Gracelin's first dance class

Yesterday was Gracelin's first dance class. She's 3, and already the dance world is political. She's been asking for months to take a dance class, and I've been trying to find a class that she can take - since I work until 6pm that can be a bit tricky. Finally last week, I found a class that starts at 6, which means I have to leave work a bit early. But I can manage it. And, as an added bonus, the class is really close to our house. But, I really want her in the 6-7 pm class, and in order to get her into that class she has to go for a month to a 5-6 pm class instead. So, for the next month, I need to leave work 2 hours early on Mondays to get her to dance class on time - which I think I can swing. (every time I consider getting a new job, I think about how flexible this one is and I just cannot do it)

Yesterday we showed up a little early to register her for class. Gracelin was so excited that she ran over and was peeking into the windows as I got Bryn out of the car. Inside was a bit strange - there was a small waiting room with lots of cubbies, and then 3 locked doors. I could hear that dance classes were going on inside, but the doors were totally locked. I did think that was strange, but the other mother there waiting didn't seem to mind to I dismissed it. Pretty quickly, the small waiting room filled up with mothers and cute little girls in pink tutus. G was the only girl in black, and she looked adorable.

Finally, the doors opened, and a group of teenage girls came out. It was finally time for G's class to begin. She eagerly ran in, and didn't look back. I was worried she'd be a bit scared, since they don't let the moms in to watch, but she didn't even care. Poor Bryn wanted to dance too. She kept saying "I dance, I dance" and when she realized that only G got to go, she laid on the floor, arched her back, and wailed. It would have been really funny if it hadn't been so pathetic.

Since I couldn't go in and watch, Bryn and I walked next door to the library. She had fun there with just mommy. There was another mom there too with a girl in G's dance class, and we chatted a bit. Unfortunately Bryn got antsy quick. She's become quite a handful. My theory is that she is so smart that she gets bored quickly. And she is smart. 2 nights ago when Ben was bathing her, he got her out of the tub. Immediately she squatted and pooped on the floor. She stood up, said "scusey" (excuse me) and walked away - but I digress - that is a story for another post.

Finally, the hour was up. Bryn and I walked back to the studio, and peeked in at the dance class. G was sitting on the floor in a circle with the other kids, who all seemed to be paying attention. G however, was spinning on the floor, pulling off her skirt, and sticking out her tongue. Then she saw me watching, so she got up and ran over to the window. I ducked away, because I really wanted her to pay attention. We waited a few more minutes until the other parents were going in.

We got there as the girls were getting lollipops for being good dancers. Again Bryn started crying "I dance, I dance" and then she say the candy - and chaos ensued. She got so pissed of that she couldn't have a lollipop. She held her breath until she turned purple, and then wailed and wailed. She cried all the way to the car. She arched her back when I tried to strap her in. She almost puked on herself when I went to strap G in. It was the worst tantrum she's ever had, and so embarrassing. I think next week I'm going to bring her a sucker to eat while G has hers.

And through all of this, I felt sorry for G. I just wanted to hear from her how dance class went. By the time Bryn calmed down all I could get out of G was that she didn't do anything, didn't get to spin, and she learned nothing.

{{SIGH}}

We are sticking with this for a few more weeks. I want her to give it a fair chance. But if she really is bored and not liking it, then maybe I can get her into soccer. She loves her gymnastics class, and it is very high energy.

Making friends

I was invited to a baby shower for my neighbor. The shower was mid-morning on Saturday at house just 4 doors down from mine. Gracelin was so excited to go to the shower - I think she thought a baby would be there. She even wanted to go to the store with me and pick out a gift.

So, the girls and I headed to the shower. I recognized most of the women there, as they were all from the neighborhood. But, I barely knew any of their names. I found a chair and sat down while the girls went to play with the other kids there. I tried striking a conversation up with the lady sitting next to me, but she was very unfriendly. So, I sat there and talked to no one. I was feeling very uncomfortable sitting by myself, so I got up and walked over to the refreshments. I tried to strike up a conversation with another lady standing by the punch bowl. I said to her, "I don't think I've met you before. What is your name?" She did tell me her name, but then walked away. I felt like I was being snubbed.

I didn't stay much longer. I waited for my neighbor to open her gift, and then I gathered up my kids to leave. As I was headed out the door, another neighbor in our same cul-de-sac asked if G wanted to go over and play with her daughter. They have played together a few times before, and G loves her. At least there was one kind person there who left me with a renewed hope that not everyone in my neighborhood is a total bee-otch.

We've lived in our house for about a year and a half. Most of my neighbors also go to my same church, so there have been ample opportunities for me to get to know them. But I really feel like some sort of outcast. I'm not sure if I really am being snubbed for some reason, or if I'm just reading into things that aren't there.

I know that I haven't been the friendliest person. I'm the only mom who works outside of the home, and I know that makes it difficult. They have play dates during the week, and obviously I cannot go to those. And by the time we get home from work/daycare the girls are starving, as its after 6 pm. So, we eat, bath and put the kids into bed (they get up at 6am, so we have an early bedtime). There really isn't time for us to go out and play during the week. And while I'm not shy, I'm really not outgoing either. It usually takes me a while to really open up to people. Perhaps my quiet demeanor is taken for snobbery?

The baby shower isn't the only instance where I've felt snubbed - there are so many instances. For example, 3 other women on my cul-de-sac are runners - I've seen them out running and they've seen me. I have even asked them if they wanted another running partner, and they won't take me up on it.

I've never had a difficult time making friends an any other aspect of my life. Even back to high school. Growing up I was never one of the most "popular" kids, but I always had a good group of friends and was very social. In college, I had many good friends and dated frequently. As a married woman, I still have lots of friends that I've met in my old neighborhoods, church, work, and even the internet.

I just don't know what it is about my particular neighborhood right now. It is bad enough that I have considered moving. We're not moving, but I'd love to find a way to make some friends in my neighborhood.

My feet don't feel so fleet

I'm signed up to run a 1/2 marathon next weekend, and I'm getting a bit worried. I've been having some problems with my left foot lately. I'd doesn't bother me very much - just after I've been running outside for a few miles. It started happening after I got my new Asics - I'd been ok in my cheap Nike shoes that I buy from Famous Footwear. But all I've read on cool*runnings has led me to believe that I needed to be fitted for running shoes - so to Fleet Feet I went.

I found out that I need neutral shoes, and that I have high arches. So, I was fitted with orthodics as well. I tried running in the orthodics. I went twice outside and twice on the dreadmill for a total of about 15 miles. Those dang orthodics never felt good - my feet ached. I took them back to the store, but the problems never went away.

After about 2-3 miles, I start getting a pain in the ball of my foot by my toes. It feels like there is a large pebble or marble in my shoe. The pain then radiates into my toes, and they start to feel numb. I have noticed that if I change my gait and try to run more on the outside of my foot that the pain lessens.

Luckily, my foot feels great the rest of the time. Only when I wear one pair of shoes (that I love because they're so cute - see pic below) do I have any pain at all. And I don't wear them much, so it isn't a big deal.

a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v365/chutch1/Picture.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

Oh - and isn't the carpet in my office lovely? LOL

Anyway - I've been thinking that my pain if from my shoes. I never thought that it could be anything else. But yesterday, I was surfing the forums at my favorite site, cool*runnings, and I found a thread about Morton's Neuroma.

A google search turned up this:

A neuroma is a noncancerous (benign) growth of nerve tissue that can develop in various parts of your body. Morton's neuroma occurs in a nerve in your foot, often between your third and fourth toes. The condition isn't a true tumor, but instead involves a thickening of the tissue around one of the digital nerves leading to your toes. Morton's neuroma causes a sharp, burning pain in the ball of your foot. Your toes also may sting, burn or feel numb if you have Morton's neuroma.

Also called plantar neuroma or intermetatarsal neuroma, Morton's neuroma may occur in response to irritation, injury or pressure - such as from wearing tightfitting shoes. But Morton's neuroma may also occur for unknown reasons.

Treatments for Morton's neuroma commonly involve changing footwear, resting your foot, and using arch supports or pads to help take pressure off the area. In some cases, your doctor may recommend anti-inflammatory drugs, a cortisone injection or even surgery if you have Morton's neuroma

I'm now convinced that is what I have. I don't want to go to the doctor though, because I know the first thing I'll have to do is stop running. And I don't want to stop. But I do want to run without pain. So, I suppose I don't know what to do.

If anyone has advice/experience with a neuroma, please advise. I'd love to hear stories!

Stolen blog post - please read

I copied this from http://toddlerplanet.wordpress.com/

We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?

