Uno Mas

One more Summer-In-Utah post. I just have a few more pictures I wanted to include. (But beware, I think I may have a few more summer updates, just events other than our trip to Utah!)

We hit Lagoon a few times. Owen is finally tall enough for the serious rides and he had an absolute blast! He could not get enough. It was a good thing we had a so many adults with us so that one of us got a little sick to our stomachs we could pass the baton onto someone else because these boys never got sick of the outrageous roller coasters.

 Here's Owen after a ride on Wicked. It starts out by going straight up and then...straight down and Owen had his arms above his head for the whole thing.

 Mama and Tessa J on the swings. This one was hit or miss. Technically Tess wasn't tall enough for the ride, but depending on who was working the line she was able to sneak on a few times. Next door to this ride is the Tidal Wave (a longtime favorite of mine!) and Tessa asked to go on it over and over but while riding it she was terrified. (Like hanging onto my arm for dear life terrified.) But as soon as we made our way off, she was ready to get back in line.

 We spent an evening at my Dad's house where Owen learned to lasso a steer. His focus and determination are unparalleled in this family. It takes a minute to get his attention, but once he's there, he has a hard time pulling himself away.

 Family tradition of Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square. Obviously it is now a tradition that we will all dress alike without planning ahead of time.

On a different note I feel that there is something you should know. If you ever decide to tell the internet all about how organized your day is and how great your schedule is and how to get a morning work-out in - you should be prepared for the aftermath. Like, the next morning you wake up and realize that you forgot to start the dishwasher and there are no spoons for breakfast. Or maybe, as soon as you get your kids to school and your running shoes laced up you'll get an emergency text from your middle schooler about something he forgot and needs to be dropped off asap. Then since his school is so close to Target you should just make that stop real quick for the elementary teachers supply wish list. Then, the car wash is right there and you know that filthy car is desperate for a cleaning. Then you'll remember you were supposed to stop by and help somebody count some money for the PTA. Then, you're starving because your schedule got screwed up and you didn't get breakfast so you need to stop and get lunch. Suddenly you may find yourself at 1:35 in the afternoon working on a blog post in your workout clothes with enough time to sneak in a shower before your kids get out of school. No laundry, no cleaning, no workout, nada. It's a good thing the kids are out of school tomorrow to help with all the things I slacked on today!

Escalante 2012

Rewinding back to summer for a bit...
Kirt has been pushing for a family trip to southern Utah (Escalante, specifically) for a while and this summer he really made it happen. Although I'm always happy to go along for the ride I had no idea how much this trip would mean to the Browning/Peterson family. Most of Kirt's family came as well as Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Duane. We started the trip out with some fishing. I was rather proud of the candid moment I caught on camera. I nearly fell in the lake trying to get it.

 There  was lots of driving to see all the amazing landscape throughout the area. Grandma Jackie grew up in Escalante and had so much for us to see and do. She knew the roads like the back of her hand and all the nick-names for the look out points. This was near Hell's Backbone - the road runs along the top of a mountain range and you can see amazing valleys and landscape on either side of you. This tree near Kirt was growing right out of a crack in the rock.

 We left Tessa behind with Grandma Bonnie and Grandma Jackie one day to hike Calf Creek. The boys were awesome hikers. It was about 6 miles round-trip and super hot but the boys beat us to the top and back out at the bottom as well. After 3 miles of sweaty hiking we were thrilled to find this water fall and pond waiting for us!

 Next up was Devil's Garden. We followed a long dirt road for 30-40 minutes and all of the sudden these random rock formations appear. It does appear to be a little garden of mini-mountains with rounded tops and arches. It was no surprise that before I could get out of the car Uncle Jake was already on top of one of these things.

 Grandma and Grandpa with the kids. Soon after this picture the kids were up running all over the arch behind them scaring the rest of us to death.

 Kirt found a cabin for us that was less than a mile from where Grandma Jackie lived as a little girl. Although her house is no longer there, the back 'wash-house' was still in tact. It was so fun to visit it with her and hear all the stories about her family's small-town life. There wasn't room for the kids in the main house, so they slept out in the wash-house. She told stories of taking the mail truck to visit the doctor and the dentist. It was amazing to think of how much life has changed since her childhood.

 We finally made it into Capitol Reef National Park for a day and saw some incredible things. The house below was built by my kids great-great-great-great grandfather. Sometimes the children would sleep in the holes in the mountain off to the left. Our kids crawled in there to check things out for themselves. Apparently there was a massive flood that forced them to leave their home but it is now part of the National Park.

 Just down the road from the cabin was the local schoolhouse which served as the wedding local for our kids great-great-great grandparents. There was a little plaque with a recording from one of the school teachers. It was so sweet to hear her sweet old-lady voice recounting her experience as a young school teacher trying to corral a bunch of farm kids in this tiny room of a school.

 At Kirt's request Grandma Jackie brought a bunch of slides and we all stayed up late flipping through them projected on the wall of the cabin as she told story after story about her family, growing up, raising her own children and life in general. We really should have been taking notes. I told Kirt that Grandma Jackie either has an amazing memory or she's really good at making stories up on the spot! (I'm sure it's a great memory!) From all the slides, I think we laughed the hardest at one of Jackie and all her sisters lined up from youngest to oldest and sporting this pose:

 Owen found out that he could become a Junior Ranger in the National Park and there was no turning back. He dedicated the next few hours to plowing through the little workbook and learning all he needed to know to go back and get his badge. I was actually kind of nervous when Ranger Kelly started quizzing him on the workbook info, but he nailed it all and even schooled her stories about his family that helped settle the area. It was hysterical. As we walked out of the building he said, "So, I pretty much work here now, right?" Right dude. Pretty much.

