S'up

Both Tiburon and Ruhiyyih (emailing my post, so I can't link - but they're in my sidebar) did a fun tag that I'm copying in an attempt to get myself blogging again.  Ruhiyyih assigned me a letter - the letter "S", and I have to come up with 10 things I like that begin with that letter.  Here goes:

 

Salad - I absolutely love salad.  It really is my favorite food.  There are so many things you can throw together and toss up - endless combinations - that is never gets boring.  And its usually (relatively) healthy, which is an added bonus.

 

Sleep - It seems I can never quite get enough of it, but I love my sleep.

 

Shoes - I'll admit it - I'm a total shoe person.  No matter how fat and out of shape I am, I know that my feet size is still the same.  I love fun, cute shoes.

 

Swimming - Hands down, swimming is my favorite workout activity.  I love the peace and quiet of being under the water with just the sound of my breathing and my thoughts.  Its very therapeutic for me.

 

Soup - I must be super hunger today, because I just keep thinking about foods.  Or maybe its because its cold today, and nothing is better on a cold day than a cup of soup.  Yummy!

 

Skiing - I totally love to ski.  I didn't learn until I was an adult - some friends and I took skiing as a class in college.  I'm not the world's best skier, but it doesn't stop me from loving it.

 

Snow - Again, most people think I'm crazy, but I love cold snowy days.  I think they're beautiful.  I should move to Alaska - I'd love it!

 

Shopping - Totally my favorite hobby.  I'm such a happy person when I'm shopping, even if its just for boring stuff, like groceries.

 

Snakes - I know, another weird one.  But I love snakes - I think they're the most interesting animal.

 

Sillies - I love when my girls get the sillies.  There is nothing better than my kids' giggles.

 

 

And, just for fun (and to totally copy Ruhiyyih), here are 10 things I hate that start with the letter "S".

 

Sunshine - I'm a total vampire because I hate bright, sunny days.  I have really sensitive eyes, and I literally cannot see outside when it is really sunny.  I know I'm a psycho, but that's just how it is.

 

Snoring - I cannot sleep when someone is snoring, because it keep me awake.  Don't mess with my sleep - I love me my sleep (see above).

 

Spiders - I'm absolutely terrified of spiders.  Its a good thing I have a brave 4 year old daughter who graciously kills them for me.

 

Secrets - I hate secrets.  I think I'm pretty good at keeping them, but it kills me.  And I hate when people won't tell me something too.

 

Stories from my head - At bedtime, G always wants me to tell her a story from my head (i.e. one I make up on the spot).  I love reading her books, but I simply cannot come up with a story on the spot.  I must lack that creative gene.

 

Scales - They're not my friend.  I hate even stepping on them.

 

Small-talk - There is nothing more inane to me than having to chat about the weather with someone.  UGH.  Get me some interesting conversation or just shut up.

 

Sundays - I probably shouldn't admit this, but I think Sunday is the most boring day ever.  I feel like all we do is hang around the house and watch TV. So BORING!

 

Smog - Every winter, there are a few days where the smog gets really bad.  The air is literally brown, and it hurts to breathe.

 

Stock Market - I don't even check my 401k and Roth anymore.  I think I've lost 1/2 of my life savings, which wasn't that much to begin with.  Maybe I'll start putting it away in my mattress - it is probably more secure that way.  Of course, when the economy turns around, and I triple my money in a year, this will move to the like category (trying to remain optimistic).

 

 

This is really taxed my brain, but it was fun.  If anyone wants to play along, just let me know and I"ll assign you a letter too.

Bok bok

When I called my husband today and told him that I thought we should get some chickens, he laughed. But I wasn't kidding. I tried to tell him that I was serious, but he didn't buy it. Finally, he told me that we could get chickens if he could get a goat. Now he was just mocking me.

Thing is - I am serious. I would love to have a few laying hens so that we could have healthy eggs to eat, where the chickens haven't been pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, and haven't been fed their brothers and sisters for dinner. Did you know that fresh eggs from organic birds have yolks that are much more yellow in color than the store-bought, non-organic kinds. They're also much healthier for those of us who are eating them, and the birds have much happier lives. Besides, if there ever is a natural disaster, and we're unable to get food from the store, it will just be one more way we can be self-sufficient.

Do I just sound like a fundamentalist now?

Havin' Some Fun Now!

Its me - I'm still around. I'm just still struggling to get myself out of the funk that I've been in. I'm not depressed, or anything like that - I just don't have the desire to blog that I once had. I've also been trying not to log into blogger from work, and that is pretty much the only time that I blog. I'm actually sending this one from my email. I'm sure I'll snap out of it soon.

In the mean time, life has been good and lots has been going on. We took the girls rollerskating last night and it was way less ghetto than I was expecting - the place was packed. Neither girl had ever been, and it was actually quite comical to watch them slipping and sliding all around. We went with some friends who's kids have their own skates, so they were much better than my kids and G got a little frustrated. It was hard work too - I actually broke a sweat. But this morning, she told me that she was anxious to go back - I think I may buy them some skates for their birthdays. I staked around a bit too - Ben told me to skate so they could watch me, and it was fun to see that mommy could still do the YMCA with the best of the teenagers.

I also got the chance to go to a showing at the Sundance Film Festival this past weekend. I had a friend working, and she got us into a screening. We didn't really know what we were going to see, and when we got there, it was a bunch of short movies. But, it was fine - I was out on a Saturday night. Then the movies started . . . I think there were 7 movies total. Out of that 7, 6 were completely awful, 3 had graphic nudity, 2 had harsh language (and 3 others were in foreign languages so they may have too), and 4 were so abstract that I had no idea what the film was even about. Overall though, it was a totally fun evening. We all went to dinner afterwards. We dined on pizza and salad, served by the world's worst waiter, in the midst of a snowstorm. But really, it was a memorable night.

I'm glad I was able to have some fun and relaxing, because next week is going to be difficult - I'm going to be a single mom. My husband will be gone for an entire week, helping a friend move states, (before you think he is the best friend ever, he is getting paid to help) and will be gone from Sunday - Saturday. I really wanted to tell him not to do it, but a) we could really use the money for our trip next month and b) I don't know how to say "no" - it isn't in my vocabulary.