I didn't. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I'd be fine.

Oops. It turns out that you don't have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked.funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn't worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn't clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.

Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. "Rare" or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay - for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d'orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you're concerned and want to come in to rule it out.

There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It's not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we're pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It's important not to miss this one.

Inflammatory breast cancer is detected by women and their doctors who notice a change in one of their breasts. If you notice a change, call your doctor today. Tell her about it. Tell her that you have a friend with this disease, and it's trying to kill her. Now you know what I wish I had known before six weeks ago.

You don't have to have a lump to have breast cancer

Why I'm weird and just a little bit crazy

I like hard work.  I know I'm strange - but I love putting my all into something, and reaping the benefits.  Maybe that is why I'm such an exercise junkie.  I love feeling like I totally pushed myself - getting all tired and sweaty - and then taking a shower.  And to me, there is nothing more exciting than feeling myself get stronger and fitter every day.

 

I remember a few months ago, my sister and I went to the gym.  My goal that day was to run a mile on the treadmill, which I did, but I was sore and miserable for about a week afterwards.  Now running a mile on the treadmill is just a warm up.

 

So far this month, I have run 72 miles.  I'm so proud of myself.  Since today is the last day of the month, I plan to run tonight, so my total will be up to 75 miles this month.  My goal for next month is 90 miles.  I think I'm addicted - not so much to the running itself (because frankly, quite often it hurts while I'm doing it) but definitely to the "runner's high" afterwards.  Its such an amazing feeling to have completed a long run feeling strong.  And, I'm so proud of myself for avoiding injury thus far.

 

I do think that my ice baths help to keep me from injury.  After my long runs, I sit in the bathtub and run the coldest water possible.  Once the water has barely reached the top of my thighs, I dump in all the ice from my ice maker.  Then, I sit and shiver as the ice melts.  I probably spend about 20 minutes total in the ice water.  I know I sound crazy, but it really keeps me feeling good.  After the runs where I ice bath, I'm rarely even sore or stiff the next morning, whereas when I skip the ice bath I's usually sorry.

 

So, ya.  I am weird and probably more than a little bit crazy.  But at least my obsession is healthy and good for me.  Maybe one day I'll even have a runner's body.

My first 10k

Its been almost a full week since I ran my first 10k, and I'm only now finding time to write about it. And I really should be working, but I'm finding a real lack of motivation right now. So, here's the story:

My brother and I signed up to run the Deseret News 10k together. The race was held on Tuesday July 24, which is Pioneer Day - the day that Brigham Young walked into the Salt Lake Valley and declared "this is the place", and thus began the habitation of this great state.

The race began at 6 am, in attempt to combat the heat. But even at 6 am it wasn't very cool outside. It began in an area called Research Park, and the route started out downhill and ran downtown. The last 2 miles or so were along the parade route, and the race ended up in Liberty Park.

I was a bit nervous. I've run several 5ks, but nothing longer. A 10k is 6.2 miles, so I knew it would be a bit of a test for me. I still haven't been running that long.

We lined up about mid-pack, and waited for the start. My brother and I chatted with a veteran runner. She was so nice, and told us how she and her hubby are running a marathon in every state. She has run St George, and it was fun to hear her words of wisdom. She was interested in our iPod arm bands, and I thought how funny it was that we each were experts in something.

Finally the race started, and I was grateful the race was chip timed because it took almost a minute to cross the start line. My brother was gone in the first few seconds, and I never saw him again. Immediately the race started downhill, and I found myself struggling to hold my pace. The force of running downhill combined with the excitement of the race made me want to push it. But I knew that I needed to save something for the end.

The first 2 miles of the race went very quick. I had forgotten my heart rate monitor, which also has a timer and I regretted it. I really think I set a PR for the first 2 miles. I would love to know my time. After about 2 miles, the course leveled off a bit and even went uphill for about 1/4 a mile. I started to feel a bit thirsty and I hoped for an aid station.

I didn't pass the first aid station until after mile 3. By then I was very thirsty. I drank a water and gatorade, and walked about a block to let my stomach settle.

At this point, the course turned southward onto the parade route. Again I found myself running downhill. I probably ran this part too quickly, but it was so exciting to have the spectators along the route. Some of them were uninterested in us runners. But others had signs, were shouting words of encouragement, and some were even giving hi-fives. At the bottom of the hill, I had to walk a couple of blocks, and of course that is where I saw a friend. He shouted "hi" to me, and I wished I looked more like a runner and less like a tired walker at that point. I started running again.

While I was walking, I got passed by a man who appeared to be in his mid 70s. He was wearing a shirt that said "running behind Opa". I thought he was really cool. Unfortunately, I don't remember if or when I passed him. I'm not sure which of us finished first.

The race course turned again with about ? mile to go. I had kind of been leapfrogging with a man and a girl. We kept shouting encouragement to each other, and noting that this seemed like the longest part of the race. I hadn't taken anything to refuel, and I felt tired. Finally I saw the finish line. I really wanted to sprint to the finish, but all I could manage was a strong jog. I felt good though. There were several vomit puddles at the finish line, and I was grateful that none were mine.

I crossed at around 1:16-ish. Results weren't published until the next day, but my official chip time was 1:15:07. Not a fast time by any means, but I was very pleased with myself. It was such a fun race and I'm definitely running it again next year.

3 year old wisdom

In effort to become a better blogger (I've sucked at it lately, truth be told) I've decided to update a bit on my kiddos. Starting with Gracelin. She's so funny lately, and I really don't want to forget anything about her. So, this post is dedicated to her and her 3 year old mind. Just as a warning: it may be a bit fragmented and disjointed. So please bear with me.

The other day, G told me the difference between mommies and daddies: daddies have hair on their tummies and mommies do not. I had a good, hard laugh at that one.

After helping me upload the pictures from our cabin trip this weekend onto my lap top, G announced that "I looked really good in that outfit". I think she's becoming a diva!

She has become the girl of one million questions. I'm not exaggerating that fact either. She loves to ask questions about anything and everything. The other night, an exasperated Daddy asked her why she has so many questions. Her response: I'm just a talker! She sure is.

Gracelin loves to comb my hair, and she is gentle enough that it feels really good. So, she does my hair a lot. The other day while doing my hair, she proclaimed that I was looking so pretty, that Daddy was going to come home and kiss me and want to make a baby boy with me. G really wants a brother, and takes every opportunity to remind me.

She also follows me around, everywhere I go throughout the house. Yesterday as I was hurriedly trying to get stuff together to get out the door, she was constantly at my heels. I think I tripped over her 6 or 8 times. I didn't say anything to her, but she could tell I was frustrated. We got into the car, and she said to me: When I have a little girl, I'm going to let her follow me around, because I will love her. It made me feel really sad to hear that - I love her too. I guess I need to work on patience.

G is such a good sister. She loves Bryn so much, and is very kind and gentle with her. I love watching them together, as Bryn loves her sister just as much. G is always hold Bryn's hand, and helping her out. She will softly touch her face, and tell her: "I love you my little chubby", which is a bit funny, as Bryn is not that much littler than G. But it is so cute and sweet.

I can't ever stay upset with G. Her kindness and sweet personality is too overpowering. And she feels so bad when I'm upset that she does everything she can to fix things. She is such an obedient and well-mannered child (she won't even eat without a napkin). I am blessed to be her mommy.

Weekend at the cabin

We just got back from an overnight trip to the cabin owned by my husband's family. Its a fun cabin located right on a ski run at Brighton Ski resort. Its only about 45 minutes from our house, but far enough away to feel like a vacation. The cabin is in the trees, and it was wonderfully cool up there - a nice break from the heat wave we've been experiencing. The girls had a blast! We took G on a night hike, and I was so proud of her. She hiked almost the entire 2 mile uphill by herself. She faded at the end. Finally, just a few minutes from the lake we were hiking to, she told me that she needed to close her eyes, so we carried her the rest of the way. But I was very proud of her toughness - it wasn't an easy hike.
It was so beautiful up there, and the wildflowers were in full bloom. Hiking under the ski lift though made me excited for ski season.
This picutre is the girls with my mom. They love being outdoors, and couldn't wait to go play in the meadow with all of the flowers.
My ILs lived in Switzerland for awhile, and MIL has painted part of the cabin to look just like a Swiss one.
We had a blast watching the humming birds - there were several buzzing and swooping around on the porch. I was suprised how aggressive there were. I think they were mad at us for invading their territory, and several times I felt like we were being dive bombed.

It was a great weekend!

