We Run the City.

We had a really great weekend to start off Thanksgiving vacation (that's right, now kids have no school the entire week of Thanksgiving, that way we can all prep for our over-eating.)

Saturday morning they had their final swim lesson until spring time. Adam actually made the promotional video for the Y this year, I found out recently. You can check him out at the 18 second mark.

Then they helped me do some baking for our Friendsgiving extravaganza. Two pies, a batch of cookies, and some party potatoes, as you do.

Then after nap time it was off to see Sara Jo, Todd and Whitney, who hosted a really great evening for a big group of us. The kids all had a great time playing together, there was a ton of delicious food and wine, and wonderful company. Sara is cancer free, and fighting the good fight to get back to full strength, so it was wonderful to be there with her and huge group of wonderful friends. She had mad Whitney a great turkey costume, which Ellie much enjoyed.

At the end of the party, it came up that in the morning I had to do the We Run the City rivalry race in a USC shirt, and Ellie started crying like she'd just found out she had to shoot her own dog, like in Old Yeller. I tried to explain to her that Special Olympics was more important to me than UCLA, and that I'd made a promise, but she kept hollering stuff like "you can't wear USC! You have to break your promise!" through her sobs.

Thankfully, she was much more in control in the morning. We got to campus later than we'd intended, so as we walked to the field they were firing the gun for the kids race. Last year, she cried and dropped out because she wasn't immediately in the lead, but this year I told her to just jump in and do a lap, and she did, happily. We were able to gather all of the fantastic members of our team, and set off towards the way way back of the pack (other than Jake, who is fast) and strolled together. Ellie decided she wanted to run, so Tim kept pace with her, and as we came to where the course doubled back, Adam was getting real ornery about wanting his dad, so I cut the course to catch up, yelling "I'm cheating! I'm a Trojan and I'm cheating!" because I am a total jerk. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

We mostly managed to finish together (Jake came back to find us and walk the course a second time) and at the finish line, we saw a Caped Bruin Crusader!

Then we had a fun time in the bleachers, cheering for Sara on the flag football team. The kids were so pleased with their medals, and the free snacks that were available in the fan fest.

(the other two are our wonderful neighbors, Thomas and Aislinn. I don't know what I did before Lisa lived around the corner.)

Then we took them all into Westwood for pizza and Diddy Reese. The four kids were SO good, for having an early wake up and then a long morning of activities.

And we all had a great time. I wish I'd gotten a team picture, because our entire team was really great. All together, we raised more than five grand for Special Olympics! Thanks to the efforts of our favorite Trojan family, who not only donated, but secured a matching corporate donation, I was UCLA's top fundraiser, and as an incentive, Sara and I get to ride on the Goodyear blimp next year! All in all, a great day for a great cause.

And this morning, since there was no school, I slept in until Tim was ready to leave for work. Now THAT'S a vacation!