Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Race Day

·
If you happened to read my weekly Queen’s Chronicles recap you already know me and my girl ran our first race together.  I thought it would be fun to recap some sweet thoughts and share our mother/daughter outfit inspiration for race day.  
Running
This was a last minute 5K and Carly Jo actually did not even have any athletic shoes if you can believe that!  We headed out Friday night to pick up some new duds and my girl was super duper excited.  Carly’s chose a this top and this pullover from Justice and we grabbed a pair of running shorts from Academy.  I am wearing a pair of my fave Zella live in leggings.  Running shoes are a must if you are logging any amount of pavement in my opinion.  Until I went to an actual running store and had my feet evaluated I did not know the difference but boy do I now.  Initially I wore Mizuno Wave but I switched to wearing Brooks when training for my last half marathon.  Both work well for a high instep which I have.   Of course we had to had some fun socks to pull it all together!  
My girl was so excited to have her very first race number!  She insisted on filling it out and adding a little known fact about herself.  #shelovesunicorns
I was visiting with some other friends and taking pictures and she was just itching to move up closer to the starting line.   
And then we were off!  I really had no idea what to expect.  We have tried just about every sport with Carly and she just hasn’t been interested.  While all my other kids were into sports and loved PE she just doesn’t have the passion for it.  I’ve found myself talking about this way too much.  Carly is her own little person and already has the confidence in knowing what she wants.  I think I just haven’t known what to do with that.  
Love all the signs cheering us along and Carly truly inspired me with her great attitude.  She was not afraid to stop and take a little break but always pushed herself to get back at it.  Not one time did she fuss or complain.   I actually think she loved her run!  
At the finish line she was all smiles and really soaked up the sweet success of finishing her first race.  She immediately asked when we could sign up for another.  
Of course it’s always more fun when a fancy drink is waiting for you at the end!  Gatorade for the little girls and beer for the moms.  
Bonus if there are roses at the finish line!  Look at the smile on this girls face! 
And always more fun to run a race with friends.  
I finished a great book recently, Daring Greatly, and I will do a full review soon but the parenting section really had me thinking a lot about this girl and some of the mistakes I’ve made.  How can she ever be truly comfortable in her skin and figure out what she truly loves if I’m constantly pushing her to try things she has clearly shown she doesn’t love.  I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve piped in when someone asks, in front of her mind you, what she is involved in.  My response always sounds more like an excuse as to why she isn’t in sports like her siblings rather than proud boast about the things she does love doing.   I’m always so worried she might be “missing out” but the truth is I’m worried about missing out.  I’ve spent years watching her sister and brothers play sports and soaked up so much joy.  Do I not know I can soak up the same joy enjoying one of her sweet notes or art projects?  If I stop to notice I can. 
In Daring Greatly, Brene Brown makes it clear the only way to be successful and experience joy is to feel the freedom to be vulnerable.  Putting yourself out there is not easy but knowing the ones you love will always be there at the finish line cheering you on, lifting you up and helping you heal any scars along the way will allow you to be the best version of  you that you can be.  
I really am excited about the possibility of enjoying this experience with my girl over and over again but if she changes her mind and moves on to something else I will continue to allow her to be vulnerable if it means seeing that big beautiful smile on her face!  
Linking up with all my favorites here.  

52 Comments

  1. Oh wow your daughter did so well doing a big race like that, well done to her! 🙂 Well done to you too of course! It's nice you found something you both enjoy that you can do together, even if, like you said, it's just a fleeting interest. Just makes the moment more special 🙂

    Away From The Blue Blog

    Reply

  2. Such a great lesson learned here Shelly. Each of my girls were different in what they liked, still are and I had to find a way to enjoy their interests without showing what I hoped they would like. I found keeping an open mind and heart towards their likes helped me learn a thing or two about myself. Not easy to admit, but now when I look back, I'm glad I listened to my own advice.

    Reply

  3. You and Carly seriously rocked it and had some of the cutest workout attire ever!!!! So proud of you and this memory will be with her forever with so many more precious memories and races (maybe) to come! 😉

    Reply

  7. Oh, Shelly, you are such a better mom and woman than I am! 😉 I hate running and only do occasional jogging "intensity spurts" during my morning walks because I know I should. But what a sweet experience for you and your daughter…no doubt, a memory to cherish forever! Blessings on your day…stopping by from A Little R & R Wednesdays!

    Reply

  8. I've done a few races with my 7 year old grandson. He loves it! My daughters are grown. The oldest was on the drill team & I loved going to games & competitions & cheering her on. The other wasn't a team sports person – she was artistic & could get lost in time just drawing. Tell Carly tat I love her outfit!

    Reply

  12. This is so fun! I would love to run a race with my daughters some day! My oldest is 4 and I am trying to find one we can do together this summer. She has seen a few road races and cross country races and she then plays "cross-country" in our yard and wants us to clap as she runs by. I think she has a running bug and it would be a great activity to do together.

    Your daughter looks so proud of her race! What an accomplishment. 🙂

    Reply

  15. First of all, y'all looked super cute for this race. And second, I could have written those paragraphs about making excuses for your kids instead of being proud of what they ARE interested in. Sports are such a big deal in our community (and Texas in general!), and I always sound exactly like that when I talk about what the kids enjoy…like I'm making an excuse. I am starting to get over that and encourage what they really like to do. Great post, and I'll have to check out that book.

    Reply

  24. Hi there! I have found you and added you to my blog-read-feed through Bloglovin'. You mentioned on a post I wrote for The Blended Blog that you have a Texas bloggers FB group. Would love to know more!! Kudos to you gals for participating in the 5K. I have my eyes set on one in March. Looking forward to connecting with you. Leslie @http://onceuponatimehappilyeverafter.com

    Reply

  30. What a wonderful experience!! I also love how you filled out the racing number. That will be a special memory for years to come.

    Reply

  43. What great fun and memory making!! My daughter runs and has run with her husband and son, but is working with her daughters to join her as well!

    Reply

  45. This is so great. I definitely hope to do this with my sons when they are older!

    Also, I've got that book on my reading list. I started listening to it on audio and then lost track of it in the shuffle. It felt like something I should read in hard copy or ebook instead of audio, so it's still on my listen to get back to.

    Look forward to the book review!

    Jen

    http://www.fashionablyemployed.com/

    Reply

  51. Great job Carly on your run!!! I ran with Bryson back in October for his first 5k. It was on our Disney cruise. He just asked to run another one. I think the October heat in the Bahamas did him in haha. Can't wait to hear your review on Daring Greatly. I always push Bryson to play sports because that's what "I" want him to do. He enjoys basketball, but that's it. I was so disappointed when he told me he didn't want to play baseball anymore, especially since I felt he was a great player. What a great reminder for me to find joy in him doing what makes him happy.

    Reply

  52. I seriously was just tickled pink over her wanting to do this! I just think it's so important for our kids to see us having fun being active. It's been the hardest thing for me not to have Carly playing sports…so out of my comfort zone to do something else that I may not know so well. Hope you are having a great week!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.