{{SIGH}}

In other, completely unrelated news, I think Bryn is finally potty trained. Last night was her first night sleeping in panties. She hasn't had an accident - either daytime or nighttime - in quite a while. She told me that she just isn't going to potty in her pants anymore, and I think she means it. Being stubborn can be good I suppose.

(And continuing with unrelated news) I did sign up to run the Wasatch Back in June, and I'm back on full training. Its been difficult, but only because I feel better than I know I should. I really don't want to get injured again, and since I know that most running-related injury comes from running faster/further/longer than a body is conditioned to do, I'm trying really hard to not come out too fast/far/long. But I feel great, and my body wants to run more. I'm also trying to do more hills - since I'm sure that will be something I'll be running a lot of in the race. And I'm only adding 10% of mileage per week - injuries stay away!

At any rate, life is good and I'm having fun.

Allergic to corn

After my last post, I've had lots of people asking me about my corn allergy. So, I figured I'd answer that question. I recently found out that I was allergic to corn, but I've always had lots of allergies and asthma. In fact, I've taken medicine almost every single day of my entire life, just so I can breathe. Yes it sucks, but I've learned to live with it. Growing up, I was really affected by my allergies - several hospitalizations and really limited abilities. I think my mom tried to protect me too much, and my asthma really affected my life.

As I grew up though, things got a bit better. As a young adult, I finally realized I could live my life. I just carried my inhaler with me as I went, but I learned to ski and I took up running. For about 10 years of my adult life, I finally felt free of my asthma and allergies. I know that sounds dramatic, but I seriously had breathing issues every single day.

After Bryn was born, I started having issues again. It was to the point that I was using my asthma inhaler several times a day - I even woke up needing my medicine almost every night. I decided to visit my doctor. He did a few tests, and referred me to a pulmonologist - she also did a few tests, declared me as one of the most allergic people she had ever seen, and then she referred me to an allergist.

I saw my allergist for the first time last fall. He immediately decided to run a battery of allergy tests, but before I could take them, I had to be off of my medicine for 2 weeks. Completely off. The only way I could do that was to wait until it snowed, which would kill the majority of things I thought I was allergic to.

I finally made it in for my testing this past December. My doctor decided to test me to all the common allergens, as well as several foods. They tested me for 52 different things - up and down the inside of both my arms, the nurse give me tiny pin pricks containing the allergens. She told me that they would check me in 10 minutes, and I wasn't allowed to scratch - she set a timer and left.

As soon as she left the room, the itching began. I'm not talking a mild itch either - this was a burning, horrible itch, that took all my strength not to scratch. I was sitting with my fists clenched resisting scratching with all my might. My arms were seriously on fire, and I could feel the fire spreading up my shoulders, my neck and into my face. My neck started itching, my lips, and I could feel a hive on the roof of my mouth. My nose started running, and my chest felt tight. Almost every one of the "pin pricks" had turned into a huge welt - and some were spreading around to the other side of my arms.

About the time I decided I was going to die, the nurse peaked her head into the room to see how I was doing. I had tears streaming down my face, and I told her that I was "not so good". She took one look at me, and immediately called the doctor in. He looked at the timer - only 5 minutes had passed, but he called the test.

The doctor and the nurse set out trying to help me. They first had to classify each pin prick location. The welts were classified by their size on a scale of 1-4 - a "1" was 1 centimeter in diameter, and a "4" was 4 centimeters in diameter. After the doctor classified them, he put cream on the bumps. The majority of the bumps were 4+, meaning they were bigger than 4 centimeters in diameter. Many of them had actually grown together and were spreading around to the other side of my arms. I was miserable, and the cream wasn't helping. The doctor ended up having to give me epinephrine, benedryl, steroids and wrapping my arms in ice, and he made me stay 2 hours to make sure I wasn't going to die.

After this ordeal, he met with me to decide the course of action. However, he admitted that he was stumped, and had no idea how to treat me. Out of the 52 things I'd been tested for, I showed a reaction to 46 of them. He had never seen anyone as allergic as me, and didn't even know what to do. His only suggestion was that I try and eliminate things from my life that I was allergic to.

Corn was one thing that I showed a reaction to. It wasn't even one of the worst, but I figured it was a start. Thus began "operation corn elimination". And I'm not going to lie - it has been difficult. Corn is in almost everything. If you consider the products made with corn: corn syrup, corn oil, corn starch, or just plain-old regular corn, it pretty much eliminates about 90% of all foods. Even things I never even would have thought contained corn (like caramel syrup, used in cola).

Needless to say, it has been difficult, and I have never even been a big eater of processed foods either, but it has been an experience figuring out what to eat. I think that I have been pretty much corn free for the past 2 weeks. On two occasions, I have eaten something that contained corn, and I almost immediately got hives on my lips and down my neck. I think that now that I have it completely out of my system, the reactions are more severe.

But I have noticed a huge difference in my health. I have more energy, and my skin is less dry. I can also breathe! I've needed my steroids a lot less, and actually have made it several days without needed any medicine at all. I've also lost 8 pounds - I think most of that can be attributed to not taking the steroids anymore, but I'm not complaining. I feel really good. I've also found several other people who are also allergic to corn - its actually becoming more prevalent. My theory, is that because corn is in everything, that it is going to cause more health problems.

So there you have it: the long, boring story of being allergic to corn. Be thankful it isn't you.

**PS. If you're wondering why you haven't seen me around lately, I'm feeling pretty much the same as Mindi. Just read her post here - she said it so well.

Middle of the night

Its 1 am, and I'm awake. Normally I would be asleep right now, but my house is freezing. The furnace is just running, but its down to 60 degrees inside the house. I actually tried to go to bed, but it was too cold to sleep. So, I'm here typing with fingers that are almost too cold to type. I tried to diagnose the problem myself. I changed the filter, reset the thermostat and tripped the breaker. But its still just running continuously and putting out cold air. Its supposed to get into the 20s tonight, so I put extra blankets on the girls and Bryn is wearing her beanie.

