Spectating

We've had a lot of fun parties at our house, most involving the trampoline and lots of little kids. But yesterday's was the best we've ever had, in my humble opinion. It had nothing to do with us, though. It was all about the marathon. This year's route went right in front of our house, so I invited just about everyone we know to come over and watch, and they all came. I think we had 30 people in our yard at one point. And I had the biggest smile on my face.

The kids all had a blast. I asked Ella, Lily, Walt and Matilda what their favorite part of the day was, and they all had the same answer: being able to play in the street. The street was closed to traffic, so the kids were able to run back and forth without concern. Early in the morning, when only the leaders were coming through, the kids would scramble out into the street to draw pictures in chalk and then run back to the sidewalk screaming as the runners got closer. At the end of the day, they just ran from one side to the other, dodging the few runners and walkers left. They were all very disappointed when the barricades came down and the street re-opened.

Mostly, I just loved being able to sit on my front lawn and cheer for the runners. Lisa E and I stayed out until the very last walkers went by. I hope it helped them on their way to have people still out there to give them a hand.

I was also very proud of our neighborhood. From what I've heard, neighbors were out in full force supporting the event. My hope is that we did a good enough job to have the race come through again next year. I'd love for it to be an annual event.