Happy Birthday America

We spent the night at my parents' house, because we had plans to get up early and go to a breakfast in the canyon. But, I had to get up early and run. My parents' neighborhood is really hilly, and I was a bit nervous to be running in their neighborhood. I got up at 5am - it was still nice and cool. I ended up having a great run - I didn't want to go too far, since I had a busy day ahead. I just ran 2.2, but it was one of the best runs I've ever had. I loved running those hills. At one point I ran past one of those stop signs that tell you your speed, and it told me that I was running 6 miles per hour. I thought that was pretty cool.

I got the rest of the family up at 6:30, so we could be in the canyon early. G donned her "Happy Birthday America" tee and Bryn a patriotic jumper. They were so cute! Last year we had gotten there late, and we stood in line forever. It was still nice and cool, and the lines were short. We got the most amazing pancake breakfast, and the girls got balloons (which was probably the best part for them).

We ate breakfast, and then took a short hike around the lake. Gracelin walked the entire way, and Bryn made it most of the way. They loved it - especially Bryn who wanted so badly to get right into the water. We spent a long time just throwing rocks into the water.

After the hike, it was time for the "parade". Anyone who wants to be a part of the parade can put streamers on their vehicle and drive around. Its fun for the kids though. They throw candy and beads (G flashed them and got a whole handfull of beads). My kids got more candy than Halloween (I'm not sure what we're going to do with all of that candy either - we still have Halloween candy at our house, and Easter candy . . .)

Then we headed back down the canyon. The girls were exhausted, so after a sandwich we took a nap at my parents' house. Well - everyone else napped while I made potato salad. At 5pm (4 hours later) the girls and daddy were still sleeping. I had to wake them all up so we could head for our dinner at D & A's. The girls had so much fun there with cousins - it was chaotic. At one point, Bryn disappeared. We all spent about 5 minutes freaking out, before we realized she had disappeared into the bathroom to play in the toilet. Dinner was fantastic, but the kids were getting so tired. I felt like the mean mommy, but we left before fireworks began. We all had to be up by 6am the next day, and I needed to let the girls get some sleep.

5k Race Report

I ran in a local 5k on Saturday. I work as a City Planner in an adjacent town, and it was their celebration. As you can see from the picture, my mom participated with me. We got to the race only a few minutes before it started - its nice when the race starts and finishes from the same location. I woke up that morning coughing and wheezing - there was a bad wild fire in the mountains outside my house, and I think I'm allergic to the smoke. I actually took my daughter's breathing treatments before the race so I could breathe.

The race began at 7am, and it was already hot. We lined up in the road, where someone had painted "start" onto the asphalt. It was a smallish race - less than 300 people - and not as well organzied as the other races I've run. We crossed several intersections, and only one or 2 in the entire race were there police there to help with traffic. In fact, there were times that cars actually drove right next to me. I was also suprised that the first part of the race was a steady incline, as I was expecting a flat race. I actually would have prefered more hills, as I think I would have run it better. But, I ran the first mile in just over 10 minutes, which is a fairly good pace. I was having a difficult time pacing myself because I'd forgotten my iPod, and I use that to pace myself. I still felt like I was doing fairly well.

Then, at mile 2, the course turned eastward - right into the blazing sun. It was hot, and I faded fast. And a young girl (maybe 8 or 9) who was runing with her dad right in front of me, fell and skinned her knees badly. She was so tough though, she got right up and kept running. I'm not sure how quickly I ran my other 2 splits in, because I never saw the mile 2 marker. I was so thirsty, but there were no aid stations to be found. Finally, at what I'm thinking must have been around 2 1/2 miles, they had an aid station. That water tasted so good.

I tried to pick up the pace a bit, but the heat was really taking its toll. About this time, I really thought I was going to puke on the side of the road. But, I was so close, and I willed myself not to. Finally I rounded the corner to the finish line, which was on the other side of the building where we started (we ran a loop around downtown). Seeing the finish line helped me get my second wind, and at least I finished strong. But my time was 34:30, which is really quite pathetic and discouraging.

We did have fun the rest of the day. Ben and the girls met me at the finish line, and we headed over to a breakfast in the park. The girls played at the park and had fun at the petting zoo, until we had to get Gracelin dressed and onto her float for the parade.

So, I got a new car

I've managed to avoid blogging about my car situation for awhile. Up until this weekend, I'd been driving a Chevy Trailblazer. They came out in 2004, and we bought one the first year they came out. I loved that car. It was a good sized SUV - big enough to make me feel safe on the road, but not as big as a boat either. It had some great features too and I really did love driving it.

But, a couple of months ago, things changed. I'd gone to meet some friends and their kids downtown for lunch. On the way back, I noticed that my car was acting funny. Being a long way from home, and having 2 kids who were ready for their nap, I was very annoyed. Still, I was worried about what was wrong, so I called the car dealer to see if I could swing by and get my car checked out. They were all booked up for the day, so I made an appointment for the next morning, and started home. Just in case though, I decided to stay off of the freeway, which made my drive even longer, but I figured it would be best to avoid breaking down on the freeway.

I made the right choice. I stopped at a stoplight about 5 miles from home, and my car wouldn't go when the light changed. I called Hubby from work to come and help, and then I called OnStar.

I suppose I should post an aside now about OnStar. GM offers it on all their vehicles, and I suppose the 24-hour roadside assistance is nice (I used it twice in 3 years). But I do think it is funny now, in retrospect, that some car manufacturers offer 100,000 mile warranties, etc, but GM just promises that if you have car trouble, they'll be there to help you (with a small monthly fee). Its almost as if they're saying "hey, are cars are crap. But if (er, when) you do break down, we're just a push of a button away".

Anyway, back to my story. My car got towed to the dealer. It turned out that my transmission was shot (did I mention there was only 47,000 miles on the car?). So, 10 days and almost $4,000 later, I got my car back. The first time I drove it, I knew something wasn't right. I called the repairman, and he towed my car in for free. He checked it out, and said nothing was wrong - although he cleaned the pistons for free, because they were misfiring (or something like that). I had my car back the next day.

I drove it for about 2 months, and the transmission still never felt right to me. Finally, hubby drove the car, and he too admitted that the transmission wasn't right. So, back to the repair shop we went. This time, at least the transmission was under warranty. After 10 more days and our 3rd transmission, we got the vehicle back.

Hubby wanted to drive over to the Acura dealer that night and trade in the Trailblazer. I told him that I felt we should keep the car for awhile and just "wait and see". The thought of a car payment made me sick. So, after a heated discussion (big fat fight) we decided to keep the car. Until the next day when I tried to go to the store and my car wouldn't start. AGAIN.

I had to call hubby at work, tell him the car was broken again, and wait for an "I told ya so".

{{SIGH}}

We actually got the car going by jump-starting it. It sat and idled for an hour in the driveway (we were afraid to turn it off) and then hubby drove the car to trade it in. I didn't even go, and I told him that I trusted him to pick out my car - I just wanted something reliable.

Which I got!

He came home with a sweet, fully-loaded, Acura MDX. It has more features than I can figure out - navigation system, DVD player, heated seats. It even has a back-up camera (mounted on the back fender so I don't hit anything when I back up). Its way more car than I have ever needed or wanted, but I LOVE it.

Thoughts on weaning

Bryn is still a boobie baby.  She'll be 16 months old next week, and I still nurse her twice a day.  She eats first thing in the morning, and right before bed at night.  Its not a hard-fast rule.  If I'm not there at bed time, she'll happily go to sleep without me.  And she naps during the day just fine.  I know that she doesn't need me, but I think that I need her.

 

Some days I miss my babies so much.  I feel like their cute little-babyness is slipping away so fast, and I'm missing out while I'm at work.  It assuages my guilt a bit to feel like I'm still contributing to her growth and development.  Besides, I love our cuddle time.  She's such a busy toddler now, but I have those precious moments where she'll still lie still with me.  I'm not ready to give up those moments.

 

We have our nursing routine down.  First thing she needs is her "bees" (her blankie with bees on it).  She snuggles up with the bees, and then nurses.  She loves for me to kiss her fingers and toes while she's laying there smiling and sucking.  Sometimes she'll take my finger and move it up to her face, signaling that she wants me to stroke her cheek.  I think that is the sweetest thing she does. 

 

I know that our nursing days are numbered.  She's getting entirely too big, and she's started biting sometimes.  And, daddy wants me to wean - and he's very vocal about it.

 

I'm not sure why it bugs him so much that I still nurse.  Sometimes I feel its that he's embarrassed to have a wife that nurses a toddler.  It is true that I've been either pregnant or nursing (or both) since August of 2003.  That is 4 straight years where my body has been nourishing another.  But, I love it.  Part of me doesn't want Bryn to grow up and change - she's so perfectly sweet the way she is right now.  As long as she's nursing, she's still my baby.

