Today is packet day. I hope to pick up my race packet. Ran five miles this morning, and that's it 'til the big day. My knee kills.
Tomorrow is eye day. I have a consultation to discern the possibility of having surgery to fix my eyesight.
Thursday I will attempt to take myself and the kids to daily Mass. I have a lofty goal of making it at least once a month to daily Mass with the kids. One of my brave friends is going to attempt it with me.
Friday is the 13th, so I plan to celebrate. Thirteen is a good number for me. I was born on the 13th, married on the 13th, and hope to run 13 miles like a champ! Or at least like a girl who wants to have fun with this running thing.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
One day later...
... Kevin has a birthday. First Bethanie, then Kev.
He's not a cake guy. Last year he had a bowl of M&Ms with some tall sparkler candles sticking out. This year was a pile of vanilla Joe-Joe's. Present at the wish-making was his lovely wife, and (pictured) daughter Cayna and her dog, Lovie; son Joseph who took a couple tries NOT to blow the candle out along with the match; and daughter Bethanie with her beloved sea turtle.
Happy Birthday to the love of my life.
He's not a cake guy. Last year he had a bowl of M&Ms with some tall sparkler candles sticking out. This year was a pile of vanilla Joe-Joe's. Present at the wish-making was his lovely wife, and (pictured) daughter Cayna and her dog, Lovie; son Joseph who took a couple tries NOT to blow the candle out along with the match; and daughter Bethanie with her beloved sea turtle.
Happy Birthday to the love of my life.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
number three turns four
In honor of Bethanie since she just turned four.
Newborn Bethanie Kerala - one day old baby number three eleven pounds much loved:
Pretty bouquet. I love getting flowers after giving birth. I also love grape juice, bed, someone else's cooking, sleep, flannel receiving blankets, and reruns on late-night television.
March, 2005. The three Love kids. Adorable trio.
Sisters. Cayna is an expert big sister. They love each other like crazy.
A recent photo of the little angel. Now she's a big sister herself. Pictured here with her baby brother, a band-aid on her finger (heavy addiction), and licking the spatula. Of all four kids, Bethanie is the one who most likes to help me in the kitchen. I hope to train her quickly to take over the position.
Newborn Bethanie Kerala - one day old baby number three eleven pounds much loved:
Pretty bouquet. I love getting flowers after giving birth. I also love grape juice, bed, someone else's cooking, sleep, flannel receiving blankets, and reruns on late-night television.
March, 2005. The three Love kids. Adorable trio.
Sisters. Cayna is an expert big sister. They love each other like crazy.
A recent photo of the little angel. Now she's a big sister herself. Pictured here with her baby brother, a band-aid on her finger (heavy addiction), and licking the spatula. Of all four kids, Bethanie is the one who most likes to help me in the kitchen. I hope to train her quickly to take over the position.
Art
Months ago, I "found" an old friend from college via her website and via a broken, spewing soda bottle in Whole Foods. She is an artist. Here is her website, if you have a minute to let some pretty stuff into your day.
Yesterday, as I stood decorating Bethanie's Care Bear cake fresh from the store-bought Wilton pan, it occurred to me that I was enjoying myself immensely. A template and a pound of frosting hardly qualifies as "art", but I still think the undertaking was artistic at some level. Plus it made my little girl smile, so that alone makes it worthwhile.
Half purple, half flesh: that's my bedroom right now. It is taking waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long to get it painted. I kinda took February off, but picked up the brush and roller again today and finished the first coat of wall number two. So... half the walls are a chalky lilac color which I am in love with, and half the walls are this ugly, menacing peachy-yellow flesh color that nearly makes me ill. Next I have to climb the extension ladder and get up on the stupid, pointless pot shelf to dust it before I paint it. That's wall number three, the most death-defying. Wall number four includes the gigantic window, so not so much painting, just a lot of prep. There you have it - I am a painter. An artist of sorts, especially once I find the perfect curtains or drapes to set the whole room off.
I don't know why I'm trying to make myself sound like an artist. My favorite "art" is writing, and I haven't been in the mood lately. Time to go curl up in the half-painted room and get some rest so maybe I'll have inspiration for tomorrow.
