Since I'm dreadful about posting anything of substance (you should see the number of non-published posts I have just waiting for me to tweak them with an edit or two), maybe I should just plan to procrastinate on fixing dinner every night by sharing a little blip from our day. Here's today's...
I picked Seth up from school today. We got about 5 minutes down the road and he announced he was going to marry [little girl in his class]. Umm, okay. This is the first time he's mentioned marriage so I perked up a bit. Nevermind that generally I'm attempting my best cross examination to get any information out of him and by about this point in the trip he announces that he just needs some quiet.
So, I asked why they had decided to get married. He responded that they both had gardens at home - a generous description on Seth's part of some tomatoes and not so healthy looking onions, but I digress. Anyway, they both have gardens and liked them and figured they could be farmers. Together. If they can find each other again when they are older.
I let it go, as Seth doesn't like when I dwell on any one subject for too long.
So, once we were at home I waited awhile and braved the conversation again and asked how the two of them decided on this plan. I was just trying to figure out how we got from produce that Seth refuses to eat to a lifetime commitment. He looked at me and said, "Mom, we walked into class together." As though this meant automatic bethrothal.
So, I'm still a bit perplexed. But, Seth's not always overly nice to me. Perhaps a fiancee will soften his attitude toward his Mama?
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
True Story...
I have a meeting for Seth's school tonight. Dave worked all day and then went to the gym on the way home. We will pretty much be passing each other at the door. I've been working finishing up a couple of little projects this afternoon. So, dinner becomes a hodge podge of, unfortunately, junk - more or less.
So, my conversation with Luke went like this...
Me: Luke, do you want chicken sticks or a corn dog for dinner.
Luke: Light orange. [Seriously, that was the answer and I have NO idea to what question!]
Me: That's not an answer to chicken sticks or corn dog. You have to choose one or the other.
Luke: One or the other.
ugh
So, my conversation with Luke went like this...
Me: Luke, do you want chicken sticks or a corn dog for dinner.
Luke: Light orange. [Seriously, that was the answer and I have NO idea to what question!]
Me: That's not an answer to chicken sticks or corn dog. You have to choose one or the other.
Luke: One or the other.
ugh
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Some days are easier than others...
I know I have a great "job." I know there are many many people who envy me (well, not me, but stay at home moms in general). I have three sweet and wonderful boys; a husband who works hard so that I can be at home with these awesome little people; a house to live in; food to eat (even if I HATE the grocery store); and on and on. But, some days are just better than others. Yesterday fell into the 'not so hot' category...
It started like any other day. Got up, got the older two boys up, got their breakfast, supervised tooth brushing and dressing, got shoes on, and sent Seth off to school via the Daddy school bus. Luke watched some television while I mopped the kitchen floor and cleaned a few other things. Then I got myself ready. Next up, I cleaned out some of Luke's clothes that are too small and put them in a tote. Finally, I got Max up and fed and dressed, and eventually we headed out to pick up Seth at school.
Dave had called and said gasoline prices were going up (he'd driven by two different gas stations, one with prices about a quarter higher), so to fill up if I needed to and could still find cheaper gas on my way to get Seth. The cheaper station was on my way to get Seth so we swung by their and it had already gone up. Knew I could find another on the way home so we went on to school and got Seth.
Drove by another gas station, already the higher prices. Drove by a third - they were all basically on my way so I wasn't really insanely driving the gas out of my car to save a couple of dollars. My third and final option had the cheaper gas. And most of the southside was there filling up on gas. I pulled right up to the pump and got my gasoline. No problem. It was leaving that caused a small problem. There was a lady that really wanted my pump. But she blocked me in. So, I sat. This was no big deal - she finally moved. But, Luke's observations were hysterical. He said, "Oooh, she's grumpy." I asked why he thought that and he said, "Her mouth is gruuuuuuuuuuumpy!" And he was right - she had the biggest scowl. But, it was funny to hear a 3 year old calling her out. (well, not to her face, as that would've been rude and not amusing)
So, we head home. This is how returning home from picking Seth up goes: Every. Single. Day. I pull into the garage. Seth is in a booster seat, using a regular seat belt so he can just unstrap and jump out. Luke is in a carseat and needs help unlatching it - there's a lever on the side, etc. So, Seth jumps out of his seat and Luke puts his feet up to block Seth so that Seth can't get out first. Seth breaks through while Luke kicks and screams. Seth runs to the back of the car and checks to be sure the van is in far enough to close the garage door. Luke folds his arms across his chest and pouts (making it nearly impossible for me to unbuckle him), because HE wants to check that the car is in far enough. Every. Single. Day.