 The trip was really amazing. It was incredible to hear all of Jackie's stories and to see how excited Kirt was to get out and share all of it with his own kids. They had made trips down there as kids and he's always passed Jackie's stories onto them but getting to experience it all together was an experience that none of us will soon forget. We cannot thank the entire family enough for such a memorable trip. Where are we going in 2014?

 Later in our trip to Utah we had the honor of attending Grandpa Herb's 90th Birthday Party. Kirt had already made his way home (dang job!) but made a last minute decision to fly back up for the party. I think we were all pretty glad that he did! Once again, seeing all of his friends and family come to celebrate his awesome life was not to be missed.

And because this is how our families roll: My Grandma Arnold was also at Herb's birthday party. Everytime we talk to one or the other they tell us that they frequently see each other around town and affectionately refer to each other as 'Grandma' and 'Grandpa'.

The "S" Word

No, not that one. (Although Gay would have you thinking otherwise about me.) The one on my mind lately is schedule. Next year when school is rolling around again and I say that I'm nervous about being back on a schedule can you remind me how awesome it is? (At least for a little while.)

I read a blog post a while ago and while most of it was stuff that I try to do, it gave me a few new ideas too. I love the idea of getting things going in the morning. Empty the dishwasher, start some laundry, get the beds made and suddenly... I'm ready for anything. If I can get my work-out clothes on first thing in the morning, once those pesky kids are out the door for school I can get out and get moving. (I realize most of my friends are not in the same position of kicking all the kids out of the house every day, but remember this is for you to remind me next year.)

So far my days are filling up quickly with beginning of school hectic-ness, PTA stuff and generally getting caught up on life. I loved another blog post reminding me that not everything needs to be done today and the priorities are mine to make. I also loved that this awesome, loving mom admitted that while she loves having her kids around, it's also nice to send them to school. The ability to be 'present' is a little easier when you've had a few hours to cross some things off your to-do list and eat lunch without interruption!

So far my biggest gripe with my schedule is what I'm currently calling my afternoon dilemma. I spend over an hour in the warm car picking up kids and getting us all home. By the time I roll into my driveway my eyelids are so heavy I can hardly stand it. Some days I power through we get going on homework after a little snack, but on occasion I have no choice but to set the 15 minute timer on my phone and catch a little nap to be fully functional.

I do love having these kids around and that's always a hard part about school starting again, but everything to it's season, right? When the school year-end rolls around I will be ready to throw this schedule out the window and hang out in our swimming suits for a few months. But for now, I'm enjoying the productivity that comes with that dang "s" word.

Pioneer Trek

Starting where we left off...Just a few hours after the kids and I returned from our mini-vacay Libby and Colby arrived for a visit. I spent a few days bossing them around and running around like a crazy person to get ready for the next few weeks. We did manage to have a little fun too. This was Colby's 2nd trip to the beach, but the first where he actually had decent weather and got to enjoy the full experience.

 Before I knew it we were packing them and our kids into the car and sending them on their way to Utah. These 2 brave souls took our 3 kids on that 12 hour road trip back to Utah (voluntarily!) while Kirt and I stayed behind to go on a Pioneer Trek with the youth from church. We had no idea what to expect and even though I love the girls I work with at church I knew that none of them were going to be in my "family" and I was slightly terrified. I soon found that there was no need to be scared.

 These kids were amazing. They dug in and helped with anything they possibly could. They maintained the sweetest attitudes through dirt, dust, heat, sweat and exhaustion.

 They didn't think twice about being uncomfortable or what was "in it for them" they just immersed themselves in the experience and found joy in the journey.

 Kirt and I were in charge of 10 kids that made up our family. They made it so easy, and they put up with my constant nagging to drink tons of water and constantly breaking out my buffet of snacks. We ended up with a few blisters but for the most part everyone stayed healthy and positive.

 One morning, the men and boys were "called away" and the women had the opportunity to pull the handcarts by ourselves. The organizers made sure we got full effect with some nasty hills but once again, these girls were amazing. As soon as one family would get their cart to a safe place they would race back to help the next family. At one point we were telling girls to stop and let others have a turn.

 Kirt and I had this sweet girl in our family. I was so nervous because she actually spoke very little English. I relied on Kirt's rusty Spanish and a few other kids in our family could communicate a decent amount with her. By the 2nd night as I was tucking my kids in she gave me a hug and said, "I'm going to miss you mommy." I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it. She was such a sweetheart. On our last day as we climbed our last insane hill another girl in our family was really struggling, my little "Y" took her by the arm and helped her finish that last 1/4 mile. Unable to speak to each other they embraced and cried together each expressing gratitude to the other. Don't tell Kirt I told you but he was really emotional as we bid goodbye to this dear girl. We will not soon forget all the amazing teenagers that we were able to spend that time with.

 At one point the men carried the women across a little pond in an effort to remind the kids of all the difficult situations the pioneers had to endure. Most of the men/boys carried the women across like the picture above. (This happens to be the only other female leader that let her husband carry her across.)

And this is how Kirt got the job done.

There are not words to describe the way we felt about this experience. Like most things I complain about, I gained far more than I gave and will hold that experience in a special part of my heart. I even caught myself at the end saying, "Next time we do this..." but quickly caught myself. I can't imagine I'd be lucky enough to be asked twice.

A few things from June 2012

Let's play some catch-up, shall we?

 Miss Tess turned 5 in June. Grandma Peterson had a trip planned to be here to celebrate and at the last minute Grandma Leslie and Aunt Abby decided to join us as well. They put up with so much craziness and took orders from me left and right to keep our family afloat and make her birthday awesome.