I wish I knew how to check the pilot light, but the manual didn't show how and I can't find an answer on google. That really isn't something I dare to do myself anyway - I don't feel like blowing up the house tonight. I want to wake up my husband, but he's been so unbearable today that I don't dare do anything else to make him mad. And although the furnace being broken isn't my fault, he'll still be mad at me for waking him up. So, here I sit, freezing, and unable to do anything about it. It makes me mad - I am the type of person who always wants to fix things. It drives me crazy to not be able to fix it. Why is it that the "man of the house" is sleeping peacefully, while I have been pacing for an hour worrying about how much it will cost to get a repairman out on Sunday.

I may have to drug myself to get some sleep tonight.

Emoting

It has been a tough few days for me.  I don't know why, but I haven't felt like myself.  Along with the "funk", I've neglected reading blogs, and obviously posting in my own.  I've got so many thoughts swimming around in my head, but I just can't seem to make them coherent enough to put into words.  So, I'm just going to write.  I'm sure this is choppy (I may not even proof read it).  It probably won't make sense to anyone but me.  But I just want to "talk" about the random thoughts in my head.

 

Random thought #1:  Brynlee. 

 

Poor Bryn.  In the past 2 weeks, she's split her lip open, smashed her finger (I still think she may lose the nail), dislocated her elbow, and gotten a concussion.  How much more can one girl take?  She also ran away from me in church on Sunday, just as the meeting was getting out.  The halls were crowded - too crowded for me to move quickly, but she was small enough to fit through legs and make it to the parking lot, which is where I finally caught up with her.  She's a tornado.

 

She is however getting better at the potty, slowly.  She's been in panties for 2 weeks now, and while she has at least one accident per day they do seem to be getting less frequent.  She has been waking up dry so I know she can do it - she's just too freakin' stubborn.

 

Random thought #2:  Freakin'

 

I've got to stop saying this word so freakin' much.  When Bryn used it yesterday, I realized that it didn't sound great coming from the mouth of a 2 year old.

 

Random thought #3:  Prioritization

 

I need to find a way to prioritize my housework.  I hate housework, but I love a clean house.  But since I hate housework, I save it until the very last of all my other things I have to do (working 1.5 jobs, exercising, spending time with my family) that it doesn't get done very often.  In fact, I'd be embarrassed if anyone came to my house.  Its a freakin' mess. . . er, a total mess.

 

Random thought #4:  Corn

 

I haven't blogged about this, because who really wants to read boring health stuff, but I have recently been diagnosed with an allergy to corn.  It may not seem like such a big deal until you realize all the things that have corn derivatives:  corn syrup, corn oil, corn starch, corn flour, etc.  I'd venture to say that 90% of all processed food items have corn in them - including diet coke (caramel color is made from a corn derivative).  This past week has been my first full week totally 100% corn free.  Its taken me about a month to totally eliminate it.  In fact, I haven't even needed the steroids that I typically take twice daily.  I've lost 6 pounds.  Yay me!

 

But I am really missing my diet coke.

 

Random thought #5:  Exercise

 

I've been really energized about exercising lately.  I signed up for a team relay race in June, and I'm totally pumped to get back into good running shape.  I've been ruining inclines on the dreadmill, swimming and riding the bike.  I've even added a bit of resistance training (which is something that I freakin'. . er, totally hate). 

 

Random thought #6:  Gracelin

 

Gracelin broke the couch at the daycare lady's last week.  It was a nice leather couch, and I know Miss O cannot afford to replace it.  I feel somewhat obligated to replace it, or at least pay to fix it, but we don't really have the money since we're saving for Disneyworld next month.  So, I'm trying to convince myself that it is just her liability for having a daycare.  So, I'm torn.

 

Random thought #7:  Disneyworld

 

I really don't want to go to Disneyworld next month.  I know my husband and kids are excited, but that is one of the last places I'd choose to go.  I've been married for 7 years, and this will be our 5th trip to a Disney destination.  I freakin'. . er, really hate Disney.  Its too crowded and expensive.  I'd much rather take a vacation to Alaska or Hawaii, or some other place mountainy/beachy where I can relax.  Not spend $60 per person per day to be "entertained".  I'm a Disney scrooge.  I think I need to put my foot down next year so that I can take a vacation that I enjoy.

 

Random thought #8:  Freak

 

**I will return to my normal blogging habits shortly.

 

 

Poopie in the pot-tay

Bryn, my dear, sweet Bryn, is a challenging child. She can be the biggest sweetie, which is a good thing, because she can also be the most difficult person to deal with. I'm sure her stubborn nature will be a great thing as she gets older (because that girl does not give up) but right now it is going to be the death of her mommy (because that girl does not give up - have I said that already??)



On top of being stubborn, she's also apparently very fragile. Today, she dislocated her elbow - for the third time. Luckily last time it happened, the ER doc showed me how to put it back in place, which I was able to successfully do today. But I don't think I can take many more injuries. A concussion and dislocated elbow are too much for a week. But I digress, this post is not supposed to be about injuries. Its about poop. Funny how sometimes posts take an entirely different direction once I start writing.



Back to the poop: we've been in the midst of potty training HELL with my stubborn child. It has actually been a full year since she started showing interest in the potty. In fact, I bought her potty seat before she even turned 2. She was great at going in the mornings (in fact, she would be dry about 1/2 the time) and before bath time. I thought we were doing awesome.



The problem is, she never progressed. Occasionally she would tell me she needed to go, but those times were pretty seldom. So, around Christmas time, we decided to step it up a bit: we bribed her with a trip to Disney World if she could learn to go in the potty. Everyone knows that they don't let babies in diapers go to Disney World. If she couldn't learn to use the potty then she'd have to stay home (apparently alone eating cat food, or so she thought).