I think I'm back

Friday night, after we got the girls bathed and in PJs, I had DH drive me 5 miles away from home. He dropped me off, and I had to run back. I had him take me straight west from our house, to the foothills of the Oquirrh (pronounced Oak-er) Mountains.

It was a gorgeous run. The temperature was in the 60s, and the setting sun was at my back. My shadow cast out long in front of me. The first mile was uphill, but after that the run was downhill. I passed about 20 deer, and had the most amazing view of the mountains around the valley. The best part of the run was how I felt - strong and alive. It was the feeling that I was born to run. I didn't try to push myself - I just ran at a steady pace (except for the big downhills, which always cause me to run faster). I stepped on my porch at 59:58, just 2 seconds shy of a full hour. For me, that's a descent training pace.

Saturday night, DH and I had a night to ourselves. His mom took our kids, so we decided to go for a hike. It was an impromptu hike, so we were both in flip-flops. But, we chose Donut Falls. Its a perfect short hike - only 1.5 round-trip. There is a slight incline, but its a fairly flat hike that goes in and out of dense lodgepole pine and quaking aspen forests. The falls themselves are incredible. The water falls into a hole in the rock, and comes out on the other side. It is incredibly beautiful, and was a wonderful evening. And I didn't even get out of breath on the hike. I wanted to run!

I feel reconnected and rejuvenated. I think my boredom is coming from treadmill (aka dreadmill) running. I need to spend more time outside.

Struggling a bit

My diet and exercise routine has suffered a bit the last couple of weeks.  I had been doing really well until 2 weekends ago, when I went to Moab.  I got really sick while I was down there - kind of a gastric, painful, strange illness.  I'm still not sure what I had.  But it took me several days to feel better.  I tried to run through it, but my running suffered.  And most foods made me really nauseated, so I was kind of eating whatever I could stomach.  I did end up running 14 miles last week, including a long run of 6 miles.  So it wasn't a hopeless week.

 

But since then, running has been less fun.  I have been unable to drag myself out of bed in the mornings, so I've been trying to slog through it at night.  That may be part of the problem - I hate running at night, when I'm tired from the day and have 1 million other things that I should be doing.  And, since my hubby has been gone every night this week, I'm on total kid duty.  That just adds to the stress.

 

I've only done 4.5 miles so far this whole week.  Monday I tried to run before G went to bed.  I had 4 on the schedule, but only did 2.25 because she was trying to run on the TM with me.  So I figured I'd do 4 Tuesday night after G went to bed.  Well, I fell asleep accidentally with her, and didn't wake up until 11:15 when DH came home.  It was too late to run.  Then yesterday, I gave blood at lunch time.  I had still planned to do my 4 last night, but barely got 2.25.  I hadn't given blood in quite awhile, and had forgotten the whole "don't exercise on the day you give blood" thing.  I just about died last night.

 

So, I've still got about 10 miles to complete in just 2 days of running.  I wasn't supposed to do a long run this week (doing the 2 steps forward, 1 step back training program).  But, I think I'll have to do one long run this weekend to get it all in.

 

{{SIGH}}

I hope I get some of my motivation back.

My diet has suffered as well.  Lately I feel like I'm constantly hungry and always craving food.  I haven't been too good about staving off the cravings, and I've given in a bit.

 

In fact, I haven't lost a pound in close to 3 weeks.  I'm stuck at 160, and so badly want to see the next lowest decade of weight.  Well - I supposed if I really wanted it badly, I'd be working harder.  Right?

Who needs sleep anyway?

Certainly not me (or so my children think).

 

I probably should write a post on how Bryn still continues to not sleep - how she has only slept through the night a few times in her entire life.  And how lately, she doesn't want to go back to sleep after her midnight waking.  But that would be old news.  And anyway, who wants to hear me complain?

I think I'm going to post about my big girl - who used to be my good sleeper.  I think we maybe ruined her by moving her from the crib too early.  She seemed old enough, and definitely ready.  But since she got into her "big girl bed" at only 20 months, it hasn't been the same.

 

I'm embarrassed to admit this:  I haven't slept in the same bed as my husband in months.  I'm always in bed with G.  She can't fall asleep if I'm not there.  When I do leave, she wakes up crying for me.  Its easier that I just stay there.

 

We don't have this issue for naptime.  She can fall asleep on her own, and sleep for 3 hours by herself during the day.  But night time is scary for her.  She closes her eyes and sees "scary pretend monsters".  I've tried reasoning with her.  I've gone to the store for magic night lights that make all the scary pretend monsters go away.  I've tried to be firm - even mean.  And I've even left her to CIO (which really doesn't work when the child can just get out of bed).  In the end, I've resorted to sleeping in the same bed as my 3 year old.

 

I keep hoping that she'll grow out of it, which I know she eventually will (she won't be coming home from the prom to lay in bed with her mommy), but if anything her fears seem to be getting worse.  I'm at my wit's end.  I'm tired and I want to get a full night of sleep.  I want to sleep in my own comfortable bed with my husband (even if he does snore like a lumberjack).

 

I do love the "pillowtalk" that G and I have while she's falling asleep.  She will ask me to tell her a story from my head - usually about a princess.  She will tell me about her day.  Last night I heard all about how Miss C at daycare taught her to never open the door for strangers, and how little H loves to bite the other kids.  I think I know way more about her 3 year old life than other parents of kids in daycare.

 

I especially love how she wants to hold my hand while she falls asleep, and when she cuddles her little warm body up against mine.  I do think that I've had an incredible opportunity to bond with my sweetie in ways that many parents miss out on.  So, I assume it really isn't all bad.  I mostly just wish I could sleep more.

 

I'm tired.

Another fun weekend

True to form, one of my kids got sick this weekend.  While I do appreciate the fact that they are learning that weekend illness disrupts the family schedule the least, I do miss having weekends without sick kids.

 

I knew Gracelin was feeling a bit sick on Friday - she barely ate and complained that she had a headache.  But we had a fun day, including a trip to the splash pad, and I thought she was ok.  Ben was out all evening, so after I got the girls in bed, I headed to the treadmill for a 6 mile run.  After my run, the kids were still quiet so I decided to take an ice bath (the greatest way to keep sore muscles at bay).

 

I had barely shut off the (cold) bath water, when I heard G screaming for me.  Pretty soon, she was in the bathroom.  In her pathetic voice, she told me that she was sick, and sad that I was in the bath.  I hurried out of the bath, and carried her to her room.  She felt really warm - warmer than she should have felt to my ice bathed body.  I took her temp and it was 105.6.

 

Now in the past, a temp of 105.6 would have made me hysterical.  But I've come to realize that my poor little girl is prone to high fevers (the highest I've seen is 107.1 - which earned her a trip to the ER).  This night though, I dosed her with Motrin and Tylenol, got her a drink, and cuddled her in bed.  Her feverish mind was working in hyper drive, and she was telling me the funniest things.  Recently, her daddy had taken her to a water park, and she was reliving the entire day at warp speed - with the added part about the alligators in the lazy river.

 

It became apparent rather quickly that this was going to be a long night.  And pretty soon, I started feeling sick.  I had to leave the room 3 times to puke.  Finally at 11 pm, I called Daddy to come home and help us - which he dutifully did.

 

The next morning, the girls were up early, just like always.  And being the nice daddy that he is, he took the girls for bagels and then to visit Grandma M.  I got to sleep past 10 am (which I haven't done by the way, since April 28, 2004).  Then I took a shower with no one pounding on the door.  I also got to do dishes with no one climbing into the dishwasher and do a load of laundry with no one climbing into the dryer.  It was a good morning. 

 

Finally my sweet family came home.  Poor little G was still really sick, so it was off to instacare.  I was worried she had another UTI, since she was complaining of "spicy pee".  She even peed into the "hat" without major trauma, but her urine was clean.  The Dr took one look into her throat, and immediately knew she had strep.

 

Not that I was happy G was sick, but I just love when my kids have something easy to treat.  After only 2 doses of amoxicillin and a long nap, G woke up covered in sweat but fever-free.  As I changed her clothes, I remarked to her that she had broken her fever.  She started to apologize, but I explained to her that a fever is a good thing to break.

A little bit of this and that

So, I continue to be an inconsistent blogger.  I have yet to blog about California, and now I have another weekend trip to talk about.  And there was so much excitement in the last couple of weeks with my job and hubby's job. . . where to begin.

