Friday, May 28, 2010

In The Swim Of Things

With my first race of the season just around the corner on June 13th, I've decided to amp up my game and start working on my swim. Also, after reading momontherocks.com, I'm very glad my race season doesn't start until mid June, while Omaha's started early May. I don't like cold water, and my tri pals were in really cold water last weekend. Even with wetsuits on, I salute their bravery.

Last year I really focused on endurance, and got myself running. A lot. I can pull out 8 miles no problem, but I was disappointed in my swim time. I alternate timing workouts with distance/endurance, and here's a good one I did yesterday, If anyone is looking for a good swim workout. Also, after I did this, I ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes doing 30 sec. sprints every 2 minutes. It was a good day.

So without further ado...

200-400 easy freestyle (by the way, 4 laps equals 100 yds. That means you are swimming between 8 and 16 laps for the warmup. I go for the higher end, and by easy, I mean do it easy. This took me 8 minutes to do. That's a good amount of time for a warmup).

4x50 kick (easy 25, strong 25)
8x50 (count your strokes on the first 25 and drop by 2 the second 25. OR you can bastardize this as I have because I'm trying to make my breathing more efficient by increasing lung capacity and count how many strokes you take before you breathe and then drop that by 2 on the second 25)
4x50 (build)
2x100 moderate with 10 s. rest
4x75 (25 easy, 25 drill, 25 sprint) 15 sec. rest
6X 50 (25 stroke, 25 free) 10s rest
8x25 (alternate easy and strong) 10 s. rest

100-400 easy cool down

Total yardage= 2100-2600

I'm no good at math, but this equates to just over 100 laps. 72 laps is equivalent to 1 mile, so this is slightly over 1 1/4 mile. This workout also burned 613 calories, 45% of which were fat calories.

Happy Swimming!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Truthful Tuesday

(Oh yest I did just steal your title, and you know who you are!)


In honor of my husband's birthday today, I thought I'd lay down some mundane truths that I haven't shared about me in a while. Spoiler alert: I am actually READY to celebrate his birthday. He is getting some wonderful new fishing lures, some new fishing line, sandals, sunglasses, and a tube of toothpaste. Most of it was all Maddie's idea and I supplied her with the necessary funds. So call and wish him a happy day. He's working from home today!


Truths: (in no particular order)

Number one:
I have never, ever, not even once watched even ONE episode of the following cult shows: Lost, American Idol, Celebrity Apprentice, Law and Order, CSI Miami, Mad Men, and anything with the words, "The Real Housewives of" in it.

Number two: I really hate being the first car at an intersection, especially if the people perpendicular to me need to turn. I get nervous that they won't cut the wheel enough and then I will die. I actually get palpitations sitting there.

Number three: When I fill my gas tank, I have to end on an even number.

Number four: My first tri of the season is in 2 weeks. I'm not even close to ready, thank you rancid making illness. This being said, I've decided to NOT work out again today.

Number five: I like historical fiction novels. I just finished one called, "The 19th Wife" all about Brigham Young, and polygamy in the U.S. I highly recommend it. It's a fascinating read.

Number six: I hate air conditioning, and did not turn mine on yesterday until after 3 p.m. Sure it was 90 out. Sure my thermostat read 85. I've waited a whole damn year for this weather and I will enjoy it dammit! I LIKE it hot! But, since the kids had trouble sleeping Sunday, I did turn it on (I'm still crabby about that) and then turned it off around 1:30 after we had dual bedwetting accidents. The fresh outside air is so much better.

Number seven: I have decided to take the summer off from work. I am officially on summer vacation. It feels good to have no set agenda.

Number eight: Speaking of no set agenda, the only camp I have signed my kids up for this summer is Vacation Bible School. I really like being able to wake up in the morning and say, "Let's go to the zoo/museum/farmer's market" today. Or, in all reality (because I like to think I'm more ambitious than I am), "Let's go sit at the pool today and do not bother me because I have this week's PEOPLE and it's IMPORTANT!"

Number nine: I'm due for my colonoscopy in November. Except I think I"m going to change the timing from when I had it done last time, which was 2 days before Thanksgiving. Nothing says, Enjoy your meal like prescription strength super colon blow.

Number ten: John is starting to plan a trip to Disney next year because he is the biggest kid in my house and he is really excited because the kids will all be pretty much big enough to go on EVERY SINGLE RIDE!!! I am secretly excited about the character dining. I really liked the character dining. Especially the Princess ones! (Don't tell anyone!)

Friday, May 21, 2010

The Graduate

Last Thursday was Nate's big graduation day. I try to make these little things a big deal, because they don't stay little long, now do they? It was a rite of passage...from preschooler to big kid kindergartner.

Already he really enjoys doing things like addition flashcards and he's really GOOD at them. It freaks me out a bit, because flashcards and extra-curricular learning activities aren't somethings I really push, what with being a former teacher and a current developmental therapist and all. I just figure my kids are geniuses, and they don't need any help from me. And I'm kinda just lazy like that. It's a good thing too, because apparently both boys have gotten John's "I can Do Math" gene. They haven't really acquired my "I like to read and play Scrabble with Big Words" gene. It's probably better this way.

