Strides

It's official.

You now know a graduate of the Couch to 5K running program.

You really should feel honored.

I know. I know. I've kept you all on the edge of your collective seats regarding this little goal of mine and I'm happy to report that 9 weeks later I can run 30 minutes straight without stopping, which, for me, is approximately 2.75 miles, more miles than I have ever run in my entire adult life.

The hardest part? Ignoring the voice in my head that tells me she's tired. She's now pretty easy to ignore, if you take it one step at time eventually your body takes you there, even when you are dog tired, it's pretty amazing.

What's even more amazing is what you are capable of if you stop listening to all the reasons why you can't do something and focus on your goal. I've always been goal oriented, in the most recent years I forgot that but now that I have set a goal and reached it, I'm addicted. All I want to do is set more goals and reach them. Silly I know, but I really feel like I have achieved something, even if it’s only proving to me if I want something bad enough I can get it.

Running is way more of a mental challenge than anyone will ever tell you – physically you are capable of more than your mind will allow you to believe you are capable of. If you stop and listen to that voice for even a second it will have you convinced this is just too much and you should stop now, grab a latte and head to the mall. Seriously, that voice in my head thinks a sale is way more important than my health. After weeks that voice now sees no harm in 30 minutes of running 3 times a week, in fact it may help with my shopping stamina, endless benefits I tell ya.

This journey just gets easier, sure there are days when I feel like my legs are concrete blocks and running is the last thing on my mind but, doing it, running through that stubbornness, makes the days that are easy seem that much better.

My first official race is October 7th, hoping to finish under 35 minutes without walking. I'll update you with a quality race report, of course.

Oh, and Kyan's birthday was a blast.

This Bounce House? WORTH.EVERY.PENNY!!!!!!!!

Free

Sorry I've been missing.

New job. Bad time management, on my part. No pretending to work while diligently updating my blog, well, at least not until we move back to our office, hopefully sometime before Kyan's high school graduation.

Speaking of that little cutie.

He turns 3 tomorrow.

Free. Years. Old.

Boy it feels like just yesterday I was waddling around the office begging my boss to toss me down the stairs because I was fat and miserable and still working, in fact 3 years ago this minute, we were on our way to the hospital to endure the longest 20 hours of my life followed quickly by some of the best moments of my life.

Three years ago I had no idea what I was in for, what becoming a mother really meant, that I would never again make a decision without first thinking of my babies. The transition, for me, was smooth, well as smooth as one could ever hope for while throwing boobs the size of watermelons at a hormonal sleep deprived woman with a 6 inch slit in her abdomen that could only move out of bed with help from someone else all while trying to get a baby to latch on.

I admit the first few weeks totally sucked but that little feature that makes you fall in love with your baby, that? That, is what gets you through.

Three years later, I look at him and can't believe he is so big, I want to run up to him and cradle him and tell him he needs to slow down, but I can't and I shouldn't. But not knowing what lies ahead is scary, intimidating in fact. The baby thing, I think I have it down, I know how to make one, take care of one, sustain life and hey I even know a little about toddlers but little people? I don't know much about little people. But I'll learn.

It is mostly scary because, little people? They've been known to whine, a lot.

But like other things in our lives we just deal. Some of us just deal better than others – I'll be the one throwing myself on the ground screaming waving my arms around. Psst...Some people call that a tantrum, I call it beating them at their own game.

Happy Birthday Baby Bobo's!!!

P.S. (Do you think I'll still call him that at graduation?)

Polishing Up My Mad Parenting Skillz

Once you become a parent silence has a whole new meaning.

Last night I was finishing up the dishes while Bob was out feeding the dogs, Aspen was at my feet and Kyan headed up to our room.

At first I thought, thanks family finishing up these dishes is quite simple with everyone occupied.

Bob finished up outside, headed in and I had completed my chores as well. That's when it hit me. It was too quiet. You know when your mommy radar goes off and the only thing racing through your head is the fact that you should have known that silence had lasted too long.

In a panic I yell for Kyan as I dart towards the bedroom.

Then I hear it.

The scream.

The scream that means, I'm in pain, not at all to be confused with the "I'm tired", "She took my toy"or "I'm mad" screams. This scream has a distinct tone one that sends your heart racing to your baby for fear he has been injured so severely the hospital is the only option.

As I reached the bathroom the screams were louder and the crying had started.

My baby, the boy who made me a mother, was hurting. I couldn't get there fast enough.

In what seemed like an eternity I finally reached him, he was laying down in the shower in a puddle that appeared to be water. Kyan was hysterical and not at all understandable, but he was in my arms, safe.

I took a deep breath and realized my son, my first born, the boy who made me a mother had emptied the entire contents of an extra large bottle of Johnson & Johnson's bedtime bath onto the shower floor then proceeded to try to walk through it and had a little accident.

Nose meet unsuspecting cup. Cup meet Kyan's nose.

The cup is doing fine, not even a scratch.

Kyan on the other hand looks like he may have had a little altercation over some juice on the playground. He's tough but I'm not sure the boys on the playground will ever forgive him for smelling like a lavender bush, the kid reeks of lavender.

Here's the little bugger, bruise and all.

This picture really doesn't do the bruise any justice, I'll have to take another now that the bruise has had more time to develop.

Warm Fuzzies

Now with free sand!

It is really clear that we don't see the sun too often here in this area apparently there is a right and wrong direction as to avoid unsightly shadows. By the end of the weekend I was doing better but I'm sure I'll have forgotten again when the sun shines again, say sometime mid June of 2008.

And although there is a 'rule' about shadows, sometimes breaking those rules makes for an interesting capture.




Jump! My 2 year old wouldn't jump straight up to get a good shot but his best friend T indulged me!