 

Maybe with the job stuff:  About a month ago, I got a letter from a local municipality notifying me of a job opening.  I really think they just sent it to most other municipal employees in the state, but I still felt honored.  It is one of my favorite places in the state - and although its 4 hours away, and in the middle of nowhere, it would be the perfect job.  Not only was the position for the director (and I so want to be the boss), its a wonderful resort town in the middle of the desert, and they are very progressive.  Naturally I applied.

 

I got called back for an interview, but they were all taking place the week we were in California.  So, I did a phone interview.  Only I forgot they were calling that day, and I interviewed while helping DH navigate to Disneyland.  I was very distracted.  I honestly didn't think I interviewed well - I knew I didn't completely bomb, but I could have done better.  Naturally, I was shocked when they called me back the next week, saying I had made the top 3.  They wanted me to come down and interview in person.  Since I was already planning a trip to said city for Memorial Day weekend, I asked if I could meet with them while I was down there.

 

In the mean time . . . DH has been wanting to get on with a company his friend works for.  Its a small, real estate investment company and hold lots of potential.  His friend called the week of our California vacation to offer him a position.  We deliberated - his position has more potential for income.  It would mean I could (hopefully) stay home with the girls in 2 years time - and we wouldn't have to move.  My position would mean that DH quits his current job, and risks not finding something to replace his income.  I may be able to make enough for him to SAH, but its a gamble.  Besides, logically we should be focusing on Dh's career and not mine - right?  But oh, how I wanted that job.

 

It was quite a crazy week for us.  But in the end, we decided that he would accept the offer he got.  I called my interviewers back and canceled the interview.  I didn't want to waste their time.  Nor did I want them to offer me the job, when I couldn't take it.

 

{{SIGH}}  I hope we made the right decision.

 

I did end up going down there for the weekend though.  I met my brother and his friend for some hiking.  We did manage a couple of fun hikes, which I will post later, and give a full trip report.  But I did want to mention about how sick I got while I was down there.

 

It was the first night too.  I had fallen asleep in the hotel waiting for them to arrive.  When there got there, we were all starving.  So we headed out for a bite to eat.  I ate a sinfully good italian dish that was full of cheese.  Then, we got ice cream too.  I'm not used to eating that way, so when I had a stomach ache that night I just assumed it was from my dinner.  But I continued to get sicker and sicker.  Until 3 days later I ended up at the ER.  They ran a bunch of tests, including a CT scan, and determined that I had an ovarian cyst.  I'm still not convinced that is the cause of my malaise, and I'm still not feeling better today.  6 days later.  Maybe I should call my doctor and get a second opinion.

 

I have felt too sick to run, and I'm worried if I don't feel better soon that it may affect my training.  I only have 17 weeks till marathon time, which may sound like an eternity, but it feels too soon.

 

Hmmm - this isn't quite the post I was hoping for.  I guess I rambled on and on, and never made my intended point.  And now I have to run to a meeting.  I'll still post this, and promise to be better next time.

Pacing myself

I had a great run last night. Typically, I run in the morning. But yesterday when my alarm went off at 4:30, I turned it off and rolled over. I was just too tired. But, I needed to get in 3 miles, so I was forced to run after the girls got into bed.

I've been charting all my runs on coolrunnings.com. Its such a cool program - there is the best graphing feature where you can graph miles, time, pace, etc. I just love charts and graphs, and have gotten a bit obsessed with the whole thing. I've been trying to increase my pace and mileage at the same time, which frankly doesn't work.

So, last night I decided to "change things up at bit". I started out running at a super slow pace. I turned my treadmill display to the one that shows a quarter-mile track. With every lap I completed on the virtual track, I increased the pace just one tenth. I felt really good. It took me almost 40 minutes to complete a 3 mile run. But I could have run longer. And I suppose, to assure that I'm not overtraining, I should always feel like I could go longer at the end of a run.

I'm still feeling intimidated by the marathon, but at least I have a plan. I also signed up for a some races during my training to check my pace. I have a local 5k in June that I plan to run. In July, I signed up for a 10k, and a half-marathon in August. I'm especially excited for the 10k and half, because both routes will be similar to the marathon. Although obviously shorter, they both start high up in the mountains and end up in the valley - which is exactly how the marathon runs. Hopefully I'll be prepared.

How to cool down after a race

Ok - I'll admit. I totally ripped this off from a message board that I frequent. The man who posted it, wrote this article for a newsletter for his running club. Its too funny not to share - especially for slow-paced runners like myself:

"Dear Spareribs:

A running buddy of mine criticized me for not "cooling down" after a fiveK with an easy jog. I'm fairly new at racing and don't know anything about this. What advice can you give about the "cooldown"? Rick from Flower Mound

Dear Rick:

Your friend is correct that a good cooldown is helpful after a race, as a slightly elevated heart rate helps flush accumulated lactic acid, keeps you from stiffening up, and speeds recovery. But enough of that sports physiology mumbo jumbo. There is another reason why cooling down is important, and it has to do with your persona as a runner.

Face facts. In every race there are two groups of runners: those who finished ahead of you, and those who finished behind you. Who are the runners who finished ahead of you? They're lucky people who happened to have a good race that day. They're not necessarily faster or better than you, and with a bit more training you can beat them next week.

But more important, who are the people who finished behind you?

Pond scum!

These runners have no business being in the same race with you, and you must make sure they know it. If not, you run the risk of having them come up to you later and try to talk, tell you about their race, or in a wild act of temerity attempt to befriend you. You must put a stop to this quickly so they know their place. And the perfect way to do this is in what I call the "Pro Cooldown."

Here is what you should do immediately after a hard fiveK. Grab a water bottle and jog the entire course again, so you get another 3 miles in. But here is the key: make absolutely sure you run the course from the finish line back to the start, not the other way around. This way you run opposite the lowlifes still out on the course, as an "in your face" reminder to them that you are top dog today.

To do this well, you must adopt an air of studied indifference to the people you pass. If you pass someone you know, for heaven's sake, don't yell, "Way to go!" or the nonsensical "Woo Hoo!" Instead, a low wave, flip of the hand as you go by is sufficient, if you bother at all. Act as if fast people seldom notice anyone slower.

There is one key exception. Let's say that purely by luck, someone is in the crowd of losers who has in the past beaten you in a race or two, a key rival you hate. Now the rule changes. For this competitor you must offer banal, yet chilling words of encouragement: "Go for it Mike!" "Hang in there Henry!" "Lookin' fine Mindi!" This appears to bolster their self-esteem, in the knowledge that you permit them to share the oxygen we all require. It is all the acknowledgement they need or in fact deserve, but more importantly it will drive them insane!

Here are three more techniques that have worked well for me. First, drink often from the water bottle so it appears you are running effortlessly. "Hey, I can drink, talk and run at the same time. How you doin'?"

Second, throw in some fast strides during the cooldown, but wait until you are about even with the middle of the loser pack, so you can show to the greatest number of people that you have plenty left. This says, "Sure, I ran hard today and beat you, but if I wanted to I could still run another hard mile. This is easy."

Third, find someone of about your own speed and finish place to cool down with, and spend the whole time chatting amiably about this and that, totally ignoring the others. Laugh a lot. They'll get the idea.

If you can incorporate the "Pro Cooldown" after every race, you will not only maintain fitness, but also show others "who's your daddy". Naturally I recount these rules and advice with this degree of accuracy in full recollection of the many times they have been used on me, your fellow back-of-the-packer. Good luck. Spareribs"

Another daycare issue

Poor Bryn got hurt at daycare yesterday, and it was first thing in the morning too. I had barely dropped her off - and she was having a bad morning. She laid her head on the floor and cried as I left (something she rarely does), so I was already feeling terrible. When I drop the girls off at daycare at 6:50, there is usually only one lady there, and she's typically over ratio with my kids. I've never worried about it before, because I assumed someone else showed up at 7am. I found out yesterday that no one comes in until 7:30.

So when Bryn crawled through a hole in a broken gate, she had no idea - until my poor girl fell down the stairs, and hit the gate at the bottom. The worst part is that no one called me for 5 hours - until a new provider came in for the afternoon and thought I should have been called. These pictures are about 36 hours after the accident, and she already looks much better. She looked horrible the day of, and I probably would have taken her to be checked for a head injury had I been called immediately after.

Daycare has already fixed the broken gate, but I'm not sure they've fixed the issue with staffing. Maybe I need to do a spot check just a few minutes after I leave to make sure they have taken care of things.

I won the lottery!

