10k - check!

Just popping in with a quick update to say -

Woohoo!  I did it!  The 10k was yesterday, and I can check it off of my list now!

It was a beautiful day, but 10-15 degrees warmer than any day I've gone running in preparation for this race.  That made it a little harder, especially in miles 3 and 4.  I also didn't do the best job pacing myself (running about 25 seconds per mile faster than usual) - I had lots of butterflies beforehand and the closer it got to race time, the more excited I got.

Still.... I finished 5 minutes faster than my estimated time - which was pretty exciting!

The best part - my family coming to see me!  I got to see them at 4 different points during the race, and my sweet husband even ran with me for a bit of the last mile so he could check in on how I was feeling and give me some encouragement to make it to the end.  And there's nothing like having high fives from your kids or having them run alongside for half a block!

Next up, increasing speed!  I'm running a 5k in May, and I need to set my time goal for that race.  I'll have to go back and look at my old 5k times, my current 5k pace, and figure out a good goal to work towards.  Although I'm not excited about hill repeats and track workouts, I know they are good for me!  And when I reach that goal it will all be worth it!

Big catch-up post in photos

And it's in reverse chronological order, because that's how blogger uploaded them :)


March 2013 - Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet - B&G is the celebration of scouting's birthday, so we ask families to bring desserts to our banquet.  Miss M took pictures of some of the other desserts (a couple of the scouting-themed desserts were made to look like campsites!), but this particular one is mine.  Since B&G happens near my birthday, this is *my* birthday cake, too.  Big J baked it, I frosted it and made the decorations.  And thankfully, Big J made sure I got a piece for dessert :)

I really enjoy trying recipes that I find on food blogs - especially if they involve baking!  For this particular recipe, I was experimenting with a new-to-me ingredient: cardamom.  The blogger suggested buying cardamom in the pods and grinding it yourself - it's less expensive and it's fresher this way.  I realized that I think I sold my tiny coffee grinder in one of our garage sales, so I broke out the mortar and pestle.  Only took a few minutes - and talk about feeling super-accomplished!  (I. Have Made. Cardamom!) {Can you name that movie?}

I've picked up running again - see previous post - and I am loving it more than ever!  10k prep is going great, and I've even logged a few decent solo runs.  This was my run on Valentine's Day - check out that "Love to Run" shirt!  Sometimes I'm so stinkin' happy I just have to take a picture - even if I'm sweaty!

The first weekend of February is destined to be a crazy one for our family.  For the past two years, it's been both Cub Scout Pinewood Derby and Girl Scout Cookie day.  And I've been the cookie mom.  I was so thankful to have the help of three other moms and several girls with the pick-up and sorting this year.  Our troop has 30-ish girls, so we had a LOT of cookies!  And, also thanks to their help, I was able to go to the PWD races, as well - including the leader race!

Mister J participated in the Derby for the 3rd year in a row.  Big J and I are on the committee, and for the first time competed in the Leaders and Parents Race.  Miss M was bummed that she didn't get to make a car, but as it turns out she got to race after all.  One of the boys was out of town, but boys in our troop are able to race cars if they can get someone to race the car for them.  M raced for a scout a rank ahead of her brother, and that car made the championships!  So, we got to race a LOT that day!

Back in December we took a trip to see my dad in FL.  It was *so* nice to have warmer temps for a couple of days.  We had a great visit!  The kids loved hanging out on the screen porch (with a swing!) and playing in the rain.  Take a peek at the bottom of the downspout - the rain had stopped but they still found some running water.  And - if you couldn't tell - they totally posed for this photo.  They are so funny!  (And yes, still in pjs!)

Mister J reading the story of the wise men at our church's Children's Christmas Eve service.

Miss M playing the role of Maggie.  Our children's service allows all children to participate - as readers, characters in the stories of Christmas, animals, angels - everyone can have a part.  It's a really sweet service.

And this is how I've spent several mornings during the fall and winter - at my favorite coffee shop (aka "my office") working on Bible studies, meal plans, and much of the other work of being a mom, wife, and volunteer.  Even in the middle of a busy coffee shop, I find a peace that allows me to focus and tackle my to-do list.  The scone and hot tea don't hurt, either.