Thing is, she was just fine with this scenario. She had no desire to be potty trained. In fact, she liked going in her pants, and told me so. She had gotten to where she was fairly consistent with "#1" but "#2" was a struggle. We had a few random successes (mostly because mommy saw her going and would run to the potty in time), but for the most part Bryn refused to poop in the potty.



In December, we went to Vegas for a few days, and suddenly it all clicked. Bryn only had one accident the entire 5 days in Vegas. She even pooped in the potty like a pro (because we all know about professional poopers). I thought we had finally turned the corner. But NOPE. As soon as we came back home, she was right back to potty-ing in her pants.



I knew she could control it too, because she would always hide to poop. Lately, she's been going right behind the new barbie house to go. Nice.



About a week ago, I decided I was sick of throwing away almost new panties (because some were completely un-salvageable). I was on a mission to get Bryn trained once and for all. New Year's day was the first day of total training, and Bryn didn't have one accident the entire day. That was even the day she got her concussion, but she remained accident free. The rest of the weekend though, she'd stay dry just fine. But she did all her poops in the corner by the doll house.



I decided to try bribes - first candy, but she didn't care about that. Then I took her to Target and let her pick out a toy that she could have when she finally went, but that Polly Pocket has just been sitting on the counter for a week.



Until tonight.


I'm working late, and my husband just called to say he's opening the Polly Pocket, and they're running around the house singing:



Poopie in the pot-tay! Poopie in the pot-tay!



She went just fine for him. Apparently she just needed her privacy :)



**I thought about posting a picture with this entry, but decided against it. Aren't you glad!

Resolution

Every year I make New Years resolutions. Usually, they entail different things I want to accomplish: be a better wife and mother, a better housekeeper, a better person. But there is also always one common theme: weight loss. Every year I resolve to lose weight, which I always manage to do. Somehow though, I always end up gaining it back, to where I sometimes have more to lose than I did the year before.

This past year, I had actually done well with my weight loss. I was down a full size, and gave away most of my bigger sized clothes. Then I hurt my foot in August - it was the beginning of a downward spiral that led to a 15-ish pound weight gain (it may be more, but I've avoided the scale). I stopped exercising to let my foot heal, and I started following the "How to get fat in 3 delicious steps (HTGFI3DS)" meal plan. What is the HTGFI3DS you may ask? Well it really is simple:

How to get fat in 3 delicious steps meal plan:

1. Convince yourself that all food consumed from a child's plate has absolutely no calories. We all hate to waste uneaten food from a child's plate. With this meal plan its ok to devour anything your picky child leaves behind - because that food contains no calories. So eat up!

2. Indulge in as many Christmas goodies as your stomach will allow. We all know that Christmas comes only once a year. Why deprive yourself? Christmas goodies are delicious, and since you won't see them again for a year, it is important to eat enough to last you those long 11 months.

3. Chocolate is the best stress reliever. Let's face it - life can get hectic and stressful. What better way to make things seem ok than to sink your teeth into a nice piece of chocolate. Toblerone are the best! Best results if eaten early in the morning or right before bed.

By following this meal plan, your are guaranteed to pack on at least 10 pounds - maybe more. It worked for me! I'm a freakin' real-life testimonial.

I know I'm making light of it, but it really isn't funny. I'm feeling fat and disgusting to the point where I don't even want to go out and be social. Something has to be done. So, this year, I am making just one resolution: to lose the weight and keep it off.

Here's what I'm going to do:

Operation lose the fat and keep it off:

1. Join Tiburon's Biggest Loser Competition. Having to mail pictures of me in my underwear and tell her how much I actually weight keeps me honest. I know that I won't win, but I at least have to be accountable. Humiliation plus the added bonus of a cash prize is hopefully the motivation I need.

2. Find a race to train for. I do like running, but I run with a purpose (ie. further, faster, longer) when I have a reason. This summer, I plan to run the Wasatch Back Relay. In fact, I just turned my money in yesterday and I'm excited. Its a relay race from Logan to Park City - it spans 2 days, and each racer will have the chance to run 3 legs of the race. The course goes over mountain passes and through valleys. It should be so much fun. I'm also thinking that I'll put into the St George lottery again this year too, just because.

3. Revamp my diet. I have recently been diagnosed with some food allergies, and trying to figure out what to eat has been a challenge (I think I've used that as an excuse as well). I've actually been considering starting a second blog tracking my diet along with daily symptoms to track what I can eat. I do plan to completely eliminate sugars from my diet (detox starts Friday) and caffeine as well. Hopefully I can find something that I CAN eat :)....

4. If all else fails, I'm going to try public humiliation: posting my daily weight on my blog. If y'all know how fat I am, it will be serious motivation. But I don't know if I'm that desperate yet.

Wish me luck!

Happy new year?

The last 36 hours of my life have been crazy - I hope this isn't indicative of what the new year will bring. If so, I'm skipping 2009.

The New Year actually started out pretty fun, by going bowling with Ben's family. The girls had a blast bowing and eating "delicious" bowling ally food. I continued my streak of games under 100 by scoring a solid 98. I even took bowling in high school (hey - don't laugh. I was living in Ohio) but I still suck - at least I'm really good at keeping score :)





After bowling, we headed over to my parents' house to play games and to ring in the New Year. The girls really wanted to stay awake until midnight, and I agreed to let them. Bryn made it until about 10 and G fell asleep on the floor some time around 11pm. That is the latest either one has ever stayed up, and I was amazed they stayed up that long.

The New Year came and went without excitement, and I decided to go to bed about 1pm. We were staying at my parents' house, and I went into bed with Bryn. No sooner had I laid down, when I heard something in the garbage cans outside the window. I looked out, and didn't see anything. I decided it was nothing and laid back down. Again I heard sounds, only this time it sounded like something sliding through the snow outside. I peeped outside, but still couldn't see anything. I tried going back to bed, and heard something for a 3rd time - this time, it actually sounded like a man calling for help. Finally, I went downstairs to see what was going on. My hubby and brother were up playing an on-line game, and convinced me I could just hear the game. Not seeing anything outside, I laid down and tried to finally sleep.