I think I posted a few days ago about how my brother talked me into signing up to run the St George Marathon in October. It really didn't take much prodding, because it was a lottery and only about 50 percent of applicants actually get in. I figured there is no way I'd make it - and if I did, I decided that it must be my divine providence or something. But I really didn't think I'd make it (did I say that already?)

So, the results were posted this morning. My brother and I both got in. Whooo hoo. I went from being totally excited, because I never win anything, to being totally freaked out - I'm going to RUN A MARATHON! UGH.

I've got a lot of training to do.

Last week, I'd sat down and done a daily training schedule from now to Marathon. I'd loosely followed Hal Higdon's schedule, but ever since worried that it may just be a bit too ambitious. Its a lot more miles than I run now, and it picks up quickly. I'm worried about becoming injured. Also, the longest run on his schedule is for 20 miles. A marathon is 26.2 miles people. I really want to try and run the full mileage at least once in training.

Then, I followed a link posted in my new favorite place: the forum on Coolrunning.com. The link took me to a 3-day marathon training schedule on the Jeff Galloway website. I think his plan is much more doable. It has 2 easy days, and then Saturday is the kick-butt long run day. Not only do I feel less likely to become injured following this plan, it fits my busy schedule better. I think it would be difficult to find 5 days to run a week. I like sleeping too much. Of course the Galloway plan is merely intended to train a person to simply finish a marathon.

Sleeping Beauty and Stinkerbell

My girls love the Disney princesses.  I'm not sure where it came from either.  (Maybe their daddy?)  Because it surely wasn't their mommy.  I've never been the princessy type.  I've been "grunge" and "mod" and "alternative" and "crunchy" but surely never the a princess.  I tried too hard to be a non-conformist and low-maintenance to like all that stupid Disney stuff.  But my girls somehow L-O-V-E them some princesses.  Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, etc - and it really was Daddy who bought the movies.

 

On Sunday, after our church service, we headed home for a much-needed nap.  I got the girls down, and then crashed myself.  After only an hour (too short for a Sunday nap) I was awakened by a cheerful G sitting next to me in my bed.

 

G:  Mommy, I'm just like Sleeping Beauty

Me:  (very groggy)  How's that?
G:  I sleeped for a really long time and then I waked up but no one had to kiss me I just waked up all by myself without being kissed.  Let's go kiss daddy to wake him up too.

 

So that's where the story of the Sleeping Beauty label came from.  Now for the "stinkerbell" story, but first a bit of background.

 

Daddy bought G a new package of Tinkerbell undies on Saturday.  He took her to the store while I was at a baby shower.  Daddies should not be allowed to take their princesses to the store alone, because they simply cannot resist buying them what they ask for.  At least our strange child covets things like new panties over candy and junky toys.  

 

G loves those panties, and I've had to wash them at night, so she can wear the clean pair in the morning.  Then somehow it became really funny to them to say "don't tinkle in your Tinkerbells".  And because Bryn does tinkle in her pants, she became Tinkerbell.  (all from the strange mind of a 3 year old)

 

But why the stinky part you ask?  Well, its because Bryn's behind stinks.  She could be called the "mystery farter" because she's great at passing those silent-but-deadlies that can clear out a room.  But I guess it really isn't a mystery, because we all know where it really comes from.  Its actually become quite comical.  Poor girl has a long life ahead of her I fear.

3 years old

I've been meaning to update about Gracelin's 3rd birthday all week - I wanted to attach pictures, which I can only do at home.  But, I just don't have time at home to sit and blog.  So, I'll attempt an update now, and hopefully attach pics later.

 

Gracelin at 3:

We decided to have her party on Saturday, although her birthday wasn't until Monday.  The day started with a benefit run that the whole family planned on doing.  The plan was for mommy and daddy to run the 5k (while daddy pushed the girls) and then for the girls to run in the kiddie races.  G had been talking about the race for 2 weeks - she'd watched mommy cross the finish line in a couple of other races, and couldn't wait for her turn to run.  We'd even gone to the park a couple of times an practiced.  On the day of the race, G was so excited.  She had me pin on her bib, and wanted to immediately run.  But she had to wait.  By the time the 5k was over, G no longer wanted to run.  She kept crying and saying that she wanted to go home.  It really wasn't like her, but we assumed she had slept poorly (which she had) and was maybe a bit overexcited for the pending activities of the day.  So, her sister ran and then we went home.

 

After a nap and some Motrin, she was a new girl.  Daddy and I had bought her a new bike with training wheels - which somehow she had found in the garage earlier in the week.  I was very disappointed, because I wanted to suprise her.  She was so excited about it, so I just let her ride it before her party.  Peddling was a bit difficult for her, and she kept getting nervous and hitting the brakes.  But, it was a successful gift.

 

4:00 PM hit, and the first wave of party guests started arriving.  From 4-5, we planned a small party with some of the kids from the neighborhood.  There are several little kids around her age, so we invited them over to decorate cup cakes and do a pinata.  The cup cakes were a huge success, and other than an extremely messy kitchen afterwards, the activity went off without a hitch.  As the kids finished their cupcakes, they went outside to eat them and play in a "tent city" Ben erected in the backyard.  The kids had a blast playing in the tents. 

 

Once the cupcake aftermath had cleared, we hung up the pinata.  G had helped me stuff it the day before, and couldn't wait to "hit the kitty with a big stick".  We let G go first, and all the other kids lined up behind her.  Several other girls went after, and they all hit the pinata like girls.  But then one of the little boys got up.  He planted his feet, squared his shoulders, and knocked the crap out of the pinata.  Even at 3 years old, the difference between boys and girls was obvious.

 

About 5pm, the neighborhood kids went home, and round 2 of the party started.  We had our family over for a bbq.  G has several cousins within just a couple months age difference, so she had fun playing with the kids.  It was a very nice party.  After dinner and presents, we cut the cake.  About half way through, G suddenly had a melt-down.  I picked her up, and realized that she had a fever.  I took her temp, and it was 104.  Poor girl was sick on her birthday.

 

Anyway, I suppose I should talk about what G is like right now.  She is such an intelligent and vivacious little girl.  Right now her favorite things are dolls and books.  She's such a cute little mommy to her dolls, and I love to listen to her playing "pretend" with them.  Her ability to speak and communicate continues to amaze me - she's still way ahead verbally.  She loves to sing, and can actually carry a recognizable tune.  She's also a "fashionista" and loves clothes - especially anything that makes her feel like a princess (ie.  pink dresses).  Her memory is amazing too - she can remember things from months ago.  She's also very physical, and loves going to the park, running, and being in the mountains.  She's recently gone hiking and rock climbing, and attacked both activities fearlessly.  Among all her favorite things, is her sister Bryn.  She loves Bryn so much, and is very helpful with her.  I've watched my girls, and they are so loving to each other.  Its rare that they fight, and I don't think I've ever seen them physically hurt each other.  I love my sweet girl, and feel so blessed to have her as my daughter.

I'm such a slacker

I was doing well with my blogging for awhile.  But for the past few weeks, I've really fallen off of the wagon.  I'm going to attempt a quick update about my diet/exercise program, and then save the update on the girls and G's 3rd birthday for another post (I want to attach pictures, so I'll have to do it at home).

 

Chase the Cookie 5k - April 14, 2007:

I ran my first 5k ever.  My brother and his friend came into town from Cincinnati, and convinced me to run it with them.  I didn't feel ready at all.  I've only been running since February, and at the time they talked me into the race, had only run a 3 mile distance once.  And my time was over 40 minutes.  My goal for the race was just to finish without walking, and to come in under 40 minutes.  I figured too, that since the course was relatively flat and the run was for the Girl Scouts, that it was the perfect environment for a novice.

 

I got to the park where the race began about 2 hours early.  It was freezing cold that morning, and on advice I found on some blog somewhere, I dressed lightly.  I ended up sitting in my car, waiting for my mom, brother, and HL to show up.  Once they got there, I sat in my mom's car with them.  Finally, people were starting to line up, so we jogged over to the start. 

 

Although the wind was cold, I warmed up very quickly and didn't notice the temp at all.  The race was an out-and-back, and I ran the first ? fairly well.  But the very end had a hill - since I mostly train on the treadmill, I don't run hills very well.  I ended up having to walk a bit.  But, I realized as I was heading back, that I was passing a lot of people.  Of course there were lots of walkers, but I felt really good about my placing in the race.

 

With about 0.5 miles to go, I started running out of energy, and again I walked a bit.  As I rounded the corner and could see the finish line, my pace picked up again.   With about 100 yards to go, a little boy standing on the sidelines shouted at me to run as hard as I could.  So I did.  As I crossed the finish line, I noticed my time was just over 36 minutes.  I came in over 4 minutes faster than projected pace.  Of course, I promptly threw up into the grass at the finish line.  But I felt really good. 

