reel. He had to pull the line in by hand, to discover that he had caught a HUGE clump of lake grass! :-) So, here it was his first cast with his new rod on his birthday...and we were done. We packed up, and came home... Eventually, Miles just had to cut through the tangle, and start all over again...so sad! :-)

Upon our arrival home, the girls and I decorated the house for the party while Miles drowned his disappoint over his first fishing trip in the shower. Miles had requested an ice cream cake for his birthday...so I had purchased one the night before. There it sat in our freezer...no big deal...except that we lost power Friday night at 9:30pm, and it didn't come back on until 5:00mm (one of the perks of living in the crappiest military housing of all time!). Needless to say the cake appeared to have escaped unscathed...but cutting into the cake, and subsequently trying to eat the cake proved that the cake was a tragic victim of the power outage.

So, let's recap Miles birthday sooo far...he has messed up his brand-new reel, and had to eat a most disgusting ice cream cake. It can only get better, right?

Wrong! Unfortunately for Miles, we needed to make our monthly commissary run. So, Miles spent the rest of the day at the commissary, unloading the car, and putting away all of our groceries! Poor Miles!

I took pity on him, and once the girls were in bed, I sent him back to the lake to fish until dark. By the time he got home, I had a steak dinner going, with strawberry shortcake for dessert (his favorite!)! He'll tell you that what made the day awesome, was spending the morning helping his girls catch fish, and that he can't wait to take them again! Seriously...the best man ever! :-)

Ice Packs? Summed up...over training! I stepped onto the treadmill Tuesday night to start training for the 10K in 3 weeks, and off I went. About 10 minutes in my knees started to hurt...but I kept going, figuring that I just needed to stretch out a bit. By the 15 minute mark, I was supporting all of my weight with my arms holding onto the bars of the treadmill...it hurt too much to run. Miles caught me in the act, and began interrogating me, suggesting that I should stop if it hurt that bad. NO WAY!!!!! I wasn't going to make it to the 10K if I stopped...I had to keep pushing, my body would catch up! Needless to say, by the 25 minute mark, Miles won, and I stopped the treadmill...by Wednesday I could barely bend my knees they were so swollen. Miles brought home ice and ibuprofen, and I have been recovering ever since. I am mobile now, and only need the ice at the end of the day...so I am thinking that I will be back at the training this week. However, my goal of hitting that 10K in two weeks has been modified. SIGH!

We got our jogging stroller this week, and Miles took it for a spin with all three girls. He is a little nervous about the prospect of making it through a 5K in a couple of weeks...it is ALOT of weight to push while running...a little over 120lbs! :-) Training for potential handcart trek? :-) Anyway, it looks like the Maschger family will compete in the 5K on June 13th...

By the way, my final time for my first 5K was 44:43! Less than 45!

Real quick...because Ellie is waking up. Yesterday, after our adventures at the lake, we came home and bathed all the girls...wash off bug spray, etc. Miles took the girls upstairs to the tub, and I opted to bathe Ellie downstairs. I undressed my littlest one, and as I picked her up to begin bathing I found a black speck on her back. Thinking that it was dirt, etc. I brushed my hand across it...and it didn't budge. Closer inspection revealed that it was in fact a tick! Freak me out! How does a tick get on my baby...I sprayed her down...what the heck!!!!! I race her upstairs to show Miles, who thinks I am overreacting, and that it is a piece of stubborn dirt, etc. However, his inspection comes to the same conclusion, our Ellie has a tick. What to do? Well, we did the one thing you are NOT supposed to do...I grabbed the tweezers and very gently started to tug on the tick...it came away with the minimal amount of tug, and Ellie didn't squirm or cry or give any indication of any discomfort...once removed, I couldn't even tell where it had been, there was no mark, nothing... Of course, since Miles just had a co-worker out for Lyme disease, we are watching for symptoms...because that is just who we are!

All right, love to go on...but I have some quarreling girls to deal with, an infant to save from her crib, and a family to get ready for church...I'm swamped! :-) Hopefully, there will be more later...

Love you all!

Miles Birthday Wish Come True...

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That list...

Once upon a time...a long time ago...I created one of those "lists". The list that contains all the things you want to do before you pass from this life into the next. Anyone else have one? I have added to it over time, and have even deleted a few things over time as I am continually evolving into the person I hope I am supposed to be...ANYWAY...

One of the items on that list contains "running" goals. Run a race. There have been sooo many times in my life that I have tried to muster up the will to work on that item...my major roadblock?...I HATE running! :-) I mean I genuinely HATE to run...the sweating, the pounding of feet on pavement, the gasping for breath...HATE it! Why put it on my list? Well, running is something that I "can't" do, and I like to tackle things I "can't" do and prove to myself that I can in fact do anything I want to do! It's just who I am! Besides, it is healthy, and no matter where you are in the world, you can always put on a pair of shoes and go for a run...

Last Thursday, Miles came home with a flyer he had picked up from the PX advertising the 2009 Runners Series here on Fort Meade. Every month through December there is a 5K run here on base. Miles, knowing my "list", wants to know if I am interested? If not, then he'll run them (because he is a gifted runner! seriously!), but if I want to run them, he'll stay back with the kids! The first run, May 23rd, just a little over a week away. Hmmmmmm...I'll think about it!