I actually did doze off, but about 30 minutes later, the door bell rang. By this time, it was about 2:30 AM. The boys were still playing games, and jumped up to get the door. Standing there, was an extremely intoxicated man with only one shoe on. He was covered in snow, as if he'd been rolling around in a snow bank, and he appeared to have been recently beat up. He asked the boys if they could explain to his friend where he was, because he had no idea and wanted them to come get him.

He went outside to wait for his friends. He was obviously freezing, and starting to sober up. We all went out, and too him a coat to wear while he waited for his friends. As we were waiting, a group of rowdy drunks came out of the house across the street, and apparently that is where he had been partying. But instead of being happy to see his friends, he became agitated. The group started shouting at each other as this guy went over to them. Then, the started pushing each other around again. But, he did get into their car and they drove off, swerving down the road.

I was glad I didn't have to go anywhere.

By now, it was 3am, and I was tired. I went back to bed for the 5th time that night. It took me a few minutes to fall asleep. Just as I started dozing, the friends of the drunk guy showed up for him. UGH!

That was actually the last disturbance, but the girls woke up at 6:51. I was one tired mommy. Regardless, we decided to take the kids sledding. We had been promising, and they were so excited. So, we headed to a hill at a near-by elementary school - a smaller hill with only one tree at the bottom. Perfect for little kids! And they totally had a blast.




After only a few minutes, the girls decided that they were big enough to go by themselves. At first I was a little skeptical about letting them go alone, but they had so much fun. It was relatively safe. At the bottom of the hill, the only obstacles were one tree and a volleyball net, so we did have to be a little careful. But the hill was straight, so I felt confident that we would send the kids down safely. They were loving it.

One time though, I sent Bryn down, and the tube started going crooked. I had put her safely in the center, but for some reason the tube went sideways. I watched as she was heading straight for the tree at the bottom. It was horrible - I stood there frozen and watched her go straight for the tree. She had flipped around, so she was going backwards and had no idea what was coming. She had a big grin on her face as she hit the tree.

It was sickening. She was going fast, and the tube hit the tree first and then the back of her head smacked into the tree. Her body flew up into the air and she flopped like a doll into the snow, face first. I ran there quickly, and scooped her up. Her face was bloody and the force of the impact had knocked the boots right off her feet. I think that was the absolute worst moment of my life. She was sobbing and crying "My head! My head!" She wouldn't open her eyes, and told me that she couldn't see.

I held her, trying to comfort her. I cleaned off her mouth wound with snow, and assessed that it wasn't too bad. Her face was also a little scratched up, and didn't seem to bad. But I was worried about her head. She was conscious and communicating with me and there was no blood coming from her nose or ears, but she wouldn't open her eyes, move her body, and she was so floppy. She needed to be checked out by the ER.

Luckily, the hospital was a short 5 minute drive away - but it still seemed like forever. Ben dropped us off, and luckily I got right in. She continued to scream the entire time we were there, which is unlike her. She gets over things very quickly, and that made me more worried about her poor, sweet head. I got right back to a room, but it took the doctor an hour to see her. I sat there worrying that she was bleeding onto her brain, and every minute I had to wait, I was sure she was suffering more. It was awful, especially since she screamed for the entire hour.

The doctor finally came to see her, and determined that she didnt' have a brain injury. So, he sent us home. We think she did have a mild concussion, but thankfully there is no lasting damage. She still has a headache today, and her neck is really sore. But she's playing happily with her sister and asking if I'll take her sledding again today.

I think we'll wait a few days for that though. I need time to get over it, even if she's feeling better. Ahh. I hope we got all of our excitement out of the way, so we can just enjoy the rest of the year.

Christmas 2008 top ten

I'm so behind in my blog posting - especially my pictures. My old laptop is seriously on its last legs, and even uploading pictures to it from my camera left the possibility of crashing the entire thing. But, I got a new computer for Christmas, and it actually lets me upload pictures. So, Halloween to present pics are forthcoming. To start, here's a recap of my top 10 favorite things from Christmas 2008:

#10: happy girls under the Christmas tree
#9: making our annual gingerbread house
#8: gorgeous sunrises from my front porch
#7: dresses that make my girls feel (and look) like princesses
#6: falling asleep surrounded by Christmas loot

#5: Christmas cookies a la Pioneer Woman

#4: cross-dressing nutcrackers














#3: hugs from happy kids











#2: enough snow (over a foot on Christmas day alone!!) to say we had a white Christmas.

#1: the Barbie house Santa brought. It has already given the kids hours of entertainment!

**I've given up trying to fix the formatting on this post. The more I mess with it, the worse it gets.

Movies vs. reality

Have you ever watched a romantic comedy that was just wonderful - the chemistry between the characters was amazing. You were totally drawn in. You didn't want the movie to be over, and when it was, you felt disappointed in your own life. Maybe even a bit sad that your own life wasn't more romantic and exciting - that you needed more spark?

I know I have.


In a recent article by BuzzSugar, this very issue was addressed. Since the article was short, I'll quote it all here:

According to relationship experts at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, romantic comedies give people unrealistic ideas about love and sex, and cause them to "fail to communicate with their partner."

Psychologists at the family and personal relationships laboratory at the university studied 40 top box office hits between 1995 and 2005, and identified common themes which they believed were unrealistic.
The university's Dr Bjarne Holmes said: "Marriage counselors often see couples who believe that sex should always be perfect, and if someone is meant to be with you then they will know what you want without you needing to communicate it. We now have some emerging evidence that suggests popular media play a role in perpetuating these ideas in people's minds. The problem is that while most of us know that the idea of a perfect relationship is unrealistic, some of us are still more influenced by media portrayals than we realize."

Do you think this is true? Is real-life romance a big ol' letdown? Sure, lots of people like the idea of a perfect man or "happily ever after," but does that mean we're all unable to separate fantasy from reality?

Also, have you ever had an experience that could have been right out of a romantic movie (think John Cusack holding up a boom box)?