 One of my crazy plans were these cupcakes. They turned out pretty cute. Those preschoolers weren't slowing down to appreciate the amount of time these silly cupcakes took, but Tessa was thrilled with the outcome and I was proud of our efforts.

 Birthday girl in her 3rd or 4th outfit of the day after opening her load of presents. She sure is a fun 5 year old to have around!

 Then she went ahead and graduated from preschool. Her school puts on such a fun presentation with poems, songs and special messages from the kids. We already miss all the special ladies there that loved and taught her so much.

 Cal played his first season of organized basketball this year and I think we were all pleasantly surprised with how fun it was. It doesn't hurt that he was on a winning team. (They lost the championship with a heart-breaking buzzer-beater.) The practices and games were not close to home and with other stuff going on it got a little hectic, but it was great. Cal learned so much this season and gained some great friends. His coaches were so patient and generous with their time. It was a fantastic experience.

 And then the boys' school got out. Owen's last day of kindergarten was a tearjerker for me. Mrs. Sachs has been part of our school family since Cal was in kindergarten. She has always kept in touch, and been a great friend to me. Although we were hoping to keep her around one more year for Tessa, she retired at the end of last year and we are so excited for her to spend more time with her sweet family.

We wasted zero time after school got out to start the summer celebrations. The day after school ended some girlfriends and I took our kids to Newport Beach for a few days. I spent the first night with all the 'big boys' at the Angels v. Giants game. Absolute highlight of the trip for me as we blasted the radio and the boys serenaded me in surround sound all the way to the ballpark. Things were surprisingly quiet aside from a bit of snoring on the way home. I guess I wore them out!
We must have had a lot of fun on that mini-trip because the above photo is the only one I got the whole time. I guess we'll have to make it a tradition and go back to get some more pics!

School days

I sat down to write this post last week, but when I could no longer see through the tears I had to shut the laptop and walk away... so, let's keep things light!

Summer vacation has come and gone. It was pretty short this summer with a new school schedule (The kids got out on June 19 and started back August 14.) so we packed in as many activities as we could. Before we knew it, the day was upon us...

7th grade for this one. Cal has a BFF across the street and he decided it would be "easier" to ride with them on the first day of school. Joke was on him because Nathan's mom and dad walked them all the way in and to their classes. I would have let the poor kid go with a kiss goodbye in the parking lot!

Then these monkeys were off to school. Owen was thrilled to be back with his buddies and has a great 1st grade teacher. Tessa was a little nervous and cried a little when I dropped her at her class. My years of volunteering there are paying off with other parents and teacher aids willing to stay with her until she's satisfied. (If I stay, her crying only escalates.) She's been at the school so much over the past 5 years that she's got a lot of familiar faces and that seems to make things better. I've got some projects going at the school right now so I check in on her at snack time and lunch and she seems to be having a blast. At dinner time when we go through our "bests" and "worsts" of the day, she doesn't have any complaints, but she still threw some tears my way this morning when I dropped her off.

Cal was obviously too cool and he wears the same thing to school everyday anyway, but the littles still let me get away with pics for a few more days...

Excuse my pride here, but I was pretty excited about Tessa's mixed pattern outfit. I loved that she completed the look with black and white polka dot socks.

And with that you can see that Owen's wardrobe is made up completely of sports t-shirts and Tessa has been sporting the same pearls for nearly a month. She gets constant compliments on them so I don't think they're going anywhere.

With "all my free time" I've been able to have a little fun, like...

...take two of my favorite girls to lunch. I have been in the Young Women's organization at church since these two were 13. In the last few weeks they have turned 18 and are leaving me for amazing opportunities.
Although it's always sad to see summer end, I am always amazed with how much I can get done when I'm rolling solo. This morning I dropped the kids off at 8, ran 3 miles, showered & dressed, hit Wal-Mart, Trader Joe's and Bath and Body Works and was back at the school by 10:45 to work on some PTA stuff. And now that dismissal bell is about to ring so I'm out.

Just for Grandma

Obviously, I haven't been good at keeping up with this blog stuff. I start to think that nobody really cares about the lame stuff I have to put up, blah blah blah... Then we made our annual summer pilgimage to Utah and I got in some trouble with the great grandmas. Sorry Grandmas! Here's a post and I'll try to do some good catching up. With 3 kids in school this fall I should be able to find the time right!?

Anyway, on to the next. Our trip to Utah was probably the best ever - for several reasons. 1. we sent the kids up with Libby and Colby a few days before we went up so Kirt and I got to drive the whole way alone! 2. Our kids are old enough to enjoy some of the same things, be responsible for getting themselves ready every morning (even if it means Owen wearing the same shirt 3 days in a row!) 3. During the summer Bonnie is off work + my mom wasn't working while we were there = undivided grandma attention! 4. I'm probably just figuring out a better way of making this work.

Owen has been bugging me to let him be in a parade so I called Hooper City offices the on July 3rd and asked if it was too late to register a float. In true small-town form the lady told me that we could just show up the next morning and get in line. She was elated when I offered to come in and register and we got a spot right in front of the Peterson's ward. I made a trip to the dollar store for decorations and dropped them off to some friends that I had persuaded into joining us and we were so surprised to see what they came up with the next morning for the parade.

The grandmas rode on the trailer with the kids and I'll tell you what, that Bonnie is a town celebrity! She had people shouting her name the whole way. It was definitely a highlight for me and hopefully the kids as well! I know it's not the Petersons style to show up in a parade but they were such great sports for us. Thanks again for driving Jon!

