I just don't feel like there's a lot going on right now. Which I guess is a good thing. For a while there, there was too much going on. But right now, my days are pretty dull. J. is out of school for the summer on Friday and I'm a little freaked out about that. Now what? But this year, I want to do a lot of "stay-cation" type things with both kids. They're old enough now to enjoy the activities and for right now they still want to be seen with me in public. Plus I'm always so tired from insane workouts that I feel like by the time J gets home from school, I'm ready to call it a day so it will be nice to get some quality time in.
So, we're going to do lots this summer.
Other than that epiphany, not much has manifested itself to me recently as to what else I should be doing with my life.
I want to decorate the house but I lack the motivation, funds, and talent to do it and so far not much has gotten accomplished. But the desire is there, so that's a start. I really think we're actually going to get the upstairs painted this year.
Do other people go into other homes and think about how much nicer it is then their own?
I feel like I'm waging a futile war with the yard. I'm trying, but I can't seem to move past the front flowerbed. I was admiring my mom's gorgeous yard and wondering why that particular talent--you know, instead of the one where I can touch the tip of my nose with my tongue--didn't get passed on to me. I'm trying to spruce up the yard but it's hard when you're also trying to defend it against neighbor kids.
The hours in the day seem to go by really fast, yet most days I don't feel like I was all that productive.
I was so on top of things last week, but this week has not been as triumphant.
Organization will never be my strong point, but I'm making some progress.
For the first time in what seems like weeks, I'm going to be able to *sleep in* tomorrow morning. Chances are, something will happen and I'll still be up early.
Turns out if I burn 6000 calories a week, I can eat pretty much eat whatever I want and still maintain my current weight.
That's insane, right???
I can barely keep my eyes open, so I'm going to call it a night. Alert the presses. It's 10:15. This is usually when my second wind kicks in.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Happy Mom's Day
It's that time of year again! I know some people LOVE Mother's Day and some people (a lot of mom's actually) don't. I'm pretty ambivalent towards it. I like the recognition of all the hard work I do but I don't bask in the glory of the day.
Well, mostly anyways.
The first couple of Mother's Days I experienced, I spent a lot of them in frustration. It wasn't until just a few years ago that I changed my perspective on the day.
* It's not a day I get to take off. If I take the day off, then I just have to do it all--and more--the next day.
* An uninterrupted nap is a great way to show mom how much you care.
* The opportunity to use the bathroom without an audience is another great way to show mom how much you care.
* Sometimes, you have to buy your own chocolate. And then share it when the natives discover your secret stash.
* Your kids sit on you even though there's plenty of room on the bed because they love you.
* It's adorable when both kids get to sing in Sacrament for the first time, even if someone else's kid with a big noggin' pushes your three year old out of your line of sight. It's also the first time, even if for only a brief moment, that your bench has been absolutely quiet and still in almost four years.
* Spiders are no less frightening at 3:30 in the morning than at other rational and sane times.
* Dinner doesn't make itself.
* Family walks are less enjoyable when the bratty neighbor kid tags along.
* How come my kids are so cute and other kids aren't?
Man, I have some awesome kiddos. I also have an awesome husband. And two lazy cats. And some beyond amazing friends. Plus a cool mommy myself who I have the opportunity to visit on a weekly basis. Not a lot of people get that. Life is pretty good right now.
Happy Mother's Day to all those moms and almost-moms and surrogate moms out there.
Well, mostly anyways.
The first couple of Mother's Days I experienced, I spent a lot of them in frustration. It wasn't until just a few years ago that I changed my perspective on the day.
* It's not a day I get to take off. If I take the day off, then I just have to do it all--and more--the next day.
* An uninterrupted nap is a great way to show mom how much you care.
* The opportunity to use the bathroom without an audience is another great way to show mom how much you care.
* Sometimes, you have to buy your own chocolate. And then share it when the natives discover your secret stash.
* Your kids sit on you even though there's plenty of room on the bed because they love you.
* It's adorable when both kids get to sing in Sacrament for the first time, even if someone else's kid with a big noggin' pushes your three year old out of your line of sight. It's also the first time, even if for only a brief moment, that your bench has been absolutely quiet and still in almost four years.
* Spiders are no less frightening at 3:30 in the morning than at other rational and sane times.