Yesterday, as I stood decorating Bethanie's Care Bear cake fresh from the store-bought Wilton pan, it occurred to me that I was enjoying myself immensely. A template and a pound of frosting hardly qualifies as "art", but I still think the undertaking was artistic at some level. Plus it made my little girl smile, so that alone makes it worthwhile.
Half purple, half flesh: that's my bedroom right now. It is taking waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long to get it painted. I kinda took February off, but picked up the brush and roller again today and finished the first coat of wall number two. So... half the walls are a chalky lilac color which I am in love with, and half the walls are this ugly, menacing peachy-yellow flesh color that nearly makes me ill. Next I have to climb the extension ladder and get up on the stupid, pointless pot shelf to dust it before I paint it. That's wall number three, the most death-defying. Wall number four includes the gigantic window, so not so much painting, just a lot of prep. There you have it - I am a painter. An artist of sorts, especially once I find the perfect curtains or drapes to set the whole room off.
I don't know why I'm trying to make myself sound like an artist. My favorite "art" is writing, and I haven't been in the mood lately. Time to go curl up in the half-painted room and get some rest so maybe I'll have inspiration for tomorrow.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Talk Worked
That little talk with my knee, along with my nurse-friend-prescribed ibuprofen and my mini-bag of frozen black-eye peas has done the job! I'm up and running! I'll taper my running any second now in preparation for the 13-mile day, but yesterday I ran twice! Let's just say I'm so happy to be functioning I had to celebrate. I also spent a little time on the elliptical and hefted mega-pounds with my quads in an effort to support that silly knee.
In other areas of concern - I still don't know if my hubby will make it with all four kids to the finish line, but I'm holding out hope.
I decided I'm wearing my Penn t-shirt in honor of my brother. Back in my cow-collecting days, he wore a holstein pattern on his college graduation cap for me. I figure the Penn shirt will be a tribute to him. In the beginning, he was my inspiration to run in the first place. And my sister-in-law is my go-to training guru, so I gotta figure out a way to honor her that day, too.
Counting the days!
In other areas of concern - I still don't know if my hubby will make it with all four kids to the finish line, but I'm holding out hope.
I decided I'm wearing my Penn t-shirt in honor of my brother. Back in my cow-collecting days, he wore a holstein pattern on his college graduation cap for me. I figure the Penn shirt will be a tribute to him. In the beginning, he was my inspiration to run in the first place. And my sister-in-law is my go-to training guru, so I gotta figure out a way to honor her that day, too.
Counting the days!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
A little talk with my knee.
"All right. Months of training, and you pick NOW --- right before the race to act up and start hurting?
What do you want from me? I bought you new shoes. I've been stretching like crazy. I rested for weeks, which did NOT do wonders for my training schedule, let me tell you. I'm throwing bags of frozen peas on ya when I get the time. Can you help me out here?
I know, I know... I need to lose a few more pounds. That might be a break for you. But to get rid of that last ten, we're going to have to go without ice cream. It's a tough call. Extra weight and some pain --- or sacrifice the yummy calories and MAYBE find some relief. Is it worth the gamble? What if I give up the Dreyer's and the pain stays? I guess it would be nice to be able to fit everything in the size 8s again. Then I might go and get pregnant anyway and you, your partner, my back, my hips and my feet would ALL be complaining with renewed vigor.
Ya know what? You're not even the worst pain I've got. The WORST pain is my self-doubt. Now THERE'S a monster! Somehow, though, I think I can kick him in the butt and still make it to the finish line. You're a little iffier.
Please hang in there. We only have a few more miles of training left and then it's the big day. I can suffer some... but you better hold up. I don't want some gnarly tweak of yours to get me on mile 11 breaking me down to the dirt on my face! Okay? Can we pull it together for another eleven days? I'm counting on you. Suck it up."
What do you want from me? I bought you new shoes. I've been stretching like crazy. I rested for weeks, which did NOT do wonders for my training schedule, let me tell you. I'm throwing bags of frozen peas on ya when I get the time. Can you help me out here?
