He did it!!!

Yes, apparently pigs CAN fly, and Brian completed the flying pig marathon yesterday, his first (and only?) 26.2 mile race. There's just something very emotional about marathons: it's the people of all ages and backgrounds who come out to give it a try, the thousands of friends and family members who come out to support them, and the way an entire city bends over backwards to allow the runners to safely complete the 26.2. I've watched a few marathons before, even participated in one on a relay team before (don't be impressed, my leg was only 5K), but this one was especially neat to see, having watched Brian complete all that training for so many months, and having a little more of an idea what it takes, and how badly it hurts, to do it. So I was a little choked up seeing Brian and JT approaching the finish line, 5 hours after they started, still running and giving it all they had. (you can look up official results here)

Several people kept telling Brian: "what? you're doing cincinnati? oh my gosh, it's SO hilly." But he kept telling himself it wouldn't be that bad, maybe just to keep his spirits up. But afterwards he admits, it was awfully hilly, especially compared to the very flat grounds on which they trained. And of course, he reports hitting that infamous "wall" around 20 miles, in which you really feel that there isn't any way you could possibly continue, but you must, because you've come this far. But they did it, they conquered, and then they had birthday cake.

It was our neice Carrie's 3rd birthday yesterday, so after a morning of cheering on Uncle Brian (complete with signage), we joined friends and family to wish her a happy 3rd. Brian and JT sat back and we brought them burgers however they liked them.

So today Brian's sore, but managed to go into work for a bit. I know he'd appreciate your congratulations the next time you see him. I'm really proud of him for this tremendous accomplishment.

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On a scary and tragic note, apparently one of the runners of the half-marathon died at the finish line. There isn't much information about it yet, but gosh, how sad.

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Unrelated funny Katy story:

Recently she's been playing with magnets on the fridge. The only kind she's strong enough to take off are those really flimsy ones that you get for free with emergency numbers on them or whatever. So she takes them off and puts them back on, and I thought it was hilarious when she started trying to put them on other surfaces, such as the cabinets and the wall, looking confused when she let go and they fell to the floor. So this morning she's doing this, and she looks thrilled to discover that the magnets do indeed stick to the stove! How exciting! So she decides to try another surface, and brings a magnet over to me and holds it up to my leg, looking disappointed when it didn't stick. I laughed and thought: that's one of those difficult life lessons to learn. Mommy can do a lot of things, but she's not magnetic.

Do you think we have a climber?

Not pictured: Katy's head hitting the hard wood floor and the 5 minutes of consoling that followed.

Big Month for Daddy, too

So I know this blog is called "Katydid" and that 90-some% of the posting is about that little cutie-pie, but there are a couple of big things coming up for my husband. You know him. Brian? Broad shoulders? Shaved head?

The first big thing is that this Sunday he will be participating in his first marathon: the Flying Pig in Cincinnati. He and his faithful friend J.T. have been training since January, religiously or relentlessly, depending on your perspective. He has gone through a lot of pain, fatigue, mental and emotional struggles, and I'm really proud of him that he is officially ready for the big event. Even when we were on vacation last week, he stuck to his training schedule, going out for a "short" 2 hour run within a few minutes of arriving at the condo (after all that driving and unpacking). So if you're insane enough to be awake at 6:30 this Sunday morning, think about Brian and J.T., pushing off the starting blocks. Think of them again shortly before lunchtime, when they'll be breaking the tape.

On the other hand, some of you know that Brian has been dealing with a bum shoulder for well over 2 years now. He has no idea how he acquired the original injury (moving furniture or something), but tests show that he has a torn rotater cuff. He's tried physical therapy, cortizone shots, and even had surgery scheduled for January of 2006, but cancelled at the last minute because he was feeling better. Well, he's finally decided to bite the bullet and have that surgery, realizing that nothing else has helped, and he's way too young to deal with this pain for the rest of his life. (plus he'd like to be able to lift Katy over his head) So today he scheduled surgery again, this time for May 21st (3 weeks from today!). It depends how it goes, but he will be out of work some, not able to drive for a while, and will expect about a 6 month period before full recovery. So anyway, May will be a significant month for our family, we'd appreciate your prayers! Especially for my wonderful husband, who does so much for us. I'm looking forward to posting the progress...