This day, after above scenario played out, we headed inside and the boys started playing. I think Seth and Luke really miss each other all morning and they are currently obsessed with the bigger lego blocks so they immediately started building. And then they both wanted one particular block, which there are probably 20 of, but the other 19 would not do. Then there was fighting and screaming and crying. I don't know who had the block first. Nor do I care as the blocks are plentiful. But, Luke (yes, the younger one) came after Seth (yes, the older one) and sent Seth into an [I'm tired because I've been at school learning and playing all morning] tailspin during which Seth announced that he would like for Luke to be sold at a garage sale. Ugh.
I threw together some lunch, clinging to the hope that everyone would just eat and then go rest peacefully. I was noticing that the earlier mopped kitchen floor was still not clean so I wanted to mop again but there are no doors to close everyone out of the the kitchen so I can't do it when everyone is up, especially not Max. So, I got the boys their lunch. Luke had his head down on the table part of the time and I let myself get all excited about how he was going to take a great nap. Max always naps and Seth plays (semi) quietly in my bedroom, so I was looking forward to some quiet mopping time. How pitiful is that that I was looking forward to mopping time?
Anyway, I got everyone settled into bed and it became apparent that Luke, who chose to go to bed in only his t-shirt and underwear, was not going to sleep. And that's okay, but we are really working on Luke staying in his room quietly for awhile. It's a good break for all of us and he can be in his room looking at books or playing quietly with cars. Luke just isn't good at staying in his room. I had to stop mopping/tidying multiple times to get him back into his room. Finally, I could hear him (there's a monitor in their room) talking and playing. I was so glad he had finally settled down and was staying put in his room.
Then I heard his door open. I went to the stairs and saw him standing at the top of the stairs. My view looking up from the bottom of the stairs? Luke. In a t-shirt and underwear. Slathered in shiny oil. Looking like a well-greased three year old body builder. Holding the bottle of Vitamin E oil. Giving me his sheepish grin and a little, "I got some on me." Uh, ya think? I told him to march back into his room. Then it occurred to me that he was going to get everything in his path greasy. I quickly ran up the stairs to his room and told him to stand still. That's when I noticed he had pulled the tote of clothes over to his dresser and stood on the tote to get the basket of band-aids and first aid supplies. He opened maybe 25 band-aids (checking out the pictures, I assume). There were at least that many more unopened all over the floor. I grabbed baby wipes and started wiping his legs - only to discover that it was doing absolutely nothing except sliding down his leg. Bathtime! I ushered him to the bathroom and got him undressed. I didn't think to take a picture until then and it wasn't appropriate so we skipped it. I bathed him and put him in my room with Seth, turned the television on and instructed the two of them NOT to move.
Next, I went down and googled how to get the oil out of the carpet. Dishwashing liquid was mentioned repeatedly so I grabbed a plastic cup, some Dawn, hot water, and an old towel. I was down on my hands and needs scrubbing the oil out of the carpet when his little face appeared in the doorway. He looked at me and very sweetly said, "I think I have poop in my underwear." WHAT?!?
Back to the bathroom to clean up again.
Back to the bedroom to finish scrubbing the carpet.
Next up was Seth's I-don't-want-your-help-with-my-homework.-I-wan't-Daddy-instead rant. Oh goodness. He's five. It's kindergarten. It's writing his name four times. What will this scene look like when it's algebra?
We made it through dinner and Seth was in an oddly agreeable mood for that. Thanked me for making dinner and raved about how great it was. He even told Luke that Luke was missing out by not eating it. It was meatloaf. Bizarre.
I was excited that it was my scheduled walking night. I'm a stress eater and the donut holes and I had had a rough afternoon. See above. We decided to do our usual - Gretch picks mom up, they drive to my house, we all walk mom a couple of miles back to her apartment, and then Gretch and I walk back to my house - usually through some neighborhoods, etc.
Gretch came in the door and said it was National Chocolate Day and we should just go for coffee. I have really been wanting another Salted Caramel Mocha since I tried it last week and the idea didn't sound half bad! I think we all wanted to, but no one wanted to be the one to opt for high calorie drinks rather than exercise. So, we set out for our walk. It seemed really dark. Darker than usual. Maybe just because it's getting darker earlier and it used to be a little light when we started. But last night it was not light at all. My neighborhood was fine. Next we have to walk on a main road. There's a little stretch with no sidewalk and I forgot my tiny flashlight. No big deal. We got over to the part with the sidewalk just fine. The sidewalk is pretty far off the road so the traffic isn't a problem. But there are not many lights on the main road. Actually, when I drive home that way I often think about how dark it is and how crazy we must look.
We were not far down the road when a car drove by and honked. We get a lot of that. Usually rusty old beat up clunker cars whose drivers must have nothing better to do than annoy people who are out exercising. But, this horn sounded odd and when it drove by it was a police car. And not a beeping horn but more of the siren/horn. We were annoyed that a police officer would honk to annoy us. And then he started shining his spotlight ahead of us on the side of the road, in the trees, on the sidewalk, etc. The dark and the police freaked us all out and we took a vote and opted to turn around, avoid the area where he was shining the light, and head back to my house. We walked 1.25 miles. Whoo hoo.