After the parade we headed home and started to pack up for our next adventure. We left that afternoon for southern Utah with most of the Petersons as well as Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Duane. We stayed in Escalante, where Jackie grew up and man, what a memory. She showed us all around town and told us stories of what life was like when she was little. It really got me thinking about life and family, lots of sweet memories made that week. We made several day trips to Capitol Reef National Park, hiking, fishing, with lots of good food and down time with family. It's going to be a post all on its own with all the pictures and great experiences, but here's a little taste, just for Grandma Jackie:

We're off for another little adventure this weekend. We're getting pretty good at this road trip thing, so I guess we'll take it while we can get it!

Lunch This Week

I know I'm not the only mama that struggles with lunch for myself. I tend to binge on junk if I'm at home or forget to eat altogether if I'm out running errands. After a particularly bad week last week where I became painfully aware that I'm not taking very good care of myself I have resolved to do better and feed myself well and often.

This sammy is a favorite. I make some sort of 'salad' and shove it in a pita for easier consumption. My mom always says that any salad can be a great when you add a fruit, a nut and a cheese to your greens, so that's what I go for here. Today I sliced some apples and avocado, used a cranberry/walnut/gorgonzola dressing (love it when my dressing has the fruit, nut and cheese!) from Trader Joe's on my spinach and added some feta to the top. Possibilities are endless with berries, pears, nectarines, almonds, pistachios, cheddar, swiss and it wouldn't hurt to add some left over chicken or steak to the mix. The only things needed are the spinach and the pita bread. After that, I look around the fridge/pantry to see what I have. By mixing up the ingredients and the dressing I don't get bored with it so quickly.

Between my yummy lunch and the sun shining outside, this week seems to have shaped up pretty well! I've also been laughing at my brother's most recent Facebook status all day:

So Lincoln was upstairs going potty and he yelled down that he was done which woke his little sister up from her nap. So I yelled upstairs "You just woke up your sister damn it!". To which he replied "Dad, my name's not damn it, it's Lincoln!". I guess that solves the mystery of 'Where did you learn that word?'

So glad the answer isn't "at Aunt Kady's house!"

This one

This child gives me a run for my money nearly every single day. He is my easiest child and my hardest child all in the same hour. He makes me giggle like nobody's business and he frustrates me to no end. Kirt and I have had our hands full with figuring out how to handle this one, but every conversation ends with us belly laughing about something he said or did.

Last week I finally replaced my windshield. It had been severely cracked for a while and I finally bit the bullet. (Why didn't anyone tell me that I could have it done the same afternoon and never leave my house?) Anyway, the next morning we jump in the car to take Owen to school. Both of us just stopped for a second and looked out the windshield. It was a notable difference, we were both in silent awe. I finally said,"It looks like a brand new car, doesn't it Owen?" He replied, "It's like heaven... Except you're here." So matter-of-fact and innocent.

"Ouch! What? What in the world? What is that supposed to mean? Owey, you just broke my heart!"

He looks at me all crazy - wondering why I'm so upset. "Mom, in heaven we get to relax by OURSELVES!"

Although his response has prompted many more conversations on heaven and getting to be with our families, etc., his response was so Owen. He needs a little more time to himself than the average kid. Sometimes when I go to retrieve him from time out he opts to hang out in his room with his Lincoln Logs for a while longer. He's got a lot of thinking to do and that can't be done efficiently in a mass of people. I lovingly tell Kirt that Owen is always thinking, but he's rarely thinking ahead. His little mind is always spinning, but remembering to grab his backpack on his way out of the car is a struggle.

Last week he came home from school with a desperate plea: to get his Kindergarten teacher some flowers. So we loaded up and headed over to Trader Joe's and he picked out the most beautiful pot of red ranunculus. He beamed as he carried them into school the next morning. When I caught up with his teacher later that afternoon, she told me that Owen handed them to her and said, "These are for you. Just because." She had turned in her retirement papers the night before and was feeling a little bitter-sweet about the whole thing. She was so touched by the sweet gesture. Owen's gift could not have been more perfectly timed. And you know, I think that's one of his special gifts: to see beyond the 'urgent' and realize the 'important'.

Del Sol Ragnar

We are probably certifiably crazy but Kirt and I couldn't resist the urge to do our 3rd Ragnar in just under a year (our 4th is just 7 weeks away!). Within a few weeks of our first one several people from our team were urging us to sign up for one in Napa Valley in September. (Hopefully I'll blog about that one soon. My sis blogged about it here.) Then, before we could even drive back home everyone was whispering about Del Sol which was in Phoenix, AZ this past weekend.

I've deemed Ragnar "my race". I love that it's a team event in an otherwise individual sport. The race takes place with teams consisting of 12 people in 2 vans, everyone gets 3 legs to run (varying in distance from 3-10 miles each) handing off to each other over the course of 200 miles. We finished this race in about 29.5 hours, which happens to be a really great time for a bunch like us. (Finished 29th of 203 teams in our division.) I love the team aspect - I love that I get to support and cheer for my teammates as they complete their legs and it doesn't hurt to have a van full of people honking and waving at me while I'm running!

Every Ragnar has had its good and bad. This Ragnar was in the desert so heat and dust were not ideal, but the navigation of this course was a breeze and my favorite part as always, were my teammates. My van this time was my sweet sister Libby, a dear friend Sarah, her dad Bart, (who also happens to be a dear friend), another AZ local, Lindsey and my sweet husband. I think I've finally got him hooked on these races and it is so incredible to have him with me on these silly adventures.