I know for me, real-life romance is definitely not a "big ol' letdown" but I will admit that there are times that I wish for more spark. There is comfort and security in knowing that I have someone who isn't leaving me, and I love having a husband who is around. But it would be nice to have a few more heart-pounding moments that take my breath away - I guess you trade those for the comfort of a life-long partner.

And I've never had a "John Cusack holding up a boom box" type of moment either. I have had moments that seemed right out of a movie, but maybe more of a horror or drama - certainly not romantic comedy material. But then again, who has?

Speaking of burgers

Apparently Whoppers are good. So good in fact, that a company has made a cologne that smells just like a flame-broiled Whopper. Its called: Flame by BK. And if you want, you can smell like one too.



If you don't believe me, just read these customer testimonials:

Chris from WV says:
This is the best chic getter ever. I can't beat the horny pregnant hoes off me. They smell me a mile away. Thanks for such a great scent trust me this is a great way to meat woman!!!

Chick Magnet from Hades, AL says:
At first I was a little wary of your product, I mean, I've tried other things to help maintain my "chick magnet" status, such as the infamous "wolf sweater" or maybe just a pair of hot pants, but I really was missing the ultimate compliment to my attire, the Whopper Flame. Now the ladies literally want to eat me, literally....if only they had the fry vat body spray as I'm tired of wearing 5 hour old "Big Mac special sauce deodorant" wearing off and smelling like milk left in the sun for 3 days. It's folks who create stuff like this that are the "real men of genius."

Amanda Creek from Virginia Beach Ink, VA says:
I received Flame in the mail two days ago....yesterday I wore it to work for the first time. As a tattoo artist, our tip amounts vary greatly..... but yesterday not one tip was less than $50!!!!! I know it had everything to do with wearing flame....... THANK YOU!




Now I know what to get my husband for Christmas. And at only $3.99 a bottle I should be able to buy a dozen bottles so that we never run out.

FYI

Just in case anyone is wondering, I'm a whopper virgin. What's the big deal? Are there really that many people in the U.S. who have never had a whopper? Maybe I should be on the commercials. :)

And yes, I've eaten a big mac before - once. It was awful. I really don't get what all the hype is about hamburgers.

Yes Brynlee, there is a Santa Claus

Holiday photo evolution - well, at least the evolution of the pictures on my computer at work.

Here's 2008 - doesn't it seem like Bryn is studying Santa to make sure he's real? I love this one:

Both girls 2008:
The whole family, complete with a real-live reindeer, 2007:
Just under the tree (stranger anxiety year), 2006:
I guess I don't have a 2005 on the computer at work :(

Just G, 2004:

7-up

Carrie (I’d link her blog, but since its private you wouldn’t be able to read it anyway . . .) tagged me weeks ago – and I’m finally getting around to completing the tag. It took me awhile to come up with stuff. I also changed it up a bit – hope that is ok!

7 things I can do:

1. I can do a backwards dive off of the diving board.
2. I can crochet – and I actually like it. I learned at a youth activity in high school, and I’ve made several Afghans since. Totally relaxing hobby, although I rarely have time for it now.
3. I can sing alto and harmonize. I also play the guitar and piano (sort of – since I never practice). There was a time when I was really good.
4. I can lead music well. My piano teacher taught me how to lead music when I was only 7 or 8. Its actually natural to me, and I can tell the timing on a song that I’ve never seen the sheet music to. I’ve lead the congregational singing in church (started when I was 14), lead the children’s singing at church, and I’ve even lead some choirs. Who knew marathon mom was musical?
5. I can ski – snow and water. And I love it. I’m not very good at either one though, but I still have fun.
6. I can do most things with either my left or my right hand – I’m ambidextrous.
7. I can bargain shop for hours. I rarely pay full-price for anything. I have a knack for finding good deals and I love it. Right now I’m wearing some Big Star jeans that I found for $40, and they’re so cute!

7 things I cannot do:

1. I cannot whistle – there was a time in my life when I could whistle. Then I got braces, and I lost the ability.
2. I have absolutely no artistic talent. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Its pretty sad, considering the fact that I have so many artistic family members.
3. I cannot speak foreign languages. For some reason, I have a huge hang-up when it comes to trying to learn a language – I can’t even correctly pronounce the words. I can read and understand that way, but when it comes to speaking I’m lost. I don’t think I could ever live in a foreign country.
4. I cannot lose weight for the life of me. Believe me – I’ve tried. The scale just doesn’t want to budge. I think I’m ready for drastic action.
5. I cannot throw a ball – ok, I suppose technically I can throw a ball, but I do it like a frreakin’ girl. It embarrasses my jock-husband. Apparently I look “re-todd-did” when I try. He’s asked me not to try anymore.
6. I cannot go without sleep. I need a good 7-8 hours a night to function.
7. I cannot cook. I’m a terrible cook, and almost anything I try to make ends up disgusting. My husband can’t even try to eat it. I wish I could be better, so that my family could have some yummier meals. Oh well – at least there’s Café Rio to do it for me.

7 totally random facts about me:

1. I’ve flown a small airplane over the skies of Utah County. I had a boyfriend who had a small plane. He took me on a date once, and let me take the controls of the plane. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life.
2. I’m afraid of deep water. I had a slightly scary experience while fly fishing in the Madison River in Montana. Ever since, I’ve been terrified of large bodies of water.
3. I’m also terrified of heights – like seriously freaked. I get dizzy leaning over a balcony. I’ll subconsciously pick at a hangnail till it bleeds, or bite my lip until I get a sore. Its my least attractive trait.
4. I bite my fingernails and pick at my skin. It’s a terrible habit. I’ve noticed that G does it too.
5. I hate talking on the phone, and avoid it at all costs. I’m sure people think that I don’t like them – I just don’t like talking on the phone.
6. I don’t make friends with women very easily. For some reason, I’ve always related to men easier than women. I have a few really good girl friends, but for the most part, most of my female friends are more like acquaintances. Its been difficult since I’ve gotten married, because it is no longer appropriate for me to hang out with “the guys”. Expect when my hubby has friends over.
7. I am allergic to almost everything. It makes life interesting. A few years ago, I was a youth advisor at church. We had a slumber party with the girls at one of the other leaders’ houses. I was so allergic to her cats that I ended up in the ER the next morning. Good times. (yes, I do have a cat)