 

One other thing that hasn't made it here with a photo - but I don't want to forget - Miss M lost her first tooth yesterday.  There was some - ahem - drama with it.  She was not content to just let it hang and hang and hang there until it fell out (like another little person who lives here).  She pulled it out even though it hurt and bled.  :)  She's had a LOT of questions about how her new tooth will get here - I am impressed with her curiosity.  And - most charming of all - calls the tooth she lost her "gone tooth."

And one more...  Mister J is at his first spend-the-night birthday party.  Mom is handling it ok, seeing as how it's been a crazy busy week and she's just impressed that she was able to stay awake past 9:15 (unlike last night).  And Miss M is handling it ok, too, since she's controlling the remote and watching what she wants to on Netflix. 

No promises that I'll be back here regularly - or any time soon - life is very full!   I haven't given up on Mom's Magic, but it's taking a back seat to several other things right now.  I'll be back when I can.  Thank you for stopping by!

8 weeks and counting!

My BRF (best running friend) has convinced me to run a 10k.  It's 8 weeks from today. 

She surprised me, back in December, by helping me run 2 miles non-stop.  I thought I was months and months away from that.  I'd been running intervals on my own and had been struggling - pushing myself too hard - and wearing myself out very quickly.  I was lucky if my workout total was two miles.  Earlier this month, I was convinced that the 10k was within my reach. 

Today, we ran 4.14 miles after a roughly 1 mile walk to warm up.  And honestly, today wasn't a great run.  It was at a time of day I don't normally run, I didn't fuel properly, the air was drier than it's been in several days - blah, bah, blah.  For a host of reasons, it wasn't a great run.  But we got out there, and we did it!  And for me, that feeling of accomplishment - that I got out there, whether it was a great run or not - is the reason I keep going. 

Training for the 10k - the official, we're-using-runner-terms-to-describe-our-workouts kind of training - starts on Monday.  I'm so excited, even though I'm still aching from running today (I told you, it wasn't my best).  I think that's when you know you have found something you love! 

10k, here I come!

One for One

I know, not a lot of news here lately.  I keep thinking I'll post some pictures from our November photo shoot (where mom takes pics of the kids for our Christmas card), or from Thanksgiving, or Christmas.  I just never seem to get "around to it" any more.  Perhaps I should post more from my phone, now that there's an app for that.  However, this post was too important to ignore.


My friend over at Small Town Joy is working very hard to raise money to adopt a sweet girl who has been with their family since she was only days old.  If you can help, she's holding a One for One fundraiser.  She's asking you to donate $1.  More if you can, of course, but just $1.  And then pray.  And then spread the word.  And there's a little something else special going on, too.  But you've got to hop on over to Small Town Joy to learn more.

Thanks, friends! 

Overheard #47

Upon coming back from a lengthy visit to the mailbox, and responding to my inquiry about the length of time the trip had taken, Miss M responded:

It's freezing cold out there! I stopped for a moment to do some jumping jacks!

Presumably to warm herself, since it's a chilly 58 degrees outside.

We continue to exchange looks of surprise when M uses these phrases (for a moment, catch a glimpse, and more) in her everyday conversation. I'm more convinced than ever that moving her to a different school was absolutely the right decision. She is blossoming!

Thankful List 2012

I am thankful for...