Our team started out at 9:00 am, but we were Van 2 so we were able to sleep in, enjoy our morning and get to our exchange a little before noon. Our first runner took off about 1:00 and it was HOT. About 84 degrees in the Arizona desert. No shade to be found and dust being kicked in your face around every corner. I was one of the last runners and luckily by about mile 3 the sun had set and the heat subsided. My first leg was 8.6 miles and I'd been watching other runners all day and was excited to get out and hit the pavement. There is something about a long run that lets me relax mentally. I know the end is not near so I don't even let myself think about it. I'm able to enjoy the experience a little more. I decided to start strong and get as far as possible before my van passed me for the first time. I had run nearly 3 miles before they caught me and I was feeling good. I remember Sarah yelling, "You are KILLING it!" and I thought, "I know! I can't believe it!" It was a little scary running in pitch dark along a desolate highway - hoping that the big rigs couldn't miss my headlamp and reflective vest because as they approached I couldn't see a thing through their headlights. As I hit the "1 mile to go" sign I was feeling great. I saw a blinking light pretty far in front of me that indicated another runner and so I gave it everything I had to catch them. As I sprinted into the exchange some idiot on a bull horn was yelling "Hurry up #49, she's going to catch you!" And I was thinking, "I'm #49! and I AM going to catch her!" As I handed off to Kirt for him to start his leg he grabbed my arm and pulled me in for a sweet kiss. The crowd went crazy and now the idiot on the bullhorn said, "Now THAT'S what we like to see!" and suddenly he wasn't such an idiot. I looked down at my watch to see my time - I had run that last mile in 7 minutes and 26 seconds. That might as well be a world record for me. I was beyond thrilled.

We attempted rest on a grass field somewhere while Van 1 ran again. Before we knew it we were getting ready to take off again about 1am. My run came about 4am. Usually the night runs are my favorite. This one was just over 4 miles and I felt like I was looking for the finish as soon as I started. Another team handed off right after I got started and I was sure the girl running with me looked pro. I didn't want her to kill me right out of the gate for everyone to see so I took off fast. Too fast. At the 1 mile mark I knew I had overdone it with another sub 8 minute mile. I looked back to see that other "pro runner" and she was nowhere to be found. In fact, there were no runners to be found. On that entire leg I was passed by 1 guy, (when I acknowledged him and told him "good job" he said, "Ya, as long as we're not talking about this cramp in my leg that won't go away!") and I passed one girl that appeared to be simultaneously stretching out her calves and puking over the side of a bridge. It was a lonely run and I was glad to have it over with.

Another crazy sleeping arrangement, this one in a high school gym with some dude that lit up the entire gym with his echoing snore. I wasn't feeling great - a little feverish and a little nauseous but I did get some rest. Our van was back on the road by 10 and my run came about 12:45. My run was along a bike/running trail and we had decided ahead of time that my van would just go straight to the exchange as they probably wouldn't be able to find me. I took off with a bottle of Gatorade in the heat of the day. By mile 2 I was wondering if all these people on bikes would give me a ride for a mile or 2 (and I still had 4.5 miles to go!) Some random team out to cheer for their runner had a few splashes left in a water bottle. They offered it to me and I asked if they would pour it down my back instead. They obliged. At exactly my half-way mark I saw several teams cheering on their runners. I couldn't believe it when I saw MY team. Sarah sprayed me down with a water bottle, Bart had a bandana soaked in ice water to tie around my neck and everyone else was telling me how great I was doing. I thought about that for the rest of the run. That was one of the toughest runs of my life and I was so grateful to have their encouragement. That Gatorade ended up being a terrible decision. My mouth felt like cotton candy and dumping sweet Gatorade into it just made it stickier. I passed 2 different runners (now walking) and asked for a swig of their water. I'm still a little taken back by my lack of boundaries - but we were all out here together and everyone had their guard down. When I passed the first one I told him he was doing great and this was our last leg! He said, "I wish my shins would just fall off." With the 2nd one I think my encouragement might have done more harm than good. We were nearing the end and the "1 mile to go" was long gone. As I caught up to him I could tell he was miserable. "Just a half-mile to go!" He grunted, "Are you serious? I was hoping it was way less than that." He tried to trot along side of me for a minute and I tried to distract him with useless chit chat, but he was done. As his feet slowed to a walk I tried my hand at encouragement once again, "Just 0.4 miles to go. You've got it. Count 500 steps and you'll be done." I think he might have flipped me the bird as I shuffled away. I couldn't blame him, at several times during that run I had sworn off any future running. Asking myself why in the world I do this intentionally?

I came in and handed off to Kirt for the final time and was so glad to be done. Those tough runs are some of the most rewarding to finish. I guess like anything in life that you have to fight for? We headed to the end to wait for Kirt and the entire team ran across the finish line together. Any doubts about why I run were answered right there. Crossing the finish line is always sweet and doing it with a team is my favorite way. I'm a lucky girl to have a husband, kids and extended family that support me in this ridiculous addiction. There's talk around here of Cal running with us in a year or two. How fun would that be?

The Year I Ruined Valentine's Day

Did you know that once upon a time I actually had to maintain employment for money to find its way into my bank account twice a month? It's true.

Back then, I had two cute little twenty-something file clerks that shared a cubicle not too far from mine. Joel and Debra were my work-kids. I would remind them to quit partying so much, tell them to take their college classes more seriously and to eat their vegetables. In turn, they would school me in music, current fashion, and Debra taught me how to use an eyebrow pencil.

Like most of the people that I liked at work, Joel and Debra's names soon disappeared into silly nicknames. Joel was Mexican and because I had lived in SoCal for nearly 5 years I was just gangster enough to pronounce the 'J' as an 'H'. 'Hoel' turned into 'Hoel-ito' then just straight up 'Lito'. (Which incidentally has become my actual son's nickname.) Debra was a itty-bitty one and my creativity led me to 'Little Deb'.