 

Official time:  36:10

 

Second 5k - Salt Lake City Marathon - April 21, 2007:

I had so much fun "chasing the cookie" (even though I tossed my cookies) that it didn't take much convincing from HL to sign up for the SLC Marathon 5k, even though it was a week later.  My mom decided to walk it, so we signed up together. 

 

I was amazed at how many more people there were at this race - literally 1000s.  I was glad it was chip-timed, because it took me over 2 minutes after the gun to even cross the starting line.  For the 1st ? mile or so, I was pretty much dodging walkers and jogging strollers.  But the pack eventually thinned out, and I found my rhythm.

 

Unfortunately, I learned a lesson; I learned not to experiment with my asthma medications the day of a race.  From about mile 1 - mile 2, I pretty much walked the whole time because I had an asthma attack.  I finally got things under control, and finished the last mile fairly strong.

 

It was so much fun to run in to the finish.  I was running in as the first 2 ? marathoners came in.  I was feeling strong, but they blew by me.  The crowd was amazing, and the excitement really spurred me along.  The clock read around 39 minutes, but I knew my chip time would be less.  And I didn't puke this time.

 

Official chip time:  37:57 (not too bad considering I almost died)

 

3rd 5k - April 28, 2007:

I guess the running bug has bit, because I signed up for a 3rd race the following week.  This race was a benefit run, for a family who lost their mother earlier this year.  I convinced my hubby to run, which meant we would have to push the girls in a jogging stroller.  (Luckily Dh offered)

 

The day was warm and sunny - gorgeous day.  And the turnout was around 1000 people - which was about 700 more than anticipated.  It was very crowded at the starting line.  We lined up towards the back because we had the girls in a stroller and didn't want to be in the way of people.  As we stood there, the race organizers spent 20 minutes thanking everyone who'd participated.  Bryn got antsy, which turned into mad, which turned into the mother-of-all-tantrums.  Poor girl was crying so hard that she puked all over herself.  We wheeled her over to the side to clean her up. 

 

Finally the race started, but we couldn't get Bryn back in the stroller.  She kept arching her back and screaming.  It probably took us over 2 minutes to cross the start line, and since this race was not chip-timed, I knew that I was running for fun, and not a PR.

 

It was a grueling 5k.  The first ? was very steep uphill, and it was about 75 degrees.  The sun was warm, and I was feeling it affect me.  At about 1 mile, we had to run up a very long, steep hill.  I ended up walking pretty much the entire hill.  But then the route leveled off, and eventually went back downhill (but, thankfully not as steeply as the uphill section).  I felt really strong for the second ? of the race.  I crossed the finish line at just over 35 minutes.  There was a line of people at the finish line, and of course I started late.  But I think it is safe to say this race was a PR - I just don't know what the time is.

 

I am planning to take a few weeks off of racing, and just focus on my training.  Right now, I'm running 3 days a week, and cross training 3 days a week.  My cross training consists of swimming on Tues/Thurs, and then usually hiking the other day.  I'm going to start mountain biking too, because I'm thinking I may want to try a triathalon sprint next year.

 

My brother and HL also convinced me to put in to run the St George Marathon in October.  Its a lottery, and I won't know if I'm in until next week, but I sat down last night and worked up a daily training schedule for the next 6 months.  I'm also considering a local ? in August.

 

One would think that all this physical activity would be making me super skinny and hot.  Truth is, I've maybe lost 8 pounds total.  But, I feel better and sexier than I have in a long time.  I think too, that much of the weight loss has come from giving up my diet coke addiction (day 26 and still going strong thankyouverymuch).  But its ok - I am loving things right now.

. . . take me away

I now understand the premise behind those cheesy "Calgon . . . take me away" commercials from the 80s:

 

Poor Bryn has had a blocked tear duct from birth.  We've tried drops, massage, warm compress, etc - but nothing has helped.  She wakes up with her eye glued shut every single day.  So, I decided it was finally time to take care of things.  Our appointment was scheduled for this morning at 8 am, and the office is clear downtown.   They told me to be there 15 min early for paperwork.  So, we left the house at 6:45.  We got downtown at 7:30 (no traffic at that time, which is strange for rush hour),  parked, walked in, only to find that her appointment was next door in the pediatric building.  So, we walked clear-the-heck over there (Bryn wanted to walk and G wanted to be carried - not fun), and actually found the office with 15 minutes to spare - just like we were instructed - and the office was closed!  I tried to call back to the lady I'd just talked to, and her phone said their office was closed.  I decided we could just sit in the hallway and wait - but G had to potty, so we went in search of the restrooms.  We found them way down the hall.  Not very convenient for a pediatric medical center.

 

5 minutes later when we returned, the office was open and full of people.  WTF?  I went to sign in at the desk, and the woman rudely told me that she'd help me in a minute - so I stood there and waited.  She snapped at me that I could sit down, because she really would be a minute.  I was starting to get pissed . . . then Bryn decided to poop more than she'd ever pooped in her entire life.  I asked where I could change her, and they sent me clear-the-heck back down the hall to those same restrooms.  Poor Bryn was a mess.  I usually only carry about 4 wipes and one extra diaper with me.  But this was a 20+ wipe job, so I was not prepared.  I had G get me some TP from the stall to help clean up the poo-splosion.  She came back and noticed (rather loudly) that Bryn had eaten corn and carrots and beans.  At that point I stopped her.  I'm sure the other ladies in the restroom didn't want to hear the entire contents of my daughter's BM.

 

Her clothes were a mess.  The one bright spot of the whole ordeal was that the restroom had diaper disposal baggies, which also were large enough to hold Bryn's poop covered outfit.  So, I had somewhere to put the dirty clothes, but nothing clean to put on her!  Poor girl had to go back in wearing just her diaper.

 

We made it back to the office, and got called back to a room.  And the doctor came in relatively quickly.  He did a quick exam, and decided that Bryn did indeed have a clogged tear duct, but he needed to do an exam anyway and needed to dilate her eyes.  The nurse came in to give Bryn the drops, and told us they will burn and sting, and Bryn will cry.  Well - drops went in and Bryn couldn't have cared less.  Then we had to wait 20 minutes, so back to the waiting room we went.

 

Bryn kept pulling off her diaper, and while I turned my back to rediaper the child, G would decide to run laps around the office.  Clearly annoying all the other patients.  It was a long 20 minutes.

 

Finally we got called back for the second time.  No sooner were we in the room when G announced that she had to potty again (sometimes having a potty trained child is SO difficult).  I asked the nurse where the potty was, and she sent me to the same potty clear-in-the-heck down the hall.  UGH.  We ran there, pottied, and came back, only to find that we'd missed the doctor.  He went in with another patient.

 

By this time, it was Bryn's nap time, and she was crying "bye bye bye". I didn't blame her - I wanted to go home too.  Heck, I would have been happier to be having a root canal than sitting in that office anymore.  The doctor finally came in.  He had no bedside manor - I could not believe he was a pediatric doctor.  After a 2 minute exam, he told me that Bryn indeed needs surgery, and told me to wait for his staff to come in and schedule it.  When I asked when I could expect the surgery to be scheduled, he rudely told me that his staff new his schedule better than he did, and I'd need to wait for them.

 

 . . . ugh

 

Surgery was scheduled for June.  We successfully made it to the car (which was like a mile away) without any more incident where  Bryn promptly fell asleep.

Conquering my fears

I'm very afraid of heights. We're not talking a little bit - I get serious anxiety leaning over a balcony railing. So, when my husband suggested we take our 2-year-old rock climbing (she's been asking to go) I thought he was insane. But, he assured me that its perfectly safe. So, on Friday afternoon, we met some friends, my brother and his gf in the mountains. They strapped me up and made me go first. The climbing part was ok - until I looked down. I only made it up about 15 feet before I was begging to come down. And coming down was tricky too - I had to let go of the rock, push my feet into the side of the cliff, and hold my legs out straight. Then, I just "walked" right down the mountain. Ha. Easier said than done. It took me quite a while to get that courage up. But once I actually did it, I'll admit that it was very fun.
After me was Gracelin's turn. She excitedly strapped on the harness, and started right up. She caught on quite quickly, and had a blast climbing up. Of course, we "helped" her along a bit, by pulling the rope up, but she was climbing in a sense - and loving every minute of it. She made it much higher than I did, and made it a point of telling me so.

Not wanting to be shown up by my 2-year-old little girl, I tried again after everyone else got a turn. This time, I made it much higher before I looked down. Of course I was again paralyzed with fear. But coming down was much less scary.