1 - an impromptu lunch date with my husband
2 - safe travels for my guys, and hoping they will have a great weekend
3 - naps and cold medicine
4 - my husband and all that he does for our family
5 - my almost-9-year-old
6 - the opportunity to vote
7 - a body that can walk and hike and run, do push-ups and crunches, and maybe even do some things I don't yet know that I can do
8 - laundry room dance parties
9 - safe travel (especially with two 21-mile round trips to school each day)
10 - a successful garage sale this morning. I think I can park in the garage again soon
11 - my daughter and her sweet prayer for our veterans and active military
12 - enough food and a kitchen in which to cook it. Prepared dinner for this evening and food for both adult and kid lunches tomorrow. My fridge runneth over.
13 - this one may seem silly in comparison to my other thankful posts, but I am thankful for finally finding some jeans to fit Miss M
14 - lunch with a friend
15 - time with my Circle 4 friends. Blessed to share an evening with them
16 - a quick afternoon nap. After a busy week, I was dragging today, but now I'm recharged for the evening
17 - some fun times with each of my kids today - a little time for each of them to shine on their own and do something special!
18 - to know that, even when I'm grumpy, I am loved 
19 - far-away friends and family. They've all left their imprints on us, and we are the better for having them in our lives. I've had several of them on my mind today, and I'm so glad that we can stay connected via FB
20 - a few days off from packing lunches! I know - not at all profound - but mama appreciates a break every once in a while
21 - a 2+ hour trip to the grocery store.  Really.  I loooove grocery shopping!  And spending that time with my SIL made it even more fun! 
22 - a boy riding a bike, a girl helping her aunt in the kitchen, and the noise and busy-ness of a house full of people.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Overheard #46

Mr. J is watching a movie that he has seen many times. He has the words pretty much memorized. As he is saying one character's part, along with the movie, he follows it up with:

Jinx! He owes me a Coke!

Overheard #44 and #45

Miss M wanted to play the animal sounds game while we were in the car.  Here's a snippet of the conversation following the 5th or so animal sound.

Miss M: (makes hissing sound)
Mom: A snake.
Miss M: No. (repeats hissing sound more loudly)
Mom: Didn't you just make that sound and it was a snake?
Miss M: Yes, but this one's more hibernated.

And the answer? It was a King Cobra.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Again in the car, and this time we were listening to the radio.  "Holiday" by Madonna came on, and Mister J said, "That's from Kids Bop 5!"  Mister J informed him that it was actually a song from the 80s, and the Kids Bop version was a remake. 

And from the back seat, Miss M chimes in with, "It's from Hades?!?"

Read into that what you will...

Well now they're even

Moms of two or more kids know - if one gets a treat, the other one wants it, too.  If one gets a privilege, the other one wants the same.  And apparently, if one gets an ER visit, the other one will eventually want one, too.  I say that in jest, of course, but our kids are finally even on this count, too.

Miss M had her first visit at least 3.5 years ago (maybe more - she was just a little thing) after she fell and hit her noggin pretty hard on a driveway.  We were out of town at the time, so a trip to the pediatrician wasn't even an option - we just went straight to the nearby ER. 

The boys (Big J and Mister J) were at Cub Scout camp this weekend, by all accounts having a great time.  BB-shooting, archery, hiking...  Later in the day, Mister J was sitting in a camp chair, reading, when his chair got tipped over.  He was caught off guard and didn't have time to catch himself before he hit his head on a tent platform.

He got a gash on his head, but the EMTs at the camp (and two doctors within our pack) checked him out and he seemed ok.  He had some worrisome symptoms overnight, so Big J packed up right after breakfast to head home so Mister J could be seen at the local children's hospital ER. All of those checks were normal, so we are now home.  We'll see his pediatrician on Tuesday for a follow-up, unless any worrisome symptoms reappear.

I think the hardest part is going to be keeping him "calm" - including no video games, computers, reading (activities that require a lot of focus and concentration) for today, and no sports/playground shenanigans for a week.  I've already had to give him reminders about running and jumping - in the house, no less!  And what do you do when you can't be active and play?  TV, reading, etc. - which are off limits for at least today.  The good news is that he can return to school tomorrow - as long as he doesn't have a headache. 

So thankful that he's okay, and also for the great care he got while they were camping (and away from immediate medical care). And that they had a good time, but I know I still haven't gotten the whole of that story given all of today's excitement!

SUYL - Favorite Charities

I'm linking up with Show Us Your Life - Favorite Charities over at Kelly's Korner today.  I'm sure I'll think of others to add to this list later, but for now...

debra - The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America - (and especially Jogging for Jonah - 2013 date TBA)
My dear friend's son has EB, and she not only has a fundraiser auction for his birthday every year, last year she spearheaded a 5K fundraiser that had 200+ participants (for the 1st ever J4J event!).  These events are to raise money for debra - to find a CURE for EB!