I was so mad that we got scared by a police car. And a police spotlight. And then after a little visit in my kitchen, sans coffee, my sister took my mom home, where there were multiple police cars at the entrance to my parents' apartment. So, it's back to the indoors and the treadmill for us! My parents move starts this week so we are hoping their new neighborhood might be better lit and more suitable for walking.
All that to say, some days are just easier than others!
It started like any other day. Got up, got the older two boys up, got their breakfast, supervised tooth brushing and dressing, got shoes on, and sent Seth off to school via the Daddy school bus. Luke watched some television while I mopped the kitchen floor and cleaned a few other things. Then I got myself ready. Next up, I cleaned out some of Luke's clothes that are too small and put them in a tote. Finally, I got Max up and fed and dressed, and eventually we headed out to pick up Seth at school.
Dave had called and said gasoline prices were going up (he'd driven by two different gas stations, one with prices about a quarter higher), so to fill up if I needed to and could still find cheaper gas on my way to get Seth. The cheaper station was on my way to get Seth so we swung by their and it had already gone up. Knew I could find another on the way home so we went on to school and got Seth.
Drove by another gas station, already the higher prices. Drove by a third - they were all basically on my way so I wasn't really insanely driving the gas out of my car to save a couple of dollars. My third and final option had the cheaper gas. And most of the southside was there filling up on gas. I pulled right up to the pump and got my gasoline. No problem. It was leaving that caused a small problem. There was a lady that really wanted my pump. But she blocked me in. So, I sat. This was no big deal - she finally moved. But, Luke's observations were hysterical. He said, "Oooh, she's grumpy." I asked why he thought that and he said, "Her mouth is gruuuuuuuuuuumpy!" And he was right - she had the biggest scowl. But, it was funny to hear a 3 year old calling her out. (well, not to her face, as that would've been rude and not amusing)
So, we head home. This is how returning home from picking Seth up goes: Every. Single. Day. I pull into the garage. Seth is in a booster seat, using a regular seat belt so he can just unstrap and jump out. Luke is in a carseat and needs help unlatching it - there's a lever on the side, etc. So, Seth jumps out of his seat and Luke puts his feet up to block Seth so that Seth can't get out first. Seth breaks through while Luke kicks and screams. Seth runs to the back of the car and checks to be sure the van is in far enough to close the garage door. Luke folds his arms across his chest and pouts (making it nearly impossible for me to unbuckle him), because HE wants to check that the car is in far enough. Every. Single. Day.
This day, after above scenario played out, we headed inside and the boys started playing. I think Seth and Luke really miss each other all morning and they are currently obsessed with the bigger lego blocks so they immediately started building. And then they both wanted one particular block, which there are probably 20 of, but the other 19 would not do. Then there was fighting and screaming and crying. I don't know who had the block first. Nor do I care as the blocks are plentiful. But, Luke (yes, the younger one) came after Seth (yes, the older one) and sent Seth into an [I'm tired because I've been at school learning and playing all morning] tailspin during which Seth announced that he would like for Luke to be sold at a garage sale. Ugh.
I threw together some lunch, clinging to the hope that everyone would just eat and then go rest peacefully. I was noticing that the earlier mopped kitchen floor was still not clean so I wanted to mop again but there are no doors to close everyone out of the the kitchen so I can't do it when everyone is up, especially not Max. So, I got the boys their lunch. Luke had his head down on the table part of the time and I let myself get all excited about how he was going to take a great nap. Max always naps and Seth plays (semi) quietly in my bedroom, so I was looking forward to some quiet mopping time. How pitiful is that that I was looking forward to mopping time?
Anyway, I got everyone settled into bed and it became apparent that Luke, who chose to go to bed in only his t-shirt and underwear, was not going to sleep. And that's okay, but we are really working on Luke staying in his room quietly for awhile. It's a good break for all of us and he can be in his room looking at books or playing quietly with cars. Luke just isn't good at staying in his room. I had to stop mopping/tidying multiple times to get him back into his room. Finally, I could hear him (there's a monitor in their room) talking and playing. I was so glad he had finally settled down and was staying put in his room.
Then I heard his door open. I went to the stairs and saw him standing at the top of the stairs. My view looking up from the bottom of the stairs? Luke. In a t-shirt and underwear. Slathered in shiny oil. Looking like a well-greased three year old body builder. Holding the bottle of Vitamin E oil. Giving me his sheepish grin and a little, "I got some on me." Uh, ya think? I told him to march back into his room. Then it occurred to me that he was going to get everything in his path greasy. I quickly ran up the stairs to his room and told him to stand still. That's when I noticed he had pulled the tote of clothes over to his dresser and stood on the tote to get the basket of band-aids and first aid supplies. He opened maybe 25 band-aids (checking out the pictures, I assume). There were at least that many more unopened all over the floor. I grabbed baby wipes and started wiping his legs - only to discover that it was doing absolutely nothing except sliding down his leg. Bathtime! I ushered him to the bathroom and got him undressed. I didn't think to take a picture until then and it wasn't appropriate so we skipped it. I bathed him and put him in my room with Seth, turned the television on and instructed the two of them NOT to move.
