5K Necessities- The Beginning

As I whip out this little diddy, I'm just trying to bide my time until I stop dripping sweat. Just finished running on the treadmill and the whole time I spent it trying to talk myself into running just a bit longer (and I hated every minute of it). When does the so called "runner high" kick in? Never mind answering that. I don't care and will probably still hate running. Wonder why I'm doing it? Get comfortable...

Once upon a time there were two families who were the best of friends (at least as close as friends in WV can be without being related). The wives of these two families thought it would be a good challenge to run a 5K. Wife #1 (we'll just call her "Jen") sometimes just says things that sound fun but she doesn't really want to attempt it or heaven forbid, accomplish it. She would even consider herself a tad bit lazy. Wife #2 (we'll call her "Riss") thought this was such a great idea that she tells a mutual friend ,who we should mention, loves to run triathlons and is in charge of church activities. Ugh, what have you done?! (Side Note: Riss did receive a phone call from Jen expressing in a very loving, friendly way her displeasure with her extreme enthusiasm.) Next church activity--you guessed it. A 5K. Family #1 and Family #2 discussed it. Threats, challenges and trash-talk was dished out. Losers take us (I mean the "winners") out to dinner of our choice and they pay. Now, Jen has a theory that misery loves company. She invites Family #3 to join in the fray. So now we have three wonderful families silently plotting the demise of the other families and spying on their efforts. Jen doesn't do well with challenges. She takes them to the extreme and spends her days and nights secretly plotting against her greatest friends (she inherited this quality from her father). I only share these shortcomings with you so that you more fully understand Jen's weaknesses. No, she's not perfect for all of those who thought she was. Stay tuned to see who wins. The Turtles or the Hares or the Stevensons (we'll call them the "Roadrunners").

P.S. I love family #2 and #3 and all this nonsense is in jest. Just in case you couldn't tell or don't know me very well.

Drum Roll Please???

Never mind. I'll roll my own drum because it's been so long and the return to my blog is a small drop in the bucket compared to the vast eternities. I wish there was an excuse, i.e. extreme busyness, important deadlines, or untiring service in the behalf of someone else but all I could come up with, honestly, is pure laziness. So let's recap...

School ended with a bang (and is about to begin again with a bang) and we celebrated at an ice cream shop. Four of those children aren't mine. You guess which four.

Memorial Day began in a canoe...
and ended out of the canoe with mom and dad pulling their sorry carcasses through the water.

(Caution: objects in picture are heavier than they appear.)

Paige celebrated #7 this year with water fights, tattoos (real ones of course), and a night at the movies.

Look how happy this crazy bunch is.

All cooled down and sugared up. Off to the movies for a parental break.

Water fights were rough on the grown-ups.

This was just the beginning... as the story goes. Up next: new house updates and demolition, family visits, swim team champs (in our book) and darker tans. In other words--regular summer stuff.

Home improvement = self impalement

So I was doing a few projects around the new house and was putting up some shelves in the pantry. I somehow managed to insert the drill bit pictured below into my knee just under my patella. How I accomplished such a feat is a story in itself...Lane held a bit of pressure at the puncture site whilst I proceeded to lie down and faint. A good friend came to get the kiddos and foolishly volunteered to help my wife carry me to the car. Quite a sight...these two lovely ladies hauling my disheveled self to the car. ER visit was unremarkable...images negative, lots of irrigation thru the puncture site, knee swells to the size of a baseball...I proceed to turn white for a second time and lay myself back down on the stretcher while the PA continues with the irrigation. Get a tetanus shot, some antibiotics, some pain pills for later, and I'm sent on my way. Being on the other side of provider/patient fence sucks. No more home improvement projects for awhile. What a way to spend my spring break vacation.

Drill bit next to foot for size and scale purposes

You can see the left over remnants of my knee on the drill bit.

What 14 "snow days" can do for you.

