Carter and Daddy: Mommy's not the only one in an air plane this weekend!

Note: this is a daddy post without ANY mommy supervision. So there will be incoherent ramblings and miss spellings... so let's all focus on the pictures of Carter!

This weekend Liz had a wedding in San Diego for a good friend of her's from college. Due to my new job, I was not able to get time off to go. So we decided that I would stay back with Carter and she would go. It was hard but it was our best option. Carter and I would end up visiting Liz's parents to run a Halloween race!

That race was the Twilight Thriller 5k in Joplin Mo. We have run it every year for the past three years and it has been a blast. The first year we really didn’t know what to expect other than people dressed up and raced.

The course is flat and fast with the only real down fall is that the turnaround is really tight. As usual that first year, Liz and the Hurford’s mopped up on the winner’s podium. Something that I didn’t expect was the costume contest winners. None of them really seemed to stand out. A DOG won the costume contest that year...

Then the second year, I of course dilly dallied on getting a costume until the day before the race. I ran to a thrift store and managed to find the right clothing to dress up as a gnome! Saturday Sondra helped me make a red cone hat and scarf and we went to the race. After the race, I was surprised to hear them call me up for the winner of the male costume contest! At that point, I realized that what really seemed to be an advantage was that I had on a 2 foot tall hat making me easily visible.

So this year, I decided that my costume needed to stand out big time. And as an added bonus, why not incorporate Carter? Yes I know what you are thinking, that’s cheating. No, it’s not! So rather wait until the last minute, I decided to give myself 2 weeks. Ever since Carter was born, I had been brain storming on turning his stroller into something awesome. Because it has the holes to put in the adapter for a car seat, that stroller has been just asking to be transformed into something amazing!

Pre Flight Check at Grammy and Gampy's before the race.

So using 100# cover stock, 5/8” styrofoam, and some dowel rods, that’s just what I did. Using a 1945 Bearcat as my model, I decided to turn the stroller into a fighter plane and have Carter and I dress up as pilots. I found him a cap and goggles for cheap online and then I found mine last minute at a costume store half price! With some last minute modification Saturday afternoon to add lights in the wings, (Carter's Grandpa Cox's idea) Carter and I were ready to go.

Walking up to the race I knew moving around in the crowd would be difficult. But almost immediately people started to notice the stroller. And as I got closer, they started to notice Carter in the stroller, and that is when the oos and awws started. As I thought, I would have to start at the back so as not to run anyone over or have them bump into the plane and tear it up.

Thomas, Sondra, Carter and I waiting for the race to start.

This was a first for me, I started the race in dead last, 205th place. A bonus to starting last was that all of the race organizers got to see Carter and I start. About half a mile into the race I had to stop and take of the lined leather jacket due to the engine overheating (haha get it? I'm the engine!). I checked on Carter and he was still quite warm so we forged ahead.

Because it was an out and back course, it was not long before we had people going both directions on the trail. Once I squeezed through the turnaround (scraped the wings on both sides!) the trail was a little easier to manage and we were able to start passing groups of people. About 100 yards from the finish I stopped and put on my jacket and Carter and I finished the race at full throttle to the cheers of the crowd.

Waiting for the Hurford's to get their trophy. And Carter admiring his trophy!

We ended up passing 76 other runners and finishing 129th! Not bad considering we had to start in the very back and our costume was 4 feet wide! At this point, it was a bit past 7 and Carter was starting to get tired. Luckily the awards came fast. As we stood waiting, sure enough they called for the winner of the men’s costume contest: “Pilot dad and plane son”. Not quite what we were dressed up as but close enough! Felt good to win something since I am not about win any races anytime soon!

The custom trophy Carter and I won!

By the end of the night, all five of us had won an award. Sondra got second in her age group while Dave and Thomas each got first in there respective age groups. As soon as we had collected out hardware, we hit the road to get Carter home and into bed. He is such a good baby that he didn't even start to cry until we were 3 minutes from home.

I think it is safe to say that our stroller is only starting its career in costume contests!

Carter and Daddy with Carter wondering why I am taking pictures instead of getting him his bottle!

While we are having fun we both miss mommy! Things are just so much smoother with her under center (football reference, yes!). I do things differently than her and Carter knows it. He usually waits patiently and watches closely because he doesn't even know what ill do next! This is good for all three of us and Carter and I both know mommy is having some much deserved fun! But we can't wait for her to come home!

Also I had ice cream for dinner. Now I don't feel good. Liz doesn't let me only have just ice cream for dinner...

BONUS PICTURE! Carter playing with Zuma and Fezzy.