Next, I went down and googled how to get the oil out of the carpet. Dishwashing liquid was mentioned repeatedly so I grabbed a plastic cup, some Dawn, hot water, and an old towel. I was down on my hands and needs scrubbing the oil out of the carpet when his little face appeared in the doorway. He looked at me and very sweetly said, "I think I have poop in my underwear." WHAT?!?
Back to the bathroom to clean up again.
Back to the bedroom to finish scrubbing the carpet.
Next up was Seth's I-don't-want-your-help-with-my-homework.-I-wan't-Daddy-instead rant. Oh goodness. He's five. It's kindergarten. It's writing his name four times. What will this scene look like when it's algebra?
We made it through dinner and Seth was in an oddly agreeable mood for that. Thanked me for making dinner and raved about how great it was. He even told Luke that Luke was missing out by not eating it. It was meatloaf. Bizarre.
I was excited that it was my scheduled walking night. I'm a stress eater and the donut holes and I had had a rough afternoon. See above. We decided to do our usual - Gretch picks mom up, they drive to my house, we all walk mom a couple of miles back to her apartment, and then Gretch and I walk back to my house - usually through some neighborhoods, etc.
Gretch came in the door and said it was National Chocolate Day and we should just go for coffee. I have really been wanting another Salted Caramel Mocha since I tried it last week and the idea didn't sound half bad! I think we all wanted to, but no one wanted to be the one to opt for high calorie drinks rather than exercise. So, we set out for our walk. It seemed really dark. Darker than usual. Maybe just because it's getting darker earlier and it used to be a little light when we started. But last night it was not light at all. My neighborhood was fine. Next we have to walk on a main road. There's a little stretch with no sidewalk and I forgot my tiny flashlight. No big deal. We got over to the part with the sidewalk just fine. The sidewalk is pretty far off the road so the traffic isn't a problem. But there are not many lights on the main road. Actually, when I drive home that way I often think about how dark it is and how crazy we must look.
We were not far down the road when a car drove by and honked. We get a lot of that. Usually rusty old beat up clunker cars whose drivers must have nothing better to do than annoy people who are out exercising. But, this horn sounded odd and when it drove by it was a police car. And not a beeping horn but more of the siren/horn. We were annoyed that a police officer would honk to annoy us. And then he started shining his spotlight ahead of us on the side of the road, in the trees, on the sidewalk, etc. The dark and the police freaked us all out and we took a vote and opted to turn around, avoid the area where he was shining the light, and head back to my house. We walked 1.25 miles. Whoo hoo.
I was so mad that we got scared by a police car. And a police spotlight. And then after a little visit in my kitchen, sans coffee, my sister took my mom home, where there were multiple police cars at the entrance to my parents' apartment. So, it's back to the indoors and the treadmill for us! My parents move starts this week so we are hoping their new neighborhood might be better lit and more suitable for walking.
All that to say, some days are just easier than others!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Too good not to share
I have two new favorite recipes that I feel I must share. These do not belong on a weight loss program, but rather a little splurge day. Personally, I think they're great together, but I have a serious sweet tooth - most of you would probably have that too-much-sugar toothache...
Drink
First up is iced coffee. It's insanely good and easy. With the right creamer you'll think you paid $5 for your afternoon treat. It's a Pioneer Woman recipe. I can't think of anything of hers that I have not loved! I tweaked the amounts because she makes 2 gallons at at time and even I can't drink it that fast, and I added a little flavoring...
While it's chilling go out and buy yourself one of those nice insulated cold cups with the screw on lid and nice heavy straw. That's the only thing I can make mine in, proportionally speaking. Once the coffee is cold, fill your cup 2/3 full of ice. Add coffee nearly to the top. Add 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk and 1 generous tablespoon of your favorite liquid coffee creamer. I prefer the caramel, but that's just me. French vanilla is nice too. Give it all a good stir, send the kiddos to their rooms, and enjoy five minutes of 'me' time.
It's awesome because, while it takes a little while, there's really not much to it. AND, I have this odd mental block where sometimes I get everyone settled for an afternoon rest and I think, "ooh, now I can go get some coffee." Umm, yeah. I've never actually left them (obviously) and the thought never lasts for more than about half a second, but now I don't have to feel guilty about those little mental lapses when "go get some coffee" just means walk out into the garage!