7 foods I love:

1. Salad – I know that sounds like a cop-out – I’m sure my readers are thinking that no one really loves salad. But I do. I could eat it every single day.
2. Dill pickles – another totally strange one, I know. But some days I crave them – and so does Bryn apparently. The other day at the store, she cried until I bought her pickles.
3. Apple deserts – it doesn’t matter what it is. If there is apples in it, I have no will-power
4. Pumpkin – along with the apple stuff. If there is pumpkin in it, I’m powerless to resist.
5. Café Rio – I love, love, love anything from that place – especially the salad. I know I’ve already claimed salad as #1, but this seriously deserves a category all its own.
6. Grapefruit. I love me some ruby red grapefruit. I actually eat it like a giant orange. Mmmm. I’m getting hungry.
7. Chocolate chip cookies – especially Paradise Bakery cookies. I have no weakness to those either.

Flashback bloggers

Remember my old Flashback Friday posts? Where I would post old pictures that I scanned in (usually of terrible quality) and then reminisce about them? Well - I've decided to start Flashback Friday again. I like looking through old pictures. And just so I don't bore anyone (we all know how awful it can be to go through other's old photo albums) I thought I'd "shake things up" a bit - by posting flashbacks of some of my blogging buds. I'm also leaving out the names, in case anyone wants to try and guess. The qualifications for these pics, is that they were all prior to the year 2000. So, without further ado, here are some old, poor quality pics and weird blogger spacing that I can't figure out:

This picture was taken in Washington DC, about 1998. We're standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I'm the psycho on the left, and the girl on the right is on my blogroll. She and I were roomies through most of college, and then after we graduated until I got married. She's a fun and crazy person who is now a very successful woman, and I only wish the picture was better.

This next picture was taking in the Narrows at Zion National Park. There was a close wildfire that was casting a strange color to the sky, which is why we all look "fake baked". I'm in the black tank, and the girl in the hat next to me is also on my blogroll. She was also one of my fun roomies, and is now also a successful woman. She was such a genuine person (I'm sure she still is too). And as a side note, check out the stomach my right hand is touching. It was as nice as it looks ;)

Ok - I'll admit it - I only posted this pic because I wish my ass was still that nice (that is me on the right - the one who looks like she's a second away from falling on my butt). But there is also someone in my blogroll in that pic - you can see her face above that guy's shoulder (and don't ask what that guy is doing, because I don't know either). But don't fret: I've got a better pic of her later. . . . dang I wish I could still wear that pair of jeans!

This is another pic of some roomies. I'm obviously on the left, and the girl on the right is also on my blogroll. She is one of the funniest, most spontaneous people I've ever had as a friend. She's now a mommy of 3 beautiful children, but I'm sure she's just as fun as ever!

Ok - here's a better pic of the ice skating girl. She's the cutie in the cowgirl hat - and yes, that really is her hat. We were horseback riding in Jackson, Wyoming. She and I were never roomies (which you might think was the trend here), but we were great friends. She even caught the bouquet at my wedding, and actually was the next one married (but not to that guy in the pic)

This final picture is also a roomie - we lived together in college for just a few short weeks. But she's hilarious, as you can probably tell from that pic. I actually just recently reconnected with her through facebook, and from what I can tell in her blog, she's just as crazy as ever. Good times!

What happens in Vegas . . .

Last weekend, I went down to Las Vegas to compete in the Las Vegas Marathon. Technically, I "only " ran the half, but 13.1 miles is still noteworthy. I actually didn't talk too much about the race prior to it, because I hadn't trained at all. If I did badly, then I just wouldn't have to mention it. And I really was expecting to do badly. Since my foot injury in August, the longest run I'd had was barely 4 miles. I knew I was going into Vegas under trained and unprepared, so I wasn't expecting to do well. Honestly, my time wasn't stellar, but I did manage to run most of it (albeit slowly), so I suppose it is worthy of a race report. Pictures are coming - they're on my camera at home, and will hopefully be up shortly.

The race started on the Las Vegas strip promptly at 6:07am with a fireworks show at Mandalay Bay (on the southern end of the strip). The route began northward up the strip, and the first 5 miles were fun. I was feeling good and strong - the feeling that I was born to run. I intentionally kept my iPod on slow songs to help me keep my pace slow. After 5 miles, the route continued northward, but we were now out of the traditional "strip". The scenery became seedy bars, strip clubs, and wedding chapels - the part of Vegas that most people don't see often. It really dropped my motivation level - running along flat streets with boring scenery wasn't nearly as exciting. I was still able to keep up running, but I was starting to struggle. By mile 7, my injured foot was hurting and I had to pee, so I stopped at a port-o-potty. Stopping was a mistake - I never did regain my stride. I struggled the last 5 miles, and alternated slogging with a brisk walk. The scenery was boring and ugly too - I was running along the back of the casinos, next to the freeway and railroad tracks. Even Eminem's Till I Collapse and Cake's I Will Survive did little to light my fire. I finished just under 3 hours, which is a pretty pitiful time - its a full 30 minutes slower than the SLC half that I ran in April. But I was happy to be done. My brother ran the full marathon, and finished around 4:30. His girlfriend who also ran with us took 14th place in the half - they both pretty much kicked my butt.

Highlights of the race:

1. All the "freaks". There were people running dressed as Elvis, men dressed as women, women dressed as brides (there was a run-through wedding chapel on the route) and even a drunk Native American man running in jeans with a beer in his hand (I'm not sure he was an actual participant). There were actually a lot of people running at the beginning with drinks in hand. The people watching couldn't be beat.

2. The fireworks at the beginning did a lot to get me pumped up and ready to run.

3. The volunteers were wonderful.

4. The field of racers was much less serious/athletic than the average race. I was much more "mid pack" than I normally am.

