SBL 2.0: Family 5K Day/ You Can't Handle the Ruth

Here is the continuation of last week's blog post-- the time we ran the 5K in the 10000% humidity.

Here's the story. Our original plan was to "run" (it's a relative term) a family 5K on Mother's Day, before we did our usual event of eating a lot of brunch. But then we went to the baptism and were worried about not making it in time, so we pushed off the race until Memorial Day. But then the forecast was for crazy rain, so my parents bailed. LAME. So off the sisters went, with a Simon in tow, to represent the family in a great feat of athletic prowess.

In the end, it didn't rain. That being said, the race probably would have been more pleasant if it had. It instead was so humid that my glasses kept fogging up and we were all sweating before we even started running.

This was the view out of the tram.

Gloomy indeed. But we persevered. The challenge of running with Simon is, he likes to sprint for about 10 seconds and then starts complaining about how he's too tired/ his skin is itchy/ he doesn't want to run anymore. Apparently seven year olds are not known for their endurance. Eventually Rebecca, who was somewhat injured anyway, stayed back to walk with him, and Sarah and I ran the last two miles and then circled back to finish with them again.

Eventually, we all made it across the finish line. Points for all of us. Even Simon smiled for a minute (before reverting to his signature Simon Scowl.)

This race was more for fun than for anything else, but it also kicked off my "time to get my butt into gear" time. That has since gotten to be more for real (as this was more than a month ago), and it will only get to be more so in August. Last week I ran to the Little Red Lighthouse and then most of the way back (I would say I probably ran about 8 of 9.5 miles, if not consecutively), so we are on our way. Except for the part where I periodically wonder why I decided that it would be fun to try to run 13 miles. Unclear.

The Simon Scowl. Patent Pending.

You might notice that all of our t-shirts are coordinated. They are from the Look Human RBG line, which is a favorite of mine, since RBG is so freaking cool. But also, as you might know, my mom's name is Ruth, so we bought these shirts in honor of Mother's Day. (See above.) One day, we will all wear them together, but in the meantime, here is part of the Ruth Crew:

Time until half marathon: 2 months, 29 days. Eek!

What I'm wearing: Look Human t-shirt, Kirkland yoga capris, Adidas sneakers via DSW (similar here), Penn hat (go Quakers!)

Good Bye Bucket List. Hello, Bucket List!

There is a traditional Aramaic prayer said at the end of learning any significant body of text called the Hadran. The word Hadran, which means "we will return," states our desire to return to the text we have learned, and that the text will return to us as well.

Now, you might wonder, Rachel, why are you writing about Aramaic prayers when this is supposed to be a modest fashion blog??? (A better question might be, Rachel, why are you updating your blog when you are supposed to be reading the Cambridge Companion to Rabbinic Literature? But I have no good answer for that.) Here is why: because as soon as I finished this bucket list, I started a new one!

As I said, I did, in fact, finish every single thing on the bucket list shortly before Labor Day. The last two things-- walking a bridge and going to Brooklyn Bridge Park-- were done together, with my favorite nephews and niece (and their parents.)

Simon is super into engineering these days, so he was very into how the bridge worked. And we all agreed that Brooklyn Bridge park was both fun and beautiful, if SUPER hipster Brooklyn. (For example, artisanal lemonade. You can't make this stuff up.) We made it across the Brooklyn Bridge, took Maddie on her first carousel, ate ice cream, and went to a playground where everything was about moving water around.

My favorite part was probably the Please Touch art installation/ splash pad. As you can see in the pictures below, it was a grid of four boxes with water that flowed up on the grid lines. The water would stop and start on a cycle, so it was actually possible to go inside of the grid without getting wet. But it was very hot out, so I decided to take a different route:

Was I soaked all day? Yup. But totally worth it. It was actually as fun as it looked in that picture.

I've decided to do another bucket list for fall/ winter. I understand that most people do not need to make lists of fun things to get them to leave the house, but I am not most people. I found it really helpful to have a written account of all of the things I wanted to do because you know what-- then I actually did them! I tried a lot of new things this summer, was much more social than I might have been inclined to be otherwise, never felt like I had nothing to do, and never had a day that I regretted doing things on the bucket list. In fact, I think I would do them all again. So maybe I will next summer. But for now, the seasons have switched (although not in St. Louis, where I am right now, where it is currently 83 degrees) and so will my activities. New list coming soon!