Snack
Okay, brace yourselves. This is my new favorite snack - s'mores caramel corn. The boys love it on movie night. But it would also be fantastic in goody bags, all prettied up with ribbon and bows. Anyway, it's my favorite caramel corn recipe (thanks Jackie!) with some additional ingredients from here. Follow the caramel corn recipe, but take about 2 cups of puffcorn out of the bag before you start. You need a nibble while you're making it anyway. After the caramel corn is done (the 45 minutes of baking and stirring), remove from oven and add in 3 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows and 2 1/2 cups of golden grahams cereal. Place the pan back in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Take it out and stir. The marshmallows should get all gooey and no longer look like little round marshmallows, but rather little ribbons of marshmallowey goodness.
Rather than just spreading it out on parchment paper, line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper and then spread it out. Heat some chocolate. I prefer the Baker's cup of chocolate because it's super easy - you just pop it in the microwave in the bowl it comes in and voila. Drizzle this over the top and then stick it in the fridge for the chocolate to set (hence the jelly roll pan rather than just the parchment paper). After it's all set I store it in a big ziploc in the fridge. Not that it needs much storing between Dave and the three boys (yes, Max is a fan) and me. I'm the worst, I will confess!
So, there you have it - a snack and a drink. Or lunch as I've been known to call it on a rough day!
Drink
First up is iced coffee. It's insanely good and easy. With the right creamer you'll think you paid $5 for your afternoon treat. It's a Pioneer Woman recipe. I can't think of anything of hers that I have not loved! I tweaked the amounts because she makes 2 gallons at at time and even I can't drink it that fast, and I added a little flavoring...
Start with a container that will seal up nice and tight, to avoid a big mess. I use 2 cups of coffee grounds (folgers decaf for me). Put that in the container and then pour 3 quarts of cold water over the top. Seal it up and let it sit for around 10 hours. Did I mention patience is a virtue? After about 10 hours, grab a pitcher, a ladle, funnel, and a gallon jug. Strain through doubled up cheesecloth into the first pitcher. Then strain a second time by pouring through another piece of doubled up cheesecloth into the funnel and into the gallon jug. Now, put the lid on and put it in the refrigerator until it's nice and cold. Patience, patience.
While it's chilling go out and buy yourself one of those nice insulated cold cups with the screw on lid and nice heavy straw. That's the only thing I can make mine in, proportionally speaking. Once the coffee is cold, fill your cup 2/3 full of ice. Add coffee nearly to the top. Add 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk and 1 generous tablespoon of your favorite liquid coffee creamer. I prefer the caramel, but that's just me. French vanilla is nice too. Give it all a good stir, send the kiddos to their rooms, and enjoy five minutes of 'me' time.
It's awesome because, while it takes a little while, there's really not much to it. AND, I have this odd mental block where sometimes I get everyone settled for an afternoon rest and I think, "ooh, now I can go get some coffee." Umm, yeah. I've never actually left them (obviously) and the thought never lasts for more than about half a second, but now I don't have to feel guilty about those little mental lapses when "go get some coffee" just means walk out into the garage!
Snack
Okay, brace yourselves. This is my new favorite snack - s'mores caramel corn. The boys love it on movie night. But it would also be fantastic in goody bags, all prettied up with ribbon and bows. Anyway, it's my favorite caramel corn recipe (thanks Jackie!) with some additional ingredients from here. Follow the caramel corn recipe, but take about 2 cups of puffcorn out of the bag before you start. You need a nibble while you're making it anyway. After the caramel corn is done (the 45 minutes of baking and stirring), remove from oven and add in 3 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows and 2 1/2 cups of golden grahams cereal. Place the pan back in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Take it out and stir. The marshmallows should get all gooey and no longer look like little round marshmallows, but rather little ribbons of marshmallowey goodness.
Rather than just spreading it out on parchment paper, line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper and then spread it out. Heat some chocolate. I prefer the Baker's cup of chocolate because it's super easy - you just pop it in the microwave in the bowl it comes in and voila. Drizzle this over the top and then stick it in the fridge for the chocolate to set (hence the jelly roll pan rather than just the parchment paper). After it's all set I store it in a big ziploc in the fridge. Not that it needs much storing between Dave and the three boys (yes, Max is a fan) and me. I'm the worst, I will confess! So, there you have it - a snack and a drink. Or lunch as I've been known to call it on a rough day!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
13.1
Pre race:
Our "little" adventure started Friday afternoon when Gretchen and I headed downtown to pick up our race packets. We talked on the way about our concerns - oversleeping, the heat, and finishing last. There was no line to get our bibs (were we planning to drool? no, silly - it's the big tag with your number on it) and shirts (to wear that day? oh, no way, as they are long sleeved and it was H!O!T!). It was an all female event and they had some students from a local beauty school there doing free manis and hand massages, etc. so we took advantage of the mani. [Side note, when I got home Seth noticed my nail polish color had changed! I ALWAYS have on nail polish so for him to notice the color difference was funny to me!] We made plans to text each other at 5:15 in the morning, hoping we would worry less about oversleeping that way.