* Dinner doesn't make itself.
* Family walks are less enjoyable when the bratty neighbor kid tags along.
* How come my kids are so cute and other kids aren't?
Man, I have some awesome kiddos. I also have an awesome husband. And two lazy cats. And some beyond amazing friends. Plus a cool mommy myself who I have the opportunity to visit on a weekly basis. Not a lot of people get that. Life is pretty good right now.
Happy Mother's Day to all those moms and almost-moms and surrogate moms out there.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Update
Eek. It's been a long time. A lot has happened too:
* J had a birthday. I can't believe how old he's getting. He's really matured this last year too. I wish I could say the same thing about his friends. Sigh.
* I had a birthday too. It was nice. Really nice, actually, because I got a brand spankin' new road bike. I can't believe how much different it is. What have I been riding for the last three years?
* I also had multiple parties with friends and family and managed to eat a 1/3 of a cake by myself. Plus I ate out nearly every day for two weeks straight. It's been awesome.
* Training has been...going. I've been pleasantly surprised that some of my speed has been returning. I just wish I didn't have to torture myself to get there.
* I bowled a 201 the other day. It's the best I've ever done and is 3rd highest in the league for this year. I also have the fourth highest average in the league.
* I had some gorgeous flowers that have bloomed the last few weeks. They were so pretty to look at every time I pulled up in the car. That is, until I found their decapitated heads in my mailbox.
* J got his first black eye when he hit the edge of his eye on the pony wall. Poor kid.
* A got kicked in the face with a soccer ball (courtesy of one of J's friends) and got a bloody nose. I'll admit that I was relieved when the blood stopped because I'm pretty sure DCFS would have been called if we would have had to go to the hospital and one kid had a broken nose and the other one had a black eye.
* Wade took J on a "run" the other day--2 miles. Looks like we have a runner in the family. I'm going to sign him up for a 5k this summer and see how he does.
* School is almost out for the summer. It's going to be a long three months.
* J had a birthday. I can't believe how old he's getting. He's really matured this last year too. I wish I could say the same thing about his friends. Sigh.
* I had a birthday too. It was nice. Really nice, actually, because I got a brand spankin' new road bike. I can't believe how much different it is. What have I been riding for the last three years?
* I also had multiple parties with friends and family and managed to eat a 1/3 of a cake by myself. Plus I ate out nearly every day for two weeks straight. It's been awesome.
* Training has been...going. I've been pleasantly surprised that some of my speed has been returning. I just wish I didn't have to torture myself to get there.
* I bowled a 201 the other day. It's the best I've ever done and is 3rd highest in the league for this year. I also have the fourth highest average in the league.
* I had some gorgeous flowers that have bloomed the last few weeks. They were so pretty to look at every time I pulled up in the car. That is, until I found their decapitated heads in my mailbox.
* J got his first black eye when he hit the edge of his eye on the pony wall. Poor kid.
* A got kicked in the face with a soccer ball (courtesy of one of J's friends) and got a bloody nose. I'll admit that I was relieved when the blood stopped because I'm pretty sure DCFS would have been called if we would have had to go to the hospital and one kid had a broken nose and the other one had a black eye.
* Wade took J on a "run" the other day--2 miles. Looks like we have a runner in the family. I'm going to sign him up for a 5k this summer and see how he does.
* School is almost out for the summer. It's going to be a long three months.
Monday, April 23, 2012
My Almost-Ban From Public Swimming Pools
I have the worst luck at Public Swimming Pools. The worst. For example, after I had A. I would take her to the pool and sit her in her carseat by the side and swim laps while she slept and J was at preschool. However, it was during Geriatric Hour, where I was the youngest person by at least 50 years. Overall, it was perfect. But, my swimsuit was not. One fateful day, I was swimming back towards the shallow end when I mentally made the note that swimming seemed suddenly so freeing. Much more free than it had, say, the lap before.
Luckily, I realized before I stood up that the tie holding my swimsuit top up had come undone and I was literally free.
Other bad swimsuit moments include showing up in the same swimsuit as a 60 year old.
Twice.
But two weeks ago might have been the worst. To this day, I'm still not sure what I would have done if things would have gone differently.