This is the nicest picture we can get of me with the kids. Maybe someday we'll all be photogenic together. Although I'll probably be old and wrinkley and hate the picture anyways. Nate had to tell everyone what he wanted to be when he growed up. I held my breath thinking he'd say something like "Hulk Smash", of "Juggernaut", or as it was 6 months ago, "Bon Jovi", but he opted to be a policeman. How sweet you say. Not really. He wants to be a policeman so that he can take that big stick thingy and smash in bad guys heads. And arrest his Auntie, but that's her problem.

I wanted a nice photo with Daddy. Daddy hates pictures and always makes that face. He really does. You should see my wedding album. And my sister's. And any one else's for that matter. It's his signature smirk. The kids wanted to take a pyramid picture with daddy. Well, okay then.

Here's the handsome boy himself. He cleans up real nice, but it was really hard to keep him that way for a whole 15 minutes, 7 of which are spent on the car ride to the preschool.


This is classic for my kids. Jack looks like Frankenstein. Maddie looks weird, and Nate's got his father's smirk. I really can't win.






The cap made it official. They even played the graduation march when the kids came in. Very cute to see a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds marching up the aisle to the graduation march. There were a lot of tears.

This is Nate with Miss Cheryl, the "Pricibol" of the school. He's very happy he got his own Bible, because he likes to play "I spy with my little eye....JESUS!". It is a picture book, with ONE picture on each page. Jesus isn't really an elusive character. He's not really quite up to the level of difficulty to find as say...Waldo.



Nate picked out his own cake. We had a pizza party, and he got some presents, his favorite being a new Superhero Squad game from Oma. That game is pretty much like crack. He is addicted, and I think I've seen him get the shakes when I make him turn it off.

Summer is officially here for the little ones. Now I just have to find fun things to do while Big Brother is still in school. I've got zoo passes and Children's Museum passes, so I'm ready for the fun.
On another note, I'm feeling a bit better but still VERY fatigued and run down. I've had a headache since Wednesday night, but I'm working thru it. Because I'm the mom and that is what I do.
Way to go Nate! I'm very proud of you!






Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Whispered Sweet Nothings

There are certain vocabulary words a man, even a certified doctor man should never use when examining a woman.

At the top of the list of course (which I'm sure I've blogged about before) is the phrase: "Ashy Black Discharge" in relation to post partem procedures and 'cauterizing.


Second on the list, maybe not uttered by a doc, but found on a bag of Olestra chips is the phrase, "anal leakage." It has never happened to me or anyone I know. That I know of.


I have not been feeling well for almost a week now. Friday I gave up because I can't swallow around my glands in my sore, sore, poor throat and went to a walk in take care clinic. My strep swab was negative, but they sent the results in to their high tech science guys. This means that I did not get the drugs I was anticipating. Saturday I was worse, complete with white pus pockets in the back of my mouth, so before Maddie's t-ball game, Jack's soccer game, and Brooke's birthday party, I went to a different urgent care, hoping their test would be more accurate. The doc came in and informed me that my strep test was again negative. Then he got all doctory on me (because I am just a stupid crazy Stay At Home Mom who is not qualified to know anything other than how to wipe a butt) and started to explain that a sore throat can be caused by such things as post nasal drip, or other cold symptoms. (Insert my eye roll here, because he hasn't even looked at me yet).

And then he proceeds with the final phrase you should never say to someone. Ever. "well let's take a look. Say aaaahhh. WOW. It IS pretty RANCID in there." I opened my mouth. He said it was RANCID. Like bad meat. RAncid. Then he proceeded to swab and open up a pus pocket to resend to the lab, but first he had to show it to me. It was like he hit some sort of gross doctor jackpot of the morning..."Loook at all this! Wow!" I couldn't help myself, and so I had to say, "See, I'm NOT crazy. This was not some post nasal drip problem." Mayb I was a little snarky, but I felt like crap.

He said if I'm not better in a week I have to get tested for mono. But he gave me drugs, thank God. Yesterday the first clinic called back with a Dx of 'streptoccoca pneumonea", forgive my spelling. Basically strep pneumonia. So I'm avoiding people this week, and taking the day off from my workout. This thing just makes me so tired. So so tired.

But at least I'm not rancid anymore. I've been upgraded to having a legitimate illness. Relief.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

A Mother's Prayer

Today was the last day of preschool, and this came home in Nate's binder of all the year's activities. Look for pics soon of his 4 year old graduation!

A Mother's Prayer

Dear Lord, it's such a hectic day,
With little time to stop and pray.
For life's been anything but calm
Since you called me to be a mom....


Running errands, matching socks,
Building dreams with matching blocks,
Cooking, cleaning and finding shoes.
And all those things that young ones lose.
Fitting lids on bottled bugs,
A Stack of last weeks mail to read
So where's the quiet time I need?


Yet as I go to bed each night,
My heard is filled with true love's light
As I take one last peek I see,
This treasure you have given me.
God's own sweet blessing sleeping there.
The answer to a mother's prayer.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Here Comes Your Future....BEWARE!