The next day my good friend Jill came over for our weekly sanity check (that's were our kids play together and we get some adult conversation!) and I mention the series to her. Jill got all excited...just what she had been looking for...she totally wants to do it...and we should do it together...on Saturday of next week! Let me flesh out some details for you, so that you'll appreciate the rest of the story. I delivered Ellie on Jan 9th of this year, Jill delivered her 4th daughter, Clara, just one week later. So, both in a similar boat. About 3-4 weeks ago, Jill had started going back to the gym, and was slowing working her way back to post-partum fitness :-)!!! Me? NADA!!

Jill goes home that Friday night, and pushes herself through 3.2 miles, because she is all excited because we are going to do this race! She writes me an email after completing her run, and she is a bit less excited now that she's put in the miles, and she is all sweaty.

So, here I am. I have to make good on my end...Jill's put forth the first foot, and being her friend, I need to step up and take the next step...so Saturday night (the Saturday before the race) I step onto our treadmill, take a deep breath and turn it on. That first run was BRUTAL! I would run for 1 minute and then walk for 2 minutes, and even at that easy pace I was ready to pass out after 43 minutes, and I had only gone 2.5 miles! WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!!!!!!!!

OK...this drama has already played out waay to long. Tuesday I managed to convince myself to get back on the treadmill, and pushed my speed up a bit, still the run 1 min and walk 2 mins...but in 43 mins I had completed 2.75 miles, AND I then walked for another 15 minutes to complete the 3.2 miles. Thursday, Jill and I went and checked out the course. I did my run/walk and completed the course...the full 3.2 miles in 52 minutes! Doing the math, I realize that I am slowly shaving down my time, and Jill suggests our goal for Saturday should be to complete the race in 45 minutes. I said I'd think about it.

So, Saturday morning dawns bright and early...like 5:45 early (because I have to get up and pump breastmilk, because Ellie won't take formula, and Miles has to have something to feed her..plus I figured it might make for a more comfortable run :-)!!) I pick up Jill and we head to registration, where I tell her that I am going to try to run in 50 minutes, beating our time by two minutes...I think that trying to do it in 45 might be a bit tooo ambitous! The next thing I know I am there at the start line with a number pinned to my shirt, and the gun sounds...

Instead of starting out at with a warm-up walk, I get all caught up in everyone taking off at a run, so I start my "shuffle" :-)...before we have gone a 100 yards I am the last runner, I know that because the trail car is right behind me...I turn to Jill, who is sticking with me even though she could've taken off, because she is that best friend who sticks with you!...and say, "Let's forget it! What were we thinking? I can't do this! Let's just drop out!" I am embarrassed to say that I was completely serious...Jill, however, thought I was joking, and she laughed and kept going. So, I kept going...kept doing my run/walk thing. By the first mile the trail car wasn't right behind me anymore as we actually passed someone! :-) We just kept plodding along with our run/walk.

As we approached the final hill going UP to the finish line (who plans a race that way?) I told Jill I was going to run all the way to the finish line...I knew Miles and the girls would be waiting. So, off we went...we got to the top of the hill, which I thought was the finish line, to see that we still had a couple hundred yards to go, and I broke..."I have to stop" I gasp, and slow to a walk. I take a couple of steps, and then I see the clock...we are at 43:45...if I can get the last little bit in under a minute than we'd meet Jill's goal...and Jill had been sooo awesome nursing me through the mental battle this race had been, deserved to meet her goal...so I mustered up my will power, and started to run again. As I checked the clock, I see my two little girls running toward me! Miles had turned them loose to run with Mommy across the finish line...and of course that gave me the boost I needed! (Of course, my girls had worn their flip flops, so their run was a bit hindered, and Emma actually lost her shoes, and I just ran right by her...I had to apologize later with lots of hugs and kisses...she got rescued by another runner who'd already completed the race, and they carried her back...which she loved:-)!!!!) We completed the race in 44:something...I didn't see the exact seconds...but I know it was NOT at 45 yet! WHOOO HOOO! I look up to see my sweet husband approaching me with Ellie strapped to his chest in the snugglie, holding a dozen roses...and realize, once again, that I am married to the greatest man ever! and I am sooo blessed to be a part of his life! Seriously, not only was he there at the finish line, but he was there with all the kids AND a dozen roses! :-)

It was quite the experience, and I am amazed at what I was able to accomplish with the support of my husband and my good friend...anything is possible! In fact, we are going to take on the 10K in 3 weeks :-) Not only that, but Miles and I purchased a 3-seater jogging stroller...so on June 13th he is going to run the 10K with me! The girls are all excited about running now, and right now Miles has them out running around Burba lake...we have told the girls that if they work hard we'll buy them some running shoes (not Wal-Mart shoes!) and maybe let them run one of the 5Ks toward the end of the year, and they are soooo excited!

Here is a picture after the race...the Ft. Meade Relief Society put in quite an appearance! :-)

(For all you Lemmons out there that might actually be reading this post...that shirt I am wearing? That is the Aspen Grove shirt...because I still have mine! :-) Jealous?)

There is soo much more to report, but I'll let you get back to your lives...keep you coming back for more!

One real quick gem, last week we had ham for dinner. As Miles was serving it up, he made some pithy remark about "here's Wilbur" or "Oink, Oink" or something like that...something pig related! :-) Maddie was a bit confused by this pig reference...
MADDIE: Why did he do that?
MOM: Well, because ham comes from pigs.
MADDIE: WHAT? Ham comes from pigs!
MOM: Yep.
MADDIE: (light bulb going on over her head!)OH! So when a pig poops it is ham?

Hope that doesn't turn you off of ham for the rest of your life...but we wanted to share the laugh! :-)

OK...back to work! Love you!

Happy Easter!

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Ellie's Blessing Day!

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