I was in a hurry to get to the pool because I wanted to get my workout done before Wade needed to leave for work and then I wouldn't have to worry about bringing A in. I grabbed an old swimsuit bottom and noted that it had been stretched out from use (NOT because I'm shrinking at an alarming rate), but didn't really comprehend what this would mean when I started swimming laps.
I jumped into the pool and started off to the deep end--the deep end that is 10 feet deep. As I neared the wall, I dove a little under the water and turned so I could kick off the wall and return to the other side. As I made the kick off the wall, I could feel my swimsuit bottoms start to fall off.
By pure luck and probably divine intervention, I was able to catch them before they got too far and before they left for the bottom of the pool.
Eek. Can you imagine having to spend your workout time trying to reach your swimsuit bottoms under 10 feet of water?
My normal workout took forever because at each turn I would have to hold on to the edge of the swimsuit bottoms. I threw them away the minute I got home.
Seriously, they're going to throw me out.
Luckily, I realized before I stood up that the tie holding my swimsuit top up had come undone and I was literally free.
Other bad swimsuit moments include showing up in the same swimsuit as a 60 year old.
Twice.
But two weeks ago might have been the worst. To this day, I'm still not sure what I would have done if things would have gone differently.
I was in a hurry to get to the pool because I wanted to get my workout done before Wade needed to leave for work and then I wouldn't have to worry about bringing A in. I grabbed an old swimsuit bottom and noted that it had been stretched out from use (NOT because I'm shrinking at an alarming rate), but didn't really comprehend what this would mean when I started swimming laps.
I jumped into the pool and started off to the deep end--the deep end that is 10 feet deep. As I neared the wall, I dove a little under the water and turned so I could kick off the wall and return to the other side. As I made the kick off the wall, I could feel my swimsuit bottoms start to fall off.
By pure luck and probably divine intervention, I was able to catch them before they got too far and before they left for the bottom of the pool.
Eek. Can you imagine having to spend your workout time trying to reach your swimsuit bottoms under 10 feet of water?
My normal workout took forever because at each turn I would have to hold on to the edge of the swimsuit bottoms. I threw them away the minute I got home.
Seriously, they're going to throw me out.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
What Was I Thinking...
Practically every morning, my alarm will go off and I see the moonlight streaming in through the slats of the blinds on the windows and I think to myself:
"What was I thinking?"
And I have no good answers except for I wasn't thinking. But, I've been here before. I felt this way before I ran my first marathon. And I made it through that relatively unscathed.
But this feels...bigger. And it's a new event so I'm nervous about that. Also, I knew that thousands of people run the marathon every year, so the chances of me coming in dead last were relatively low. However, the Half Ironman had 18 women last year.
18.
And I'm a little worried about being dead last. I know I'll survive. Someone has to be last. But dead last??
Add to the plate an Olympic Tri I'm doing in July (1 mile swim, 30 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) that had 13 TOTAL participants last year...
13...
And this swim isn't in a river with the benefit of the current. This is in a reservoir. With no current. But, luckily, my chances of getting kicked in the face is low considering there are only 13 people, right?
But I'm still a little nervous about swimming 1.2 miles, then riding my bike for 56 miles and THEN running 13.1 miles. I mean, only crazy people would do something like this, right?
You can kind of see why, with all this anxiety taking up so much head space and energy, I haven't had the energy to pour into this here blog. I even have good stories--like how I locked the neighbor's kid inside my house and how I almost lost my swimsuit bottoms at the pool and how one of my closest friends moved across country and now I won't get free food when we go out.
This week. Most likely.
I wonder if I can get a Xanax prescription for the next few months...
"What was I thinking?"
And I have no good answers except for I wasn't thinking. But, I've been here before. I felt this way before I ran my first marathon. And I made it through that relatively unscathed.
But this feels...bigger. And it's a new event so I'm nervous about that. Also, I knew that thousands of people run the marathon every year, so the chances of me coming in dead last were relatively low. However, the Half Ironman had 18 women last year.
18.
And I'm a little worried about being dead last. I know I'll survive. Someone has to be last. But dead last??
Add to the plate an Olympic Tri I'm doing in July (1 mile swim, 30 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) that had 13 TOTAL participants last year...
13...
And this swim isn't in a river with the benefit of the current. This is in a reservoir. With no current. But, luckily, my chances of getting kicked in the face is low considering there are only 13 people, right?