Lito and Little Deb could not stand each other - at first. Day by day I saw her start to laugh at his jokes and him listen intently as she complained about her boyfriend. Soon the boyfriend was history and these two little file clerks were taking lunch breaks together and laughing as they passed each other in the hallway. Being their work mom, it was my job to provide advice and as Valentine's Day approached Joel was in desperate need of my opinion. He called me over while Deb was away on an errand and showed me a picture on his computer screen of a vase of red roses, baby's breath and a bunch of fern. "I think this is what I'm getting Deb for Valentines Day. What do you think?"

"They're really nice...but what about something a little more....unexpected? Everyone gets red roses, what about something like this?", as I pulled up a colorful tropical number on the same website. I left him to make his own choice, but not without providing him a few options.

A few days later the delivery guy showed up at Little Deb's desk. He presented a beautiful arrangement full of exotic rainbow hued blossoms. I was so proud. It was amazing. My little Lito had done well.

I picked myself up and walked straight over to Deb, "Oh my gosh! They're incredible!" I gushed.

She smiled, trying to hide her disappointment, but it didn't last long. "I just really like red roses."

"Your birthday's right around the corner. Maybe you could have someone clue him in?", was all I could bring myself to say as I rushed back to my desk to finish an 'important' file.

***I ran into my work-kids a few months ago at the mall and nearly fell over when they told me they were coming up on their 7th anniversary and finally talking about getting married. Luckily, my meddling didn't screw things up too terribly.***

Happy Valentines Day!

Kids These Days

We've heard the stories from our parents and grandparents: Walking uphill in the snow both ways to school, getting up to do 3 hours of chores before school, or spending every Saturday out in the 3 acre yard weeding by hand. Whatever the story is/was it seemed so lame and redundant. Fast forward to having kids that don't know how good they have it. The story I tell my kids most? I didn't get in an airplane until I was a Junior in High School and only then because I had a cheerleading competition in California and we worked REALLY hard to get there. My brother Taft? I think his first flight was to leave on his mission. (But don't feel too bad for him, he currently has more stamps on his passport than I care to list.)
Here's what I'm saying: Where did my kids and their expectations come from? Although we have been blessed to travel a decent amount, I swear we have been conscious to remind them that this is not what REAL life is like. We remind them that we work hard, sacrifice and save all the while appreciating the beautiful things that we are privileged to experience. But bring up a mom-and-dad-only trip and Cal acts like we've cut off his right hand. "What!? You're not taking ME?" It's taken me a year and a half of reminding him that he's the one that made the trip to Chicago and Notre Dame with Kirt (not me) and he's finally showing some restraint. He still cries, "What? Not Me?" - but nervous laughter follows and he says he's just kidding.
A few examples of our current entitlement issues...Cal was not entirely happy with our low-key Super Bowl plans yesterday. Once he received a better offer he asked if he could, "...just take a taxi" to the other party. He claims he was also "just kidding" but I've got a Benjamin that says if we would've agreed he would have jumped in the backseat of some skeevy driver's car without a glance back.
However, Cal isn't the only one in the family without realistic expectations...Tessa was very distraught on Friday afternoon, crying real tears. She was finally able to pull herself together enough to speak about her issue, "The green paint on the walls in here make me really nervous. I think it would be better if you would paint them pink." At first it was funny and I chalked it up to an overly-emotional-just-got-her-tonsils-out little girl but we are currently on day 4 of paint negotiations. She has backed down from her original position and is willing to settle for red if the pink cannot be accomplished. And I swear to you she is serious.
Anybody got any good stories about how hard life was when we were kids? I can use all the help I can get with these adorable punks!

S#!T my family says...

It's been awhile. I know. Let's skip all that excuse garbage and cut right to the meat.
Remember last post when I talked about Kirt's birthday wishes? Ya, he got none of them...for his birthday. Actually, I did get him a garbage can and it wasn't exactly what he was looking for. Yes I'm serious. That Kirt is a funny one and you know what? I knew when I bought the dang thing that I'd be taking it back, but I wasn't willing to pay the $100+ for what he really wanted and I had to at least show some effort. So 2 weeks ago while perusing the aisles of Home Goods I stumbled upon Kirt's dream can for $30 - he was very pleased. Cut to 1 week later and I can't stand the thing. I hate having to walk over and step on the pedal to throw something away. I mean, it's called "throwing" something away. I can't toss it from the other end of the kitchen with a lid on it! The other night in what I imagine is one of his favorite conversations ever, I told him that I don't like the new one and that he's so lucky to have a wife that will put up with such inconvenience in her life just to make him happy. I start with my list of complaints and mention that it fills up so much quicker than our old trash and that I find myself having to empty it much more frequently. To which he says, "That's not it. It's just so much more fun to throw things away now that everyone is finding excuses to put things in the trash and THAT is why it fills up so much quicker." (Wow, that was a lot of buildup for a little S#!t my husband said.)
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You know your kids live in Southern California when... Owen woke up the other morning and asked if school was canceled because there were so many clouds in the sky. I wish my boy, I wish.
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Tessa has become increasingly critical of the clothes I wear and the way I present myself. The other day as we shuffled out the door she casually mentioned, "Mom, you kind of wear those shoes a lot. I know you want your friends to see them but you can wear other shoes sometimes too, okay?"
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Just in case you wanted to know where I got my title...

Kirt's birthday wish list...

Kirt's birthday is coming up this week. He can be a bit of a tough one. I know I want to get something thoughtful, personal, and if it fits in the budget, that's always a bonus.

He always complains that I'm tough to shop for. In fact, the week before my birthday this year he said, "If I had one complaint about you, it's that you never give me good ideas for gifts." I was all, "Seriously, that's the only thing you don't like about me?! That's so sweet, you don't have to get me anything." And he was like, "Were you listening just now?"