I can't recap Gretchen's night but mine wasn't what I had hoped. I didn't get dinner until almost 9pm. And I definitely didn't get to bed quite as early as I had planned. Once in bed I slept okay for awhile. Then something woke me around 4. I looked at the clock at 4:15 and then I laid there for what felt like forever, thinking of the heat, my two experiences of passing out when I was too hot (when I was much younger), and how much faster everyone else would be than me. It felt like I had been lying there forever. I checked the clock again. It was 4:20. Argh! I laid there until 5:15, never really sleeping again. At 5:15 we texted each other.
My text to her: Good morning?
Her text to me: Hello Sunshine!!
Clearly she seemed more enthused than me. Turns out she was just trying to psyche herself up! We met at my house at 6am and my dad came over to drive us downtown. Thanks, Daddy! It was great to not have to worry about parking (downtown is like one big orange barricade) and not to have an extra car to drive home after it was over.
Race:
There was an opening ceremony at 6:30, but we were too nervous and thought it was a good time to hit the bathrooms one last time. I knew there would be portable toilets along the route. I also knew that if I stopped moving completely after about the halfway point, I wouldn't be able to start walking again!
The mayor started the race at 7am. There were less than 2000 participants so they didn't divide up into runners/walkers. It was a little intimidating as all the runners ran by and I started to feel like I was already in the very back (my fear of being last). After a few blocks though it seemed that we all got a bit more spread out and we were able to pass some people, which was a little boost to the ego. The one mile mark came really quickly. And then we figured out it was the actually the one km marker for the 5k race. [Their course was different so that was the only marker that was confusing]. You can see the course map here. There were volunteers at each mile marker calling out the time and we were pleased to find that we were right on pace with where we wanted to be. We were actually pleased for the entire race. There was also water or gatorade at every mile. We started out in the dark and it was overcast for a little while but it didn't take long for the sun to come out and it to get really warm, then really hot.
We picked out some women who were jogging and walking and decided to just sort of try to keep up with them. They got pretty far ahead of us at one point so we jogged to catch up and it felt really good to use some different muscles for awhile so we kept it up for just a little longer and passed them and we never saw them again. But there were some others that we set our sights on after that and just did the same thing of trying to keep up. Toward the end someone passed us and said she'd been pacing herself off of us the whole race so that made me feel like we were doing okay.
Around mile 10 we were walking through a downtown neighborhood and some woman was standing on the side of the road passing out ice cubes. I know, don't take candy from strangers. But, I wasn't putting it in my mouth, just holding it for a moment. I'm not even sure she had anything to do with the race itself, but she was very popular!
We really felt okay most of the time. We used our energy gel around 3 miles and it made me feel a little strange for just a few minutes. It has caffeine and I get a huge headache when I drink caffeine, but usually not right away. It was more of a spinny head feeling, but only for a little while and then I was good again. We had planned to do it at 3, 6, and 9 miles but we felt good at 6 miles, knowing the halfway point was so close so we skipped it then (probably not smart on our part). We both knew we were getting some blisters on our feet. And we were really warm but took advantage of the drinks at nearly every mile (small drinks to avoid that bathroom stop). But by mile 12 we were really having to work on the mental aspect of it all. We started to count down the blocks after the 12 mile marker. At about 12.5 miles a race official was on the side of the road alerting all that the race had been black flagged and we could "continue at our own risk." I hadn't seen anyone having a real issue with the heat and my mind starting racing to "are they all passing out at the finish line?" Or, "Is it the people behind us?" And then my countdown wasn't helping much anymore. Thankfully, the finish was very near where I had worked downtown so I knew that it was about a block to the turn and then after the turn it was a really long city block and then the finish line. Gretch wasn't as familiar with where we were and at about 12.8 miles she said, "I don't want to quit but I'm not sure I can make it." HUH??? I remember praying - a lot - that she could just hang in. I was worrying about the heat and she was feeling crummy so we slowed down a bit. My goal was to cross the finish line upright, not speed, so just getting there was all I cared about. I told her if she needed to puke, just to do it! But, she said she was okay. We rounded the corner and could see the finish in the distance. About halfway down the block, Gretchen spotted Matt and the kids and I think that really helped! Then I saw Dave and our boys and they were waving and smiling. They turned the clock off on the finish line just about the time we got there (because technically the race was cancelled/black flagged) and had to scan our chips for our time, which was annoying. They gave us our medals, a rose, and a bottle of water. My hands were so swollen that I couldn't get it open and I really considered asking any random person I could find but somehow Gretchen got hers open (her hands were equally swollen) so I had her open mine too. Then we got back to Matt and Dave and all the kids and our Mom.