Imago Dei - This is a Bible study group that I attend, but it's not any ordinary study!  Each week we have large and small group time, but once our study, discussion, and time for prayer requests are complete, there's exercise time.  This group has retreats, goes out into the community for special events, and will not turn a woman away.  When I think of Imago Dei, I hear one of the leader's voices in my head, saying, "Just come."  They provide scholarships for women who want to participate more fully than their budgets will allow (from buying the book for study to attending a retreat).

Coffee shop

 

There's a nice little coffee shop/bakery downtown that I have really enjoyed lately.  It has a quiet (but not too quiet), relaxed atmosphere.  It's a great place to get a little work done or hang out with a friend.  It doesn't hurt that the coffee, pastries, and sandwiches are very good, too.  That first photo?  It's a ginger molasses latte - mmmm, autumn in a cup!  And this next photo?  Well, that's my sweet girl enjoying a surprise afternoon treat - one of their gigantic cookies.  There were several choices, and Miss M went with lemon ginger.  Chocolate chip or some other standard, and I would have passed - but I had to have a taste.  Oh, my, was it ever good!  My girl loved it, and saved half of it to give to her brother when we picked him up from school.  I told you, they bake HUGE cookies!

7, 5, 1

Well, I started this post on my phone ages ago (probably about a month ago), and now it's gone.  Oops.  It was really a lot (a lot) of babble - which is why I didn't post it then.  But I think it's important enough - just for my own memory - to post a little bit here about what 7, 5, 1 means.  The definition, and also why it's important to me.

1
This number is more symbolic than an actual definition, and it represents a large group study that I started earlier in the fall.  We are reading The Story, and this study will take us through the spring (we meet every other week, taking a longer break for Christmas).   It was important for me to participate in this study because I've never read the Bible all the way through, and at times it is difficult for me to understand passages without having all of that background.  The Story is a chronological, novel-type version of the Bible - still with much of the text of the Bible, though some parts are summarized.

5
Our church has been studying The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations (by Robert Schnase) - both in small groups and with church-wide devotions.  As part of an ad hoc group that meets to specifically explore the Passionate Worship aspect of the five practices, I also wanted to participate in a small group study to learn more about what other members of the congregation thought about the five practices.  My small group has exactly two people - myself and the leader.  Not a popular time, I suppose, but she is still faithful to lead our very small study even though I would certainly give her the "out."

 
7
This book (7: A Experimental Mutiny of Excess by Jen Hatmaker) makes me want to pretty much toss out everything we own.  I think the only reason that I haven't (so far) is that I want to sell what I can to raise money for our adoption* and I have a long-standing (genetic?) history with clutter and "stuff."  I'm studying this book with a group of ladies meeting every other week in the home of a friend.  Some of the ladies I already know, some are new - as an introvert, this is the perfect setting for me to get to know new people.  But back to the book...  I couldn't really get into Chapter 1 - it was about Food.  I can't really put a finger on why I wasn't into it, except that I was chomping at the bit to get into the chapters about clothing, spending, media, and waste.  We started Chapter 2 this evening  - Clothing.  I couldn't help myself, I cleared out about 1/3 of my closet over the weekend.  Decent, wearable stuff that I'm just not wearing (Hello, Goodwill!).  I could probably eliminate about 1/2 of what's left, but I haven't decided exactly what this chapter will look like for me.  (We are each deciding what significant, meaningful actions we will take during the time period we study each chapter/topic - typically, three to four weeks.)

Why three studies at once?  Hmmm...  They all sounded good, and since I read Five Practices over the summer, I was already prepared.  I've always wanted to read the Bible, but that's a bit of a daunting task - so The Story seemed like the perfect way to get the background I have desired and that would be helpful in other studies.  This doesn't mean I won't ever read the Bible, but this makes it accessible to me now.  And 7, well, I've been trying to conquer the excess for about two years now.  I've got plenty of reasons to be motivated, but Jen just adds another layer to it all that kind of rocks my world.