Funny thing is: ever since, I've been dying to go back. I even got a new pair of climbing shoes from my favorite obsession, steepandcheap.com. I think though that we may try the climbing gym next for some work on the basics, but we do plan on conquering the cliffs again soon. G and I are hooked.

I love my kids, but . . .

. . . they're going to be the death of me. If I don't die of embarrassment, I'm sure something else will do me in.

G is at the age right now where she's bound to say something that makes me want to hide my face. For example, what she did to me on Sunday: We had barely sat down in the pew at church when she announced that she had to go potty. So, I took her. But, she insisted on going herself. I stood outside and held the door. She had a bit of difficulty maneuvering herself and her fru-fru Easter dress, and ended up peeing on herself and the floor. I cleaned up the floor, then ran her home to change clothes. We were back at church only 15 minutes late, but a few minutes later, she had to go again. This time Daddy took her. After she was finished, she came running back to tell me, in her loudest almost-3-year-old voice "I didn't pee on the floor this time!" I could hear snickers coming from 3 rows back.

And then there are the embarrassing things she does while playing. The girls got several rubber duckies for Easter this year, and ended up with 2 big ones and several little ones - naturally a mommy, daddy, and babies. I watched her playing innocently. She'd lined them up, and was pushing them as they "swam" across the kitchen floor. So sweet. Then I watched as she picked up a pencil and began stabbing the big blue ducky. I asked her what was going on, and she told me "the mommy duck is mad at the daddy duck, so she's killing him with this pencil!" Ahhh! I hope she doesn't play like that at daycare. People are going to start to wonder what goes on at our house.

Oh, and did I mention a few weeks ago, when I was signing the girls in at daycare. G asked me if I'd remembered to wear my panties that day. The director peeked around the corner and laughed (I'm sure wondering if I often forgot my panties).

I guess being the mommy of a preschooler means lots of embarrassing moments. Good thing she's such a sweetie.

The past few days

I've been lax at updating this weekend.  But, we had a busy few days, and I'd like to update a bit.  How about a recap:

 

Thursday:  Ben's birthday

Ben turned 30, and had the day off.  He spent the morning hiking [url=http://www.utah.com/hike/mt_olympus.htm]Mount Olympus[/url].  I'd arranged for him to spend the afternoon at my [url=http://www.segolilydayspa.com/]favorite day spa[/url] for a massage.  I was somewhat worried that he wouldn't enjoy the massage, but he thoroughly enjoyed every minute of his time at the spa.  I don't know why I was worried - who doesn't enjoy a bit of pampering? 

 

I arranged for a baby sitter for the girls, and I took him to Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  Not the fanciest place, but it was what he was in the mood for.  I mentioned to our server that it was his birthday, so as we were finishing up our dinner, she brought a stool with a saddle on top over to our table.  She told him to "saddle up" and then shined a light on him while we wished him a "yeehaw" for his birthday.  I think I was more embarassed than he was though.  It was a fun night.

 

We were finished with dinner by 7:30, and had the sitter until 9 - but we couldn't think of anywhere to go.  We drove around for awhile, and ended up at my sister and BIL's house.  After chatting with them for awhile, we headed home.  We've gotten boring in our old age.

 

Saturday - hike with the girls:

And wouldn't you know it - my camera batteries were dead.  We hiked to the Bell Canyon reservoir - its only about a mile to the lake, but steep enough when carrying a large baby on my back.  About ? way up, the trail crosses over the stream.  Bryn loved the water, and kept saying "wow".  Gracelin kept saying that she wanted to walk, but since the trail was steep and rocky we kept telling her she needed to stay put.  Finally, Ben got tired of hearing her ask (and probably tired of carrying her too) so he stopped and let her hike.  She did amazing, and made it the rest of the way to the lake by herself. 

 

Although the water level was low, the girls loved the lake.  G couldn't get enough of throwing rocks into the water, and Bryn wanted to swim with the ducks (or "quack quacks" as she calls them).  It was a nice warm day, and very peaceful at the lake.  I could have sat there listening to the water rush into the lake, and the ducks and geese "quacking" and "honking" for a very long time.  Apparently the girls felt the same way - poor Bryn sobbed "bye quack quack" as we packed her back up.  G insisted on hiking down, so we let her try.  She actually made it down the entire way.  At one point near the bottom she took a tumble.  I asked her if she was ok, and she proclaimed that she hurt her elbow, knee, bum-bum, leg and back, but she was ok.  And continued to keep on hiking.  She's a tough little girl.

 

Easter Sunday:

Since our families live so close to one another, we split our time between them this year.  The day started with the girls waking up to find that the Easter Bunny had visited.  I got them books, bubbles, and balls (alliteration theme unintentional).  Then we got dressed in their cute, matching princess dresses (I'll try to attach pics, but I'm not sure if it will work) and headed to church.  After a church and a quick nap, we headed first to my parents' house and then Ben's for the Easter frenzy.  G got dessert at both places, and loved the chocolate pie.  Bryn just loved all the attention.  It was a fun day.

 

I'm getting brave . . .

. . . I signed up for a race! My brother and his friend are coming into town next week, and he convinced me to register for a race with them. Its *just* a 5k, but I'm a bit nervous. I have known for awhile that I want to run a 5k - but all along I was thinking that I'd give my body 6 months to adjust before I tried anything competitive. But, I couldn't tell him no.

I registered last week, and them promptly jumped on the treadmill to see if I even could run 3.1 miles. Guess what? I did it. I ran slowly, trying not to push myself and risk injury. And I finished in 40:24. Not a quick pace by any stretch. But I know that I could have pushed it a bit. So, I should at least finish. My goal is to not have to walk.

I'm also doing a weight-loss contest with some of my friends. We all put $20 into a pot, and the winner (one who loses the most pounds) gets all the money. Quite the incentive. We even emailed "before" pictures, along with the picture of the scale showing our starting weight, to the girl overseeing the contest. Boy was that embarrassing. I can only hope that my "after" pictures look much more attractive. LOL

I do plan on winning the contest. I know that seems like quite the lofty goal since I've been the same exact weight for the past 8 weeks. But I think that I'm finally to the point with my running that I'm going to start dropping the weight. My mileage is to the point where it has to be burning significant calories. 3 miles a day is down one pound every 10 days.

I've really been good about my food intake too. I've stuck to my no sugar rule (other than one sinful piece of apple pie). And, I've given up soda. I slowly weaned myself over the past 2 weeks, and today I drank my last one. Its only water to drink for me from here on out. Maybe some herbal tea if I'm feeling like a splurge.

Self-conscious

My husband is a funny man.  When I first met him, one thing about him that was attractive was that he was so confident - but not in a cocky way.  He was friendly to people, and very comfortable with who he was.  Somehow over the years, he has lost this.  Now he is a very self-conscious person. 

 

Take last night for example.  He was invited by a neighbor to go watch the NCAA championship game with some of the "guys" from the neighborhood.  Before he left, he asked me if I thought he looked good enough.  He was wearing a ratty tee-shirt and some bright blue running shorts - which honestly didn't look very good.  So I told him what I thought.  He decided that he needed to change, but most of his clothes were in the washer/dryer (I've given up on trying to meet his laundry needs, but that a story for another day).  He put on a pair of khaki shorts with a grey tee-shirt, and then asked me if I thought grey and khaki went together.  Again, my answer was "NO".  He didn't believe me - and insisted that grey and khaki were a perfectly fine combination.  So I Googled:  "do grey and khaki go together" to which we found - NO - grey and khaki do NOT go together.  So, he was forced to change again.

 

I've never seen him so concerned about his appearance.  I know he's uncomfortable because he's heavier than he's ever been.  And he really doesn't have a lot of clothes (mainly because its difficult to find stuff that fits him in regular stores, and he refuses to buy big and tall).  Sometimes I long to have a husband of a "normal" size.  I know that is unfair of me.  But I can't even wrap my arms around him.  And then there all the health issues.

 

He has tried.  We started the c25k plan together.  I'm on the last week, while he's basically given up.  I don't think he honestly completed one week of the program.  And he starts new diets all of the time.  Just last week he gave me the biggest guilt-trip about drinking soda (I'm now down to just one diet coke a day thankyouverymuch), but then when we stopped for gas yesterday, he asked me to run in and buy him a coke.  I guess he lasted a week.

 

I worry a lot about his health.  His dad and aunt are diabetic, and not healthy people.  And his family does have a propensity for poor metabolism (he has some overweight siblings as well) - so I know it is going to take hard work.  But I really want him to take charge of his health.