As it turns out, our spectators did see people having to be helped across the finish line while they were waiting for us. Selfishly, I enjoyed watching some people finish after us, just so that I could say I wasn't last!
When we started the race I felt a little teary - as they said, "go" and I thought, "wow, I am doing this!" I really thought I might cry tears of joy when we were done. Turned out I was so exhausted it didn't even occur to me. Gretchen confessed partway through that when I suggested, earlier in the year, that we do this race she thought I was crazy. But, that being there and doing it, she no longer felt that way! I didn't ask her around mile 12 as I'm guessing she was back to thinking I was insane.
Our "little" adventure started Friday afternoon when Gretchen and I headed downtown to pick up our race packets. We talked on the way about our concerns - oversleeping, the heat, and finishing last. There was no line to get our bibs (were we planning to drool? no, silly - it's the big tag with your number on it) and shirts (to wear that day? oh, no way, as they are long sleeved and it was H!O!T!). It was an all female event and they had some students from a local beauty school there doing free manis and hand massages, etc. so we took advantage of the mani. [Side note, when I got home Seth noticed my nail polish color had changed! I ALWAYS have on nail polish so for him to notice the color difference was funny to me!] We made plans to text each other at 5:15 in the morning, hoping we would worry less about oversleeping that way.
I can't recap Gretchen's night but mine wasn't what I had hoped. I didn't get dinner until almost 9pm. And I definitely didn't get to bed quite as early as I had planned. Once in bed I slept okay for awhile. Then something woke me around 4. I looked at the clock at 4:15 and then I laid there for what felt like forever, thinking of the heat, my two experiences of passing out when I was too hot (when I was much younger), and how much faster everyone else would be than me. It felt like I had been lying there forever. I checked the clock again. It was 4:20. Argh! I laid there until 5:15, never really sleeping again. At 5:15 we texted each other.
My text to her: Good morning?
Her text to me: Hello Sunshine!!
Clearly she seemed more enthused than me. Turns out she was just trying to psyche herself up! We met at my house at 6am and my dad came over to drive us downtown. Thanks, Daddy! It was great to not have to worry about parking (downtown is like one big orange barricade) and not to have an extra car to drive home after it was over.
Race:
There was an opening ceremony at 6:30, but we were too nervous and thought it was a good time to hit the bathrooms one last time. I knew there would be portable toilets along the route. I also knew that if I stopped moving completely after about the halfway point, I wouldn't be able to start walking again!
The mayor started the race at 7am. There were less than 2000 participants so they didn't divide up into runners/walkers. It was a little intimidating as all the runners ran by and I started to feel like I was already in the very back (my fear of being last). After a few blocks though it seemed that we all got a bit more spread out and we were able to pass some people, which was a little boost to the ego. The one mile mark came really quickly. And then we figured out it was the actually the one km marker for the 5k race. [Their course was different so that was the only marker that was confusing]. You can see the course map here. There were volunteers at each mile marker calling out the time and we were pleased to find that we were right on pace with where we wanted to be. We were actually pleased for the entire race. There was also water or gatorade at every mile. We started out in the dark and it was overcast for a little while but it didn't take long for the sun to come out and it to get really warm, then really hot.
We picked out some women who were jogging and walking and decided to just sort of try to keep up with them. They got pretty far ahead of us at one point so we jogged to catch up and it felt really good to use some different muscles for awhile so we kept it up for just a little longer and passed them and we never saw them again. But there were some others that we set our sights on after that and just did the same thing of trying to keep up. Toward the end someone passed us and said she'd been pacing herself off of us the whole race so that made me feel like we were doing okay.
Around mile 10 we were walking through a downtown neighborhood and some woman was standing on the side of the road passing out ice cubes. I know, don't take candy from strangers. But, I wasn't putting it in my mouth, just holding it for a moment. I'm not even sure she had anything to do with the race itself, but she was very popular!