Seriously, another one. Today is #14 in one month. The snow really should be going to Vancouver and who ordered this much anyway. I wouldn't mind watching it on TV instead of out my window. There have been a few things we have accomplished.

1. Lane is mastering Mario Galaxy as we type.

2. I have forgotten that the world still has deadlines. I failed to sign Lane up for basketball. He handled it well considering that we have weeks of make-up games from his winter league.

3. The kids have exercised their muscles by knocking off icicles from our roof and no one was impaled. 

4. Blake thinks it's unfair that there are no snow days for him. Lane told him this morning that when he becomes a kid lawyer he'll make it so dads can have snow days and 2 hr delays, too.

5. The kids have gotten pretty sick and not had to miss any days of school. 

They (the weathermen) tell me spring is just around the corner. I'll believe it when I see it.

Time Out For Women (TOFW)

I just wanted to share this video. I know it's not new and most people have seen it. "Time Out for Women" Conference is coming to Pittsburgh and I've been asked to help out a little. I love these mini weekends. Blake takes the kids and I get a hotel with other women (it takes me back to High School and rooming with a bunch of cheerleaders-good times, good times). I've been able to go two other times. Once in Albany, NY and once in Richmond, VA. They have both been amazing and uplifting and completely hilarious. You know when you can't stop laughing and have to cross your legs and have tears running down your face because you can't breathe? It's that kind of laughing.

Hillary Weeks will be one of the presenters that will be in Pittsburgh. I'm looking so forward to hearing her speak and sing. I love listening to women who understand and appreciate the glamour (or lack of glamour) of being a mother, wife, and daughter of God and find humor in it. As time gets closer I'll share tidbits of other presenters that will be there. If you live in the Pittsburgh area, totally check it out. And if you live a little ways away (like old friends in Albany or CT) still check it out and come see me (consider me one of you own personal 'presenters').  Mark the date: April 23-24th.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...

it's cold, wet, gray, and miserable. Pretty accurate for this time of year. I'm privately holding a grudge against a certain popular groundhog for telling me that I have to deal with it for 6 more weeks. Ugh.

I am thinking...

about what to have for dinner. Isn't this the dilemma for most moms?

I am thankful...

that we found a house and our offer has been accepted. Paige was doing a happy "we have a house" dance. I secretly think she just wants the kitty-cat daddy promised her.

From the kitchen...

dirty dishes are multiplying and I don't know how. Shhh, it's a mystery.

I am wearing...

clothes. Does it really matter and does anyone ever care? I'll just promise you that I'm wearing something.

I am creating...

a dip in my bed. You know, the dip that occurs when you can't get your butt out of bed. 

I am reading...

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima. A great YA book.

I am hoping...

that my husband continues to love and accept my inadequacies. Okay, loving my inadequacies is pushing it. Just accept them and keep coming home to me.

I am hearing...

the news. Nothing new going on in the news.

One of my favorite things...

Monopoly on my iTouch. I love being able to yell at the other computer pieces and not hurt their feelings. And when I'm losing the game I can just quit. Or when I'm winning I can drag it out and make it as painful as I can for the unemotional computer pieces. 

A few plans for the rest of the week...

read to Paige's class, paper mache a president's head, PTA, and the greatly anticipated NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation) dinner. 

A picture thought I am sharing...

This was a new kid-friendly dinner we tried this week. Lane saw it in a Family Fun magazine and wanted to try it. Two of his favorites: noodles and hot dogs. Spear the 1-inch hot dogs with 4 angel hair pasta noodles and then throw it all in to cook together. Wa-La, squid dogs. Only problem: Ketchup or Butter?

Presidential Opinions

The other day I asked Lane to do something (can't even remember what it was). And of course as most children do, they don't do it. So I repeated myself and asked 'nicely' again. Blake always makes matters easier and said, "Man, your mom is a slave driver." To which Lane replied, "I know. I thought Abraham Lincoln did away with slavery a long time ago."