Y'all, three studies at once is kind of crazy, but it is a beautiful kind of crazy.  Even cooler?  The three studies and the Sunday school class I taught last month all included the same part of the Bible - and my favorite part of the Bible at that!**

All of these studies are groups of women, though Five Practices was open to everyone.  I am really enjoying the opportunity to meet new women and get to know acquaintances even better.  As we discussed in our study this evening (7 - small group), women tend to judge each other - and we judge ourselves, too.   But once we get past that, we can be genuine with each other - and that is when our true beauty shows through.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to be genuine with these women, and my courage grows each time we meet. 

*things are progressing slowly, because we have needed to put things on hold for a bit. We are returning our focus to the process, though, and hope to have it officially in motion very soon.
**from what I've read so far - I did read the actual Bible to about 2 Kings

Pray for Pie

Please take a moment today and pray for our friends.  You can read their story here.  You can follow them on the blog or on Facebook to keep up with their story and keep updated on specific prayer requests. 

You can help by shopping here - and you can use pie15 for a 15% discount (or not).  All of the money raised will go to help the specific need mentioned in the post linked above. 

Honestly, 1st ed.

If you are my friend on Facebook, you already know that I put the good stuff in the coffee maker this morning.  I usually try to drink decaf (Honestly!), but since I nearly took Prilosec instead of Claritin this morning, I decided that I needed the caff after all.

 And the reason for the Claritin?  Some kind of allergy or cold going on - not sure which - but the Claritin is proving some relief.  Some.  Which is why I brought along a box of tissues with me today.  And honestly, you should know that having a dinged-up box of tissues is just annoying to me.  Do you see that little crease on the edge of the box.  Can't stand it.  Bent-up cereal boxes annoy me, too. 

And this is honestly what the passenger seat of the car looks like right now.  It's a library!  Clockwise from top right - book study, reading to M, "auditioning" a book for J, and potential Girl Scout books which I'm now pretty sure I'm not going to use.  There are more books in the bag on the floor.  And then, later on, I actually went to the library!



And this, for a small portion of the morning, was my office.  (Please don't interpret this as a political statement, I just like chicken and free wifi.)  I needed a change of scenery and some breakfast.  And it was convenient to one of my late-morning stops. 



And that gets you through about 11am today!  Afterwards, I was busy at church, school, and then the library until it was time to pick the kids up from school.  Even though it's the first week that both kids have been in school, I can honestly say that it's going well.  So proud of my kiddos for that!

One last thing.  I honestly think Grass Stains is letting one of her kids play me in Hanging with Friends.  I rarely win (she's great at these games!), and never without almost losing first.  (Go ahead, fess up!)

Now, tell me how your day/week has been - honestly.

(Hmmm... Maybe I'll turn this into a little series - the honest truth about me, or how my day is going, or parenting, or any other thing I need to be honest about.)

Overheard #42 and #43

My 8.5 year old son: "Mom, Michaelangelo is one of the Ninja Turtles' names!"

Me: "I know - the Ninja Turtles have been around since I was a kid!"

My dear, sweet, 8.5 year old son: "But in black and white, right?

Heh.  Maybe I am that old ;)

And other good one for you - it's one that he doesn't like for me to mention but that I find utterly adorable. 

Last school year, Mister J's class had studied a bit of history that really stood out to him.  That day, he came home explaining that he had learned about some things that happened, "...way back in the Nineteens."  Big J and I now use this phrase when we talk about things that happened a while back - like graduating from high school, getting married, buying our first house.  We find it so sweet, and just a little funny - and it just gives us a happy feeling to remember our boy saying it. 

So, even though I wonder some days if I am "old," I keep reminding myself of what I've always believed - age is a state of mind.  Apparently, I'm not alone.  Hop on over and read this great post by Tsh over at Simple Mom.  I, too, agree that the 30s are my favorite decade so far.  And I think the 40s are gonna totally rock!

Out of My Comfort Zone

Oh, y'all, I just have to admit it. Meeting new people makes me nervous.  If you know the job I used to have before I became a full-time mama, you will probably find this pretty darn amusing.  But it's the truth. 