We really felt okay most of the time. We used our energy gel around 3 miles and it made me feel a little strange for just a few minutes. It has caffeine and I get a huge headache when I drink caffeine, but usually not right away. It was more of a spinny head feeling, but only for a little while and then I was good again. We had planned to do it at 3, 6, and 9 miles but we felt good at 6 miles, knowing the halfway point was so close so we skipped it then (probably not smart on our part). We both knew we were getting some blisters on our feet. And we were really warm but took advantage of the drinks at nearly every mile (small drinks to avoid that bathroom stop). But by mile 12 we were really having to work on the mental aspect of it all. We started to count down the blocks after the 12 mile marker. At about 12.5 miles a race official was on the side of the road alerting all that the race had been black flagged and we could "continue at our own risk." I hadn't seen anyone having a real issue with the heat and my mind starting racing to "are they all passing out at the finish line?" Or, "Is it the people behind us?" And then my countdown wasn't helping much anymore. Thankfully, the finish was very near where I had worked downtown so I knew that it was about a block to the turn and then after the turn it was a really long city block and then the finish line. Gretch wasn't as familiar with where we were and at about 12.8 miles she said, "I don't want to quit but I'm not sure I can make it." HUH??? I remember praying - a lot - that she could just hang in. I was worrying about the heat and she was feeling crummy so we slowed down a bit. My goal was to cross the finish line upright, not speed, so just getting there was all I cared about. I told her if she needed to puke, just to do it! But, she said she was okay. We rounded the corner and could see the finish in the distance. About halfway down the block, Gretchen spotted Matt and the kids and I think that really helped! Then I saw Dave and our boys and they were waving and smiling. They turned the clock off on the finish line just about the time we got there (because technically the race was cancelled/black flagged) and had to scan our chips for our time, which was annoying. They gave us our medals, a rose, and a bottle of water. My hands were so swollen that I couldn't get it open and I really considered asking any random person I could find but somehow Gretchen got hers open (her hands were equally swollen) so I had her open mine too. Then we got back to Matt and Dave and all the kids and our Mom.
As it turns out, our spectators did see people having to be helped across the finish line while they were waiting for us. Selfishly, I enjoyed watching some people finish after us, just so that I could say I wasn't last!
When we started the race I felt a little teary - as they said, "go" and I thought, "wow, I am doing this!" I really thought I might cry tears of joy when we were done. Turned out I was so exhausted it didn't even occur to me. Gretchen confessed partway through that when I suggested, earlier in the year, that we do this race she thought I was crazy. But, that being there and doing it, she no longer felt that way! I didn't ask her around mile 12 as I'm guessing she was back to thinking I was insane.
 |
| Finish line! |
 |
| Melting. The car thermometer read 95 degrees on the drive home. Ick. |
 |
| With all the kiddos except Max, who was very content in his stroller. It was really special that our hubbies brought the kids down to see us cross the finish line! |
Post Race:
I'm glad to say that other than my feet I felt okay the next day. Two toes hurt and I had one real blister. Other than that, I was sore, but not in a bad way. Dave was awesome. We had plans Saturday night so he let me/made me rest in the afternoon. Sunday we had my parents and Gretch and her family over for a little celebration lunch. Then later in the afternoon we all napped. It was rainy and cool and perfect for a nap!
Now, time to get back to it. Unfortunately, my little toes are still very sore. They hurt a lot when I wear my walking shoes. Boo!
Friday, September 2, 2011
An Open Letter
Dear Miserable Heat,
Well, you've hung around all summer. You've been a tireless companion, breaking records with all of those days you wanted to love on us. You've caused me to stay inside more than I would have liked. You've likely led to a vitamin D deficiency, which has likely made me a less pleasant person. You've caused me to mutter, "It's just too hot out," more times than I care to recall. You've caused my children to be stuck in the house, learning new wrestling techniques to make me crazy (er).
I tolerated it when you insisted that you go on vacation with me. You even tagged along on my girls trip, causing me to melt five minutes after spending an hour getting all dressed up.
The electric company thanks you for the boost to their economy. The water company didn't even want to deal with you anymore, asking us to just let our grass burn to a brown crisp.
But now, I have a small request. I've been (sort of) patient. I've tried to tolerate your constant presence. However, I beg of you, SLEEP IN tomorrow morning. I know, I know - you can't just stay away, even if it is September. However, it's a small request. I need a few overcast few hours to walk a smidge over 13 miles. After that, I will likely collapse into a heap on my couch, at which time you can go back to wreaking havoc, because once again I will be hiding in the air conditioning.
Smooches, Cara
Well, you've hung around all summer. You've been a tireless companion, breaking records with all of those days you wanted to love on us. You've caused me to stay inside more than I would have liked. You've likely led to a vitamin D deficiency, which has likely made me a less pleasant person. You've caused me to mutter, "It's just too hot out," more times than I care to recall. You've caused my children to be stuck in the house, learning new wrestling techniques to make me crazy (er).
I tolerated it when you insisted that you go on vacation with me. You even tagged along on my girls trip, causing me to melt five minutes after spending an hour getting all dressed up.
The electric company thanks you for the boost to their economy. The water company didn't even want to deal with you anymore, asking us to just let our grass burn to a brown crisp.
But now, I have a small request. I've been (sort of) patient. I've tried to tolerate your constant presence. However, I beg of you, SLEEP IN tomorrow morning. I know, I know - you can't just stay away, even if it is September. However, it's a small request. I need a few overcast few hours to walk a smidge over 13 miles. After that, I will likely collapse into a heap on my couch, at which time you can go back to wreaking havoc, because once again I will be hiding in the air conditioning.
Smooches, Cara
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