I know, I know... I need to lose a few more pounds. That might be a break for you. But to get rid of that last ten, we're going to have to go without ice cream. It's a tough call. Extra weight and some pain --- or sacrifice the yummy calories and MAYBE find some relief. Is it worth the gamble? What if I give up the Dreyer's and the pain stays? I guess it would be nice to be able to fit everything in the size 8s again. Then I might go and get pregnant anyway and you, your partner, my back, my hips and my feet would ALL be complaining with renewed vigor.
Ya know what? You're not even the worst pain I've got. The WORST pain is my self-doubt. Now THERE'S a monster! Somehow, though, I think I can kick him in the butt and still make it to the finish line. You're a little iffier.
Please hang in there. We only have a few more miles of training left and then it's the big day. I can suffer some... but you better hold up. I don't want some gnarly tweak of yours to get me on mile 11 breaking me down to the dirt on my face! Okay? Can we pull it together for another eleven days? I'm counting on you. Suck it up."
Sunday, March 1, 2009
5Kevin
Aren't I clever with that title?
Kevin ran his first 5K this weekend, and it went well. The whole time he prepared for it, and during the race, while I lazed in bed with the kids, I was mostly just hoping he'd enjoy it enough to keep running and do more races.
He started at 7:00. I looked at the clock at 7:05. He'd been running 25-minute 3 milers around our hilly neighborhood so I wondered what a fairly flat course, lots of spectators and adrenaline would do for his time. At 7:22 I thought he could be done, and at 7:25 I announced to the kids that Daddy had probably crossed the finish line.
The phone rang about 7:35 and he said, "23:45. I think. I gotta check the results." The final time was 23:19 and he was fourth in his age group, missing a prize by one place! (I came in fourth in my age group in Crestline, missing a trophy by one place - ugh.) Forty-fourth overall, and there were 286 runners who finished. And one horse. Couldn't find the horse's time on the website, but I was looking for an obvious horse name, like "Buttercup" or "Sea Biscuit" or "Black Beauty". If the horse's name was, say, Walter Lipscomb, he came in ahead of Kevin.
At home later, discussing the race, he said he started at the front (Rob Dixon advice) but after one minute when he looked at the GPS and realized he was runnning a six-minute pace he had to slow down. His other favorite moment was realizing that traffic on the race route was being stopped for him. He is still annoyed by a long delay once while waiting for triathletes in our neighborhood - so he said it was nice to be on the other side of that.
When I asked if he'd do another one, he said he has to. He has a goal time. I'm glad he liked it enough to go back.
Kevin ran his first 5K this weekend, and it went well. The whole time he prepared for it, and during the race, while I lazed in bed with the kids, I was mostly just hoping he'd enjoy it enough to keep running and do more races.
He started at 7:00. I looked at the clock at 7:05. He'd been running 25-minute 3 milers around our hilly neighborhood so I wondered what a fairly flat course, lots of spectators and adrenaline would do for his time. At 7:22 I thought he could be done, and at 7:25 I announced to the kids that Daddy had probably crossed the finish line.
The phone rang about 7:35 and he said, "23:45. I think. I gotta check the results." The final time was 23:19 and he was fourth in his age group, missing a prize by one place! (I came in fourth in my age group in Crestline, missing a trophy by one place - ugh.) Forty-fourth overall, and there were 286 runners who finished. And one horse. Couldn't find the horse's time on the website, but I was looking for an obvious horse name, like "Buttercup" or "Sea Biscuit" or "Black Beauty". If the horse's name was, say, Walter Lipscomb, he came in ahead of Kevin.
At home later, discussing the race, he said he started at the front (Rob Dixon advice) but after one minute when he looked at the GPS and realized he was runnning a six-minute pace he had to slow down. His other favorite moment was realizing that traffic on the race route was being stopped for him. He is still annoyed by a long delay once while waiting for triathletes in our neighborhood - so he said it was nice to be on the other side of that.
When I asked if he'd do another one, he said he has to. He has a goal time. I'm glad he liked it enough to go back.
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