I stepped a bit outside of my comfort zone on Wednesday, though.  As Miss M and I were walking back to the car from after-school pick-up, I saw another mom walking toward us.  I had seen her at Back-to-School Night, knew I recognized her, but couldn't pinpoint where - so I said nothing.  Totally easy for me to do since the classroom was crowded.

As an aside, Miss M started 1st grade at a new school this year.  Haven't addressed it here yet - and still may or may not - but I'm thinking I will share first-day-of-school pics after Mister J starts back to school next week.  An-y-way.... I'm a newbie at this new school.  So that's why I couldn't immediately place the other mom from Back-to-School Night.

Moving right along - I eventually figured out that I recognized the other mom from the dance class that Miss M took two years ago.  When I saw her again a couple of days ago, I just said hello, remarked that I recognized her from the dance class that our daughters had taken together, and that now they were in the same 1st grade class.  We chatted for just a bit - she reminded me of her daughter's name and then, this is the part that I could not believe, THANKED ME for stopping to say hello.  I don't think that has ever happened to me before. It sure helped me feel not-so-nervous - so I'll take that any day!

I just might have to introduce myself to some of the other moms and try this thing out a bit more. 

Does meeting new people make you nervous? How do you deal with being a "newbie"?

There's more than one way to load a dishwasher

My bloggy friend over at Grass Stains posted several days ago about the proper way to load a dishwasher. She was aghast to hear that not everyone uses the spindles on the top rack to keep cups and glasses in place. So, especially for Katherine, I'm taking you on a little tour of my dishwasher. Because apparently, jangling her nerves once was not enough.

Looking down on the bottom rack. These bowls do not nest well using the spindles, and actually take up more room that way. 

 


Glasses not on spindles. They don't move. But Katherine, I hear you on alternating glass-plastic-glass when possible.



























It's not necessary to keep the spoons in a separate compartment. Each utensil can have its own slot - see? No nesting (spooning?) going on here!


Katherine, these are just to unjangle your nerves. (But when I originally posted from my iPhone, "unjangle" autocorrected to "unhinge" so I must not be doing a very good job here.)



























Other things about my dishwasher that may "unhinge" you:

• The little spinner in the tip top of the dishwasher that's supposed to spray water more effectively?  That little 3-inch wide whirly thing?  It broke at the beginning of summer. The top rack actually rinses better now than before. 
• The detergent door doesn't stay closed anymore. Hasn't been a problem. But eventually I will probably need a new dishwasher and I will have to start all over figuring out how to load it.

You might also like to know that, as particular as I am about how my dishwasher is loaded,  this is also my least favorite chore around the house.  And while you're pondering that little tidbit, I probably need to send Katherine some chocolate and a diet coke.

Am I old yet?

No, this isn't a post for my "Overheard" series.  It's actually a comment I left on a blog post I read earlier today.   I've actually been thinking about this a good bit lately, since it's a milestone year of sorts....

My 20th high school reunion is happening right now, and as far away as I am from being a teenager (an age to which I don't wish to go back), I still don't feel like an adult.  I still feel very different inside from how I think that person in the mirror should feel.  And yet, 40 is coming soon.  I have a rising 3rd grader and 1st grader.  The college students that I used to work with now have jobs and spouses and graduate degrees and families of their own.  My husband and I have two paid-off vehicles, wills, and a comfortable home.  My family looks to me for homework help and dinner each evening.  I'm a reading partner and prayer partner at bedtime - my husband is the pro at tucking in the kids. 

Where did all of those years go?  And with so much that has happened in those in-between years - shouldn't I feel older?  But perhaps it is a blessing that I do still feel so young inside - I've got a lot left to do!

Overheard #41

So exciting to be reviving this series - I always enjoy looking back at these posts!

This morning, what M said:
Mom, can I try some of that frosted twist cake?

What she meant: Cheese Danish

And then later to J, when he declined a taste:
You're missing out!

No question about what she meant!  And the ate the rest for dessert this evening - after a taco, cucumber slices, carrots, and a little Mexican hot chocolate.  Either art camp is keeping her so busy she needs more fuel, or she's growing (again)!

Summer Tradition

Farmer's market
Looking at fruits and vegetables and flowers
Saw a pea sheller this year
And we always pick up boiled peanuts!