But I'm still a little nervous about swimming 1.2 miles, then riding my bike for 56 miles and THEN running 13.1 miles. I mean, only crazy people would do something like this, right?
You can kind of see why, with all this anxiety taking up so much head space and energy, I haven't had the energy to pour into this here blog. I even have good stories--like how I locked the neighbor's kid inside my house and how I almost lost my swimsuit bottoms at the pool and how one of my closest friends moved across country and now I won't get free food when we go out.
This week. Most likely.
I wonder if I can get a Xanax prescription for the next few months...
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
What's For Dinner Wednesday--Chicken Philly Sandwiches
Geez, it's been a while, huh?
We actually ate this last Wednesday for dinner but I forgot to post it. Sorry.
Or maybe I'm not all that sorry.
I found this recipe in the Taste of Home magazine.
Ingredients
Chicken, cut in strips
Green Pepper, cut in strips (you can use red and/or yellow if you want)
Onion, halved and sliced
Provolone Cheese, cut in strips
Saute chicken in 2 tsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside. In same pan, saute onion and peppers until crisp-tender. Return chicken to pan and turn burner down to medium. Add cheese and cook 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve on buns.
SO good and SO easy. Perfect weekday meal.
Calories (with wheat bun): 467
Fat: 17 g
Carbohydrate: 55 g
Protein: 28 g
We actually ate this last Wednesday for dinner but I forgot to post it. Sorry.
Or maybe I'm not all that sorry.
I found this recipe in the Taste of Home magazine.
Ingredients
Chicken, cut in strips
Green Pepper, cut in strips (you can use red and/or yellow if you want)
Onion, halved and sliced
Provolone Cheese, cut in strips
Saute chicken in 2 tsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside. In same pan, saute onion and peppers until crisp-tender. Return chicken to pan and turn burner down to medium. Add cheese and cook 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve on buns.
SO good and SO easy. Perfect weekday meal.
Calories (with wheat bun): 467
Fat: 17 g
Carbohydrate: 55 g
Protein: 28 g
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Tiny Frames and Misperceptions
The other day I went out looking for a nice Easter skirt to wear. Much of my Sunday clothes are rather dark and dreary and I was eager to have something light and frilly to wear for spring.
I stopped in at Kohl's and started meandering around the store. I was with my mom, who is not known for (a) her love for shopping and (b) her patience so she stopped a salesperson and asked her where we could find a nice skirt for me. To which the saleslady responded, while looking me over, "you have a tiny frame. I would suggest the Juniors Department."
I was shocked. I have never been told I have a tiny frame and I wanted to stand there and let the saleslady bestow other wonderful things upon me. But it did get me to thinking:
When I look in the mirror, I see an athlete. Sometimes, I look more athletic than other times, but for the most part, I see an athlete. I see a muscular build that for a long time in Jr. High and High School I shied away from.
(I want to make it clear that I don't look in the mirror and find myself to be fat. Nor do I look in the mirror and pinch parts of myself and wish them away. I'm not that kind of gal.)
When I got to be in my mid-20's, I realized that I wasn't ever going to fit in a size 4 pair of jeans. Ever. And I didn't want to. But, more importantly, I accepted this part of me and moved past this "ideal". Since then, I've worked hard at just being in shape. In shape for me may be different than in shape for other people, but it involves all the same kinds of things: exercise and healthy foods. I think we all struggle with one or both of these to some degree and it would serve us all well to remember that little point: we all struggle.
I've been accused at times of using endurance sports as a way to stay skinny. I don't use endurance sports to do that. I do endurance sports because I enjoy the challenge. I enjoy working towards a goal and beating it. I like the number crunching of pacing and setting time goals. I really like training and trying new things. Sometimes, I'll research certain things--thoughts and attitudes about weight and their effect on your racing--and I'll incorporate it into my training for a time being to see if really does matter. But I'm smart about it. I'm not eating a 500 calorie diet and trying to run 20 miles on it. I do try to maintain a healthy diet about 80% of the time. Some weeks are better than other weeks. I try not to beat myself up about it. Healthy isn't a number on a scale.
Sometimes, I think, it seems like we get so use to what we see in the mirror that we are sidelined by a comment from a stranger. In my case, it was a positive one. But I know a lot of the times, that's not the case. And I have been on the wrong side of well-meaning comments.