Aspen didn't really want her picture taken all weekend but I still managed a few surfer girl shots!

Because He thinks he's funny

WARNING: Do not read any further if you are easily offended. No, really stop now!

You can imagine my surprise when Bob came to me the other night excited and exclaiming he had created Kyan's Birthday invitation.

"You did? Really? Show me!"

"I didn't print it."

"Oh, you liar you didn't make it. I'm going to bed." And off to dreamland I went waking to find this horrifying 'thing', which my dearest husband claimed as Kyan's invitation, laying on the counter.

At first I was mortified, then angry, then couldn't stop laughing and I still think it's funny but in such a sick way. I mean we had discussed a motocross theme for his party and for those of you unfamiliar with Skin it's a company that sells stuff for motocross, see how technical I got just then? I guess I assume that is what they sell, 'stuff'.

In any event, Bob and I finally collaberated and came up with a slightly less risque invitation.

Open letter to my new job

Dear New Job –

I have to admit our first week together was a bit rocky. You really needed an IT person to help us get off on the right foot but instead you got me, a person who hates to read directions but thrives on a challenge and, Job, you offered me a challenge by golly, one I never in my life thought I was capable of completing but I did. Two routers and two networks later I officially got the temporary office set up so we never have to be plugged in and if I desire to print while using the restroom, I can, and I’m proud to say I did it all by myself.

Job, you really do suck but you keep me busy and the mind numbing boredom I was facing this summer really needed a facelift and, Job, you provided that for me, so I forgive you that you totally suck. Job what I really dislike about you is that you provide me with people I actually have to interact with and normally this would be a bonus but when those people are men who think they can ignore me, I get my panties in a bunch and my panties in the wrong place always makes me cranky.

Job, please know I don’t think you are all bad, there are things that are wonderful about you. You take me away from my computer which, my eyes can’t seem to thank you enough, and my body, it’s rejoicing as well. Apparently, when you walk 5 flights of stairs 20 or so times a day your body can’t seem to do anything but lose weight. Amazing amounts of weight, in fact, have been shed by my body. I dreaded the thought of having to eat Subway everyday, but Jared is right, diet and exercise are the right way to lose weight. Job, thank you for all this exercise not only is it good for me it makes my day fly by.

Job, please do one thing for me, hurry up! I'm starving!

Sincerely,
Slightly Disgruntled yet Slimmer Employee

Notes from the Abyss

Hello there!

Has it really been over a week since I have updated y'all? Boy time sure does fly when you are busy.

Well, let's see, we went to ocean as noted in the previous post but most of my hours have been spent being sucked into the vortex at work, which is the main reason for my tardiness, it seems that keeping up a blog during work hours proves quite difficult when you have work coming out the wazoo and, for that, I apologize. Things are getting settled again on the job front and I plan to never be this tardy again. You'll forgive me, won't you?

I seemed to have missed a lot, for starters I've missed monthly updates on both the babes. They are fine, even better than fine, they are these little beings who really enjoy each others company and have really started to interact and that makes for a very interesting home life, one that doesn't lend itself to much free time to blog, again with the excuses but readers, if any of you are still out there, I'm sorry! You'll forgive me, won't you?

We had a grand labor day weekend! Our friend Aislin had a BBQ at a state park and it was super, good food, good friends and more good food, there was no way one could go wrong.

On Sunday we headed to the fair.

I don't know about you but I love me some fair.

I'm not sure what exactly I like but I always leave wanting more, more of what I am not sure. Seriously I heard more cuss words in a two hour window than my virgin ears could stand, is it really necessary to yell at a 4 year-old and emphasize with a cuss word? It's not that I don't get parents losing their cool with their children screaming and whining it just leaves a really bad taste in my mouth when I see mothers losing their cool in public and saying things I wouldn't dare in private to their young children, it makes me wonder what happens behind closed doors, then I get sad and have to run back to soap salesman to find my happy place.

Speaking of soap...

One of the reasons I love the fair is the cleaners. In my former years I was a little obsessive about keeping things clean then I married a slob and gave up that battle but I still love me some good cleaners, although I shy from actually buying them because that would mean I actually need to clean with them but I love me a good sales pitch especially one that includes both kids sound asleep in the stroller.

Of course, Bob and I found ourselves with nothing to do but peruse the booths and find us some hope in a bottle. After all, isn't that what those soap salesman are selling? Hope. I, as the good hearted American I am, love hope, especially the sort that is packaged in such a way that makes me believe with every fiber of my being that little bottle is the answer to my cleaning problems. Usually while listening to their spiels I forget what it actually takes to get my shower clean, it's not some miracle chemical, although sometimes they help, it is actual work that is the answer but somehow while captivated by their five minute presentation I forget that work is always involved. I usually take the product home and it sits there in my cabinet not cleaning my shower, although if I actually used some on my shower the shower might actually get clean.

This is where Bob comes in. Bob loves him a good sales pitch, if you have a good pitch Bob will buy every time. Bob bought the shower cleaner. This is where the similarity between he and I ends, get this, he hasn't stopped cleaning since we got home.

The first night he stayed up until 1:30 am cleaning the shower, it now sparkles!!!

My windows? They sparkle too!

My mirrors? Yep, sparkle!

The fair is more magical to me than ever before, my husband can't stop cleaning!

And when he's not cleaning he is teaching Kyan to take baby for rides on his four wheeler.

Or he's teaching Kyan what can happen if Mom, Dad and Nana get too engrossed in a conversation! Then Kyan gets tricky and decides to teach everyone at preschool. If it were real school, we would be in the Principal's office listening to how our child is super creative but a tad distracting to the other children trying to learn, oh I can't wait! But who could get mad at him? With a smile that cute? Me either!

Psst. The cleaner. It works on 2 year-old's, too!