Anyway, back to Kirt's birthday. His birthday list this year is killing me. When I asked a few weeks ago, this was his list...

1. Flying lessons
2. Nothing, I got the Scout this year, that should be my present.

And this morning he exclaimed, "I know what I want for my birthday! I'm going to go buy it today. A nice garbage can for the kitchen."

For real? Flying lessons or nothing? What's worse, nothing or a garbage can? Has he heard of some clothes and a watch? Hopefully I've found something that will meet both of our criteria (nice, personal, meets the budget, doesn't leave us husband/father-less) but he's still got me laughing.

Reason #234 - Why I love Facebook

I'm hoping this doesn't catch up with me since one of the parties is a fb friend, but this had me rolling last night. Copied and pasted from a FB conversation not involving me or anyone I'm relatively close to. (So, why are we FB friends? Because of comedy like this!)

#1: Rain is ruining my life.. what a joke.. I;ve been biking with my cuz and uncle and the rain sucks to bike in.

#2: U should get one of those umbrella hats!!

#1: If you get me one then I'll wear it. If someone buys themselves something like that then it;s kinda gay but if it's a gift then it would be ok.

#2: Gay?? Well... U just were in jail..

This e-conversation then came to a grinding hault. Ouch.

First Day 2011

Please excuse the phone picture and yes, it's the same one as facebook. I'm having camera issues. Today was the first day of having 3 kids in school - at 3 different schools no less.

Cal was the one I was most nervous about. Maybe because it was my first time having a kid at that school. I still can't believe he's in middle school! How did the time go so fast? The first words out of his mouth once he got in the car were, "That was awesome!" He loved his teachers - said they were awesome and hilarious. He couldn't quit talking about all the funny things one of his teachers said. He has a good friend in most of his classes and seemed to find his way around just fine. I thought I would be the coolest mom ever and meet him after school with a giant Icee. He grabbed it like it was something that happened every day and started chatting about school. He's such a middle-schooler - too cool for acting surprised!

Owen walked out of school with a big smile and a skip in his step and told me that his day was "horrible." To which I replied, "What are you talking about? You look like you had a great day!" He responds, "Oh, my day in class was awesome. I'm talking about you waking me up too early. I need a good night's rest!" Let me now tell you that he was up (pretending to sleep walk) just after 6:30. He was dressed and ready to go before I could put waffles on the table a few minutes after 7. He let me take a few pictures at home, although he informed me that he no longer smiles for pictures (as evidenced above) and requested that I take no pictures at school because "it's just a waste of time." This kid has been on a roll today!

And our sweet little Tessa Jane started preschool today. Last year she refused preschool but we finally talked her into going when she was 4. In June, a few days after she turned 4 I took the boys to school and came home to a sad little Tess welled up with tears. "You forgot to take me to school and I'm 4!" We explained when the school year started and went to visit her future preschool and she's been looking forward to it ever since. When I dropped her off she seemed a little shy, but her teacher got her onto a swing within a minute or so and she never even looked back for me. When I picked her up she told me that she "already made up a friend. And she's 4 just like me!" I think she means that she made a friend. And how excited will she be when she realizes that her entire class is 4 just like her! She couldn't remember what letters they learned about until about 2 hours later she randomly said "A and C mom." and I realized that those were the letters of the day. She also told me that her teacher "has a beautiful name. It's Jessica, isn't that beautiful?" She told Kirt that they had pizza at school but they wouldn't let her have any. I saw some pizza there, I think the teachers had ordered it for lunch and they were waiting until the kids were done before they ate it. Of course Tessa would take that personally.

Overall I think Day #1 was a success. If we can keep the morning enthusiasm and glowing after-school reports we're looking forward to a fabulous year and driving all over the place every morning and afternoon will be well worth it!

33 so far...

I was probably awake when I actually turned 33 a few minutes before 2 am this morning. I tossed and turned with a sweet 4 year old that couldn't get comfortable all night. I cried tears of sadness with my sweet little one as she threw up a little later, which turned to tears of gratitude for a husband that rubbed my back as I did the same for our baby. I decided to give 33 the finger - laced up my shoes and killed a 5 mile run before anyone else in my family was up. A few years ago a dear friend's mom told me that life started to get really good at 33 and you know what? I think Ann was right. Bring it 33.

Conversations from my Wednesday

Annoying kid at the playground: I think your girl just tried to do fake karate on me!
Me: She probably did. She's a black belt in fake karate.


Owen: That kid is kind of gross. He eats his boogers.
Me: And you don't eat your boogers?
Owen: Well ya, I just don't tell people about it. (Completely justified in his answer.)


Me: Cal, have you and your friends decided if you want your graduation party at our house or Matthew and Andrew's house?
Cal: Probably their house. It's more fun with the pool and everything.
Me: Talk to them and decide because their mom said that they wanted the party here with the trampoline and the waterslide.
Cal: If we have it at their house are you going to be there?
Me: Yep, I'll be helping Diana with the food and crowd control.
Cal: Can't she just do it by herself?
Me: I guess you don't want me there? ...but it's okay for Diana to be there?
Cal: Well, she's just a little cooler than you.

Oh snap. No he di-in't!
Can I tell you that when I called him out on it and reminded him what a nice mother I was (throwing him this big party for a fake graduation!) he didn't bat an eye. Completely unapologetic and matter-of-fact about my embarrassing-ness. The joke is on him because I've invited his grandparents to the party! (But, it's 100% possible that they're cooler than me too.)