This past weekend in our town was homecoming. At preschool yesterday, the teachers posted up pictures of their gorgeous sized zero daughters who look like models and wrote on the dry erase board: "Here's the future...it will be here before you know it!" And I could only think of how that was cruel and unusual punishment. I don't need the reminder that it all goes by so fast. And as I write this Maddie has her Naked Porn Star looking Barbies getting into the corvette to go for a ride....

Last week was Mother's Day at the preschool. Cute little presentations followed by cinnamon muffins and lemonade times two for me. The kids also made me presents, but Maddie made me give mine back to her because "I made it mom, so that means it's MINES!".

Maybe someday in the future my daughter would like to take a photo with her mother. This is what she did when I asked her nicely to take one with me. Nate wanted to always remember the giant lemonade trough, so he asked me to take a picture of it for him. And of course I did!

I don't like this picture of me, but at least Nate didn't mind taking a photo with his mama!



And here is Mr. Cool pants performing. Right in front of the infamous lemonade cooler.
The little ones performed in the sanctuary. This is what Maddie does when I say "Smile for the Camera!"




This has been a BIG week, and it keeps getting bigger. Thursday was my mother's day 'show'. Saturday I ran my first ever 8k, "Kicking the Trails" to support a family at church whose son has leukemia, and somehow I became the church organizer and got about 20 people to walk and raise money. It was cold and rainy so I ran it...not my best time, but running uphill on some big ass rocks trying to avoid tree roots was hard. So was running back down a wet leafy trail. Maybe next year I'll do better. Or maybe next year I'll just walk with everyone else.
Sunday was Mother's Day. I had to read the litany and response at church for the 8:30 service, so I sort of foiled the whole "Breakfast in Bed" thing, which is okay by me. We had a ginormous brunch when we got home. Also, in lieu of a formal "Happy Mother's Day" the boys found it prudent to simultaneously shoot me with their lasers.
For the record, John's lecture on NOT fighting on Mother's Day was pretty much a waste of breath for him. The boys fought about who could hand over the card, then the almost tore the card yelling about who wrote what on the card, etc. etc. I felt bad for the DAD. He tried. He did succeed in making a nice fish dinner and we all went and saw that "Oceans" movie. I highly recommend it; although Nate declared when the sharks were not on the screen, "Moooom. This mooobie is boooooring." It was NOT.
Now, between Cub Scouts last night, Soccer practice for the little ones (yay cancelled), a surgical followup for Maddie and Jack's soccer game, I will be ready to work tomorrow, and attend Nathan's preschool graduation on Thursday.
That's right. He's graduating 4 year old preschool and moving into the big time...kinneygarten. Instead of beautiful prom photos, I could hold up a baby pic of Nate, and then his graduation picture and say to all the new moms "Here now, is YOUR future. It will be here before you know it". And it's true. It seems so impossible that 7 years ago I held my own baby for the first time.
And now in 2 days my middle son will be a graduate. Sure, it's only preschool, no big deal you say. And I think, Preschool today....college tomorrow. It's here before I know it.


Saturday, May 01, 2010

Ooooh Boys!

Maddie has not been well. This has been a VERY rough week for her. I feel like I am violating her human rights everytime I am putting a per doctor's orders Tylenol Suppository up her booty. This morning she shot me looks that could kill and I know she hated me for it, until 20 minutes later when she was feeling well enough to eat and she forgot all about her uh, 'issues'.

I decided to take the boys with me to Tar Jhay to buy John's cousin a nice gift for her wedding shower (which is tomorrow, way to plan ahead Jen) and I told them if they were good we'd go out to lunch. Which was a total lie because I REALLY wanted Burrito's Grande (a cute little new place in our town) and I didn't care if they were good or not, I was going there come hell or high water. The Big Bull's Eye just happens to be right next to Kohl's and I wanted to pop in to see if I could find something decent to wear tomorrow and possibly something to match the tutu can can skirts I bought Maddie and Brooke to wear for Brooke's birthday party (They can match, they're the closest thing the either of them will have to having a sister and my sister and I liked to match just for the fun of it, so there!).

Fast forward, Ding and Dong were running thru aisles, hiding in clothing racks, making fart jokes, hitting each other and just being overall gross in that acceptably unacceptable boy like nature.

Whatever. I ditched Kohl's and went to lunch, because I WAS HUNGRY. We made a last ditch effort at the resale shop, where I said, (and this is pretty much a direct quote, "If you 2 don't knock it off, I will beat you silly and I don't care if these nice ladies call DCFS on me because a quiet jail cell all alone will be LIKE A VACATION!"

And then I heard the ladies behind the counter laughing, because neither they nor my own children finds it ever necessary to take me seriously. I think those blue hairs went home and relayed my frustration to their own daughters and found it hilarious and in an oddly comeraderie-like way. Sigh.

I came home and told John I feel like I have spent the day with Beavis and Butthead. Because this is just how boys are. At my White Trash Garage Sale (yes that was the title and I will blog about it later) my good friend Jenny was watching Maddie and said that I deserved a kid like her, because not that the boys are 'bad' but I just sort of needed a friend.

Yes, Yes I do.
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