And finally, here is a picture of Maddie enjoying the sprinklers after we had to take off all of her clothes because she tried to eat ice cream with her hands. Third children, man, I'm telling you.

What I'm wearing: Eshakti dress (old, similar here), Kosher Casual shell, Rebecca's hat that I borrowed because it was too sunny and I am very pale

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram! @curlyhairglasses

A Tisket, A Tasket....

A dress like a picnic basket! (Or blanket.)

I actually can't believe that this dress hasn't made it onto the blog until now, as it is one of my absolute favorites. I love the gingham and the bright green color. It came with a sash, but I swapped it out for a tan belt, which I think works much better. As you can see above, I am VERY excited.

These pictures were taken at my Uncle Joel's 60th birthday party. Poor Uncle Joel has a 9/11 birthday, but we celebrated the weekend before at the picnic grounds at Greenwich Beach. The weather was perfect and great fun was had by all.

Some highlights: the gorgeous views, hilarious speeches, and many, many cousins of all ages. 

Soooo many children...

Simon, bossing people around. As usual. 

Maddie, in her cousin's hat

These are my cousins Paul and Stephanie's twin girls. They are adorable and also difficult to both hold at the same time. Stephanie is some sort of superhero. I cannot explain how she managed to come to Connecticut with four children and stay totally chill the whole time in any other way.

And, just to take it home, here is some MAJOR cuteness. Maddie hearts Leo.

What I'm wearing: old Boden dress (vaguely similar here), Franco Sarto sandals (similar here), LOFT belt (similar here), fedora bought at Santa Monica Pier (find on the NYC streets)

A Perfect Day at the Ballpark... Except for One (Big) Thing

For reasons that nobody in my family, including me, really understands, I became a hardcore sports fan when I was 10. Every morning, I would make a beeline for the sports pages. I could recite  all sorts of random statistics at the drop of a hat. My bedroom walls were lined with sports posters. My family thought I was some sort of alien.

If my father had cared about sports, it's possible I would have ended up a Pirates fan, but he didn't, so I chose my teams. And, as would be the case with almost any kid choosing their loyalties from New York, I chose the Knicks and the Yankees, because in those days, they were the ones who were winning. (Yes, I know. I have paid dearly for those Knicks teams of the 90s in recent years.)

Over time, my obsession wained and became more of a hobby. I still pay attention, but if you asked me to name, say, C.C. Sabathia's ERA, I would certainly not be able to summon that information from anywhere in my brain. But because this was the summer of the Bucket List, I made sure to head to Yankees Stadium. My friend Yossi, who is (along with his wife Brooke) among the hardest of the core, was kind enough to accompany to a day game on a BEAUTIFUL day the last week of August.

One of the things I liked best about the Yankees, even as a kid (besides, you know, all of the winning) was how classy they were. Mariana Rivera (hence my t-shirt), Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams-- those core guys stayed out of the tabloids, kept their heads down, and got things done. As a mediocre athlete with a strong sense of sportsmanship, I think that appealed to me. So it was fun, before the game, to head with Yossi into Monument Park, where so many Yankees of that era have had their numbers retired. Even if it also made me feel sort of old. But also like I got to watch players I might tell my kids about one day. Hate on the Yankees, as I'm sure many of you do and will, but you have admit that they have history.

The perfect day for some mediocre baseball.

 The weather was perfect. Monument Park was so cool. There were kosher pretzels and ice cream. The recipe for a dream day at the ball park. Except...

The Yankees forgot how to play baseball for the fifth inning. They remembered again later in the game, but by then it was too late. And, as happened earlier this week in the Wild Card game, the Astros just totally shut them down. It was not pretty, the score was not close, and even that score suggested it was closer than it was. Oh well.

But part of being a true fan is picking your head up and carrying on. So I am doing my best to get my nephews (and niece, when she's older) to cheer for the Yanks. Because their father is a Red Sox fan, and that just won't do.

Pinstripes forever! See you at Spring Training.

And because this is a fashion blog, at least theoretically... Yes, I am wearing red pants! It took me a long time to get up the courage, but now I have somehow managed to accumulate two pairs. Go figure. These are the casual ones. I love them.

Also, yes, my Converse have holes in them. I know, they're disgusting. One day I will throw them out. It turns out Converse aren't supposed to last 10 years. But man, do I love them so...

What I'm wearing: LOFT cropped khakis (similar here), Yankees t-shirt (similar here), '47 baseball hat (similar here), Converse sneakers (not made in this color anymore, but similar here)