Ragnar

Preface: This is long and I’ve told the stories a few times. I realize that nobody is obligated to read any post on this blog, but this one may be particularly boring. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Kirt and I committed to this crazy race late last year with a group of friends. We trained like crazy fitting in runs wherever we could (including Hawaii) trying to make sure that our bodies would be able to handle 3 different challenging runs in about 20 hours. I wasn’t feeling as much pressure because the distances of my runs weren’t too bad but I tried to train well enough that if someone else on the team couldn’t complete their leg I would be able to step in. About 1 week before race day Kirt had to bow out. Without putting my honest thoughts on the www for Kirt’s employer to read, I will politely say that he was ‘asked’ to work that Friday to close a deal. What I thought to be over-training turned out to be lacking when I inherited Kirt’s 21.6 miles of crazy terrain. (Luckily I found a friend to fill in for my 13.1 miles.)

Our team started racing about 12:30 on Friday (April 15). Anneli took off as our first runner. As she came in from her 5-mile leg and handed off to me for my 5-mile leg I could tell it had been tough. She said, “It’s hot. Be careful. It’s really hot.” By mile 2 I knew what she was talking about. The heat was no joke. It was 90 degrees with no breeze, no shade, and 1 water station with water that had been sitting out in said heat. When I came to my exchange point I echoed Anneli’s sentiments to runner #3: It’s hot. I’m serious. Be careful. Shortly thereafter I was so relieved to be done with that hellish run that I lost it. I was talking a mile a minute, cracking jokes, sticking my sweaty feet up on the arm rests. I was definitely a spectacle. (Anneli may have accused me of being on meth.)

We all struggled with the heat and even the runners with shorter legs ended up having ridiculous hills to climb. As we met up with van #2 (runners 7-12) we warned them all about the heat and reminded them to be careful. Runner #7 took off like a road runner sprinting out of the exchange and ended up paying for it later. Read: heat exhaustion, puking on the side of the freeway and contemplating calling an ambulance. (Wouldn’t have been the 1st ambulance called for a racer.)

After those first rough runs, things got better. Thanks to Kirt’s mom, when he got off work a little early she spent hours on the road bringing him down to meet us and then driving back to our house to help my mom take care of (spoil) our kids for the weekend. My 2nd run began about 11:30 Friday night and was a long 9.4-mile run, most of which was on a horse trail that required me to sign a special waiver earlier in the day. Kirt was able to run it with me which was really nice, especially when I was sure I went the wrong way and when I tripped just a few miles into the run. I was a little beat up, but jumped up and started running again. I knew that if I needed help I could always send Kirt up ahead, luckily adrenaline kicked in and the rest of the run was great, easily my favorite of the race.

Once our van was on our 2nd rest period we tried to lay some sleeping bags out on some grass and get some sleep. Just an hour into our snooze the sprinklers came on and doused any hope of rest. It was horrible. Not only were we rudely awakened, now our sleeping bags, pillows and everything we were wearing were soaked. Another runner yelled, “Just leave me here to die!” when he was yanked from his dripping sleeping bag. Probably the roughest part of the journey, but the one that still makes me laugh out loud.

Finally time for my last leg and I could feel that the heat was going to be a bit of a factor again and I was tired. It felt good to finally get started and know that I just had 7.6 miles to knock out and I could relax and cheer the rest of my team on. As I started out I passed a guy in my first ½ mile. It felt weird: he wasn’t the ‘type’ of guy that a novice like me should be passing. He was tall and fit and I knew as I passed him that it wouldn’t be the last I saw of him. I heard his footsteps behind me for several miles as we passed a couple more people together. I finally gained some ground on him, which I quickly lost when I was stopped by a few traffic lights. As he caught up to me I was all ready with my smart-aleck comment, “I knew you weren’t going to let me beat you without a fight.” I felt ridiculous when he said, “Thank you so much for helping me out. I’ve kept my eye on you this whole time. I never could have kept running without you pushing me.” I continued to give him a hard time about ditching his water bottle several miles back because I was hoping I’d at least get a drink if he caught me. We talked as we ran together about how he had returned a month earlier from a year long military deployment. He was definitely in shape, but just like me wasn’t fully prepared to take on such long distances in such intense heat and circumstances. Luckily, a bit later his girlfriend appeared with water and graciously shared it with me. As we neared the end I said to him, “Half mile left. We can do anything for 5 minutes.” He grinned and said, “That’s what we say in the Navy. Let’s do this.” (How lame that I kind of tear up remembering that?) We picked it up sprinting to the exchange and ended up finishing together, each grateful for the other pushing and inspiring along the way. (Still wish I could find him and thank him for the race and the military service.)

Our team’s 2nd van had a rough set of runs with punk teenagers moving (or stealing) signs meant to direct runners. They were running along miles of beach boardwalk crowded with excited beach-goers. Despite the craziness, they came in just over 30 hours after we began. 2 members of our Van #2 were a dad and his oldest son. The son was Runner #12, (our finishing racer) it was so awesome to see his dad’s face when he sprinted in with a smile. That’s another memory that I hope to never forget. We entered the race with no thought of how we would compete, but we were pleasantly surprised with the results.

Overall, it was an amazing experience that I’m looking forward to repeating. I’ve said it many times, but I was so grateful to have Kirt there to run with me and to obey every order I barked at him. We owe special thanks to both our Moms for making the trip down to hang out with the kids all weekend. The fact that our kids’ grandmas get along so well that they come to visit together occasionally is not lost on us. We love it.

Baseball

Baseball has begun yet again. This year Owen was pretty sure he wanted to play and Cal was feeling exactly the opposite. Cal finally came around and they've each had a few games. Want to know how it's going?

Awesome.


(More to come, Kirt has just been bugging me to get this pic out to the family.)