Take the comment at lunch the very same day as my Kohl's experience. I had ordered a meal off of the "healthy" menu not because I wanted to count my calories but because I didn't want to eat so much that I felt sick afterwards. It was the same meal as the regular menu, but smaller. I appreciate restaurants who give people an option because one of my "things" is that I will continue to eat well after I feel full. Just because it's there. And then a great lunch morphs into a bad lunch because I'm sick for the rest of the day.
So I order this sandwich and it came with a salad. When I got the salad, it looked like it was a dry salad with no dressing. So I asked the waitress if there was dressing on it. She replied there was just a tad bit so that it would stay within the calorie allotments for the meal and then she leaned in and said "I can bring out more. It won't kill you to have extra."
I almost gasped out loud. How incredibly rude! It just goes to prove that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
I know that I don't have anything close to a "weight problem" and some people feel like you can't talk about these things if you haven't been there. But, the pendulum swings both ways. I have had my share of rude comments too. I just think the world would be a much better place if we could accept everyone for who they are, regardless of their size, and just try to live healthier lives.
Amen.
I stopped in at Kohl's and started meandering around the store. I was with my mom, who is not known for (a) her love for shopping and (b) her patience so she stopped a salesperson and asked her where we could find a nice skirt for me. To which the saleslady responded, while looking me over, "you have a tiny frame. I would suggest the Juniors Department."
I was shocked. I have never been told I have a tiny frame and I wanted to stand there and let the saleslady bestow other wonderful things upon me. But it did get me to thinking:
When I look in the mirror, I see an athlete. Sometimes, I look more athletic than other times, but for the most part, I see an athlete. I see a muscular build that for a long time in Jr. High and High School I shied away from.
(I want to make it clear that I don't look in the mirror and find myself to be fat. Nor do I look in the mirror and pinch parts of myself and wish them away. I'm not that kind of gal.)
When I got to be in my mid-20's, I realized that I wasn't ever going to fit in a size 4 pair of jeans. Ever. And I didn't want to. But, more importantly, I accepted this part of me and moved past this "ideal". Since then, I've worked hard at just being in shape. In shape for me may be different than in shape for other people, but it involves all the same kinds of things: exercise and healthy foods. I think we all struggle with one or both of these to some degree and it would serve us all well to remember that little point: we all struggle.
I've been accused at times of using endurance sports as a way to stay skinny. I don't use endurance sports to do that. I do endurance sports because I enjoy the challenge. I enjoy working towards a goal and beating it. I like the number crunching of pacing and setting time goals. I really like training and trying new things. Sometimes, I'll research certain things--thoughts and attitudes about weight and their effect on your racing--and I'll incorporate it into my training for a time being to see if really does matter. But I'm smart about it. I'm not eating a 500 calorie diet and trying to run 20 miles on it. I do try to maintain a healthy diet about 80% of the time. Some weeks are better than other weeks. I try not to beat myself up about it. Healthy isn't a number on a scale.
Sometimes, I think, it seems like we get so use to what we see in the mirror that we are sidelined by a comment from a stranger. In my case, it was a positive one. But I know a lot of the times, that's not the case. And I have been on the wrong side of well-meaning comments.
Take the comment at lunch the very same day as my Kohl's experience. I had ordered a meal off of the "healthy" menu not because I wanted to count my calories but because I didn't want to eat so much that I felt sick afterwards. It was the same meal as the regular menu, but smaller. I appreciate restaurants who give people an option because one of my "things" is that I will continue to eat well after I feel full. Just because it's there. And then a great lunch morphs into a bad lunch because I'm sick for the rest of the day.
So I order this sandwich and it came with a salad. When I got the salad, it looked like it was a dry salad with no dressing. So I asked the waitress if there was dressing on it. She replied there was just a tad bit so that it would stay within the calorie allotments for the meal and then she leaned in and said "I can bring out more. It won't kill you to have extra."
I almost gasped out loud. How incredibly rude! It just goes to prove that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
I know that I don't have anything close to a "weight problem" and some people feel like you can't talk about these things if you haven't been there. But, the pendulum swings both ways. I have had my share of rude comments too. I just think the world would be a much better place if we could accept everyone for who they are, regardless of their size, and just try to live healthier lives.
Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