5. The wonderful high that came when the race was over. Its the reason I run.

Low lights of the race:

1. The shirts - I paid $95 for registration and got a crappy cotton tee. I was expecting a tech tee (that I may actually wear again) for that price.

2. The spectators - there were so few people cheering along the route (there were a few drunk people gawking at us). Even the finish line was pretty pitiful - so few people cheering and minimal crowds. I've been to much smaller races with 10 times the crowds. It was a bit anti climatic to come to the finish line without the cheer of the crowd. The announcer at the end of the race was really annoying too.

3. The route - was boring and flat, which gets tiring on the body after awhile. Hills are good, because they work different muscles. The flat route made me quads extremely tired. The route was ugly too - I guess I'm spoiled from having nice scenery along my runs.

4. The "goodies". Other big races I've run have great goodies at aid stations: gels, fruit, people with Icy Hot to rub on tired calves. There was none of that at Vegas - only water and Gatoraid (which is good too, but not as good).

Overall, it was a great experience, and I'm so glad to have been able to participate. I'm already planning my next big race, although I'll never do Vegas again. There are so many other races that are much more fun.

Meeting Boomer

I have to make an apology to my readers. Yesterday I posted the list of 100 things, and highlighted which ones I'd done. Well, reading through my comments, there was a question from a couple of my readers asking which movie I'd been in. I thought that was funny, because I've never been in a movie. In fact, I didn't even remember that question being on the list. But, sure enough, I had highlighted that. As I was doing the list, I read that question as ever having been to a movie, and I thought how silly that was - hasn't everyone been to a movie? Anyway - I wasn't trying to mislead anyone. So, in an attempt to redeem myself, here is the story of meeting a famous person: the story of meeting Boomer Esiason. In fact, not only did I meet him, I inadvertently went to a Christmas party at his house.

 

I was 17, and a junior in high school.  My sister and I were driving to a dance at our church, but because we were earlier than we wanted to be, we decided to just drive around a bit.  It was raining/misting a bit, and also quite foggy (as it tends to get in Kentucky), and I had also taken some cold medicine that had made me a tiny bit groggy - that is my defense anyway.  The neighborhood we were driving through was hilly, and we were driving down an especially large hill.  At the bottom of the hill, it was quite foggy, but I could see the road continue back up the other side, so I kept driving.  Unfortunately for me, the road dead-ended about where the fog started - and I kept driving.  I ended up getting my very snazzy, green Chevy Corsica (hey, this was 1991) high centered on a large mound of dirt.  All the rocking and engine-gunning I could do did nothing to get the car moving again.  Two of the tires were actually just spinning in air, and there was a large mound under my feet where the car had actually buckled.

 

Great - I was stuck.  And here we were, on a cold and rainy night, stuck on a residential road.  We were a good 2 miles from any type of commercial establishment.  It was raining pretty hard, and I had no jacket (I was too "cool" for jackets back then).  Being that this was well before the days of cell phones, we had no choice but to knock on doors and ask for help.  Just down the road, was a house all lit up.  It was obvious they were having a Christmas party, as there were several cars parked out front.  We chose that house, because surely someone would be inside to help.

 

We nervously rang the doorbell, and who should answer the door, but Boomer Esiason himself.  At that time, he was still the QB of the Bengals, and they were actually a good team back then.  I just about died.  He was so nice, and invited us in.  I told him that I was just there to use the phone, because I had run my car off of the road in front of his house.  I told him that I needed to call my dad, and then probably a tow truck.

 

But, he had a better idea.  He was having a party, and there were several other football players at his house.  Surely they could get my car from atop the mountain of dirt.  About 6 or 7 other players went out to my car, and tried their best to get me unstuck.  But to no avail.  My little Chevy Corsica was no match for the defensive line of the Cincinnati Bengals.  One of the poor guys had on some white pants (it was 1991) and he got really muddy - I felt badly about that.

 

I had no choice but to make the call to my dad.  And I was scared - my dad was a very scary person to me back then, and I knew he was going to be upset.

 

I nervously dialed the phone.  When my dad answered, I immediately spilled out my story:

 

"Dad, I'm sorry, but I ran the car off of the road, and I'm stuck on a pile of dirt."

 

"Where are you?" He asked.  "And are you and Jen ok?"

 

"Yes Dad, I'm ok.  I'm actually at Boomer Esiason's house.  He tried to help me, but the car is just too stuck.  I need some money to call a tow truck."

 

My dad started laughing.  He honestly didn't believe me.  I think I actually had Boomer get on the phone to explain the situation to my dad, but that part is a bit fuzzy.  In the end, he gave me the credit card number and I called the tow truck.

 

While we were waiting, Boomer invited us in and they were so friendly to us.  They asked us where we were headed, and I was too embarrassed to admit that we were headed to a nerdy church dance.  I lied, and told them we were on our way to a party.  Then Boomer asked me if I'd do him a favor - his 17 year old nephew was there visiting from Colorado for Christmas.  He was really bored, and wondered if we'd mind taking him to hang out.  He brought the kid over to meet me, and he was a hottie - definitely a 17 year old girls' dream come true.  But, since I'd lied, there was no way I was taking him to a nerdy Mormon dance at the church.  So, I told another lie, that I wasn't feeling up to partying, and I just wanted to go home.  I missed my chance on that one - I'm sure had he gone with me, we'd have fallen madly in love and lived happily ever after.  Oh well - at least I learned my lesson about telling the truth.

 

Finally, the tow truck showed up.  The driver was actually a kid who used to ride my bus - a kid who I had mercilessly teased.  And unfortunately he remembered me.  He refused to take the credit card information since it was just numbers and not the actual card, and told me that unless I had a valid form of payment he wasn't helping me out. 

 

I was still stuck.

 

That is when Boomer came to my aid again, by offering to pay the tow truck driver for me.  I declined his first off, but he insisted.  So, he paid the driver for me.  Of course I sent him the money back the very next day, but he was very generous and probably not expecting to get the money back.  He was such a generous and kind person, who could have been a big jerk when I interrupted his Christmas party.

 

And that is the story of meeting Boomer.  Did that make up for my lie about being in a movie?